Study Yoma folio 78A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מפכין עתידין להיות יוצאין מתחת מפתן הבית. מכאן ואילך היה מתגבר ועולה עד שמגיע לפתח בית דוד, כיון שמגיע לפתח בית דוד נעשה כנחל שוטף שבו רוחצין זבין וזבות נדות ויולדות, שנאמר: ״ביום ההוא יהיה מקור נפתח לבית דוד וליושבי ירושלם לחטאת ולנדה״.
in the future, will bubble from under the threshold of the Temple. From this point forward, the spring will grow in strength and rise until it reaches the opening of David’s house, i.e., his grave, which is outside of Jerusalem. When it reaches the opening of David’s house, it will become a flowing river in which zavim and zavot, menstruating women, and women after childbirth will bathe to purify themselves. As it is stated: “On that day there should be a fountain opened for the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for purification and for sprinkling” (Zechariah 13:1).
אמר רב יוסף: מכאן רמז לנדה שצריכה לישב עד צוארה במים. ולית הילכתא כוותיה.
Rav Yosef said: From here, there is an allusion that a menstruating woman must be able to sit up to her neck in water, i.e., that this is the appropriate depth for waters of a mikveh to purify. The Talmud comments: But the halakha is not in accordance with his opinion. Rather, the depth of the water is irrelevant. As long as the water can cover an entire adult body, the mikveh is kosher.
(תינח יום הכפורים דליכא מנעל,) שבת דאיכא מנעל, מאי? אמר נחמיה חתניה דבי נשיאה: אנא חזיתיה לרבי אמי ורבי אסי דמטו עורקומא דמיא, ועברוה דרך מלבוש.
§ The Talmud investigates the permissibility of crossing water in order to fulfill a mitzva: It works out well that on Yom Kippur it is permitted because there are no shoes, and there is no problem going through water barefoot. However, on Shabbat, when there are shoes, what is the halakha? Is one permitted to cross water wearing shoes? Is there a concern that his shoe might come off and he may pick it up, thereby violating the prohibition of carrying out? Neḥemya, the son-in-law of the Nasi, said: I saw R' Ami and R' Asi come to a pool of water that they had to cross on Shabbat, and they crossed it while wearing their shoes without removing them first.