Commentary for Niddah 23:51

מהו למעבד כי הא מתניתא

are in respect of their husbands<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When these return home. ');">⁴⁵</span> deemed to be in a state of presumptive cleanness and the latter may, therefore, come and stay with them whether they are asleep or awake. This, however, applies only where the men<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On departing. ');">⁴⁶</span> left the woman in a state of presumptive cleanness but if they left them in a state of presumptive uncleanness each woman is forever regarded as unclean until she announces to her husband 'I am clean'. But how does Samuel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who, according to R. Abba b. Jeremiah, holds that (a) one who has a settled period must be examined when awake but not when asleep, while (b) one who has no settled period must be examined even when asleep. ');">⁴⁷</span> explain this case?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the Baraitha just cited. ');">⁴⁸</span> If it refers to a woman who has a settled period, does not a difficulty arise from the case where she is awake?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of course it does. According to this Baraitha no examination is required while according to Samuel (cf. (a) note 6) an examination is required. ');">⁴⁹</span> And if it refers to one who has no settled period, does not a difficulty arise both from the case where she is awake and from that where she is asleep?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In both cases (even when the woman is awake), no examination is expected, while according to Samuel (cf. (b) note 6) an examination must be held even when she is asleep. ');">⁵⁰</span> — As a matter of fact it refers to one who had a settled period<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the ruling that no examination is necessary when she is asleep (cf. note 6). ');">⁵¹</span> but<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In reply to the objection why no examination is required when she is awake. ');">⁵²</span> as the husband had solicited her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And she consented. ');">⁵³</span> there can be no more reliable<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'great'. ');">⁵⁴</span> examination than this.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Had she not ascertained beforehand that she was clean she would not have consented. Samuel's ruling, however, which ordains an examination applies only to husbands whose occupations do not take them away from their homes, and not to such (of whom the Baraitha speaks) as returned home after a considerable absence (cf. Tosaf. and Tosaf. Asheri). ');">⁵⁵</span> R. Papa asked Raba: May one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what is it'. ');">⁵⁶</span> act in accordance with that Baraitha?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the ass-drivers etc., i.e., (cf. Tosaf. contra Rashi) that no examination is necessary, as far as the husband is concerned, where the woman is half asleep (v. Tosaf, s.v. [H]). ');">⁵⁷</span>

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