Niddah 67b

נדה ס״ז ע״ב

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Topic

חציצה in טבילה, when a נדה may immerse (night, eighth day, seventh day), and the time allowed between washing (חפיפה) and immersing.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a rule about knotted hairs blocking the water of the מקוה, and רבי יוחנן says only a single hair blocks. רבי יצחק then maps out חציצה: by Torah law, only something covering most of the body that the person cares about blocks. The רבנן added two more cases, but not a third, because we do not make a גזרה to protect another גזרה. Next, רב and רבי יוחנן argue whether a נדה may immerse by day, and רב ends up agreeing that she immerses only at night, so her daughter will not copy her too early. Some אמוראים still allowed daytime immersion on the eighth day where night was dangerous. רב פפא asks why women today cannot immerse on the seventh day, and the answer is that the חכמים forbade it in case a doubt comes up. The גמרא then discusses how long a woman may wait between washing her hair and immersing, and מרימר rules like רב חסדא as רב יימר explains. Finally, the גמרא asks whether she may wash and immerse on the same night, and רב אדא begins a story to challenge the lenient view; it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. StatementThree knotted hairs do not block; two are uncertain
2. Statementרבי יוחנן: only a single hair blocks
3. Statementרבי יצחק's rules: Torah law and two rabbinic decrees
4. ChallengeWhy not also decree on a small part he does not care about?
5. ResolutionNo decree on top of a decree
6. Statementרב: when a נדה may immerse
7. Statementרבי יוחנן: always at night, because of her daughter
8. Conclusionרב changes his mind: a נדה always immerses at night
9. StatementLocal enactments allowing daytime immersion on the eighth day
10. Questionרב פפא asks: why not immerse by day on the seventh day?
11. ResponseThe answer rests on רבי שמעון's reading of the verse
12. ConclusionThe חכמים forbade immersing on the seventh day
13. StatementWashing on Sunday and immersing on the third day
14. StatementWashing on Sunday and immersing on the fourth day
15. StatementWash on Sunday, immerse on the night of the fifth day
16. Rejectionרב חסדא rejects learning from forced situations
17. Statementרב יימר accepts the proofs except the ראש השנה one
18. Conclusionמרימר rules like רב חסדא, as רב יימר explains
19. QuestionMay a woman wash at night and immerse that same night?
20. StatementOne Sage forbids and one permits
21. Challengeרב אדא brings up the story of the ריש גלותא's wife