Gemara Clarity

Niddah 52a

נדה נ״ב ע״א

Learn Niddah 52a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 52a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Two hairs as the sign of adulthood: חליצה and מצוות, בן סורר ומורה, the limits of מיאון, and the rules about follicles

Overview

A new משנה teaches that growing two hairs is the sign of adulthood. A girl with two hairs does חליצה or יבום and is obligated in all the מצוות. A boy with two hairs is obligated in all the מצוות and can be a בן סורר ומורה until his lower 'beard' forms a circle. A girl with two hairs can no longer do מיאון, but רבי יהודה says she keeps that right until the black hair is the majority. The גמרא explains why the משנה spells out חליצה and יבום: to reject רבי יוסי. It explains that the boy's section is written only to match the girl's. It then rules like רבי יהודה, but even he agrees that she loses מיאון once she is with her husband after two hairs. Two stories show the חכמים refusing to allow מיאון in that case. The גמרא then defines the two hairs: they need follicles, and follicles alone can count. It also sorts out two sages with similar names, רב מלכיו and רב מלכיא. Finally, it asks whether two hairs can really grow from one follicle, using a פסוק in איוב, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רֵיחָנֵי.

fragrant spices.

מַתְנִי'

Mishnah:

תִּינוֹקֶת שֶׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת —

A young girl who grew two hairs,

אוֹ חוֹלֶצֶת אוֹ מִתְיַבֶּמֶת,

either does chalitzah or does yibum,

The steps (33)

  1. ConclusionClosing word of the previous discussion
  2. StatementA girl with two hairs is an adult
  3. StatementA boy with two hairs is an adult, and the window for being a rebellious son
  4. Statement'Beard' means the lower hair, said politely
  5. StatementA girl with two hairs can no longer do מיאון
  6. ChallengeWhy mention חליצה and יבום separately?
  7. ResolutionThe extra words reject רבי יוסי
  8. ChallengeSame question about the boy
  9. ChallengeThe rule about the rebellious son is already taught elsewhere
  10. ResolutionThe boy is described only to match the girl
  11. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי יהודה about מיאון
  12. Statementרבי יהודה agrees she loses מיאון after being with her husband
  13. Statementרב כהנא's colleagues want to allow refusal even after she was with her husband
  14. Proofרב כהנא tells the story of רבי ישמעאל's daughter
  15. StatementThe Sages react: should his own children stumble over his ruling?
  16. StatementThe source of רבי ישמעאל's ruling: a mistaken betrothal
  17. StatementThe Sages vote: מיאון only until two hairs
  18. Conclusionרב כהנא's colleagues back down
  19. StatementAnother case where they followed רבי יהודה
  20. Conclusionרבי יהודה נשיאה sends an officer to take her out
  21. Statementמר עוקבא: what 'black outweighs white' means
  22. Statementרבא: two hairs that reach from edge to edge
  23. StatementThe two hairs need follicles at their roots
  24. StatementFollicles count even without hairs
  25. StatementWhich rulings belong to רב מלכיו and which to רב מלכיא
  26. StatementA general rule for telling the two sages apart
  27. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two sorting systems?
  28. ResponseThe difference is the maidservants ruling
  29. ChallengeWhy didn't the משנה just mention follicles?
  30. ResolutionSaying 'two hairs' teaches that even one follicle is enough
  31. ChallengeDo two hairs ever grow from one follicle?
  32. StatementHow איוב complained 'with a storm'
  33. StatementHow ה׳ answered 'with a storm'