Niddah 109

אי מה היא מטמאה באבן מסמא אף מדוה נמי מטמאה באבן מסמא

But might it not be suggested that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'if'. ');">¹</span>

אמר רב אשי

as she conveys uncleanness to objects under a heavy stone<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On which she sits; though her weight can hardly exercise any tangible pressure on the objects (Tosaf.). Lit., 'a stone (used) for closing (a pit)'. V. Shab., Sonc. ed., p. 394, n. 2. ');">²</span>

אמר קרא (ויקרא טו, י) והנושא אותם אותם מיעוטא הוא

so does her blood also convey uncleanness to objects under a heavy stone? — R. Ashi replied: Scripture said, And he that beareth those things,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XV, 10, dealing with the couch of a zab which (as explained in Torath Kohanim) when carried on a heavy stone conveys uncleanness to objects under the stone. ');">³</span>

ובשר המת

implying<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Emphasis on 'those'. ');">⁴</span>

מנלן

an exclusion.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. only those but not blood. ');">⁵</span>

אמר ר"ל

AND THE FLESH OF A CORPSE. Whence is this deduced? — Resh Lakish replied: Scripture said, Whatsoever uncleanness he hath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXII, 5. ');">⁶</span>

אמר קרא (ויקרא כב, ה) לכל טומאתו לכל טומאות הפורשות ממנו

implying all forms of uncleanness<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether wet or dry. ');">⁷</span>

רבי יוחנן אמר

that emanate from him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'separate'. ');">⁸</span>

(במדבר יט, טז) או בעצם אדם או בקבר אדם דומיא דעצם מה עצם יבש אף כאן יבש

R. Johanan replied: Or a bone of a man, or a grave,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIX, 16. ');">⁹</span>

מאי בינייהו

'a man' is<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By analogy. ');">¹⁰</span>

איכא בינייהו דאפריך אפרוכי

on a par with 'a bone'; as a bone [conveys uncleanness when] dry so does a man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. his corpse. ');">¹¹</span>

מיתיבי

What is the practical difference between them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Johanan and Resh Lakish. ');">¹²</span>

בשר המת שהופרך טהור

— The practical difference between them is the case of flesh that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Owing to its extreme dryness. ');">¹³</span>

התם דאקמח והוי עפרא

crumbles.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While according to Resh Lakish it would still be unclean since it emanates from a corpse, it would lose its uncleanness according to R. Johanan since it is not one solid piece like a bone. ');">¹⁴</span>

מיתיבי

An objection was raised: The flesh of a corpse that was crumbled is clean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An objection against Resh Lakish. ');">¹⁵</span>

כל שבמת מטמא חוץ מן השינים והשער והצפורן

— There it is a case where it was pulverised and turned into dust.

ובשעת חבורן הכל טמא

An objection was raised:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Both against Resh Lakish and R. Johanan. ');">¹⁶</span>

אמר רב אדא בר אהבה

Every part of a corpse conveys uncleanness except the teeth, the hair and the nails, but while they are attached [to the corpse] they are all unclean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Oh. III, 3. Now teeth are on a par with bones and yet it was stated that when detached from the corpse they are clean (cf. prev. n.). ');">¹⁷</span>

דומיא דעצם מה עצם שנברא עמו אף כל שנברא עמו

— R. Adda b. Ahabah replied: It<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To convey uncleanness. ');">¹⁸</span>

והאיכא שער וצפורן שנבראו עמו וטהורין

must be exactly like a bone; as a bone was created simultaneously with it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The body. ');">¹⁹</span>

אלא אמר רב אדא בר אהבה

so must every other part<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To convey uncleanness. ');">²⁰</span>

דומיא דעצם מה עצם שנברא עמו ואין גזעו מחליף אף כל שנברא עמו ואין גזעו מחליף

be such as was created with it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Teeth grow later. ');">²¹</span>

יצאו השינים שלא נבראו עמו

But are there not the hair and nails that were created with it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The body. ');">¹⁹</span>

יצאו שער וצפורן שאף על פי שנבראו עמו גזעו מחליף

and they are nevertheless clean? — Rather, said R. Adda b. Ahabah, It<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To convey uncleanness. ');">²⁰</span>

והרי עור דגזעו מחליף ותנן

must be exactly like a bone; as a bone was created simultaneously with it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The body. ');">¹⁹</span>

הגלודה רבי מאיר מכשיר

and when cut<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its stem'. ');">²²</span>

וחכמים פוסלין

does not grow again<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'changes', sc. once a bone has been removed no other will grow in its place. ');">²³</span>

ואפילו רבנן לא קפסלי אלא דאדהכי והכי שליט בה אוירא ומתה ולעולם גזעו מחליף

so must every other part<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To convey uncleanness. ');">²⁰</span>

ותנינן

be such as was created with it and when cut<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its stem'. ');">²²</span>

אלו שעורותיהם כבשרן עור האדם

does not grow again. The teeth are, therefore, excluded since they were not created with it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The body. ');">¹⁹</span>

הא איתמר עלה אמר עולא

and the hair and nails were excluded since, though they were created with it, they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its stem'. ');">²²</span>

דבר תורה עור אדם טהור

grow again. But skin surely [is a part of the body] that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its stem'. ');">²²</span>

ומאי טעמא אמרו טמא גזרה שמא יעשה אדם עורות אביו ואמו שטיחין לחמור

grows again, for<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. and marg. note. Cur. edd., 'and'. ');">²⁴</span>

ואיכא דאמרי

we have learnt: A skinned animal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One whose skin has worn away owing to scabs or excessive work. ');">²⁵</span>

הרי עור דאין גזעו מחליף ותנן וחכמים פוסלין

R. Meir declares, is ritually fit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For consumption, sc. it is not forbidden as terefah, since the skin grows again. ');">²⁶</span>

ואפי' רבי מאיר לא קא מכשר אלא דקריר בשרא וחייא ולעולם אין גזעו מחליף ואמר עולא

and only the Sages declare it to be unfit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 54a. ');">²⁷</span>

דבר תורה עור אדם טהור

And even the Rabbis declare it to be unfit only because in the meantime<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before a new skin has grown. ');">²⁸</span>

כי איתמר דעולא אסיפא איתמר

the air affects it and it would die, but the skin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'its stem'. ');">²⁹</span>

וכולן שעבדן או שהילך בהן כדי עבודה טהורין חוץ מעור אדם

would, as a matter of fact, grow again;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that according to R. Adda b. Ahabah the skin should be clean. ');">³⁰</span>

ואמר עולא

and yet have we not learnt: In the case of the following their skins are on a par with their flesh,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the former are as unclean as the latter. ');">³¹</span>

דבר תורה עור אדם כי עבדו טהור

viz., the skin of a human being?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 122a. ');">³²</span>

ומה טעם אמרו טמא גזרה שמא יעשה אדם עור אביו ואמו שטיחין

— Surely in connection with this ruling it was stated: 'Ulla said, 'Pentateuchally the skin of a human being is clean, and what is the reason why they ruled it to be unclean? It is a preventive measure against the possibility that a person might use the skins of his father and mother as spreads for an ass.'

והרי בשר דגזעו מחליף וטמא

Others there are who read: Skin, surely, [is a part of the body] that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'whose root'. ');">³³</span>

אמר מר בר רב אשי

does not grow again, for<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. and marg. note. Cur. edd., 'and'. ');">³⁴</span>

בשר נעשה מקומו צלקת

we have learnt: And the Sages declare it to be unfit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 54a; because it does not grow again. ');">³⁵</span>

אבל הזוב

And even R. Meir declares it to be fit only because its flesh hardens and the animal recovers its health but it does not, as a matter of fact, grow again,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The skin should consequently have been unclean. ');">³⁶</span>

זוב מנלן

and yet did not 'Ulla state, 'Pentateuchally the skin of a man is clean'? — When 'Ulla's statement was made it had reference to the final clause<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the Mishnah, beginning 'In the case of the following their skins etc.' cited supra. ');">³⁷</span>

דתניא

only: But all these,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The skins which the Sages ruled to be unclean. ');">³⁸</span>

(ויקרא טו, ב) זובו טמא לימד על הזוב שהוא טמא

if they were dressed or trodden upon sufficiently to render them fit for dressing, are clean<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since they have lost all resemblance to flesh. ');">³⁹</span>

והלא דין הוא לאחרים גורם טומאה לעצמו לא כ"ש

with the exception of a human skin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 122a, Pes. 46a. ');">⁴⁰</span>

שעיר המשתלח יוכיח שגורם טומאה לאחרים והוא עצמו טהור

And it was in connection with this ruling that 'Ulla stated, 'Pentateuchally the human skin is clean if it had been dressed; and what is the reason why they ruled it to be unclean? It is a preventive measure against the possibility that a person might use the skins of his father and mother as spreads'. But does not flesh grow again and yet it is unclean? — Mar son of R. Ashi replied: The place of missing flesh becomes a scar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. it does not grow again to its original shape as is the case with hair or nails. ');">⁴¹</span>

אף אתה אל תתמה על זה שאע"פ שגורם טומאה לאחרים הוא עצמו טהור

BUT THE ISSUE. Whence is this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the issue of a zab is unclean. ');">⁴²</span>

ת"ל

deduced? — It was taught: His issue is unclean,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XV, 2. ');">⁴³</span>

זובו טמא לימד על הזוב שהוא טמא

teaches concerning an issue of a <i>zab</i> that it is unclean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 34b. ');">⁴⁴</span>

ואימא

But cannot this be arrived at by a process of reasoning: If it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The issue. ');">⁴⁵</span>

ה"מ במגע אבל במשא לא מידי דהוה אשרץ

causes uncleanness to others<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the zab. ');">⁴⁶</span>

אמר רב ביבי בר אביי

would it not, with more reason, cause uncleanness to itself?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What need then was there for the text of Lev. XV, 2? ');">⁴⁷</span>

במגע לא איצטריך קרא דלא גרע משכבת זרע

The case of the scapegoat proves the contrary, since it causes uncleanness to others<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The man who carries it away (cf. Lev. XVI, 26). ');">⁴⁸</span> while it is itself clean. You also should not, therefore, be surprised in this case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zibah. ');">⁴⁹</span> where, though the issue carries uncleanness to others,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the zab. ');">⁴⁶</span> it is itself<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zibah. ');">⁴⁹</span> clean. Hence it was specifically stated, 'His issue is unclean'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XV, 2. ');">⁴³</span> teaching thereby that the issue is unclean. But might it not be suggested that this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The conveyance of uncleanness by an issue. ');">⁵⁰</span> applies only to contact [uncleanness] but not to carriage, this being a case similar to that of a dead creeping thing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which also conveys uncleanness by means of contact but not by carriage. ');">⁵¹</span> — R. Bibi b. Abaye replied: There was no need for a Scriptural text as far as contact is concerned, since it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The conveyance of uncleanness by an issue. ');">⁵⁰</span> is not inferior<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In its uncleanness. ');">⁵²</span> to semen,