Niddah 50

Chapter 50

א וטורדין אותו אלא בודקין אותו בשמן שהשמן רך ומצחצחו ואין רואין אלא בחמה
1 and disturbs its shape. It must rather be examined in oil because oil is mild and makes it clear. Furthermore, it must be examined in sunlight only. How is it to be examined? 'How is it to be examined' [you ask]! Of course as has just been described. — Rather, wherewith is it to be examined in order to ascertain whether it was male or female? — Abba Saul b. Nashor, as others say, Abba Saul b. Ramash replied: One brings a splinter with a smooth top and moves it [in an upward direction] in that place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Euphemism. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> If it is caught it will be known that the foetus is a male,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The obstruction being attributed to the membrum. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב כיצד בודקין אותו כיצד בודקין אותו כדאמרינן אלא במה בודקין אותו לידע אם זכר הוא אם נקבה היא
2 and if not it will be known to be a female. R. Nahman citing Rabbah b. Abbuha stated: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The splinter test. ');"><sup>3</sup></span> was learnt only of a movement in an upward direction,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The obstruction being attributed to the membrum. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> but if sideways [it is no reliable test, since] it may be assumed [that the obstruction] was caused by the sides of the womb. R. Adda b. Ahaba stated: A Tanna taught, If the foetus was a female the organ has the appearance of the [longitudinal] slit of a barley grain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. the reading supra 25a, ad fin. The latter reading adds 'slit' which is wanting in the original of the former. ');"><sup>4</sup></span> R. Nahman demurred: Is it not possible that it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The presumed female organ. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ג אבא שאול בר נש ואמרי לה אבא שאול בר רמש אומר מביא קיסם שראשו חלק ומנענע באותו מקום אם מסכסך בידוע שזכר הוא ואם לאו בידוע שנקבה היא
3 is merely the depression between<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thread of'. ');"><sup>6</sup></span> the testes? — Abaye replied: Since the testes themselves are indistinguishable, would the depression between them be distinguishable?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Obviously not. ');"><sup>7</sup></span> R. Amram stated: A Tanna taught, 'Its<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referring to the foetus in its early stages. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ד א"ר נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה ל"ש אלא מלמטה למעלה אבל מן הצדדין אימא כותלי בית הרחם נינהו
4 two thighs are like two silk threads', and in connection with this R. Amram explained: Like those of the woof;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The threads of the woof are thicker than those of the warp. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> 'and its two arms are like two threads of silk', in connection with which R. Amram explained: Like those of the warp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The threads of the woof are thicker than those of the warp. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ה א"ר אדא בר אהבה תנא אם היתה נקבה נדונה כשעורה סדוקה מתקיף לה ר"נ ודילמא חוט של ביצים נינהו אמר אביי השתא ביצים גופייהו לא ידיעי חוט של ביצים ידיע
5 Samuel said to Rab Judah: Shinena,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Keen witted (rt. [H] 'to sharpen'); long-toothed ([H], 'tooth'): or man of iron. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> give no practical decision [on the validity of a birth] unless the embryo has hair [on its head]. But could Samuel have said such a thing, seeing that he ruled, 'In either case must she consider the possibility of a valid birth'? — R. Ammi b. Samuel replied: This was explained to me by the Master Samuel: She must indeed take into consideration the possibility of a valid birth;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. to remain unclean for fourteen days. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> but she is not allowed the privilege of the clean days<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After the conclusion of the unclean ones. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> unless the embryo had hair [on its head]. This then implies that Samuel was doubtful on the point.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The stages in the development of a foetus. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> But is it not a fact that when a certain sac was submitted to the Master Samuel he said, 'This is forty-one days old', but on calculating the time since the woman had gone to perform her ritual immersion<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Following the conclusion of her menstrual period. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> until that day and finding that there were no more than forty days he declared, 'This man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The husband of the woman. ');"><sup>15</sup></span>
ו א"ר עמרם תנא ב' ירכותיו כב' חוטין של זהורית וא"ר עמרם עלה כשל ערב ושני זרועותיו כב' חוטין של זהורית וא"ר עמרם עלה כשל שתי
6 must have had marital intercourse during her menstrual period' and having been arrested<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he bound him'. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> he confessed?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An incident which shows Samuel's remarkable and accurate knowledge of the nature of a foetus. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> — Samuel was different from other people because his knowledge was exceptional.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'because his strength is great'. Other people, however, whose physiological knowledge is not so great must adopt a cautious course and take into consideration the possibility suggested. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> IF SHE ABORTED A SANDAL etc. Our Rabbis taught: A sandal is like a sea-fish [of the same name].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Rashi. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> At first it is a normal foetus but later it is crushed. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: A sandal resembles the tongue of a big ox. In the name of our Masters it was testified: A sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is to be deemed a valid birth. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> must have the facial features.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Nid. IV. ');"><sup>21</sup></span>
ז א"ל שמואל לרב יהודה שיננא לא תעביד עובדא עד שישעיר ומי אמר שמואל הכי והאמר שמואל אחת זו ואחת זו חוששת
7 Rab Judah citing Samuel stated: The <i>halachah</i> is that a sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is to be deemed a valid birth. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> must have the facial features. R. Adda citing R. Joseph who had it from R. Isaac ruled: A sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is to be deemed a valid birth. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> must have the facial features even if only at the back, this being a case similar to that of a man who slapped his fellow and caused his face to turn backwards. In the days of R. Jannai it was desired to declare [the mother of] a sandal that had no facial features as clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Regarding it as no valid birth. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> Said R. Jannai to them: You would declare [the mother of newly born] children<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A sandal being regarded as a valid birth. ');"><sup>23</sup></span>
ח אמר רב אמי בר שמואל לדידי מפרשא לי מיניה דמר שמואל לחוש חוששת ימי טהרה לא יהבינן לה עד שישעיר
8 as clean!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Contrary to Pentateuchal law. ');"><sup>24</sup></span> — But was it not taught, 'In the name of our Masters it was testified: A sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is to be deemed a valid birth. ');"><sup>25</sup></span>
ט למימרא דמספקא ליה לשמואל והא ההוא שפירא דאתאי לקמיה דמר שמואל אמר הא בר ארבעין וחד יומא וחשיב מיומא דאזלא לטבילה עד ההוא יומא ולא הוה אלא ארבעין יומין
9 must have the facial features'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Nid. IV. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> — R. Bibi b. Abaye citing R. Johanan replied: It was on the evidence of R. Nehunya<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An individual authority. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> that this ruling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'teaching', the ruling that a sandal that is to be deemed a valid birth must have the facial features. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> was learnt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence (cf. prev. n. but one) it may well be disregarded. ');"><sup>29</sup></span>
י ואמר להו האי בנדה בעל כפתיה ואודי שאני שמואל דרב גובריה
10 R. Ze'ira observed: R. Bibi was lucky [to be the first] with his reported traditions, for both I and he were sitting in the presence of R. Johanan when he discoursed upon this tradition, but he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Bebai. ');"><sup>30</sup></span> forestalled me and, reporting it first, gained the advantage. Why was a sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The law that it causes a woman's uncleanness (cf. our Mishnah). ');"><sup>31</sup></span>
יא המפלת סנדל וכו' ת"ר סנדל דומה לדג של ים מתחלתו ולד הוא אלא שנרצף רשב"ג אומר סנדל דומה ללשון של שור הגדול משום רבותינו העידו סנדל צריך צורת פנים
11 at all mentioned, seeing that there can be no birth of a sandal without that of an embryo with it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the woman would be unclean even in the absence of a sandal. ');"><sup>32</sup></span> — If a female child were to be born with it this would be so indeed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There would have been no necessity at all to mention the sandal (cf. prev. n. but one), since it could add no uncleanness, whatever its sex: If it is a female it would subject the woman to the very same uncleanness as the female that was born with it, and if it is a male, the period of uncleanness it causes is a lesser one than that of the female. ');"><sup>33</sup></span> but here we are dealing with one with which a male was born.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that if the sandal were a female the period of the woman's uncleanness would extend over a longer period. ');"><sup>34</sup></span> As it might have been presumed that, since R. Isaac b. Ammi stated, 'If the woman is first to emit the semen she bears a male child and if the male is first to do it she bears a female child', the one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sandal. ');"><sup>35</sup></span> is a male as well as the other is a male,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In consequence of which the woman's uncleanness would be that of a male birth only. ');"><sup>36</sup></span> hence we were informed [that no such assumption is made, for] it might equally be assumed that both emitted their semen simultaneously so that one might be a male while the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sandal. ');"><sup>35</sup></span>
יב א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל הלכה סנדל צריך צורת פנים ... א"ר אדא א"ר יוסף א"ר יצחק סנדל צריך צורת פנים ואפי' מאחוריו משל לאדם שסטר את חבירו והחזיר פניו לאחוריו
12 is a female.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the law of the sandal which imposes the restrictions of a female birth (fourteen unclean days instead of seven) as well as those of a male birth (thirty-three days of cleanness instead of sixty-six). ');"><sup>37</sup></span> Another explanation:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which justifies the necessity for the law of sandal even where a female was born. ');"><sup>38</sup></span> [Sandal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The law that it causes a woman's uncleanness (cf. our Mishnah). ');"><sup>39</sup></span> was mentioned] in order that if a woman bore a female child before sunset and a sandal after sunset<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The day concluding at sunset, when another day begins, and the sandal being thus born a day later than the female child. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> she must count the beginning of her period of menstruation in accordance with the first birth and in accordance with the second birth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the restrictions of both are imposed upon her: As the sandal might be a male the eighty-first day from the female birth (if there was a discharge) is regarded as the first day of menstruation though that day is still the eightieth from the sandal's birth which in the case of a female is one (the last) of the clean days. The seventh day after the eightieth again is not regarded as the termination of the seven days of menstruation (which began on the eightieth day) since it is possible that the sandal was a female whose eightieth day coincided with the eighty-first of the female child and in accordance with which the woman's seven days of menstruation began a day later (the eighty-second day after the first birth) and consequently terminated a day later. ');"><sup>41</sup></span>
יג בימי רבי ינאי בקשו לטהר את הסנדל שאין לו צורת פנים אמר להם ר' ינאי טיהרתם את הוולדות
13 As regards the sandal that we learnt
יד והתניא משום רבותינו העידו סנדל צריך צורת פנים אמר רב ביבי בר אביי אמר רבי יוחנן מעדותו של רבי נחוניא נשנית משנה זו אמר רבי זעירא זכה בה רב ביבי בשמעתיה דאנא והוא הוינא יתבינן קמיה דרבי יוחנן כי אמרה להא שמעתא וקדם איהו ואמר וזכה בה
14 
טו למה הזכירו סנדל והלא אין סנדל שאין עמו ולד
15 
טז אי דאתילידא נקבה בהדיה ה"נ הכא במאי עסקינן דאתיליד זכר בהדיה
16 
יז מהו דתימא הואיל ואמר רב יצחק בר אמי אשה מזרעת תחילה יולדת זכר איש מזריע תחלה יולדת נקבה מדהא זכר הא נמי זכר
17 
יח קמ"ל אימא שניהם הזריעו בבת אחת האי זכר והאי נקבה
18 
יט דבר אחר שאם תלד נקבה לפני שקיעת החמה וסנדל לאחר שקיעת החמה
19 
כ מונה תחלת נדה לראשון ותחלת נדה לאחרון
20 
כא סנדל דתנן
21