Niddah 68b

נדה ס״ח ע״ב

Learn Niddah 68b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Checking for purity during ימי זיבה and the seven clean days: backward impurity, וסת, and which checks count

Overview

The גמרא first brings a ברייתא from לוי: a woman who skipped the proper check at the end of her נדה days is a ספק זבה, whatever a later check shows. It then asks whether the משנה's words 'she makes things impure for twenty-four hours' refute רבא, and answers that those words refer back to the girl at the start of the פרק. Next it asks whether 'if she has a וסת' refutes רב הונא בר חייא. He explains that his rule only means a וסת in ימי זיבה is uprooted after one miss. The חכמים then argue against רבי יהודה that a late check on day seven is no better than a check on day one. A ברייתא shows that רבי יוסי and רבי שמעון keep her pure with a clean check on any day back to day two, and רבי reasons that day one works too. A new משנה brings a three-way dispute about a זב or זבה who checked only on days one and seven. רבי אליעזר and רבי יהושע argue about counting with gaps, and the הלכה follows רבי אליעזר. The amud ends by opening a new question about checking on days one and eight, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Proofלוי's ברייתא supports the ruling
2. ChallengeDoes the משנה's twenty-four-hour line refute רבא?
3. QuestionDidn't we already refute רבא once?
4. ResponseThis is another refutation of רבא
5. ResolutionThe twenty-four-hour line refers back to the start of the chapter
6. ResolutionWhy the משנה needed to teach this about the girl
7. ChallengeDoes 'if she has a וסת' refute רב הונא בר חייא?
8. Resolutionרב הונא בר חייא: his rule was only a leniency
9. ChallengeThe חכמים push back on רבי יהודה
10. ChallengeThe חכמים finish their argument: a late check is no better than a first-day check
11. QuestionDoes anyone really say a first-day check is enough?
12. ResponseYes: רבי asked רבי יוסי and רבי שמעון about a woman who checked only on the morning of day seven
13. ResponseEarlier days are no different
14. Proofרבי admits he should have asked about the first day too
15. QuestionWhy did רבי first avoid asking about day one?
16. ResponseOn day one the flow had just been flowing
17. Statementמשנה: a זב and זבה who checked only on day one and day seven
18. Challengeרבי אליעזר: you cannot count the seven days with gaps
19. Resolutionרבי יהושע shows that counting with gaps already exists
20. Rejectionרבי אליעזר rejects the example of the זב who had a קרי
21. Rejectionרבי אליעזר rejects the example of the נזיר under the branches
22. RejectionWhy our case is different: a doubt could be confused with a certainty
23. Conclusionרבי עקיבא sounds most logical, but the ruling follows רבי אליעזר
24. QuestionSetting up a new question: checking on day one and day eight