[a woman] who has relations

<<and saw

<<niddah [blood]

<<does not

<<require

<<immersion;

<<but

<<one who has had a seminal emission

<<alone

<<he obligates.

<<Do not

<<say

<<“he blesses,”

<<but

<<“he meditates.”

And does

<<hold

<<he,

<<Rabbi Yehuda,

<<of meditation?

<<But isn't it taught:

<<“One who has had a seminal emission

<<who does not

<<have

<<water

<<to immerse

<<recites

<<the Shema,

<<and does not

<<bless,

<<neither

<<before it

<<nor

<<after it.

<<And he eats

<<his bread

<<and blesses

<<after it,

<<and does not

<<bless

<<before it.

<<But

<<he meditates

<<in his heart

<<and does not

<<bring [them] out

<<with his lips —

<<the words of

<<Rabbi Meir.

<<Rabbi Yehuda

<<says:

<<in either case

<<he brings [them] out

<<with his lips.”

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<made them

<<Rabbi Yehuda

<<like the laws of

<<derech eretz [proper conduct].

As it is taught:

<<“And you shall make them known

<<to your children

<<and to the children of

<<your children,”

<<and it is written

<<after it:

<<“The day

<<that

<<you stood

<<before

<<Hashem

<<your God

<<at Horeb” —

<<just as

<<there

<<in dread

<<and in fear

<<and in trembling

<<and in quaking,

<<so too

<<here

<<in dread

<<and in fear

<<and in trembling

<<and in quaking.

From here

<<they said:

<<the zavim

<<and the metzora'im

<<and those who have relations

<<with

<<niddos

<<are permitted

<<to read

<<in the Torah

<<and in the Prophets

<<and in the Writings,

<<to study

<<in Mishnah

<<and Gemara

<<and in halachos

<<and in aggados;

<<but

<<those who have had seminal emissions

<<are forbidden.

Rabbi Yosei

<<says:

<<he studies

<<indeed

<<the familiar [mishnayos],

<<provided

<<that he does not

<<lay out

<<the Mishnah.

<<Rabbi Yonasan ben Yosef

<<says:

<<he lays out

<<indeed

<<the Mishnah,

<<but does not

<<lay out

<<the Gemara.

<<Rabbi Nasan ben Avishalom

<<says:

<<even

<<he lays out

<<the Gemara,

<<provided

<<that he does not

<<say

<<the mentions [of the Name]

<<that are in it.

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<the sandal-maker,

<<the student

<<of

<<Rabbi Akiva,

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Akiva

<<says:

<<he should not

<<enter

<<into midrash

<<at all.

<<And some say:

<<he should not

<<enter

<<the study hall

<<at all.

<<Rabbi Yehuda

<<says:

<<he studies

<<indeed

<<in the laws of

<<derech eretz.

An incident

<<with Rabbi Yehuda,

<<who saw

<<a seminal emission

<<and was

<<walking

<<along

<<the bank of

<<the river.

<<Said

<<to him

<<his students:

<<“Our teacher,

<<teach

<<us

<<a chapter,

<<one,

<<in the laws of

<<derech eretz.”

<<He went down

<<and immersed

<<and taught

<<them.

<<They said

<<to him:

<<“Did not

<<thus

<<you teach us,

<<our teacher:

<<he studies

<<indeed

<<in the laws of

<<derech eretz?!”

<<He said

<<to them:

<<“Even though

<<lenient

<<I am

<<with

<<others,

<<strict

<<I am

<<with

<<myself.”

It is taught:

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira

<<would

<<say:

<<do not

<<words of

<<Torah

<<receive

<<impurity.

<<An incident

<<with a student,

<<one,

<<who was

<<mumbling

<<up before

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira.

<<He said

<<to him:

<<“My son,

<<open

<<your mouth

<<and let shine

<<your words,

<<for do not

<<words of

<<Torah

<<receive

<<impurity,

<<as it is stated:

<<‘Is not

<<thus

<<My word

<<like fire,

<<says

<<Hashem?’

<<Just as

<<fire

<<does not

<<receive

<<impurity,

<<so too

<<words of

<<Torah

<<do not

<<receive

<<impurity.”

Said

<<the Master:

<<“He lays out

<<the Mishnah

<<but does not

<<lay out

<<the Gemara.”

<<This supports

<<him,

<<Rabbi Ila'i,

<<for Rabbi Ila'i said in the name of Rabbi Acha bar Yaakov

<<in the name

<<of our teacher:

<<the halacha is:

<<he lays out

<<the Mishnah

<<but does not

<<lay out

<<the Gemara.

<<It is like Tannaim:

<<“He lays out

<<the Mishnah

<<but does not

<<lay out

<<the Gemara —

<<the words of

<<Rabbi Meir.

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Gamliel

<<says

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Chanina ben Gamliel:

<<this

<<and that

<<are forbidden.”

<<And some say:

<<this

<<and that

<<are permitted.

The one

<<who says

<<this

<<and that

<<are forbidden

<<is like Rabbi Yochanan the sandal-maker;

<<the one

<<who says

<<this

<<and that

<<are permitted

<<is like Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<the world practices

<<like these

<<three

<<elders:

<<like Rabbi Ila'i

<<in the first

<<of the fleece,

<<like Rabbi Yoshiya

<<in kilayim,

<<like Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira

<<in words of

<<Torah.

Like Rabbi Ila'i

<<in the first

<<of the fleece,

<<as it is taught:

<<Rabbi Ila'i

<<says:

<<the first

<<of the fleece

<<does not

<<apply

<<except

<<in the Land.

Like Rabbi Yoshiya

<<in kilayim,

<<as it is written:

<<“You shall not

<<sow

<<your vineyard

<<with kilayim”;

<<Rabbi Yoshiya

<<says:

<<in fact

<<he is not

<<liable

<<until

<<he sows

<<wheat

<<and barley

<<and a grape seed

<<with one cast of

<<the hand.

Like Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira

<<in words of

<<Torah,

<<as it is taught:

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira

<<says:

<<do not

<<words of

<<Torah

<<receive

<<impurity.

When

<<came

<<Ze'iri,

<<he said:

<<they abolished

<<the immersion.

<<And some say:

<<they abolished

<<the washing [of hands].

<<The one

<<who says

<<they abolished

<<the immersion

<<is like Rabbi Yehuda ben Beseira;

<<the one

<<who says

<<they abolished

<<the washing

<<is like

<<that [teaching]

<<of Rav Chisda,

<<who cursed

<<whoever

<<seeks out

<<water

<<at the time of

<<prayer.

The Rabbis taught:

<<“One who has had a seminal emission

<<that they poured

<<upon him

<<nine

<<kav

<<of water

<<is pure.”

<<Nachum Ish Gam Zu

<<whispered it

<<to Rabbi Akiva,

<<and Rabbi Akiva

<<whispered it

<<to Ben Azzai,

<<and Ben Azzai

<<went out

<<and taught it

<<to his students

<<in the marketplace.

<<Disagree

<<about it

<<two

<<Amoraim

<<in the West [Eretz Yisrael],

<<Rabbi Yosei bar Avin

<<and Rabbi Yosei bar Zevida:

<<one

<<teaches:

<<“he taught it,”

<<and one

<<teaches:

<<“he whispered it.”

The one

<<who teaches

<<“he taught it” —

<<because of

<<neglect of

<<Torah

<<and because of

<<neglect of

<<being fruitful

<<and multiplying.

<<And the one

<<who teaches

<<“he whispered it” —

<<so that not

<<will be

<<Torah scholars

<<found

<<with

<<their wives

<<like roosters.

Rabbi Yannai said:

<<I have heard

<<that they are lenient

<<about it,

<<and I have heard

<<that they are stringent

<<about it;

<<and anyone

<<who is stringent

<<about it

<<upon

<<himself,

<<they lengthen

<<for him

<<his days

<<and his years.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<what is

<<the worth

<<of

<<those who immerse

<<at dawn?

<<What

<<is their worth?!

<<But surely

<<he

<<is the one who says

<<one who has had a seminal emission

<<is forbidden

<<in words of

<<Torah!

<<This is what he is saying:

<<what is

<<their worth

<<in forty

<<se'ah,

<<[when] it is possible

<<with nine

<<kav?

<<What is

<<their worth

<<in immersion,

<<[when] it is possible

<<with pouring?

Rabbi Chanina said:

<<a fence

<<great

<<they fenced

<<with it.

<<As it is taught:

<<an incident

<<with one

<<who solicited

<<a woman

<<for a matter of

<<transgression.

<<She said

<<to him:

<<“Empty one!

<<Have

<<you

<<forty

<<se'ah

<<that you

<<can immerse

<<in them?”

<<Immediately

<<he desisted.

Rav Huna said to them

<<to the Rabbis:

<<“My masters,

<<why

<<do you

<<belittle

<<this immersion?

<<If

<<because of

<<the cold,

<<it is possible

<<in bathhouses.”

Rav Chisda said to him:

<<“And is

<<there

<<immersion

<<in hot water?”

<<He said to him:

<<“Rav Adda bar Ahava

<<stands

<<with you.”

Rabbi Zeira

<<was

<<sitting

<<in a tub

<<of water

<<in the bathhouse.

<<He said

<<to his attendant:

<<“Go

<<and bring

<<me

<<nine

<<kav

<<and pour [them]

<<upon me.”

<<Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said to him:

<<“Why

<<is it needed

<<for the Master,

<<all

<<this?

<<But surely

<<he sits

<<in them!”

<<He said to him:

<<“Like forty

<<se'ah:

<<just as

<<forty

<<se'ah

<<is by immersion

<<and not

<<by pouring,

<<so too

<<nine

<<kav

<<is by pouring

<<and not

<<by immersion.”

Rav Nachman

<<prepared

<<a jug

<<holding

<<nine

<<kav.

<<When

<<came

<<Rav Dimi,

<<he said:

<<Rabbi Akiva

<<and Rabbi Yehuda

<<Glostera

<<said:

<<they taught this only

<<for a sick person

<<involuntarily;

<<but

<<for a sick person

<<who has relations,

<<forty

<<se'ah.

Rav Yosef said:

<<was broken

<<the jug

<<of Rav Nachman.

<<When

<<came

<<Ravin,

<<he said:

<<in Usha

<<there was

<<an incident