Gemara Clarity

Shevuos 18a

שבועות י״ח ע״א

Shevuot 18a

Learn Shevuos 18a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shevuos 18a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Two חטאות for entering and withdrawing from a woman who becomes a נדה, and whether limp relations with עריות bring liability.

Overview

רבא looks for a case where a man brings two חטאות when a woman becomes a נדה during relations: one for entering and one for withdrawing. The near-the-וסת case does not work for an עם הארץ, and the not-near-the-וסת case does not work for anyone. So רבא settles on a man who knows one הלכה but not the other. רבא shows that both liabilities are taught in משניות: withdrawal in our משנה, and entry in the משנה in נדה about blood found on his cloth. רב אדא בר מתנא reads that נדה משנה as a withdrawal case instead. רבינא challenges him from the word 'found', and רבא backs רבינא. רב אדא brings a ברייתא calling it a מצות עשה, and רבא answers that words are missing from it. The גמרא then asks how the man should withdraw: he should stay still until he is limp. רבא learns from this that limp relations with עריות are exempt. אביי disagrees, and רבה בר חנן challenges אביי's view.

Opening lines

וְאִי בְּעַם הָאָרֶץ –

And if it is with an ignorant person,

אִידֵּי וְאִידֵּי

this and that (entry and withdrawal)

״אָכַל שְׁנֵי זֵיתֵי חֵלֶב בְּהֶעְלֵם אֶחָד״ הוּא!

is like 'he ate two olive-sizes of forbidden fat in one lapse of awareness'!

וְאֶלָּא בְּשֶׁאֵין סָמוּךְ לְוִסְתָּהּ?

Rather, when it is not near her expected period?

The steps (18)

  1. RejectionAn ignorant man would bring only one חטאת
  2. QuestionTrying the case where it was not near her וסת
  3. RejectionThe not-near-the-וסת case fails for both kinds of men
  4. Resolutionרבא: a scholar for one rule but not the other
  5. ProofBoth liabilities are taught in משניות, starting with withdrawal
  6. Proofרבא shows where the משנה teaches liability for entry
  7. Rejectionרב אדא says the משנה may be about withdrawal
  8. ResolutionWhy the משנה would repeat the case of withdrawal
  9. Challengeרבינא: 'found' means he learned only afterward
  10. Challengeרבא tells Rav Adda to accept רבינא's point
  11. Proofרב אדא: a ברייתא calls this case a positive מצוה
  12. Rejectionרבא restores missing words in the ברייתא
  13. QuestionHow should he withdraw?
  14. ResponseWait without moving until no longer aroused
  15. Statementרבא: relations in a limp state with עריות is exempt
  16. ProofWhy the exemption cannot be because he is אנוס
  17. Rejectionאביי: he is exempt because he is אנוס, and quick withdrawal adds pleasure
  18. Challengeרבה בר חנן: Your view creates a long way and short way for נדה