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Niddah 62a

נדה ס״ב ע״א

Learn Niddah 62a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The seven-substance stain test (שבעה סמנין): the משנה's rules, the גמרא's identification of the substances, and follow-up cases with soap and repeated washing

Overview

The משנה finishes its list of seven cleaning substances used to test a stain on a garment. If the stain survives all seven, it is dye and the pure items handled on the garment stay pure. If it disappears or even fades, it is blood (כתם), so those items are impure and the garment must be immersed again. The משנה defines tasteless saliva, bean liquid and urine. It then requires each substance to be rubbed three times, in order and one at a time. The גמרא identifies the substances: Alexandrian נתר, בורית as a kind of אהלא (after testing and rejecting sulfur because of the laws of שביעית), קמוניא, and אשלג, which is found in pearls. Two ברייתות then add cases. If soap removes a stain after only six substances, the items are impure out of doubt. If repeating all seven removes it, items handled before the second washing stay pure, but רבי זירא rules that items handled after it are impure.

Opening lines

קִמוֹנְיָא, וְאַשְׁלָג.

Cimolian earth, and potash.

הִטְבִּילוֹ וְעָשָׂה עַל גַּבָּיו טְהָרוֹת,

If he immersed it and handled pure items on it,

הֶעֱבִיר עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה סַמָּנִין

then applied the seven substances to it

וְלֹא עָבַר —

and it did not go away —

The steps (21)

  1. StatementThe last two of the seven cleaning substances
  2. StatementIf the stain survives all seven, it is dye
  3. StatementIf the stain disappears or fades, it is blood
  4. QuestionWhat counts as tasteless saliva?
  5. ResponseDefining saliva, bean liquid, and urine
  6. StatementHow to apply the substances correctly
  7. StatementWhich natron is meant
  8. Statementבורית is ice plant
  9. ChallengeA ברייתא lists בורית and ice plant separately
  10. ResolutionNew suggestion: בורית is sulfur
  11. ChallengeSulfur can't be subject to שביעית
  12. ResolutionBack to ice plant
  13. ChallengeThe separate listing comes back
  14. ResolutionTwo types of ice plant
  15. StatementCimolian earth is 'pull out, stick in'
  16. Statementשמואל asks sailors about אשלג
  17. StatementSoap removes a stain the seven substances could not
  18. ChallengeSoap removes dye too
  19. ResolutionThe case is where only six substances were used
  20. StatementRepeating the seven substances: items stay pure
  21. Statementרבי זירא: only items handled before the second washing