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Shevuos 18b

שבועות י״ח ע״ב

Shevuot 18b

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

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Topic

Withdrawing from a נדה and separating near the וסת, and the difference between רבי אליעזר and רבי עקיבא on knowing the source of one's טומאה

Overview

The amud opens by explaining why the 'long way vs. short way' rule for someone impure in the מקדש has no match for a נדה: the two cases work in opposite directions. רב הונא בריה דרב נתן then raises an apparent contradiction between two statements of אביי, and the גמרא answers that 'liable for two' was a general ruling, not one about our משנה. Next, the גמרא asks for the Torah source that a man must not withdraw immediately when his wife becomes impure during relations. חזקיה brings an עשה, and רב פפא brings a לא תעשה from 'לא תקרב'. A ברייתא teaches that a man must separate from his wife close to her וסת, and רבה sets this at one עונה. Several אמוראים then teach the punishment for ignoring this and the rewards of separating, of making הבדלה on wine, and of holy conduct, all learned from neighboring פסוקים. Finally, the גמרא returns to the משנה and asks how רבי אליעזר and רבי עקיבא differ. חזקיה and עולא say the difference is a person who knew he was טמא but not whether it was from a שרץ or a נבלה. עולא answers a contradiction in רבי אליעזר's words from the wording of the פסוקים, and the גמרא begins to explain רבי עקיבא's reading, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַאֲנַן בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ תְּנַן!

But we learned it regarding the Temple!

אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא דָּמֵי;

Rather, it is because they are not similar;

אֲרוּכָּה דְּהָכָא – קְצָרָה דְּהָתָם,

the long way here is the short way there,

וַאֲרוּכָּה דְּהָתָם – קְצָרָה דְּהָכָא.

and the long way there is the short way here.

The steps (26)

  1. ChallengeBut the rule was only taught about the מקדש
  2. ResolutionThe two cases do not line up
  3. ChallengeTwo statements of אביי seem to contradict each other
  4. ResolutionThe second statement was a general ruling
  5. QuestionWhere does the Torah forbid relations with a נדה?
  6. ResponseA clod thrown and an obvious verse
  7. QuestionWhat was really being asked: the source for not withdrawing right away
  8. Responseחזקיה: 'her impurity shall be upon him'
  9. QuestionWe have a positive command, but where is the prohibition?
  10. Responseרב פפא: 'Do not approach' also means 'do not withdraw'
  11. Statementרבי יאשיה: separate from your wife close to her expected period
  12. QuestionHow long before her period?
  13. Responseרבה: one עונה
  14. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחאי: the danger of not separating near her period
  15. StatementSeparating near the expected period brings male children
  16. StatementA different reward: sons fit to teach Torah
  17. StatementMaking הבדלה on wine brings male children
  18. StatementFor הבדלה too: sons fit to teach
  19. StatementHoly conduct during intimacy brings male children
  20. QuestionBack to the משנה: what is the difference between רבי אליעזר and רבי עקיבא?
  21. Responseחזקיה: the difference is not knowing whether it was a שרץ or a נבלה
  22. Statementעולא agrees, and he reached this through a contradiction
  23. Challengeרבי אליעזר seems to say elsewhere that a person is liable either way
  24. Statementרבי יהושע: he must know exactly what he sinned with
  25. Resolutionעולא explains why טומאה is different from a regular sin
  26. QuestionHow does רבי עקיבא explain the extra words?