Yevamot 142

מעת לעת

a full period of seven days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from time to time. If the child, for instance, recovered in the afternoon, circumcision may not be performed before the same hour on the afternoon of the eighth day. If this day happens to be the Passover Eve, the child is not fit for circumcision at the time of the preparation though he may be fit at the time of eating. ');">¹</span> But, surely, Luda'ah learned, 'The day of a child's recovery is like the day of his birth'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 137a. ');">²</span>

והתני לודאה יום הבראתו כיום הולדו מאי לאו מה יום הולדו לא בעינן מעת לעת אף יום הבראתו לא בעינן מעת לעת

Does not this mean that as in respect of the day of his birth no full period is required<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Circumcision may be performed at any hour on the eighth day of a child's birth without any regard to the hour at which he was born. ');">³</span> so is no full period required in respect of the day of his recovery? — No; the day of his recovery is superior to the day of his birth. For, whereas in respect of the day of his birth no full period is required.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Circumcision may be performed at any hour on the eighth day of a child's birth without any regard to the hour at which he was born. ');">³</span>

לא עדיף יום הבראתו מיום הולדו דאילו יום הולדו לא בעינן מעת לעת ואילו יום הבראתו בעינן מעת לעת

in respect of the day of his recovery a full period is required.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from time to time. If the child, for instance, recovered in the afternoon, circumcision may not be performed before the same hour on the afternoon of the eighth day. If this day happens to be the Passover Eve, the child is not fit for circumcision at the time of the preparation though he may be fit at the time of eating. ');">¹</span> R. Papa replied:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is possible for a child to be unfit for circumcision at the time of the preparation of the Paschal lamb and yet be fit at the time of eating. ');">⁴</span>

רב פפא אמר כגון דכאיב ליה עיניה לינוקא ואיתפח ביני וביני

Where, for instance, the child had a pain in his eye and recovered<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Passover Eve. ');">⁵</span> in the meantime.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between the preparation and the eating. At the preparation the child was still unfit for circumcision; at the eating. however, he was fit, since no period of seven days' convalescence is allowed after recovery from such a minor ailment. ');">⁶</span>

רבא אמר כגון שהיו אביו ואמו חבושין בבית האסורין

Raba replied:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 1. ');">⁷</span> Where, for instance, his father and mother were confined in prison.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the time the Paschal lamb was prepared for them by an agent. At the time of eating. however, they were free. While in prison they were unable to perform, and consequently were exempt from the duty of circumcising their child. When they were set free they came under the obligation. ');">⁸</span>

רב כהנא בריה דרב נחמיה אמר כגון טומטום שנקרע ונמצא זכר ביני וביני

R. Kahana son of R. Nehemiah replied:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 1. ');">⁷</span> Where, for instance, the child was a <i>tumtum</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">⁹</span>

רב שרביא אמר כגון שהוציא ראשו חוץ לפרוזדור

who in the meantime<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between the preparation and the eating of the Paschal lamb. ');">¹⁰</span> was operated upon and was found to be a male. R. Sherabia replied:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 1. ');">⁷</span>

ומי חיי והתניא כיון שיצא לאויר העולם נפתח הסתום ונסתם הפתוח שאלמלא כן אין יכול לחיות אפילו שעה אחת

'Where, for instance, the child put forth his head out of the forechamber [of the uterus]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seven days prior to the Passover Eve; while birth was completed on the Passover Eve between the time of the preparation and the time of the eating. As the protrusion of the head constitutes birth in respect of circumcision (v. Nid. 29a) the operation must be performed as soon as birth is completed. ');">¹¹</span> But can such a child survive? Surely it was taught: As soon as the child emerges into the air of the world the closed organ<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mouth. ');">¹²</span>

הכא במאי עסקינן כגון דזנתיה אישתא אישתא דמאן אילימא אישתא דידיה אי הכי כל שבעה בעי אלא דזנתיה אישתא דאימיה ואיבעית אימא ה"מ היכא דלא מעוי אבל היכא דמעוי מחייא חיי

is opened and the opened<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The navel. ');">¹³</span> is closed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the embryonic state the mouth is closed and the navel, by means of which it draws sustenance, open. ');">¹⁴</span>

אמר ר' יוחנן משום רבי בנאה ערל מקבל הזאה שכן מצינו באבותינו שקבלו הזאה כשהן ערלים שנאמר (יהושע ד, יט) והעם עלו מן הירדן בעשור לחדש הראשון

for otherwise he could not survive even for one hour!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nid. 30b. Since it has no means whereby to draw sustenance. ');">¹⁵</span> — Here we deal with a case where the heat of the fever sustained him. Whose fever? If 'his own fever' be suggested, he should, if such was the case, be allowed a full period of seven days!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Like any other child recovering from a serious illness. ');">¹⁶</span>

בעשרה לא מהילי משום חולשא דאורחא הזאה אימת עביד להו לאו כשהן ערלים

— It means, where the fever of his mother sustained him. And if you prefer I might say that the statement<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the child cannot survive. ');">¹⁷</span> applies only when the child does not cry. When, however, it cries it undoubtedly survives.

ודלמא לא עבוד פסח כלל לא ס"ד דכתיב (יהושע ה, י) ויעשו את הפסח

R. Johanan stated in the name of R. Bana'ah: An uncircumcised [Israelite] is eligible to receive sprinkling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the water of purification (cf. Num. XIX. 2f) if he was levitically unclean. He is, thereby, enabled to eat holy food, immediately after the circumcision, no other sprinkling being required. ');">¹⁸</span> for so we find that our ancestors<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who were born in the wilderness and were not circumcised until they entered Canaan (cf. Josh. V. 4ff). ');">¹⁹</span>

מתקיף לה מר זוטרא ודלמא פסח הבא בטומאה היה א"ל רב אשי תניא בהדיא מלו וטבלו ועשו פסחיהן בטהרה

received sprinkling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To enable them to eat of the Paschal lamb. They were all levitically unclean owing to contact with the dead in the wilderness. Such persons remain unclean for seven days and, before they are allowed to eat of the Paschal lamb, must, on the third and the seventh day, be sprinkled upon with the water of purification. ');">²⁰</span> while they were still uncircumcised, since it is said, And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. IV. 19. ');">²¹</span>

אמר רבה בר יצחק אמר רב לא ניתנה פריעת מילה לאברהם אבינו שנאמר (יהושע ה, ב) בעת ההיא אמר ה' אל יהושע עשה לך חרבות צורים וגו'

but on the tenth they were not circumcised owing to the fatigue of the journey; when, then, [could the sprinkling] have been performed?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It could not have been performed on the eleventh, since that would not allow a period of four days (v. supra n. 3) between the first and the second sprinkling if they were to participate in the meal of the Paschal lamb which is prescribed for the fourteenth. ');">²²</span> Obviously<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'not'? ');">²³</span>

ודלמא הנך דלא מהול דכתיב (יהושע ה, ה) כי מולים היו כל העם היוצאים וכל העם הילודים וגו'

while they were still uncircumcised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., either on the tenth, when they were still uncircumcised, or earlier. In either case it follows that the sprinkling which was performed while they were still uncircumcised enabled them to eat of the Paschal lamb. ');">²⁴</span> But is it not possible that they prepared no Paschal lamb at all? — This suggestion cannot be entertained at all, since it is written, And they kept the Passover.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. V, 10. ');">²⁵</span>

א"כ מאי שוב אלא לאו לפריעה ומאי שנית

Mar Zutra demurred: It is possible that it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Paschal lamb spoken of in the text cited. ');">²⁶</span> was a paschal lamb that was prepared in uncleanness!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As is permitted when the majority of the congregation is in a state of uncleanness; v. Yoma 6b. ');">²⁷</span>

לאקושי סוף מילה לתחלת מילה מה תחלת מילה מעכבת אף סוף מילה מעכבין בו דתנן אלו הן ציצין המעכבין את המילה בשר החופה את [רוב] העטרה ואין אוכל בתרומה

— R. Ashi retorted: It was explicitly taught: They were circumcised, they performed their ritual ablutions, and they prepared their paschal lambs in a state of cleanness. Rabbah b. Isaac stated in the name of Rab: The commandment of uncovering the corona at circumcision<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] uncovering the corona of the membrum by splitting the membrane that covers it and drawing it towards its base. ');">²⁸</span>

אמר רבינא ואיתימא רב ירמיה בר אבא אמר רב בשר החופה את רוב גובהה של עטרה

was not given to Abraham; for it is said, At that time the Lord said unto Joshua: 'Make thee knives of flint etc.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And circumcise again (Josh. V. 2). Since a second circumcision was necessary (emphasis on 'again') it is assumed that the previous circumcisions performed in accordance with the law given to Abraham, without uncovering the corona, were made invalid in the days of Joshua. ');">²⁹</span> But is it not possible [that this applied to] those who were not previously circumcised; for it is written, For all the people that came out were circumcised,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the wilderness&nbsp;… had not been circumcised, Josh. V, 5. ');">³⁰</span>

ובמדבר מאי טעמא לא מהול איבעית אימא משום חולשא דאורחא

but all the people that were born etc.?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the wilderness&nbsp;… had not been circumcised, Josh. V, 5. ');">³⁰</span> — If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the instruction to circumcise applied to the non-circumcised only. ');">³¹</span> why the expression. 'Again!' Consequently<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'but not'? ');">³²</span> it must apply to the uncovering of the corona.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a second circumcision for those who were already, but not properly, circumcised. ');">³³</span> Why, then,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the expression, 'Again', is used for the purpose of an exposition. ');">³⁴</span> the expression, 'A second time?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. V, 2. As 'Again', so should 'A second time' also he expounded. ');">³⁵</span> — To compare the termination of the circumcision with its commencement; as the commencement of the circumcision is essential<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'prevents'; unless circumcision was performed the Paschal lamb may not be eaten. ');">³⁶</span> so is the termination of circumcision<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The uncovering of the corona. ');">³⁷</span> essential;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra n. 7. ');">³⁸</span> for we learned, 'These are the shreds which render circumcision invalid: Flesh which covers the greater part of the corona; and [a priest whose circumcision was so defective] is not permitted to eat terumah'; and Rabina, or it might be said, R. Jeremiah b. Abba, stated in the name of Rab: Flesh which covers the greater part of the height of the corona.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 137a and supra 47b q.v. for notes. ');">³⁹</span> Why were they not circumcised in the wilderness? — If you wish I might say: Because of the fatigue of the journey;