Niddah 38

אפילו ימים הראויין לספירת סתירת זבה

even if she continues to experience bleeding during the days that are fit for the new counting following the negation of the days counted by a zava, she remains pure. If a woman experiences bleeding during her seven clean days, she negates any days counted thus far, and must begin a new count of seven clean days. Accordingly, all the days that follow her days of ziva are effectively considered days that are fit for the counting of a zava. Therefore, blood emitted due to labor pains during these days is also ritually pure. Consequently, the blood that accompanies labor pains is ritually impure only if she begins to emit it during her days of menstruation.

תנן כמה הוא קשויה רבי מאיר אומר ארבעים וחמשים יום

The Gemara poses a difficulty with regard to the opinion of Levi: We learned in the mishna: How long before birth is pain attributable to her labor pains? Rabbi Meir says: Even forty or fifty days before the birth. Rabbi Meir apparently maintains that a woman who experiences continuous labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for forty or fifty days remains pure.

בשלמא לרב משכחת לה כרב אדא בר אהבה אלא ללוי קשיא

The Gemara explains the difficulty: Granted, the mishna is clear according to Rav, as you find that it is possible that she will remain pure for such a long period, i.e., in accordance with the explanation of Rav Adda bar Ahava that Rav deems the blood pure even during the days that are fit for the new counting following the negation of the days counted by a zava. Accordingly, as long as the woman begins to experience labor pains during her days of ziva, she remains pure until birth, provided the labor pains continue without a twenty-four-hour period of resting. But according to Levi, who maintains that blood accompanying labor pains is pure only during the days of ziva, the mishna is difficult, as it is impossible for her blood to remain pure due to labor pains for fifty days.

אמר לך לוי מי קתני טהורה בכולן בימי נדה נדה בימי זיבה טהורה

The Gemara explains that Levi could say to you: Does the mishna teach that she is pure during all these days, i.e., that she remains pure throughout the days of menstruation and ziva? Not so. Rather, if she emitted blood due to labor pains during the days of menstruation she has the status of a menstruating woman, whereas if she emitted the blood during the days of ziva she is pure. The mishna is teaching only that she will not be deemed a zava on account of this blood.

לישנא אחרינא אמרי אמר רבי לוי אין הולד מטהר אלא ימים הראויין להיות בהן זבה גדולה מאי טעמא דמה ימים רבים כתיב

Some Sages state another version of the above disagreement: Rabbi Levi says: The birth of a child renders the mother ritually pure only if she experienced bleeding during the eleven days that are fit for her to become a greater zava, i.e., if she experienced bleeding on three consecutive days during that time. But if she experienced bleeding on only one or two days she is rendered a lesser zava, and she must observe a clean day for each day she experiences a discharge. What is the reason? It is written: “And if a woman has an issue of her blood many days…all the days of the issue of her impurity she shall be as in the days of her menstruation: She is impure” (Leviticus 15:25). The verse is referring specifically to a greater zava, indicating that the halakha that a woman is not rendered a zava on account of an emission of blood caused by labor pains applies only to a greater zava.

אבא שאול משמיה דרב אמר אפילו ימים הראויין להיות בהן זבה קטנה מאי טעמא ימי וכל ימי התם כתיבי

Abba Shaul says in the name of Rav: The birth of a child renders the mother ritually pure even if she experienced bleeding on the days that are fit for her to become a lesser zava. What is the reason? “Days” and “many days” are written there, from which the impurity of a lesser zava is derived. Accordingly, the verse includes a lesser zava in this halakha as well.

תנן כמה הוא קשויה רבי מאיר אומר אפילו ארבעים וחמשים יום קשיא לתרוייהו מי קתני טהורה בכולן קשתה בימי נדתה נדה בימי זיבתה טהורה

The Gemara raises a difficulty: We learned in the mishna: How long before birth is pain attributable to her labor pains? Rabbi Meir says: Even forty or fifty days before the birth. Rabbi Meir apparently maintains that a woman who experiences continuous labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for forty or fifty days remains pure. If so, the mishna is difficult according to both opinions, as all agree that only emissions of blood due to labor pains that occur during her days of ziva are pure. The Gemara responds: Does the mishna teach that she is pure during all fifty days? Not so. Rather, if she experienced labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood during the days of menstruation she has the status of a menstruating woman, whereas if she experienced them during the days of ziva she is pure.

תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר יש מקשה מאה וחמשים יום ואין זיבה עולה בהן כיצד שנים בלא עת

With regard to the above statement of Rabbi Meir, it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: There is a scenario in which a woman experiences labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for one hundred and fifty days, and the impurity of ziva is not included in those days, i.e., she will not be rendered a greater zava. How so? First, a woman emits blood for two days not at the time of her menstruation, e.g., she experiences bleeding on the tenth and eleventh days of ziva. She is not rendered a menstruating woman by these emissions, as they occurred during the days of ziva, nor does she become a greater zava, since she experienced bleeding on only two days.

ושבעה נדה ושנים של אחר הנדה וחמשים שהולד מטהר

Rabbi Meir continues: And then she continues to experience bleeding throughout the seven days of menstruation. She is not considered to have experienced bleeding of ziva for three consecutive days, as the third emission occurred during her days of menstruation. And she then experiences bleeding for the first two days after the days of menstruation, i.e., on the first and second days of the eleven days of ziva. And on the third day of ziva she begins the period of fifty days before giving birth, during which the child renders her pure. This constitutes a period of sixty-one days during which she is not rendered a greater zava.

ושמונים של נקבה ושבעה נדה ושנים של אחר הנדה

Rabbi Meir continues: And this period is followed by eighty days of purity from ziva after giving birth to a female, for a total of 141 days during which she does not become a greater zava on account of blood emitted. And there are then seven days of menstruation following her days of purity, and another two days after the days of menstruation, i.e., the first and second days of ziva, during which she experiences bleeding, for a total of 150 days during which she does not become a greater zava on account of blood emitted.

אמרו לו אם כן יש מקשה כל ימיה ואין זיבה עולה בהן

The Rabbis said to Rabbi Meir: If so, there is also a scenario in which a woman experiences emissions of blood due to labor pains for all the days of her life, and the impurity of ziva is not included in them. For example, she gives birth to a female, and at the conclusion of her days of impurity engages in intercourse with her husband and becomes pregnant. She continues to experience bleeding throughout her days of purity, after which she experiences bleeding during the seven days of menstruation and the first two days of the next cycle of ziva. She then experiences labor pains accompanied by blood for fifty days, after which she miscarries a female. She subsequently becomes pregnant again within eighty days of the miscarriage, and the above process repeats itself. In this manner, she will never become a greater zava.

אמר להן מאי דעתייכו משום נפלים אין קושי לנפלים

Rabbi Meir said to them: What is your opinion, that a woman is not rendered a zava due to the birth of non-viable newborns? The halakha that blood emitted due to labor pains does not render a woman a zava does not apply to non-viable newborns.

תנו רבנן יש רואה מאה יום ואין זיבה עולה בהן כיצד שנים בלא עת ושבעה נדה ושנים של אחר הנדה ושמונים של נקבה ושבעה נדה ושנים של אחר הנדה

The Sages taught in a baraita: There is a scenario in which a woman sees blood for one hundred days, and the impurity of greater ziva is not included in them. How so? She emits blood for two days not at the time of her menstruation, and then throughout the seven days of menstruation, and then for the first two days after the days of menstruation. And this period is followed by eighty days of purity from ziva after giving birth to a female, and seven days of menstruation following her days of purity, and another two days after the days of menstruation. This amounts to one hundred days.

מאי קא משמע לן לאפוקי ממאן דאמר אי אפשר לפתיחת הקבר בלא דם קא משמע לן דאפשר לפתיחת הקבר בלא דם

The Gemara asks: What is this baraita teaching us? The Gemara responds: The baraita serves to exclude the opinion of the one who said that it is impossible for there to be an opening of the womb [hakever] without an emission of blood. According to this opinion, if a woman gives birth after experiencing bleeding on the first two days after the days of menstruation, it is certain she experienced bleeding on the third day as well, as every birth is accompanied by an emission of blood. Consequently, she has experienced bleeding on three consecutive days during the days of ziva and is rendered a greater zava. The baraita teaches us that it is possible for there to be an opening of the womb without an emission of blood. Therefore, if she gave birth on the third day of ziva and she did not experience bleeding, she is not rendered a greater zava.

רבי יהודה אומר דיה וכו׳ תניא רבי יהודה אומר משום רבי טרפון דיה חדשה ויש בדבר להקל ולהחמיר

§ The mishna teaches that Rabbi Yehuda says: It is sufficient that a woman is not rendered a zava on account of blood that is emitted due to labor pains only from within one month of her due date. In this regard, it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Tarfon: It is sufficient for her not to be rendered a zava from within one month of her due date. And there is an aspect of leniency and an aspect of stringency in the matter.

כיצד קשתה שנים בסוף שמיני ואחד בתחלת תשיעי ואפילו בתחלת תשיעי ילדה הרי זו יולדת בזוב

The baraita explains: How so? If she experienced labor pains accompanied by an emission of blood for two days at the end of her eighth month of pregnancy, which are days in which she can be rendered a zava, and for one day at the beginning of her ninth month, then even if she gave birth at the beginning of the ninth month, the one day from the ninth month joins together with the two days from the eighth month, and this woman is considered one who gives birth as a zava. This is an aspect of stringency.

אבל קשתה יום אחד בסוף שמיני ושתים בתחלת תשיעי ואפילו בסוף תשיעי ילדה אין זו יולדת בזוב

But if she experienced labor pains accompanied by an emission of blood for one day at the end of her eighth month, and for only two days at the beginning of her ninth month, then even if she gave birth at the end of the ninth month, this woman is not considered one who gives birth as a zava, and she is pure. This is an aspect of leniency.

אמר רב אדא בר אהבה שמע מינה קסבר רבי יהודה שיפורא גרים איני והא אמר שמואל אין אשה מתעברת ויולדת אלא למאתים ושבעים ואחד יום או למאתים ושבעים ושנים יום או למאתים ושבעים ושלשה

Rav Adda bar Ahava says: Conclude from the baraita that Rabbi Yehuda holds that the blast of the shofar at the beginning of the ninth month causes the blood emitted during that month to be pure. That is to say, once the ninth months begins, any blood emitted does not render her a zava. The Gemara asks: Is that so, that the entire ninth month of pregnancy is suitable for giving birth, and therefore any blood seen during the ninth month is attributed to the imminent labor? But doesn’t Shmuel say that a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth only after 271 days, which is a full nine months, or after 272 days, or after 273 days? She will not, however, give birth during the ninth month itself.

הוא דאמר כחסידים הראשונים דתניא חסידים הראשונים לא היו משמשין מטותיהן אלא ברביעי בשבת שלא יבואו נשותיהן

The Gemara responds: Shmuel said his statement in accordance with the opinion of the early generations of pious men. As it is taught in a baraita: The early generations of pious men would engage in sexual intercourse only on a Wednesday, so that their wives should not come

לידי חלול שבת ברביעי ותו לא אימא מרביעי ואילך

to a desecration of Shabbat. If they were to engage in sexual intercourse on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, their wives might give birth on Shabbat, either 271, 272, or 273 days after conception either. The Gemara asks: If this was indeed the concern of the early generations of pious men, why would they engage in intercourse only on a Wednesday, and nothing more? After all, if they engaged in intercourse on a Thursday, Friday, or Shabbat, they would likewise avoid any desecration of Shabbat. The Gemara answers: Say that the baraita means that the early generations of pious men would engage in intercourse each week only from Wednesday onward.

אמר מר זוטרא מאי טעמייהו דחסידים הראשונים דכתיב ויתן [ה׳] לה הריון הריון בגימטריא מאתן ושבעים וחד הוו

Mar Zutra said: What is the reasoning of the early generations of pious men, who state that a woman does not give birth before 271 days have passed from the time of insemination? As it is written with regard to Boaz and Ruth: “And he went in unto her, and the Lord gave her conception [herayon]” (Ruth 4:13). The letters that constitute the word herayon are 271 in numerical value.

אמר מר זוטרא אפילו למאן דאמר יולדת לתשעה אינה יולדת למקוטעים יולדת לשבעה יולדת למקוטעים שנאמר ויהי לתקפות הימים ותהר חנה ותלד בן מיעוט תקפות שנים מיעוט ימים שנים

Mar Zutra says: Even according to the one who said, e.g., Shmuel and the early generations of pious men, that a woman who gives birth at nine months does not give birth after an incomplete number of months, i.e., she carries for a full nine months, nevertheless, a woman who gives birth at seven months can give birth after an incomplete number of months. As it is stated with regard to the birth of Samuel: “And it came to pass, when the seasons of the days had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son” (I Samuel 1:20). The minimal number of “seasons” is two, and as each season of the year is three months, this amounts to six months. And the minimal number of “days” is two. If so, Samuel was born in the seventh month of Hannah’s pregnancy.

רבי יוסי ורבי שמעון אומרים אין קושי יותר משתי שבתות אמר שמואל מאי טעמייהו דרבנן דכתיב וטמאה שבעים כנדתה כנדתה ולא כזיבתה מכלל דזיבתה טהורה וכמה שבועים

§ The mishna teaches that Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon say: Labor pains do not occur more than two weeks before birth. Shmuel said: What is the reasoning of the Rabbis, i.e., Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon? As it is written with regard to a woman who gives birth to a female: “And she shall be impure two weeks, as in her menstruation” (Leviticus 12:5). The verse indicates that she is impure as in her menstruation but not as in her ziva. By inference, one may conclude that her ziva is pure, i.e., if she emits blood accompanied by labor pains she is not rendered a zava. And for how long is this the case? For two weeks.

תנו רבנן יש מקשה עשרים וחמשה יום ואין זיבה עולה בהן כיצד שנים בלא עת ושבעה נדה ושנים שלאחר נדה וארבעה עשר שהולד מטהר

With regard to the halakha that blood emitted due to labor pains does not impart impurity of ziva, the Sages taught: There is a scenario in which a woman experiences labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for twenty-five days before birth, and the impurity of greater ziva is not included in them. How so? She emits blood for two days not at the time of her menstruation, i.e., on the tenth and eleventh days of ziva, and then for the seven days of menstruation, and then for the first two days of ziva that come after the days of menstruation. And this period is followed by fourteen days during which the impending birth of a child renders pure the blood she sees.

ואי אפשר שתתקשה עשרים וששה יום בלא ולד ולא תהא יולדת בזוב

The baraita continues: And it is impossible for a woman to experience labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for twenty-six days without a child, such that she will not be a woman who gives birth as a zava. Since a span of twenty-six days includes at least five days of ziva, there will inevitably be three consecutive days of ziva during which she experienced bleeding, therefore rendering her a greater zava.

בלא ולד בתלתא נמי סגי אמר רב ששת אימא במקום שיש ולד אמר ליה רבא והא בלא ולד קתני

The Gemara analyzes the baraita: Is the baraita really dealing with a case without a child, i.e., where she is not even pregnant? If there is no child, then experiencing bleeding on three consecutive days after the days of menstruation is also sufficient to render her a greater zava. Rav Sheshet said one should say the baraita as follows: Twenty-six days in a case where there is a child, i.e., where she is pregnant. Rava said to Rav Sheshet: But the baraita explicitly teaches: Without a child.

אלא אמר רבא הכי קאמר אי אפשר שתתקשה עשרים וששה יום במקום שיש ולד ולא תהא יולדת בזוב ובמקום שאין ולד אלא נפל בתלתא נמי הויא זבה מאי טעמא אין קושי לנפלים

Rather, Rava said that this is what the baraita is saying: It is impossible for a woman to experience labor pains accompanied by emissions of blood for twenty-six days in a case where there is a child, such that she will not be a woman who gives birth as a zava. And in a case where there is no child born but there is a non-viable newborn, with three consecutive days of emissions she also becomes a zava. What is the reason? The halakha that blood emitted due to labor pains does not render a woman a zava does not apply to non-viable newborns.

מתני׳ המקשה בתוך שמונים של נקבה כל דמים שהיא רואה טהורין עד שיצא הולד ורבי אליעזר מטמא

MISHNA: A woman who experiences labor pains within eighty days of giving birth to a female, e.g., she conceived during the sixty-six days of purity, or she initially conceived twins and she gave birth to a female and the birth of the second fetus was delayed, all blood that she sees is ritually pure, as she is currently within her days of purity. And this remains the halakha until the child emerges from the womb, at which point she is rendered impure as a woman who gives birth. And Rabbi Eliezer deems ritually impure the blood that occurs due to these labor pains.

אמרו לו לרבי אליעזר ומה במקום שהחמיר בדם השופי היקל בדם הקושי מקום שהיקל בדם השופי אינו דין שנקל בדם הקושי

The Rabbis said to Rabbi Eliezer: And what, if in an instance where the verse was stringent with regard to blood emitted while resting, namely if a pregnant woman emits blood after her days of purity without any labor pains she is rendered impure, the verse was lenient with regard to blood that accompanies the labor pains; then in an instance where the verse was lenient with regard to blood emitted while resting, i.e., during a woman’s days of purity, is it not right that we will be lenient with regard to blood that accompanies the labor pains?

אמר להן דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל טמאה טומאת נדה

Rabbi Eliezer said to them: When deriving a halakha by means of an a fortiori inference, there is a principle that it is sufficient for the conclusion that emerges from an a fortiori inference to be like its source. In other words, the status of blood emitted due to labor pains during her days of purity should not be more lenient than that of blood emitted due to labor pains after her days of purity. Rabbi Eliezer elaborates: Concerning what type of impurity was the verse lenient with regard to a woman who experiences an emission of blood due to labor pains? Concerning the impurity of ziva. But she may still be rendered ritually impure with the impurity of a menstruating woman. So too, if a woman experiences emissions of blood due to labor pains during her days of purity, she is rendered a menstruating woman.

גמ׳ תנו רבנן תשב לרבות המקשה בתוך שמונים של נקבה שכל דמים שהיא רואה טהורין עד שיצא הולד ורבי אליעזר מטמא

GEMARA: With regard to the dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and the Rabbis concerning a woman who emits blood due to labor pains during her days of purity, the Sages taught a baraita that addresses a verse discussing a woman who gives birth to a female: “And sixty-six days she shall observe the blood of purity” (Leviticus 12:5). The term “She shall observe” serves to include a woman who experiences labor pains within eighty days of giving birth to a female, teaching that all blood that she sees is ritually pure. And this remains the case until the child emerges from the womb. And Rabbi Eliezer deems ritually impure the blood that occurs due to these labor pains.

אמרו לו לרבי אליעזר ומה במקום שהחמיר בשופי שלפני הולד היקל בשופי שלאחר הולד מקום שהיקל בקושי שלפני הולד אינו דין שנקל בקושי שלאחר הולד

The Rabbis said to Rabbi Eliezer: And what, if in an instance where the verse was stringent with regard to blood that is emitted while resting before the birth of the child, as such blood renders her a zava, the verse was lenient with regard to blood that is emitted while resting after the birth of the child, i.e., during her days of purity; then in an instance where the verse was lenient with regard to blood emitted due to labor pains before the birth of the child, is it not right that we will be lenient with regard to blood that is emitted due to labor pains after the birth of the child?

אמר להם דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל מטמאה טומאת נדה

Rabbi Eliezer said to them: It is sufficient for the conclusion that emerges from an a fortiori inference to be like its source. Rabbi Eliezer elaborates: Concerning what type of impurity was the verse lenient with regard to a woman who experiences an emission of blood due to labor pains? Concerning the impurity of ziva. But an emission of blood renders her impure with the impurity of a menstruating woman. So too, if a woman experiences emissions of blood due to labor pains during her days of purity, she is rendered a menstruating woman.

אמרו לו הרי אנו משיבין לך לשון אחר ומה במקום שהחמיר בשופי שלפני הולד היקל בקושי שעמו מקום שהיקל בשופי שלאחר הולד אינו דין שנקל בקושי שעמו

The Rabbis said to him: But we will respond to you with another version of the a fortiori inference: And what, if in an instance where the verse was stringent with regard to blood that is emitted while resting before the birth of the child the verse was lenient with regard to blood that is emitted due to labor pains that come with it, i.e., which precede the birth of the child; then in an instance where the verse was lenient with regard to blood emitted while resting, namely during a woman’s days of purity, is it not right that we will be lenient with regard to blood that accompanies the labor pains that come with it?

אמר להם אפילו אתם משיבין כל היום כולו דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל מטמאה טומאת נדה

Rabbi Eliezer said to them: Even if you respond by citing a fortiori inferences of that type throughout the entire day, the principle remains that it is sufficient for the conclusion that emerges from an a fortiori inference to be like its source. Concerning what type of impurity was the verse lenient with regard to a woman who experiences an emission of blood due to labor pains? Concerning the impurity of ziva. But an emission of blood renders her impure with the impurity of a menstruating woman.

אמר רבא בהא זכינהו רבי אליעזר לרבנן לאו אמריתו דמה דמה מחמת עצמה ולא מחמת ולד הכי נמי וטהרה ממקור דמיה דמיה מחמת עצמה ולא מחמת ולד

Rava said: With this response Rabbi Eliezer triumphed over the Rabbis: Didn’t you say that the reason why a woman is not rendered a zava on account of blood that is emitted due to labor pains before birth is because the verse states: “And if a woman has an issue of her blood many days” (Leviticus 15:25)? The term “her blood” indicates that only her blood that comes due to herself is impure due to ziva, but not blood that comes due to her child. So too, one can say that as the verse states with regard to a woman who gives birth: “And she shall be purified from the fountain of her blood” (Leviticus 12:7), this indicates that only her blood that comes due to herself is pure from ziva, but not blood that comes due to her child.

אימא בימי נדה נדה בימי זיבה טהורה אמר קרא תשב ישיבה אחת לכולן

This Gemara raises a difficulty against the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer: If so, one can say that if she emits blood due to labor pains during the days of menstruation she is a menstruating woman, but if she emits blood in the days of ziva, i.e., after the days of menstruation, she is pure. The Gemara explains that the verse states: “She shall observe the blood of purity” (Leviticus 12:5), which indicates that there is one observance for all the days of her purity, i.e., all the blood she emits due to labor pains during her days of purity is either pure or impure.

מתני׳ כל אחד עשר יום בחזקת טהרה

MISHNA: For all the eleven days of ziva that follow the seven days of menstruation, a woman has the presumptive status of ritual purity, as it is unusual for her to experience bleeding on these days.