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Berakhot 22 for kids: Nine Kav or Forty Se'a?

ברכות כ״ב

💧 This daf asks: if someone became tamei (ritually impure) and needs to go to the mikveh, may he still learn Torah and pray? The rabbis argue whether pouring nine kav of water is enough, or a full dip in forty se'a of water is needed. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira teaches: words of Torah never become impure!

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Stories from Berakhot 22

Words to know

Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 22 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 22a, in English Tab translation (37)
  1. Lo teima — Do not say that in the mishna 'he recites a blessing' means aloud; rather, he contemplates it in his heart.
  2. Asa'an Rabbi Yehuda — Rabbi Yehuda made them, referring to the blessings of Grace after Meals, [like Hilkhot Derekh Eretz].
  3. Ke-Hilkhot Derekh Eretz — which, according to his own opinion, one who experienced a seminal emission is permitted to study.
  4. Mah lehalan be-eimah — Just as below [at Sinai] it was in reverence, as it is written, 'And the people saw and trembled, etc.' (Exodus 20).
  5. Mikan amru — From here they said: all who are ritually impure are permitted to engage in Torah, since they too can maintain reverence and trembling; but one who experienced a seminal emission comes to it only through frivolity and a haughty mind.
  6. U-vo'alei niddot — If they immersed because of the seminal emission for the sake of Torah study, that immersion does not count to purify them from the impurity of having had relations with a menstruating woman, which lasts seven days; but for the enactment of Ezra it does count for them, as we learned in the mishna: a zav who experienced a seminal emission, and a menstruating woman, etc., require immersion.
  7. Be-regiliyyot — In mishnayot that are fluent in his mouth, which he recites quickly without needing to elaborate on them.
  8. She-lo yatzia — That he should not lay out the reasons for their explanations.
  9. Ve-eino matzia et ha-midrash girsinan — We read the text as 'he does not expound the midrash,' because he would constantly need to mention the verses he is expounding.
  10. Azkarot — The mentions of God's name that occur in the verses being expounded.
  11. Lo yikanes la-midrash kol ikar — He may not enter into midrash at all, neither to expound nor to study, but he may enter the study hall and remain silent.
  12. Hilkhot Derekh Eretz — Such as the conduct of Torah scholars, which is a baraita, and the chapter of Ben Azzai: 'One who takes four things to heart.'
  13. Megamgem ve-korei — He was one who had experienced a seminal emission.
  14. Nireh be-einai de-hakhi garsinan... — It seems to me that the correct reading is 'Rabbi El'ai said: the halakha is...' and we do not read 'this supports...'
  15. Mishum Rabbeinu — Referring to Rav.
  16. Ki hanakh telat savei — Like those three elders, and all of them rule leniently.
  17. Eino noheg ela ba-aretz — It applies only in the Land of Israel; the reason is derived in tractate Chullin, in the chapter 'HaZeroa.'
  18. Chittah u-se'orah ve-chartzan — The three of them [thrown] together by a handful, which constitutes both diverse kinds of seeds and diverse kinds in a vineyard at once.
  19. Le-tevilta — Referring to the immersion of those who experienced a seminal emission.
  20. Chad tani — One version teaches that Ben Azzai whispered this to the students.
  21. Mishum bittul periyah u-reviyah — Because of the cancellation of procreation, for they would refrain from marital relations due to the burden of immersion.
  22. She-makilin bah — Those who are lenient in this, [permitting immersion] in bathhouses or by pouring nine kav of water.
  23. She-machmirin bah — Those who are stringent in this, requiring forty se'ah.
  24. Shel tovelei shacharin — Referring to those who experienced a seminal emission and immerse in the morning.
  25. Veha-ihu amar — But didn't he himself say [otherwise]? — referring back to the beginning of this discussion.
  26. It is possible with pouring — nine kav suffice. And even though only a sick person in general is taught about below, Torah scholars are considered like the sick, as it says in Tractate Nedarim (49b): According to whom do we pray for the 'katzirei' and 'amri'ei'? According to Rabbi Yosei: katzirei are the sick, amri'ei are the Sages.
  27. They made a great enactment — by requiring forty se'ah.
  28. Who solicited a woman — that woman was unmarried, and the Sages decreed against seclusion even with an unmarried woman.
  29. You are treating with disrespect — by acting in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira.
  30. It is possible with bathhouses — hot water.
  31. He holds like you — that this immersion requires a ritual bath (mikveh) like other immersions.
  32. In a basin of water — a tub or vat.
  33. It appears to me that the correct text is: Rabbi El'ai said, the halakha is... — and we should not read the version 'this supports.'
  34. He prepared a jug — to provide water for the students to pour over themselves in the morning before the Torah reading.
  35. They only taught — that pouring suffices in the case of a sick person who experienced a seminal emission unintentionally.
  36. One who induces it — and brings on the seminal emission himself by engaging in marital relations.
  37. His jug broke — he has no need of it, since a sick person with an unintentional emission is uncommon.
Rashi on Berakhot 22b, in English Tab translation (25)
  1. בקילעא — The entrance chamber of the house, the room before the main hall, called 'portico' in the vernacular.
  2. אצטמיד — Its broken pieces were strengthened and rejoined; that is, we still have use for it (referring to Rav Nachman's jug).
  3. דאמר מר — As the Master said, regarding the ten ordinances in Bava Kamma, in the chapter Merubeh.
  4. וקא מיפלגי אמוראי — The amoraim who disagree are Rav Dimi and Ravin.
  5. אמר רבא הלכתא וכו' — Rava ruled on the dispute among the amoraim, who disagree following the position of the Sages. However, nowadays we follow Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira, as Rav Nachman said above, and Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak was the later authority.
  6. לעצמו — To study Torah for himself; but to teach others, forty se'a is required.
  7. ורבי יהודה אומר מ' סאה מכל מקום — The forty se'a they spoke of applies in any circumstance; this will be explained further below.
  8. חד מהאי זוגא וחד מהאי זוגא — They disagree about the first clause, regarding the interpretation of the first tanna's statement.
  9. אסיפא — On the latter clause, of Rabbi Yehuda's statement.
  10. לא שנו אלא בקרקע — Do not say that Rabbi Yehuda's phrase 'in any case' comes to validate water in a vessel; rather, only forty se'a in the ground in the earth is valid. The Gemara will later ask: if so, what does 'in any case' include?
  11. אבל לאחרים מ' סאה — And here too, to enable others to fulfill their obligation [by teaching them], it is treated like the case of teaching others.
  12. דנפול עילואי — Not literally; rather, it means: I immersed in forty se'a.
  13. לא האי ולא האי — I did not need either this or that, since I had not experienced a seminal emission.
  14. טבל — and recited a blessing; he was accustomed to do so because he was due to teach others, but on the rest of the days of the year he would not immerse, but rather have nine kav poured over him.
  15. ולית הלכתא כוותיה — Just as for himself pouring [nine kav] suffices, so too for teaching others pouring suffices; alternatively, [the reason is] that we rule in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira.
  16. משנה: לא יפסיק — He should not interrupt his prayer entirely, but rather shorten each blessing, reciting all the blessings briefly.
  17. במים הרעים — Foul, putrid waters.
  18. מי המשרה — Water in which flax and hemp are soaked, and which becomes foul-smelling.
  19. עד שיתן לתוכן מים — The Gemara (25b) explains how much water is added, and explains that the text is incomplete and should be read as follows: one should not recite [the Shema] near urine until he adds water to it.
  20. וכמה ירחיק מהם — How far must he distance himself from the urine.
  21. גמרא: מגמגם — He mumbles hastily, in a rush.
  22. יותר מג' פסוקים — Such as in the synagogue, where it is not possible to read fewer, as we learned (Megillah 23b): one who reads from the Torah should not read fewer than three verses.
  23. והתניא לצדדין — But isn't it taught: to the sides — meaning he need not walk until it is entirely behind him.
  24. דאפשר — Where it is possible to walk in front of it, he should walk in front of it until it is behind him.
  25. לא אפשר — Such as when there is a river in front of him, he moves off to the sides.
Tosafot on Berakhot 22b, in English Tab translation (5)
  1. Let us see where Ezra instituted this — In many places, regarding other enactments, the Gemara does not raise this kind of question; but here it is different, because this is something that occurs every day, and therefore we have clear memory of it.
  2. And the halakha is not in accordance with him — meaning that immersion in forty se'a is not required every day; rather, even for teaching others, nine kav suffices as well. Alternatively, the explanation is: the halakha is not in accordance with him, but rather follows Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira, who says that words of Torah cannot become impure. And some explain that this leniency is specifically for Torah study, but for prayer immersion is required. The Ri explained that there is no difference, and therefore one who immerses on the eve of Yom Kippur should not recite a blessing, and if he does recite one, it is a blessing said in vain.
  3. But is it not written, 'the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination' — The Ri explained that this applies specifically to a case where one could have had doubt and suspected that there was excrement present there.
  4. Even though he prayed, his prayer is an abomination — meaning it is like 'a twisted thing that cannot be made straight' (i.e., irreversible). But the Ri explained that he should go back and pray again.
  5. He waits until the water finishes — This refers to one who urinates on the ground or on garments where there is not enough liquid to moisten something else by contact, as is implied later (Berakhot 25a), such as when it comes out drop by drop and is quickly absorbed. This is how Rabbi Yosef explained it. However, it seems that even if there were enough to moisten by contact, it would be permitted, since by Torah law it is forbidden only directly facing the stream itself, and it is the Sages who decreed further; and since he is already standing in the midst of his prayer, the Sages did not trouble him to go back and repeat the prayer.

Sources

Kid summary and story cards written by Tab from the William Davidson Edition English (Sefaria, CC BY-NC 4.0).

Tab translation (machine-assisted) of Rashi and Tosafot, from the Vilna Edition Hebrew (public domain) on Sefaria. May contain mistakes.

In the app, the Gemara text comes from Sefaria (William Davidson Edition, CC BY-NC 4.0; Hebrew/Aramaic Vilna Edition). Rashi and Tosafot Hebrew: Vilna Edition (public domain) via Sefaria.

Also spelled: Berachot, Brachos, Berachos, Brachot 22.