Rabbinic JudaismJerusalem Talmud Niddah 1.3HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud Niddah 1.3

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Niddah 1.3

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

MISHNAH: What is a virgin? Any female who never saw blood, even if she was married. Pregnant, once the fetus is recognizable. Nursing, until she weans her child. If she gave her child to a wet-nurse or weaned him, Rebbi Meïr says she causes retroactive impurity for 24 hours but the Sages say, her timing is exact.

2
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

HALAKHAH: “What is a virgin? Any one,” etc. So is the Mishnah: Any one who never did menstruate; they spoke of one virginal for blood, not one virginal for sexual relations. Sometimes she is virginal for blood and not virginal for sexual relations, sometimes she is virginal for sexual relations and not virginal for blood. She is virginal for blood if she started to menstruate before marrying; she is virginal for sexual relations if she married before menstruating.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It was stated: “There are three virgins: a human virgin, a virgin sycamore, and virgin soil. A human virgin, who never had intercourse. A virgin sycamore, which never was cut. Virgin soil, which never was ploughed; Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, which has no groove’.”

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“Even if she was married,” even if pregnant, even if nursing, and even if she was bleeding all seven [days] for a boy or all fourteen for a girl. Does she have a charm in her hand? After [the birth of] a boy seven [days], after a girl fourteen, but only if she stopped during her period of purity. As it was stated: If she stopped during her period of purity and had no discharge, but later she had a discharge; this case came before the Sages who said that her timing was exact. In Rav’s opinion, who says that all is one source but the Torah purified it, it is understandable. In Rebbi Yannai’s opinion, who says that all is one source but it changes, it is in order. In Levi’s opinion, who says that there are two sources, should not her timing be exact even if she does not stop during her period of purity? Rebbi Mana said, the reason of Levi is that since she became used to pure blood, she might become used to impure blood. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, Levi can explain what we have stated: “Rebbi Yose said, the timing of a pregnant or a nursing woman who had stopped for three periods is exact.” On that it was stated: The days of her pregnancy and her nursing add up to three periods. Can he think that there is only one source?

5
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

How long is it until a pregnancy is recognized? Symmachos said in the name of Rebbi Meïr: After three months. Even though it is no proof, there is a hint: “It was after about three months, etc.” Rebbi Yudan said, even for a phantom pregnancy, “we were pregnant, we were sick, as if we gave birth to wind,” “get pregnant with dry grass, give birth to straw”, etc. Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra said, Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of the Great Rebbi Ḥiyya: Even most of the first, most of the last, and the middle one complete. Assi said, a full 90 days. Samuel said, they in their fulness. A case came before the rabbis there; we do not know if thirteen of the first and seventeen of the last or seventeen of the first and thirteen of the last, and five complete ones in the middle; they wanted to touch the child because of a doubt of bastardy. Rav Naḥman bar Jacob told them, such a case came before Abba bar Abba and he declared it acceptable. Does Abba bar Abba disagree with his son Samuel? Rebbi Abba said, there is a difference between recognizing a pregnancy and giving birth. A pregnancy is recognized after full months, a birth can happen after fractional months. There, we have stated: “How long can labor be? Rebbi Meïr said, even 40 to 50 days. Rebbi Jehudah said, her month is sufficient. Rebbi Yose and Rebbi Simeon say, no labor lasts longer than two weeks.” Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Abba: This implies that a woman gives birth after fractional months. Since otherwise one should have stated “thirty days”. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Samuel: This implies that a woman gives birth after full months. Since we have stated: “Her month is sufficient.”

6
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Yudan asked: Does this hold until she gives birth? No, even if she had a miscarriage.

7
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Mana said, I heard in the name of Samuel that there is no difference between recognizing a pregnancy and giving birth, but I do not remember from whom I heard this. Rebbi Abba bar Cohen said before Rebbi Yose, Rebbi Jeremiah said this. Rebbi Ḥizqyah said to him, Rebbi Jeremiah did not say this; Rebbi Yose was offended by him. He said to him: Even Joshua who was bound to Moses would not have said so, but you said so! He checked himself and said, it is true that he said that but as a person who quotes something and questions it; does Abba bar Abba disagree with his son Samuel? Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Samuel: A woman gives birth only either after 271, 272, 273, or 274 days. Rebbi Mana said to him, from whom did the rabbi hear this? He said to him, from Rebbi Abba. The position of Rebbi Abba seems inverted. There, he says, there is a difference between recognizing a pregnancy and giving birth, and here, he says so? Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra in the name of Samuel: Everything which is “many” is 273.

8
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi was sitting before Rav who saw him disturbed. He said to him, what is the matter? He said to him, my female donkey is pregnant and will give birth; then I have to get her to copulate before she is out of heat. He said to him, when did the male mount her? He said, on day X. He calculated and said, she still has some time until then. It was stated so: A quick one does not need less than the days of the moon and one who is late is not later than the days of the sun. The words of Rebbi Joshua disagree, since Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, the cattle herd of Antoninus passed by and those of the house of Rebbi took bulls from them to copulate. Some cows gave birth soon and some of them later. Here it is about an impure animal, there about a pure animal. But is it not written, “do you know the time the mountain goats will give birth, watch the birthing of gazelles,” “count months, make them complete, you will know the time of their giving birth.” He told him: A pure wild animal is like a domestic impure animal.

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Jerusalem Talmud Niddah 1.3English
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The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

Hebrew/Aramaic text: The Jerusalem Talmud, edition by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015), via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

English translation: The Jerusalem Talmud, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015); commentary notes omitted, via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

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