Mesechtas Niddah

Tractate Niddah is the seventh tractate in the Order of Taharot and the only one in this Order that has Gemara. The tractate deals with the impurity of niddah and zavah and the order of their purification. Niddah is a woman who has seen blood that originates from the womb. The tractate has ten chapters and seventy-two pages.

The Rebbe's Explanations

Shatnez is a Torah prohibition. There are two types of shatnez: kilayim of the vineyard, which is the prohibition of mixing different seeds together, and kilayim of clothing - mixing wool and linen together.

• In kilayim of the vineyard, the prohibition is to mix two types together, creating together a new reality called shatnez.
• In kilayim of clothing, the matter depends on a dispute among the Rishonim: Rashi's view is that the Torah prohibition only applies if it is "shua, tavi, v'nuz" (combed, spun, and woven), meaning that from the beginning of the making, the weaving, etc., they were woven and made together. The inner explanation of his approach is that since he holds the prohibition is to construct a new reality made of two types, therefore the prohibition is only if they are truly one reality. But Rabbeinu Tam's view is that the prohibition applies even if they were only connected through weaving, after spinning each of them separately. The explanation for this is that according to Rabbeinu Tam, the prohibition of kilayim of clothing is a different prohibition from the prohibition of kilayim of the vineyard, and this prohibition is simply the mixing of two different types, even if they don't become a new reality.[1]

Additional Explanations

• Subject of the Tractate. Niddah, prohibition or impurity. Sichot Kodesh 5715, p. 94.
• 23b. Words of Torah are not derived from words of Kabbalah. Likkutei Sichot vol. 38 p. 120 note 47 (p. 132)
• 35a. The first sighting of a zav makes impure even if involuntary. Likkutei Sichot p. 42 (p. 53)
• 61b. Until it is combed, spun and woven. Likkutei Sichot vol. 34 p. 123 (p. 135)
• 73a. Laws of a zavah who saw on the tenth or eleventh day of her sighting. Likkutei Sichot vol. 7 p. 106 (p. 118)
• Conclusion of Tractate Niddah: Rav Shemaiah said to Rabbi Abba, say during the day she would be a zavah, at night she would be a niddah. 19 Kislev 5715, Torat Menachem vol. 13 p. 189.

External Links

• Tractate Niddah

Innovations of the Admor the Tzemach Tzedek

• Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek - Chapter 1
• Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek - Chapter 2
• Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek - Chapter 3
• Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek - Chapter 4
• Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek - Chapters 5 and 7
• Responsa Tzemach Tzedek on the Laws of Niddah