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Niddah 48a

נדה מ״ח ע״א

Learn Niddah 48a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Full years in the ברייתא, the ruling of רבי יוסי בן כיפר, and the order of the signs of maturity in the new פרק

Overview

This amud first finishes a ברייתא that lists 'years' counted as full years from the exact date, not as calendar years. The examples are a sold field, the six years of an עבד עברי, and the years of a son and a daughter. רב says the years of a son and daughter refer to ערכין. רב יוסף says they refer to the ages in our פרק, יוצא דופן. The two do not truly argue: each one is reading the ברייתא's wording differently. Next, רבי אלעזר rules like רבי יוסי בן כיפר, and when רבי זירא asks him in person, he explains that his ruling comes from reasoning about the משנה's wording. The פרק then ends with a הדרן. A new פרק opens with a משנה about the two signs of a girl's maturity. רבי מאיר and the חכמים argue about the case where the upper sign appears before the lower one. The גמרא explains why the משנה says 'even though it is impossible.' It then defends the חכמים against two פסוקים in יחזקאל, and the explanation of the second פסוק continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שְׁנֵי תְבוּאוֹת יִמְכׇּר לָךְ״ —

'years of crops he shall sell to you'

פְּעָמִים שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹכֵר

sometimes you sell

שָׁלֹשׁה תְּבוּאוֹת בִּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים.

three crops in two years.

שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁבְּעֶבֶד עִבְרִי מְנָלַן?

The six years of a Hebrew slave, from where do we know them?

The steps (30)

  1. ResponseThree harvests in two years: the field is counted in full years
  2. QuestionWhere do we learn that a Hebrew slave's six years are full years?
  3. Response'And in the seventh': he may also work in the seventh year
  4. QuestionWhat law is meant by the years of a son and a daughter?
  5. ResponseFirst answer: the law of valuations
  6. ResponseSecond answer: the age rules in our chapter
  7. Questionאביי asks: do you really argue?
  8. ResponseNo argument: each said a different true application
  9. ProofProof that רב and רב יוסף do not argue
  10. QuestionWhy did רב mention only ערכין?
  11. Responseרב matches the list: years written in the Torah
  12. Responseרב יוסף's reason: the wording 'son and daughter'
  13. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי יוסי בן כיפר
  14. Statementרבי זירא wishes to learn the ruling from רבי אלעזר himself
  15. Questionרבי זירא asks רבי אלעזר if he really gave this ruling
  16. Responseרבי אלעזר explains that his ruling comes from reasoning
  17. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter of יוצא דופן
  18. StatementLower sign before upper sign: she is an adult for יבום
  19. StatementUpper sign before lower sign: רבי מאיר says neither
  20. StatementThe Sages: the upper sign never comes first
  21. ChallengeHow can the משנה say it came and also say it is impossible?
  22. ResolutionEach phrase follows a different opinion
  23. ChallengeWhy say 'impossible' at all?
  24. ResolutionWithout those words we would think it is about a minority
  25. ResolutionEven when she was checked, the hairs surely came and fell out
  26. ChallengeA פסוק lists breasts before hair
  27. ResolutionOnce the breasts appear, we know the hair already grew
  28. ChallengeA second פסוק seems to put breasts first
  29. ResolutionThe verse means: once the breasts came, the hair surely came
  30. ResolutionA second answer: the whole verse speaks only about breasts