Niddah 27

Chapter 27

א רוכבי גמלים אסורין לאכול בתרומה תניא נמי הכי רוכבי גמלים כולם רשעים הספנים כולם צדיקים

1 Camel riders1 are forbidden to eat terumah.2 So it was also taught: All camel-drivers are wicked,3

ב החמרים מהן רשעים מהן צדיקים איכא דאמרי הא דמכף הא דלא מכף ואיכא דאמרי הא דמטרטין הא דלא מטרטין

2 all sailors are righteous,4 but among the ass-drivers some are wicked and others righteous. Some say: The latter are those who use a saddle5 and the former are those who use no saddle;6

ג ריב"ל לייט אמאן דגני אפרקיד איני והאמר רב יוסף פרקדן לא יקרא קרית שמע קרית שמע הוא דלא יקרא הא מגנא שפיר דמי

3 while others say: The former are those who ride astraddle7 and the latter are those who do not ride astraddle.8 R. Joshua b. Levi cursed the man who sleeps on his back.9

ד לענין מגנא כי מצלי שפיר דמי לענין ק"ש כי מצלי אסור והא ר' יוחנן מצלי וקרי ק"ש שאני רבי יוחנן דבעל בשר הוה

4 But this, surely, is not correct,10 for did not R. Joseph rule that one lying on his back should not read the shema',11 from which it follows, does it not, that it is only the shema' that he must' not read but that he may well sleep in this manner? — As regards sleeping on one's back this is quite proper if one slightly inclines sideways, but as regards the reading of the shema' even if one inclines sideways this is forbidden.12

ה <big>מתני׳</big> דרך בנות ישראל משמשות בשני עדים אחד לו ואחד לה והצנועות מתקנות שלישי לתקן את הבית

5 But did not R. Johanan turn slightly on his side and read the shema'? — R. Johanan was different [from other people] because he was corpulent.13 MISHNAH. IT IS THE CUSTOM OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL WHEN HAVING MARITAL INTERCOURSE TO USE TWO TESTING-RAGS, ONE FOR THE MAN AND THE OTHER FOR HERSELF,14

ו נמצא על שלו טמאין וחייבין קרבן נמצא על שלה אותיום טמאין וחייבין בקרבן נמצא על שלה לאחר זמן טמאין מספק ופטורים מן הקרבן

6 AND VIRTUOUS WOMEN PREPARE ALSO A THIRD RAG WHEREBY TO MAKE THEMSELVES FIT FOR MARITAL DUTY.15 IF A VESTIGE OF BLOOD IS FOUND ON HIS RAG16 THEY ARE BOTH UNCLEAN17

ז איזהו אחר זמן כדי שתרד מן המטה ותדיח פניה ואח"כ מטמאה מעת לעת ואינה מטמאה את בועלה ר"ע אומר אף מטמאה את בועלה

7 AND ARE ALSO UNDER THE OBLIGATION OF BRINGING A SACRIFICE.18 IF ANY BLOOD IS FOUND ON HER RAG IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR INTERCOURSE THEY ARE BOTH UNCLEAN AND ARE ALSO UNDER THE OBLIGATION OF BRINGING A SACRIFICE. IF, HOWEVER, ANY BLOOD IS FOUND ON HER RAG AFTER A TIME THEY ARE UNCLEAN19 BY REASON OF DOUBT20 BUT EXEMPT FROM THE SACRIFICE. WHAT IS MEANT BY 'AFTER A TIME'? WITHIN AN INTERVAL IN WHICH SHE CAN DESCEND FROM THE BED AND WASH HER FACE.21

ח מודים חכמים לרבי עקיבא ברואה כתם שמטמאה את בועלה

8 BUT [IF BLOOD WAS FOUND SOME TIME] AFTER SUCH AN INTERVAL SHE CAUSES UNCLEANNESS RETROSPECTIVELY22

ט <big>גמ׳</big> וניחוש דלמא דם מאכולת הוא אמר רבי זירא אותו מקום בדוק הוא אצל מאכולת ואיכא דאמרי דחוק הוא אצל מאכולת

9 FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS23 BUT SHE DOES NOT CAUSE THE MAN WHO HAD INTERCOURSE WITH HER TO BE UNCLEAN.24 R. AKIBA RULED: SHE25 ALSO CAUSES THE MAN WHO HAD INTERCOURSE WITH HER TO BE UNCLEAN.26

י מאי בינייהו איכא בינייהו דאשתכח מאכולת רצופה להך לישנא דאמר בדוק הוא הא מעלמא אתאי להך לישנא דאמר דחוק הוא אימא שמש רצפה

10 THE SAGES, HOWEVER, AGREE WITH R. AKIBA THAT ONE WHO OBSERVED A BLOODSTAIN CONVEYS UNCLEANNESS TO THE MAN WHO HAD INTERCOURSE WITH HER. GEMARA. But27

יא אתמר בדקה בעד הבדוק לה וטחתו בירכה ולמחר מצאה עליה דם אמר רב טמאה נדה א"ל רב שימי בר חייא והא חוששת אמרת לן

11 why should not the possibility be considered that the blood might be that of a louse?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As this is not impossible the uncleanness should only be one of a doubtful nature, so that if any terumah is involved it should not be burned but only kept in suspense, and the sacrifice also should be one for doubtful (asham talui) and not one for certain trespass (asham waddai). ');">28 — R. Zera replied that place is presumed to be tested as far as a louse is concerned. There are others, however, who reply: It is too narrow for a louse. What is the practical difference between them?29 — The practical difference between them is the case where a crushed louse was found.30 According to the reply31

יב איתמר נמי אמר שמואל טמאה נדה וכן מורין בי מדרשא טמאה נדה

12 that the place is presumed to be tested, this must have come from somewhere else,32 but according to the reply31 that the place is too narrow it might be presumed that the attendant33 has crushed it.34

יג אתמר בדקה בעד שאינו בדוק לה והניחתו בקופסא ולמחר מצאה עליו דם א"ר יוסף כל ימיו של ר' חייא טימא ולעת זקנתו טיהר

13 It was stated: If a woman examined herself with a rag that she had previously examined,35 and then she pressed it against her thigh on which she found blood on the following day, Rab ruled: She<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the rag was examined by her before use and found to be clean, and the blood that was transferred from it to her thigh must consequently be that of menstruation. ');">36

יד איבעיא להו היכי קאמר כל ימיו טימא משום נדה ולעת זקנתו טיהר משום נדה וטימא משום כתם

14 is subject to the uncleanness of a menstruant.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. her uncleanness is definitely established. It is not regarded as one of a doubtful nature despite the possibility that the blood on her thigh may have come from some object other than the rag. ');">37 Said R. Shimi b. Hiyya to him: But, surely, you told us, 'She has only to take the possibility38 into consideration'. It was also stated: Samuel ruled: She is subject to the uncleanness of a menstruant.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. her uncleanness is definitely established. It is not regarded as one of a doubtful nature despite the possibility that the blood on her thigh may have come from some object other than the rag. ');">37

טו או דלמא כל ימיו טימא משום כתם ולעת זקנתו טיהר מולא כלום

15 And so they also ruled at the schoolhouse: She is subject to the uncleanness of a menstruant. It was stated: If a woman examined herself with a rag which she had not previously examined and having put it into a box she found upon it, on the following day, some blood,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it is uncertain whether the blood was that of menstruation or of some other source with which the rag may have come in contact before the woman had used it. ');">39

טז תא שמע דתניא בדקה בעד שאינו בדוק לה והניחתו בקופסא ולמחר מצאה עליו דם רבי אומר טמאה משום נדה ורבי חייא אמר טמאה משום כתם

16 R. Joseph stated: Throughout all his lifetime R. Hiyya regarded [her] as unclean but in his old age he ruled that [she] was clean. The question was raised: What40 does he41 mean: That throughout all his42 lifetime he regarded [her] as menstrually unclean43 and in his old age he ruled that [she] was clean as far as menstruation is concerned but unclean on account of the bloodstain,44 or it is possible that throughout his lifetime he regarded [her] as unclean on account of the stain44 and in his old age he ruled that [she] was absolutely45 clean? — Come and hear what was taught: If a woman examined herself with a rag which she had not previously examined and having put it into a box she found upon it, on the following day, some blood, Rabbi ruled: She is regarded as menstrually unclean,46 and R. Hiyya ruled: She is regarded as unclean on account of the bloodstain.47

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