Commentary for Avodah Zarah 51:6
וחכמים אומרים עובדת כוכבים מילדת את בת ישראל בזמן שאחרות עומדות על גבה אבל לא בינה לבינה ור"מ אומר אפי' אחרות עומדות על גבה נמי לא דזימנין דמנחא ליה ידא אפותא וקטלא ליה ולא מתחזי
But the sages say: An idolatrous woman may act as midwife to an Israelite woman so long as there are others standing by, but not if she is acting on her own. But R. Meir says: Even if others are standing by her [she may not act as midwife], for she may find an opportunity to put her hand on the [infant's] soft spot and kill it, and they will not see her.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
R. Meir rules that even if the idolatrous woman is being watched, it is still prohibited for her to act as a midwife because a midwife can always find the opportunity to murder the newborn, especially by pushing in his softspot (I was always freaked out by the soft spot with my own kids).
The Talmud illustrates this with a story whereby a woman, seemingly a midwife, brags how many Jewish children she has killed.
The rabbis read her words as an exaggeration. She’s just showing off by exclaiming how many Jewish children she has killed.
The Talmud illustrates this with a story whereby a woman, seemingly a midwife, brags how many Jewish children she has killed.
The rabbis read her words as an exaggeration. She’s just showing off by exclaiming how many Jewish children she has killed.
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