Our Gemara quotes Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, using a distinctive phrase that other Tanaim do not use.  He introduces his opinion with, “Omer Ani”, which roughly translates to “I say” or “In my opinion”, but as we soon shall see, in Hebrew it has a different, more subtle and humble connotation.

Rav Yosef Engel (Beis Haotzar, Ma’areches aleph-vav, klal 33) notes that the meaning is something like “my essence dictates”, that is Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi felt a deep truth coming from within, an indication of the will of God channeled from his soul.  

There is such a thing as intuition, and people who are spiritually inclined are more likely to notice the small stirrings within, by dint of the fact that they are less distracted by the sensual demands of physical lusts.  I believe it is almost universal in any religion, that to tap into the spiritual, one must reject attachment to the physical. It doesn’t matter what the religion is, even the prophets of Baal engaged in acts of physical renouncement to tap into whatever demonic spirits they utilized (Melachim I:18:28.)  

We will discuss more about instinct and spirituality in tomorrow’s daf.