Niddah 66b (סו:) — the Talmud in English

Rava said: A woman

who needs to immerse for her purification—

may not wash

her head

with natron or with sand 39.

With natron

she may not wash—

because it cuts

the hair, leaving pieces of hair tangled within the hair at the time of immersion, thereby forming a barrier.

And with sand

she likewise may not wash

because it tangles

the hairs, so that the water cannot enter among them.

And Ameimar said in the name of Rava: A woman may wash only with hot water, but not with cold water, even with water heated by the sun,

water heated solely by the sun.

The Gemara explains:

Why may she not use cold water?—

Because it is cold,

for cold water

hardens the hair,

and the dirt in it does not come out.

And Rava said: A person should always teach the members of his household that a woman should wash

before her immersion

the folds of her body

with water.

The Gemara raises an objection:

Meytivi: The folds of the body and concealed parts do not require the entry of water

at the time of immersion; if so, why must she remove a barrier from those places before her immersion?

The Gemara answers:

Granted, the entry of water

in practice

is not required

there. But that place must be clean, so that it will be

“a place suitable for the entry of water”—

is required 41.

This is analogous to Rabbi Zeira’s statement. For Rabbi Zeira said:

A meal-offering of more than sixty esronim may not be brought in a single vessel, because it is impossible to mix the flour and oil properly when there are more than sixty esronim in one vessel, and one of the conditions of a meal-offering is that it be “mixed.”

When it is brought in a vessel no larger than sixty esronim, the meal-offering is valid even if he does not mix the flour with the oil. This is because:

Anything suitable for mixing—

the mixing does not invalidate it.

But

that which is not suitable for mixing—

the mixing invalidates it 42.

Ravin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: An incident occurred involving Rabbi’s maidservant, who immersed and emerged, and a bone was found forming a barrier between her teeth; and Rabbi required her to immerse a second time.

That is because the space “between her teeth” was not suitable for the entry of water.

And Rava said: If she immersed and emerged, and a substance forming a barrier was found upon her,

43, if she immersed shortly after washing—

she need not

fear that the barrier was present at the time of immersion. Therefore, she is not obligated

to wash and immerse again; but if not,

if she did not wash shortly before immersion—

she must wash and immerse again.

Some say: If she immersed on the same day that she washed—

she need not wash and immerse again.

But if not—

she must wash and immerse again.

What is the difference between them?

What is the halakhic difference between the two formulations?

There is a difference between them:

a.

Whether she may rely on the washing for the immersion,

according to the first formulation she must perform the immersion immediately after the washing, whereas according to the latter formulation she need not [provided that the washing and immersion take place on the same day].

b. Whether she may

wash

wash

during the day and immerse at night

that follows, when the immersion is shortly after the washing but does not take place on the same day. According to the latter formulation, the washing must take place on that very same day.

Rava said: A woman may not stand on a piece of earthenware and immerse.

Rav Kahana thought to say: What is the reason?—

Because of the decree concerning bathhouses.

It is prohibited to immerse in a place where there are benches set upon the ground and people sit on them, lest one come to immerse in bathhouses that contain earthenware benches , and these bathhouses are invalid for immersion.

Is that so?

To immerse while standing

on a sileta,

a thick wooden plank —

is entirely permitted;

it is permitted because a wooden plank is not similar to benches made of earth.

Rav Hanan of Nehardea said to him: There

in the case where Rava said that a woman may not stand on earthenware and immerse, the reason is not “the decree concerning bathhouses,” but

what is the reason?—

Because she is afraid,

as she fears that she may fall and therefore does not immerse properly. If so, when she stands at the time of immersion on

a sileta—

she is likewise afraid—

she too fears that she may fall, and therefore this too should be prohibited .