Niddah 3

מתני׳ <big><strong>שמאי</strong></big> אומר

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. SHAMMAI RULED: FOR ALL WOMEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In respect of menstrual uncleanness. ');">¹</span>

כל הנשים דיין שעתן

IT SUFFICES [TO RECKON] THEIR [PERIOD OF UNCLEANNESS FROM THE] TIME [OF THEIR DISCOVERING THE FLOW].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It being assumed that up to that moment there was no vestige of blood even in the ante-chamber (cf. Mishnah infra 40a). Hence only objects that were touched by the woman after the discovery become ritually unclean. All objects touched prior to that moment remain clean. ');">²</span>

הלל אומר

HILLEL RULED: [THEIR PERIOD OF UNCLEANNESS IS TO BE RECKONED RETROSPECTIVELY] FROM THE [PREVIOUS] EXAMINATION TO THE [LAST] EXAMINATION,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When she discovered the discharge. If the last, for instance, took place at 5 p.m. on a Thursday and the previous one at 8 a.m. on the preceding Sunday, all objects touched since the Sunday examination are deemed to be ritually unclean because it is assumed that some blood, prevented from leaving the body by the walls of the womb, may have made its way into the ante-chamber immediately after that examination. ');">³</span>

מפקידה לפקידה ואפילו לימים הרבה

EVEN [IF THE INTERVAL EXTENDED] FOR MANY DAYS. THE SAGES, HOWEVER, RULED: [THE LAW IS] NEITHER IN AGREEMENT WITH THE OPINION OF THE FORMER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shammai, whose ruling is too lenient. ');">⁴</span>

וחכ"א

NOR IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT OF THE LATTER,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hillel, who is too restrictive, since blood could not well be retained in the ante-chamber for a very long time. ');">⁵</span>

לא כדברי זה ולא כדברי זה אלא מעת לעת ממעטת על יד מפקידה לפקידה ומפקידה לפקידה ממעטת על יד מעת לעת

BUT [THE WOMEN ARE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN UNCLEAN] DURING [THE PRECEDING] TWENTY-FOUR HOURS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Me'eth le'eth, lit., 'from time to time'. ');">⁶</span>

כל אשה שיש לה וסת דיה שעתה

WHEN THIS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An interval of more than twenty-four hours having intervened between the two examinations. ');">⁷</span>

והמשמשת בעדים הרי זו כפקידה וממעטת על יד מעת לעת ועל יד מפקידה לפקידה

LESSENS THE PERIOD FROM THE [PREVIOUS] EXAMINATION TO THE [LAST] EXAMINATION, AND DURING THE PERIOD FROM THE [PREVIOUS] EXAMINATION TO THE [LAST] EXAMINATION WHEN THIS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The two examinations having taken place within twenty-four hours. ');">⁸</span>

כיצד דיה שעתה

LESSENS THE PERIOD OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

היתה יושבת במטה ועסוקה בטהרות ופרשה וראתה היא טמאה והן טהורות

FOR ANY WOMAN WHO HAS A SETTLED PERIOD IT SUFFICES [TO RECKON HER PERIOD OF UNCLEANNESS FROM] THE TIME SHE DISCOVERS THE FLOW: AND IF A WOMAN USES TESTING-RAGS WHEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before and after. ');">⁹</span>

אע"פ שאמרו

SHE HAS MARITAL INTERCOURSE, THIS IS INDEED<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'behold this'. ');">¹⁰</span>

מטמאה מעת לעת אינה מונה אלא משעה שראתה

LIKE AN EXAMINATION WHICH LESSENS EITHER THE PERIOD OF THE [PAST] TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OR THE PERIOD FROM THE [PREVIOUS] EXAMINATION TO THE [LAST] EXAMINATION. HOW [IS ONE TO UNDERSTAND THE RULING THAT]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of 'ANY WOMAN WHO HAS A SETTLED PERIOD (supra). ');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי טעמיה דשמאי

IT SUFFICES [TO RECKON HER PERIOD OF UNCLEANNESS FROM] THE TIME SHE DISCOVERS THE FLOW'? IF SHE WAS SITTING ON A BED AND WAS OCCUPIED WITH RITUALLY CLEAN OBJECTS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the preparation, for instance, of foodstuffs. ');">¹²</span>

קסבר

AND, HAVING LEFT THEM, OBSERVED A FLOW, SHE IS RITUALLY UNCLEAN WHILE THE OBJECTS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bed, and the foodstuffs which she handled. ');">¹³</span>

העמד אשה על חזקתה ואשה בחזקת טהורה עומדת

REMAIN RITUALLY CLEAN.

והלל כי אמר העמד דבר על חזקתו היכא דלית ליה ריעותא מגופיה אבל איתתא

ALTHOUGH THEY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sages. ');">¹⁴</span> HAVE LAID DOWN THAT SHE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman who had no settled period. ');">¹⁵</span> CONVEYS UNCLEANNESS FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS [RETROSPECTIVELY]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the time she observed the flow. ');">¹⁶</span> SHE COUNTS [THE SEVEN DAYS OF HER MENSTRUATION]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prescribed in Lev. XV, 19. ');">¹⁷</span> ONLY FROM THE TIME SHE OBSERVED THE FLOW. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. What is Shammai's reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For his ruling in the first clause of our Mishnah. ');">¹⁸</span> — He is of the opinion that a woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' About whom it is uncertain when her flow began. ');">¹⁹</span> should be presumed to enjoy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'cause to stand&nbsp;… upon'. ');">²⁰</span> her usual status, and the status of the woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in our Mishnah. ');">²¹</span> was one of cleanness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since she was occupied with ritually clean things. ');">²²</span> And Hillel?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How, in view of Shammai's reason, can he maintain his ruling. ');">²³</span> — When is it said that an object is presumed to possess its usual status? Only when the unfavourable condition<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which might impair its status. ');">²⁴</span> is not internal;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But is due to some external cause. MS.M. adds, 'as, for instance, when it is doubtful whether one did, or did not touch (an unclean object)'. ');">²⁵</span> but as regards a woman,