Niddah 41a

נדה מ״א ע״א

Learn Niddah 41a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 41a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether a caesarean-born (יוצא דופן) animal can become קדשים, and a ברייתא on a woman who gives birth by caesarean after three days of labor.

Overview

The amud opens with the end of a ברייתא where רבי שמעון explains which disqualified offerings stay on the מזבח: those whose פסול happened בקודש stay, and the others come down. The גמרא uses this ברייתא as a proof that an animal born יוצא דופן cannot become valid קדשים, which supports רבי יוחנן. רב הונא בריה דרב נתן suggests the ברייתא might mean a בכור instead. The back-and-forth that follows shows that the קדשים reading makes better sense. A verse ('אמו' 'אמו') already teaches about a חולין animal consecrated after birth, so the ברייתא's verse is needed for the offspring of a holy animal. With a בכור, by contrast, 'פטר רחם' already covers everything. The גמרא supports this from the other animals on the ברייתא's list, which are already excluded elsewhere, so two verses must exist there too: one for חולין and one for קדשים. The גמרא then turns to a new ברייתא about a woman in hard labor for three days whose baby is born by caesarean. There the תנא קמא and רבי שמעון disagree about her status as a זבה and about blood that comes out 'from there'. רבינא begins to define the case of the second disagreement, and his explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (13)

1. StatementEnd of רבי שמעון's rule: which disqualified offerings stay on the altar
2. ProofProof that a caesarean-born animal cannot be an offering
3. RejectionMaybe the ברייתא means a firstborn
4. ChallengeA caesarean firstborn is not holy at all
5. ResolutionThe same problem hits the other reading too
6. ChallengeThe two readings are not equal: only the קדשים reading needs a second verse
7. ProofSupport from the other animals on the ברייתא's list
8. ProofThese animals are already excluded by a different verse
9. ProofMixed breeds and look-alikes are already excluded by a different verse
10. ConclusionTwo verses are needed: one for ordinary animals, one for sacrificial animals
11. StatementA woman in hard labor for three days whose baby is born by caesarean
12. QuestionWhat is the second disagreement in the ברייתא about?
13. Responseרבינא begins to define the case in the second part