Chagigah 19 - February 28, 27 Adar 1

Study Guide Chagigah 19

Today’s daf is sponsored by Deborah Hoffman-Wade in honor of Carol Robinson and Rabbi Art Gould. “Thank you for encouraging my path to Talmud and Hadran. As an elder and beginner I am radiant with joy at beginning a new and ongoing path of learning. Never too old to start!”

Today’s daf is sponsored by Miriam Almog in honor of the Hadran team and their wonderful learning programs. 

From where do we learn that for non-sacred items, one does not need intent when purifying oneself? There is an attempt to learn it from a Mishna in Mikvaot 5:6, however the proof is rejected and a Mishna in Machshirin 4:7 is brought instead. Is it true that one does not need to intent when purifying oneself for non-sacred items, doesn't our Mishna indicate otherwise in two different places. Both are resolved. Rabbi Elazar says that if one went into a mikveh without intention to purify for something specific, one can specify after getting out of the mikveh. A difficulty is raised against this from a braita regarding one who still has one foot in the mikveh, which seems to indicate only if one's foot is still inside, one can change one's intent. A distinction is made between changing one's intent and having no particular intent in the first place. The braita brought regarding having one's foot still in the water is attributed to Rabbi Yehuda who holds that one can view water as "going up" if the person's foot is still in the water. How far does Rabbi Yehuda take that law? The Gemara raises a contradiction within the Mishna as in one place it distinguishes between non-sacred items and maaser sheni and in another it does not. How is this resolved? Two solutions are brought.