Friday, July 23, 2010

the first "yoetzet" in history

Nidah 13b: Rebbi said, "There was a deaf lady in our neighborhood who not only did bedikos herself, but when her neighbors saw [mar'os] they brought them to her for examination."

Rashi: She was an expert in [distinguishing] dam tamei from dam tahor.

2 comments:

  1. In the context, why do they mention her deafness?

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  2. The Mishna says a chareshes cannot do bedikos herself. The gemara challenges this din based on the evidence of the chareshes neighbor of Rebbi. The gemara answers that there is no contradiction: a chareshes who is a deaf-mute cannot do bedikos (this is the classic case of chareshes who is treated as lacking da'as); the chareshes who was Rebbi's neighbor was simply deaf.

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