יט הוא דאמר כחסידים הראשונים דתניא חסידים הראשונים לא היו משמשין מטותיהן אלא ברביעי בשבת שלא יבואו נשותיהן
19 — He replied: 'What is it that you have in mind? Is it the possibility of frequent abortions? The law of protracted labour<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. that childbirth at their termination renders them all clean. ');"><sup>34</sup></span> does not apply to abortions'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only a viable child confers the privilege. ');"><sup>35</sup></span> Our Rabbis taught: A woman may sometimes<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the absence of protracted labour. ');"><sup>36</sup></span> observe a discharge on a hundred days and yet no major <i>zibah</i> would result from it. How? The two days<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The last of the eleven days. ');"><sup>37</sup></span> prior to the time of menstruation,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 263. n. 10. ');"><sup>38</sup></span> the seven days of menstruation, two days after menstruation,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 263. n. 11. ');"><sup>39</sup></span> eighty days following the birth of a female child,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' During which there can be no zibah. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> seven days of menstruation and the two days<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 263. n. 11. ');"><sup>39</sup></span> after menstruation. What new law does this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is self-evident. ');"><sup>41</sup></span> teach us? — That the law differs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to exclude'. ');"><sup>42</sup></span> from him who ruled that it was impossible for the uterus to open without some bleeding, [since thereby]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By implying that a birth on the day following the first two days of the zibah period on each of which a discharge was observed, does not cause zibah. ');"><sup>43</sup></span> we were informed that it is possible for the uterus to open without previous bleeding.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Had there been bleeding it would have been regarded, in the absence of the pains of labour, as a discharge on the third day (cf. prev. n.) which turns the woman into a confirmed or major zabah. ');"><sup>44</sup></span> R. JUDAH RULED: … SUFFICES FOR HER etc. It was taught: R. Judah citing R. Tarfon ruled, Her [ninth] month suffices for her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. relevant n. on our Mishnah. ');"><sup>45</sup></span> and in this there is one aspect of a relaxation of the law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A month and one day being sometimes regarded as clean. ');"><sup>46</sup></span> and one of restriction.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cleanness sometimes does not extend even to one day. ');"><sup>47</sup></span> How? If she was in labour for two days at the end of the eighth month and for one day at the beginning of the ninth month, even though she gave birth to the child at the beginning of the ninth month, she is regarded as having born it in <i>zibah</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the greater part of the duration of the labour (two days out of three) was in the eighth month when labour is no cause of cleanness. ');"><sup>48</sup></span> but if she was in labour for one day at the end of the eighth month and for two days at the beginning of the ninth, even though she bore the child at the end of the ninth month,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' During all of which, with the exception of the first two days, she had complete relief from pain. ');"><sup>49</sup></span> she is not regarded as having given birth in <i>zibah</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Provided only that there was no bleeding during the time she was free from pain. The reason follows. ');"><sup>50</sup></span> Said R. Adda b. Ahabah: From this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ruling that two days of labour in the ninth month are a cause of uncleanness. ');"><sup>51</sup></span> it may be inferred that R. Judah holds that it is the <i>shofar</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The trumpet that announces the beginning of a new month. ');"><sup>52</sup></span> that is the cause.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the birth of the child; sc. as soon as the ninth month begins the process of bearing begins with it, irrespective of the moment when birth actually took place. Hence all the blood of labour in that month must be attributed to the child, however long the interval of relief may have lasted. ');"><sup>53</sup></span> But could this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That birth should take place at the beginning of the ninth month. ');"><sup>54</sup></span> be right,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'I am not'. ');"><sup>55</sup></span> seeing that Samuel stated: A woman can conceive and bear only on the two hundred and seventy-first day<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Full nine months (of thirty days each) plus one day after intercourse. ');"><sup>56</sup></span> or on the two hundred and seventy-second day<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Conception being sometimes delayed one or two days (cf. prev. n.). ');"><sup>57</sup></span> or on the two hundred and seventy-third day?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Conception being sometimes delayed one or two days (cf. prev. n.). ');"><sup>57</sup></span> He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samuel, in differing from R. Judah. ');"><sup>58</sup></span> follows the view of the pious men of old; for it was taught: The pious men of old performed their marital duty on a Wednesday only, in order that their wives<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By bearing on a weekday. 271, 272 and 273 days make up 38 weeks and 5, 6 and 7 days respectively, so that a conception on a Wednesday results in a birth on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. ');"><sup>59</sup></span> should not be led to<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'come into the hand of', by bearing on the Saturday. ');"><sup>60</sup></span>