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Niddah 66b

נדה ס״ו ע״ב

Learn Niddah 66b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Practical rules for טבילה: washing the hair and the body's folds, blockers found after immersing, and what a woman may stand on in the מקוה.

Overview

This amud gives practical rules for a woman getting ready for טבילה. She should not wash her hair with נתר or sand, and she should wash it with warm water, not cold, because cold water stiffens the hair. רבא teaches that she should rinse the folds of her body. The גמרא challenges this from a ברייתא that says the water does not need to reach those folds. It answers that the folds must still be places the water could reach, and it compares this to רבי זירא's rule about mixing flour and oil in a מנחה. A story about רבי's maidservant shows that even a bone between the teeth spoils a טבילה. רבא then rules on a blocker found after טבילה, and two versions of his rule are compared. Finally, רב כהנא and רב חנן מנהרדעא argue about why a woman may not stand on earthenware vessels in the מקוה, and a new rule from רב שמואל בר רב יצחק begins that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לָא תִּחוֹף לֹא בְּנֶתֶר וְלֹא בַּחוֹל;

She may not wash her hair with natron or with sand;

בְּנֶתֶר מִשּׁוּם דְּמִקְּטָף,

not with natron, because it pulls out hair,

וּבַחוֹל מִשּׁוּם דִּמְסָרֵיךְ.

and not with sand, because it sticks.

וְאָמַר אַמֵּימָר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא:

And Ameimar said in the name of Rava:

The steps (17)

  1. StatementNo washing hair with natron or sand
  2. StatementWash hair only with warm water
  3. QuestionWhy not cold water?
  4. ResponseCold water makes the hair stiff
  5. StatementRinse the folds of the body
  6. ChallengeBut folds don't need the water at all
  7. ResolutionThey must be places water could reach
  8. ProofSupport from רבי זירא's rule on mixing
  9. StatementA bone between the teeth of רבי's maidservant
  10. StatementFinding a blocker after immersing: did she wash right before?
  11. StatementSecond version of רבא: washing on the same day
  12. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two versions?
  13. ResponseThe two cases where the versions differ
  14. StatementNo standing on earthenware vessels while immersing
  15. Statementרב כהנא's reason: a decree because of bathhouses
  16. Rejectionרב חנן's reason: she will be afraid
  17. StatementA new rule begins: when a woman may not immerse