Nida - The Steinsaltz Talmud T42 (color), Biblieurope editions

The Steinsaltz Talmud T42

Nida

Translated paragraph by paragraph
Commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz

Drahi Edition - Color

Biblieurope Editions

The new edition of the Steinsaltz Talmud in French aims, like the previous one, to give everyone, regardless of their level, access to the Talmudic text – originally written without punctuation or vowels, in a concise style, in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, a language little known to most readers.

In the second half of the ^20th century, Rabbi Steinsaltz, of blessed memory, pioneered the work of publishing a punctuated and vocalized edition in Hebrew, and later in other languages. This edition presents the correspondence of each word of the Talmud in bold, with explanations added in regular type, essential for understanding each sentence and following the Gemara step by step.

In this edition, the text of the Talmud is divided into paragraphs, translated as they appear. It includes numerous studies and halakha taken from the Steinsaltz edition in Hebrew, summarizing the main commentaries and the conclusions of the decisors on each topic addressed. It is enriched new illustrations.

At the end of each book, it includes the original text of the treatise according to the classical Vilna edition, with the commentary of Rashi – which, here, is punctuated and vocalized – and that of the Tosafot, also punctuated.

We hope that this publication will achieve the goal that Rav Steinsaltz zal sought throughout his life: to enable every Jew to know and appreciate his ancestral heritage in order to strengthen the love of the Torah among the people.

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Nida

Niddah is the only tractate in the Seder Teharot , the Book of Purity, that includes a commentary on the Mishnayot in the Babylonian Talmud, as well as a detailed compilation in the Jerusalem Talmud. Indeed, the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent separation from everything connected with it rendered most of the laws expounded in this Book inapplicable and abstract, thus diminishing the need to learn them. Certainly, the study of the tractates of the Book of Purity relating to the Temple and offerings continued nonetheless through the generations, but this notable exception can be understood as an expression of the unwavering hope for the rebuilding of the Temple and the final redemption. The situation was different for the laws of the Book of Purity not directly related to the Temple.

The Niddah tractate is an exception within the set of purities because the status of a menstruating woman (" niddah " in Hebrew) encompasses two aspects: on the one hand, she becomes ritually impure, rendering others impure through contact with unclean people, objects, or foods, and invalidating offerings, as with other categories of impure individuals. On the other hand, any intimate relationship with such a woman is subject to a serious prohibition, still today carrying the penalty of excision for offenders. Hence the necessity of delving into the study of these laws and clarifying them in every detail.

Our treatise also discusses other individuals experiencing a discharge similar to that of a niddah woman , for whom there is no comprehensive body of laws. The laws for a niddah woman are derived from the verse (Lev. 15:19): “When a woman experiences a discharge—and her discharge is the blood that escapes from her body—she will remain in her menstrual state for seven days, and whoever touches her will be unclean until evening.” The most similar case is that of a zava ( ibid . 15:25–30) experiencing a discharge outside of her menstrual period. The status of a zava is more severe than that of a niddah woman : when she has experienced a discharge for three consecutive days, she must bring an offering after a week without bleeding. The case of a zav , a man experiencing a discharge, is different because it is attributable to an illness.

Biblieurope Editions