Niddah 40

רבי חנינא הוא דחכים כולי עלמא לאו חכימי הכי

for R. Hanina was wise enough;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And was, therefore, capable of using the method. ');">¹</span>

אמר רבי יוחנן

all others are not so wise. R. Johanan remarked: The wisdom of R. Hanina caused me not to examine any blood, for when I declared any unclean he declared it clean and when I declared it clean he declared it unclean. R. Eleazar remarked: R. Hanina's modesty is the cause of my examining blood. [For I felt] if R. Hanina who was modest allowed himself to be involved in doubt and examined blood, should not I examine it? R. Zera remarked: The Babylonian coinage was the cause of my refusing to examine blood; for I thought: If I do not understand the coinage system would I understand the nature of blood? This then implies that capability to examine blood depends on an understanding of the coinage; but did not Rabbah in fact understand the coinage system and yet did not understand the qualities of blood? — He was really drawing an inference a minori ad majus: If Rabbah who understood the coinage system refused to examine blood, should I<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who do not understand the coinage system. ');">²</span>

חכמתא דרבי חנינא גרמא לי דלא אחזי דמא מטמינא מטהר מטהרנא מטמא

examine it?

אמר רבי אלעזר

'Ulla once visited Pumbeditha<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was under the jurisdiction of Rab Judah (cf. Sanh. 17b). ');">³</span>

ענוותנותא דרבי חנינא גרמא לי דחזאי דמא ומה רבי חנינא דענותן הוא מחית נפשיה לספק וחזי אנא לא אחזי

and when some blood was brought to him for examination he refused to see it. If, he said, R. Eleazar who was the supreme authority in the Land of Israel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Git. 19b. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רבי זירא

refused to see blood whenever he visited the place of R. Judah, should I see it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. prev. n. ');">⁵</span>

טבעא דבבל גרמא לי דלא חזאי דמא דאמינא

And why was he described as the supreme authority in the Land of Israel? — Because a woman once brought some blood before R. Eleazar when R. Ammi sat in his presence. Having smelt it he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eleazar. ');">⁶</span>

בטבעא לא ידענא בדמא ידענא

told her, 'This is blood of lust'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A discharge due to sexual desire. ');">⁷</span>

למימרא דבטבעא תליא מלתא והא רבה הוא דידע בטבעא ולא ידע בדמא

After she went out R. Ammi joined her and she told him, 'My husband was away on a journey but I felt an intense longing for him'. Thereupon he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Ammi. ');">⁸</span>

כל שכן קאמר ומה רבה דידע בטבעא לא חזא דמא ואנא אחזי

applied to him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eleazar. ');">⁶</span>

עולא אקלע לפומבדיתא אייתו לקמיה דמא ולא חזא

the text, The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXV, 14. ');">⁹</span>

אמר

Ifra Hormiz,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A gentile woman who observed some of the Jewish ritual (cf. also Zeb. 116b). ');">¹⁰</span>

ומה רבי אלעזר דמרא דארעא דישראל הוה כי מקלע לאתרא דר' יהודה לא חזי דמא אנא אחזי

the mother of King Shapur, once sent some blood to Raba when R. Obadiah was sitting in his presence. Having smelt it he said to him, 'This is blood of lust'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A discharge due to sexual desire. ');">⁷</span>

ואמאי קרו ליה מרא דארעא דישראל

'Come and see', she remarked to her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Emden, Cur. edd. 'his'. ');">¹¹</span>

דההיא אתתא דאייתא דמא לקמיה דרבי אלעזר הוה יתיב רבי אמי קמיה

son, 'how wise the Jews are'. 'It is quite possible', he replied, 'that he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Raba. ');">¹²</span>

ארחיה אמר לה

hit upon it like a blind man on a window'. Thereupon she sent to him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Raba. ');">¹²</span>

האי דם חימוד הוא

sixty different kinds of blood and he identified them all but the last one which was lice blood with which he was not acquainted. Luckily,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the matter came to assistance'. ');">¹³</span>

בתר דנפקה אטפל לה רבי אמי

however, he sent her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a gift. ');">¹⁴</span>

אמרה ליה

a comb that exterminates lice. 'O, you Jews', she exclaimed, you seem to live in the inner chamber of one's heart'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nothing is hidden from them. ');">¹⁵</span>

בעלי היה בדרך וחמדתיו

Rab Judah stated: 'At first I used to examine blood, but since the mother of my son Isaac told me, "We do not bring the first drop to the Rabbis because it is dirty", I refuse to see it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the colour changes and though the second drop may be one of clean blood it could not establish a woman's cleanness if the first drop, which she did not present for examination, was one of unclean blood. ');">¹⁶</span>

קרי עליה

[An examination, however, for the purpose of distinguishing] between the blood of uncleanness and cleanness<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the end of the period of cleanness after a childbirth which is the fortieth day for a male and the eightieth for a female (cf. Lev. XII, 1-5). ');">¹⁷</span>

(תהלים כה, יד) סוד ה' ליראיו

I certainly do perform'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood in such circumstances being free from dirt a woman submits for examination the first drop she sees. ');">¹⁸</span>

אפרא הורמיז אמיה דשבור מלכא שדרה דמא לקמיה דרבא הוה יתיב רב עובדיה קמיה ארחיה אמר לה

Yaltha<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Nahman's wife. ');">¹⁹</span>

האי דם חימוד הוא

once brought some blood to Rabbah b. Bar Hana who informed her that it was unclean. She then took it to R. Isaac the son of Rab Judah who told her that it was clean. But how could he act in this manner, seeing that is was taught: If a Sage declared [aught] unclean another Sage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his colleague'. ');">²⁰</span>

אמרה ליה לבריה

may not declare it clean; if he forbade anything his colleague may not permit it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hul. 44b. ');">²¹</span>

תא חזי כמה חכימי יהודאי

— At first he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Isaac. ');">²²</span>

א"ל

informed her indeed that it was unclean,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Out of respect for Rabbah b. Bar Hana (v. infra). ');">²³</span>

דלמא כסומא בארובה

but when she told him that on every other occasion he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rabbah. ');">²⁴</span>

הדר שדרה ליה שתין מיני דמא וכולהו אמרינהו

declared such blood as clean, but that on the last occasion he had a pain in his eye, he gave her his ruling that it was clean. But are women believed in such circumstances? — Yes, and so it was also taught: A woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who does not submit the original blood. ');">²⁵</span>

ההוא בתרא דם כנים הוה ולא ידע אסתייע מילתא ושדר לה סריקותא דמקטלא כלמי

is believed when she says, 'I saw a kind of blood like this one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which she produces. ');">²⁶</span>

אמרה

but I have lost it.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And if the blood she submits is clean she may be declared clean. ');">²⁷</span>

יהודאי בתווני דלבא יתביתו

The question was raised: What is the law [where a woman says], A kind of blood like this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which a friend of hers showed her. ');">²⁸</span>

אמר רב יהודה

has been declared clean by such and such a Sage?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' May her judgment, it is asked, on the exact similarity of the two kinds be relied upon by her friend or not. ');">²⁹</span>

מרישא הוה חזינא דמא כיון דאמרה לי אמיה דיצחק ברי

— Come and hear: A woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who does not submit the original blood. ');">²⁵</span>

האי טיפתא קמייתא לא מייתינן לה קמייהו דרבנן משום דזהימא לא חזינא בין טמאה לטהורה ודאי חזינא

is believed when she says, 'I saw a kind of blood like this one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which she produces. ');">²⁶</span>

ילתא אייתא דמא לקמיה דרבה בר בר חנה וטמי לה הדר אייתא לקמיה דרב יצחק בריה דרב יהודה ודכי לה

but I have lost it.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which proves that a woman's judgment in such cases (cf. prev. n.) is relied upon. ');">³⁰</span>

והיכי עביד הכי

But is not that case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Just cited. ');">³¹</span>

והתניא

different, since the blood is not available?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it is not before her'. ');">³²</span>

חכם שטימא אין חברו רשאי לטהר אסר אין חבירו רשאי להתיר

— Come and hear the case of Yaltha: She once brought some blood to Rabbah b. Bar Hana who informed her that it was unclean. She then took it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So BaH. Cur. edd. omit the last four words. ');">³³</span>

מעיקרא טמויי הוה מטמי לה כיון דא"ל

to R. Isaac the son of Rab Judah who told her that it was clean. But how could he act in this manner, seeing that it was taught: If a Sage declared [a person or an article] unclean no other Sage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his colleagues'. ');">³⁴</span>

דכל יומא הוה מדכי לי כי האי גונא והאידנא הוא דחש בעיניה דכי לה

may declare it clean etc. And we explained that at first he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Isaac. ');">²²</span>

ומי מהימני

informed her indeed that it was unclean, but when she told him that on every other occasion he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rabbah. ');">²⁴</span>

אין

declared such blood as clean but that on that day he had a pain in his eye, he changed his view and gave her his ruling that it was clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra. ');">³⁵</span>

והתניא

Now this proves quite clearly, does it not, that a woman is believed? — R. Isaac b. Judah may have relied on his own traditions and experience.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not on Yaltha's evidence. The reason why he at first declared the blood as unclean was merely to show his respect to Rabbah b. Bar Hana. ');">³⁶</span>

נאמנת אשה לומר כזה ראיתי ואבדתיו

Rabbi once examined some blood at night and declared it unclean but when he examined it in the day time he declared it clean. Then he waited a while and again declared it unclean. 'Woe to me', he said, 'I may have made a mistake'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In finally declaring the blood unclean, since the colour now was of a clean kind. ');">³⁷</span>

איבעיא להו

'I may have made a mistake'! Has he not in fact made a mistake, seeing that it was taught: A Sage must not say,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When examining a dry stain. ');">³⁸</span>

כזה טיהר איש פלוני חכם מהו

'If it had been moist it would undoubtedly have been unclean'; he must rather say, 'The judge must be guided only by what his eyes see'? — At first<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the night examination. ');">³⁹</span>

תא שמע

he presumed it to be definitely unclean, but when he observed in the morning that its colour had changed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It assumed a lighter shade. ');">⁴⁰</span>

נאמנת אשה לומר כזה ראיתי ואבדתיו שאני התם דליתיה לקמה

he said<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Emden. Cur. edd. in parenthesis 'to him'. ');">⁴¹</span>

תא שמע

that it was undoubtedly clean but that at night it could not be seen properly. When, however, he observed that the colour had changed again<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To a still lighter shade, ');">⁴²</span>

דילתא אייתא דמא לקמיה דרבה בר בר חנה וטמי לה

he said, 'It must be unclean blood but the colour is steadily fading away.

לקמיה דרב יצחק בריה דרב יהודה ודכי לה

Rabbi examined blood in the light of a lamp. R. Ishmael son of R. Joseph<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' MS.M. 'Jose'. ');">⁴³</span>

והיכי עביד הכי

examined it even on a cloudy day between the pillars.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the schoolhouse where the light was never too bright. ');">⁴⁴</span>

והתניא

R. Ammi b. Samuel ruled: All kinds of blood must be examined only between the sunlight and the shade. R. Nahman citing Rabbah b. Abbuha ruled: The examination may be performed in the sunlight under the shadow of one's hand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Held between the sun and the object. ');">⁴⁵</span>

חכם שטימא אין חבירו רשאי לטהר וכו'

'ONE LIKE DILUTED WINE'? TWO PARTS etc. A Tanna taught:

ואמרינן

טמויי הוה מטמי לה כיון דאמרה ליה דכל יומא מדכי לה כי האי גונא והאידנא הוא דחש בעיניה הדר דכי לה אלמא

מהימנא לה

רב יצחק בר יהודה אגמריה סמך

רבי ראה דם בלילה וטימא ראה ביום וטיהר המתין שעה אחת חזר וטימא אמר

אוי לי שמא טעיתי

שמא טעיתי

ודאי טעה

דתניא

לא יאמר חכם אילו היה לח היה ודאי טמא אלא אמר אין לו לדיין אלא מה שעיניו רואות

מעיקרא אחזקיה בטמא כיון דחזא לצפרא דאשתני אמר (ליה)

ודאי טהור הוה ובלילה הוא דלא אתחזי שפיר

כיון דחזא דהדר אשתני אמר

האי טמא הוא ומפכח הוא דקא מפכח ואזיל

רבי בדיק לאור הנר רבי ישמעאל ברבי יוסף בדיק ביום המעונן ביני עמודי

אמר רב אמי בר שמואל

וכולן אין בודקין אותן אלא בין חמה לצל

רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה

בחמה ובצל ידו

וכמזוג שני חלקים כו'

תנא