Gemara Clarity

Niddah 42b

נדה מ״ב ע״ב

Learn Niddah 42b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 42b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Impurity inside the body: a יולדת whose baby's head has left the פרוזדור, and whether hidden places count as בלוע or בית הסתרים.

Overview

This amud first finishes a discussion of רבי זירא's ruling about a woman who went to the מקוה before blood left her body. רבי ירמיה shows that her case is not like someone who swallowed a נבלת עוף טהור. So רבי זירא must mean the blood actually came out after her טבילה. Her טבילה does not protect her from that blood. The גמרא then explains why a ברייתא lists a יולדת separately: the baby's head has left the פרוזדור, so it counts as born even while still inside. A story with רבא shows the practical result for a ברית on שבת. Next, אביי and רבא argue whether a woman's inner place, and the throat where a bird נבלה makes one טמא, count as בלוע (fully swallowed) or בית הסתרים (a hidden part of the body). Each side brings a proof, and the proofs are discussed. Finally רבא rules on a שרץ or a נבלה caught in a body fold, and on bringing such a שרץ into an oven. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָתָם אֵין לָהּ טוּמְאָה בַּחוּץ,

There, it has no impurity outside;

הָכָא כִּי נָפֵיק לְבָרַאי לִיטַמֵּי!

here, when it goes outside, let it make her impure!

הָכָא נָמֵי כְּשֶׁיָּצָא לַחוּץ.

Here too, it is when it came out outside.

אִי יָצָא לַחוּץ —

If it came out outside —

The steps (28)

  1. ChallengeThe swallowed bird comparison does not fit blood
  2. Resolutionרבי זירא means the blood came out after her טבילה
  3. ChallengeThen why did רבי זירא need to say it?
  4. ResolutionHer טבילה does not protect her from blood that comes out later
  5. ChallengeBack to the problem with the ברייתא about a יולדת
  6. ResolutionThe ברייתא means a birth with no blood
  7. ChallengeIn a dry birth, what is impure inside?
  8. ResolutionThe baby's head has left the corridor
  9. QuestionA man asks רבא about a ברית on שבת
  10. ProofThe baby counted as born on Friday, so no ברית on שבת
  11. QuestionIs the inner place of a woman hidden deep inside, or just a concealed part?
  12. QuestionWhat difference does it make?
  13. Statementאביי and רבא disagree
  14. Proofרבא's proof from a ברייתא about semen
  15. Rejectionאביי: the ברייתא gives two reasons
  16. QuestionIs the throat-place of a bird carcass swallowed or hidden?
  17. QuestionThe practical difference: a piece of animal carcass stuck in someone's mouth
  18. Statementאביי says swallowed, רבא says hidden
  19. Proofאביי proves his view from a ברייתא about an animal carcass in the throat
  20. ChallengeA logical argument that animal נבלה should make one impure in the throat
  21. ResolutionThe word בָּהּ limits throat impurity to the bird
  22. ChallengeThen what does וְהָאוֹכֵל teach about animal נבלה?
  23. Resolutionוְהָאוֹכֵל sets a כזית size for touching and carrying
  24. StatementA שרץ versus a נבלה in a body fold
  25. StatementWhy the שרץ leaves him pure and the נבלה makes him impure
  26. StatementBringing the שרץ in the body fold into an oven
  27. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
  28. ResolutionYou might have thought: the פסוק says 'its inside'