Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day - Daily Torah Study

1A zav, a zavah, a nidah, and a woman after childbirth remain impure and impart impurity to humans, articles, and articles on which one sits or lies until they immerse.אהַזָּב וְהַזָּבָה וְהַנִּדָּה וְהַיּוֹלֶדֶת - לְעוֹלָם הֵן בְּטֻמְאָתָן וּמְטַמְּאִין אָדָם וְכֵלִים וּמִשְׁכָּב וּמֶרְכָּב, עַד שֶׁיִּטְבֹּלוּ.

Even if they remained several years without an impure emission, but did not immerse, they remain impure.אֲפִלּוּ נִתְאַחֲרוּ כַּמָּה שָׁנִים בְּלֹא רְאִיַּת טֻמְאָה, וְלֹא טָבְלוּ - הֲרֵי הֵן בְּטֻמְאָתָן.

2When a woman after childbirth does not immerse after the seven days of impurity obligated after the birth of a male child and the fourteen days obligated after the birth of a female child, any blood that will be discharged afterwards even though it is discharged during her days of purity,1 is like the blood of a nidah and imparts impurity whether it is moist or dry. Scripture did not make the matter dependent on days alone, but on days and immersion.ביוֹלֶדֶת שֶׁלֹּא טָבְלָה אַחַר שִׁבְעָה לַזָּכָר וְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַנְּקֵבָה, כָּל דָּם שֶׁתִּרְאֶה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא בְּתוֹךְ יְמֵי טֹהַר - הֲרֵי הוּא כְּדַם הַנִּדּוֹת, וּמְטַמֵּא לַח וְיָבֵשׁ; לֹא תָלָה הַכָּתוּב בְּיָמִים בִּלְבָד, אֶלָּא בְּיָמִים וּטְבִילָה.

3When a woman who gave birth descended to immerse herself to make the transition from impurity to purity and, as she was descending, she discharged blood which emerged from the inner space of her uterus, it is impure.גיוֹלֶדֶת שֶׁיָּרְדָה לִטְבּוֹל מִטֻּמְאָה לְטָהֳרָה, וְנֶעֱקַר מִמֶּנָּה דָּם בִּירִידָתָהּ וְיָצָא חוּץ לְבֵין הַשִּׁנַּיִם - הֲרֵי זוֹ טְמֵאָה.

Immersion has no effect on this blood even though it is still within her body.וְאֵין הַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת לְדָם זֶה, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲדַיִן הוּא בִּבְשָׂרָהּ.

If she discharges it as she ascends from immersion in the mikveh, it is pure. For it is “pure blood” and the immersion is effective with regard to all the blood that is within her body and causes it to be considered as “pure blood.”וְאִם נֶעֱקַר מִמֶּנָּה בַּעֲלִיָּתָהּ מִן הַמִּקְוֶה - הֲרֵי זוֹ טְהוֹרָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דַּם טֹהַר, וְהַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת לְכָל הַדָּם הַמֻּבְלָע בָּאֵיבָרִים, וּמְשִׂימָה אוֹתוֹ דַּם טֹהַר.

4When a woman after childbirth immersed after the seven impure days that follow the birth of a male, after the fourteen impure days that follow the birth of a female, or after counting seven spotless days if she gave birth in a state of zivah, throughout her days of purity, she is considered as an impure person who immersed but nightfall has not arrived.2דיוֹלֶדֶת שֶׁטָּבְלָה אַחַר שִׁבְעָה שֶׁל זָכָר וְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר שֶׁל נְקֵבָה, אוֹ אַחַר סְפִירַת שִׁבְעָה יָמִים נְקִיִּים, אִם הָיְתָה יוֹלֶדֶת בְּזוֹב - הֲרֵי הִיא בְּכָל יְמֵי טֹהַר שֶׁלָּהּ כְּטָמֵא שֶׁטָּבַל וַעֲדַיִן לֹא הֶעֱרִיב שִׁמְשׁוֹ, וַהֲרֵי הִיא טְבוּלַת יוֹם בְּכָל אוֹתָן הַיָּמִים.

She is not required to undergo another immersion at the conclusion of her days of purity. Instead, when those days are completed, she is like a person who immersed in the mikveh and the day passed.וְאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה טְבִילָה אַחֶרֶת בְּסוֹף יְמֵי טֹהַר, אֶלָּא בְּמֻשְׁלַם הַיָּמִים, הֲרֵי הִיא כִּטְבוּל יוֹם שֶׁהֶעֱרִיב שִׁמְשׁוֹ.

In which contexts is she considered as a person who has immersed that day? With regard to terumah and the second tithe.3בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁהִיא כִּטְבוּל יוֹם? לְעִנְיַן תְּרוּמָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר.

But with regard to sacrificial food, she is like a person who is a derivative of impurity who did not immerse. She is like a person who touched a nidah or a person who is impure due to contact with a corpse who has not yet immersed, or the like.אֲבָל לַקֳּדָשִׁים, הֲרֵי הִיא כְּרִאשׁוֹן לַטֻּמְאָה שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא טָבַל, אֶלָּא כְּמִי שֶׁנָּגַע בְּנִדָּה אוֹ בִּטְמֵא מֵת שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא טָבַל, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן.

Thus it can be concluded that a woman in the midst of her days of purity may partake of the second tithe and disqualifies terumah like a person who has immersed that day does, as will be explained.נִמְצֵאתָ אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁהַיּוֹלֶדֶת בְּתוֹךְ יְמֵי טֹהַר - אוֹכֶלֶת בְּמַעֲשֵׂר וּפוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, כִּטְבוּל יוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר.

If some of her saliva or her pure blood fell on a loaf of bread that was terumah, the loaf remains pure. For fluids coming from a person who immersed that day are pure, as will be explained.וְאִם נָפַל מֵרֻקָּהּ וּמִדַּם טָהֳרָתָהּ עַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, הֲרֵי הוּא בְּטָהֳרָתוֹ - שֶׁמַּשְׁקֵה טְבוּל יוֹם טָהוֹר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר.

Such fluids do, however, impart impurity to sacrificial foods as a derivative of impurity would until her days of purity are completed and she is pure in all respects.4וּמְטַמְּאָה אֶת הַקֳּדָשִׁים כִּוְלַד הַטֻּמְאוֹת, עַד שֶׁתַּשְׁלִים יְמֵי טֹהַר וְתִהְיֶה טְהוֹרָה לַכֹּל.

It appears to me that since she imparts impurity to sacrificial foods during these days of purity, she must immerse herself at the end of her days of purity and only then may she touch sacrificial food. This applies even though she does not require another immersion to partake of terumah.וְיֵרָאֶה לִי שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁהִיא מְטַמְּאָה אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁהִיא צְרִיכָה טְבִילָה בַּסּוֹף וְאַחַר כָּךְ תִּגַּע בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה טְבִילָה אַחֶרֶת לַאֲכִילַת הַתְּרוּמָה.

5When a woman who gave birth and who is afflicted by tzara’at immersed herself after the seven days of impurity required after giving birth to a male or the fourteen days required after a female,5 her “pure blood” is impure like her saliva and her urine. They are all considered as impure fluids, for all fluids that become impure that are discharged from impure people are like liquids that they touch with the exception of a zav and the like. For the three fluids they discharge6 are sources of ritual impurity, as we explained.היוֹלֶדֶת שֶׁהִיא מְצֹרַעַת, וְטָבְלָה אַחַר שִׁבְעָה שֶׁל זָכָר אוֹ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר שֶׁל נְקֵבָה - הֲרֵי דַּם טֹהַר שֶׁלָּהּ טָמֵא כְּרֻקָּהּ וּכְמֵימֵי רַגְלֶיהָ, וְכֻלָּן כְּמַשְׁקִין טְמֵאִין; שֶׁכָּל הַמַּשְׁקִין הַטְּמֵאִין הַיּוֹצְאִין מֵהֶן כְּמַשְׁקִין שֶׁהֵן נוֹגְעִין בָּהֶן - חוּץ מִזָּב וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה מַשְׁקִין הַיּוֹצְאִין מִמֶּנּוּ אֲבוֹת הַטֻּמְאוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.

6When a minor zavah7 immerses on the day she is watching8 after sunrise, the status of the articles she touches and a man with whom she is intimate is indefinite, as we explained with regard to the prohibitions of nidah. If she completes the day without experiencing further uterine bleeding, anything she touches is pure and one who is intimate with her is pure and he is exempt.9 If she experiences uterine bleeding after she immerses, any pure objects that she touched are impure, the laws concerning the impurity imparted by a zav to an article on which one lies or rides apply and a man who is intimate with her is liable for a sin-offering.וזָבָה קְטַנָּה שֶׁטָּבְלָה בְּיוֹם הַשִּׁמּוּר שֶׁלָּהּ אַחַר הָנֵץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּעִנְיַן אִסּוּר נִדָּה - הֲרֵי מַגָּעָהּ וּבְעִילָתָהּ תְּלוּיִים׃ אִם נִגְמַר הַיּוֹם וְלֹא רָאֲתָה - כֹּל שֶׁנָּגְעָה בוֹ טָהוֹר, וּבוֹעֲלָהּ טָהוֹר וּפָטוּר; וְאִם רָאֲתָה דָם אַחַר שֶׁטָּבְלָה - כָּל טְהָרוֹת שֶׁעָשְׂתָה טְמֵאוֹת, וְעוֹשָׂה מִשְׁכָּב וּמֶרְכָּב, וּבוֹעֲלָהּ חַיָּב חַטָּאת.

If she immersed herself before dawn during the night before the day on which she should be cautious, it is as if she never immersed and the laws concerning the impurity imparted by a zav to an article on which one lies or rides apply.טָבְלָה בְּלֵיל הַשִּׁמּוּר קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר - הֲרֵי זוֹ כְּמִי שֶׁלֹּא טָבְלָה, וַעֲדַיִן עוֹשָׂה מִשְׁכָּב וּמֶרְכָּב.

7When a woman experiences uterine bleeding on the eleventh day of zivah.10 and immersed herself in the evening, on the night of the twelfth, the laws concerning the impurity imparted by a zav to an article on which one lies or rides apply even though she is not fit to become a major zavah, as we explained with regard to the prohibitions of nidah.זהָרוֹאָה דָם בְּיוֹם אַחַד עָשָׂר, וְטָבְלָה לְעֶרֶב לֵיל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר - הֲרֵי זוֹ מְטַמְּאָהּ מִשְׁכָּב וּמוֹשָׁב, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לִהְיוֹת זָבָה גְדוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּעִנְיַן אִסּוּר נִדָּה.

8If she immersed on the twelfth day after sunrise, although she is forbidden to engage in intimacy until the evening, if she was intimate, the man with whom she was intimate is pure and articles on which one lies or rides that she touches are pure even if she experiences uterine bleeding on the twelfth day after immersion. The rationale is that this day is the beginning of the days of nidah, as we explained with regard to the prohibitions of nidah. The twelfth day is never joined to the eleventh day.חטָבְלָה בְּיוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אַחַר הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֲסוּרָה לְשַׁמֵּשׁ עַד לָעֶרֶב, אִם שִׁמְּשָׁה - בּוֹעֲלָהּ טָהוֹר, וּמִשְׁכָּבָהּ וּמֶרְכָּבָהּ טְהוֹרִין, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרָאֲתָה דָם בְּיוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אַחַר הַטְּבִילָה; מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת נִדָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ שָׁם בְּאִסּוּר נִדָּה, וְאֵינוֹ מִצְטָרֵף לְיוֹם אַחַד עָשָׂר.

Therefore even if she experiences bleeding on the eleventh day, she need not be cautious regarding the twelfth day, Instead, she may immerse herself and touch articles that are ritually pure.לְפִיכָךְ אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה לִשְׁמוֹר יוֹם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, אֶלָּא טוֹבֶלֶת וְעוֹסֶקֶת בַּטְּהָרוֹת.

If, by contrast, she experiences uterine bleeding on the tenth day, she should immerse herself on the eleventh day and be cautious with regard to it. For if she experiences uterine bleeding after immersing herself all the pure articles she touches become impure. Similarly, a man with whom she engages in relations becomes impure, even though she will never become a major zavah as a result of this bleeding,11 as we explained with regard to the prohibitions of nidah.אֲבָל הָרוֹאָה דָם בָּעֲשִׂירִי - טוֹבֶלֶת בְּיוֹם אַחַד עָשָׂר, וּמְשַׁמֶּרֶת אוֹתוֹ; שֶׁאִם תִּרְאֶה בוֹ דָּם אַחַר טְבִילָה - נִטְמְאוּ כָּל טְהָרוֹת שֶׁעָשְׂתָה, וְנִטְמָא בּוֹעֲלָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לִהְיוֹת זָבָה גְדוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּעִנְיַן נִדָּה.

9When a zav and a major zavah immerse on their seventh spotless day as we explained, they should not touch articles that are ritually pure until the evening, lest they experience an impure discharge that day. In such an instance, that would disqualify the seven days which were counted and retroactively, the pure articles would become impure.טזָב וְזָבָה גְדוֹלָה שֶׁטָּבְלוּ בְּיוֹם שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁלָּהֶן כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ - לֹא יִתְעַסְּקוּ בַּטְּהָרוֹת עַד לָעֶרֶב; שֶׁמָּא יִרְאוּ טֻמְאָה, וְיִסְתְּרוּ שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַסְּפִירָה, וְנִמְצְאוּ אוֹתָן הַטְּהָרוֹת טְמֵאוֹת לְמַפְרֵעַ.

Although the laws concerning the impurity imparted by a zav to an article on which one lies or rides apply retroactively, they do not retroactively impart impurity to an earthenware utensil that they moved12 after they immersed even though they experienced an impure discharge after immersing and disqualified all the days that they had counted. Nevertheless, any earthenware utensil that they touched until they experienced the discharge is pure.אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין מִשְׁכָּב וּמֶרְכָּב לְמַפְרֵעַ - אֵין מְטַמְּאִין כְּלֵי חֶרֶס בְּהֶסֵּט מֵאַחַר שֶׁטָּבְלוּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁחָזְרוּ וְרָאוּ טֻמְאָה וְסָתְרוּ הַכֹּל; וְכָל כְּלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁהֵסִיטוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ, טָהוֹר.

Footnotes

The 33 or 66 days when, had she immersed, she would have been pure despite this bleeding.

She does not regain purity entirely—i.e., to the extent that she is permitted to partake of sacrificial foods—until she brings the required sacrifices after the days of purity pass.

Both these must be eaten in a state of ritual purity. A person who immersed himself, but is waiting for nightfall may partake of the second tithe (Pesachim 35a), but imparts impurity to terumah if he touches it (Hilchot Sha ‘ar Avot HaTum’ah 10:3).

I.e., when she brings the appropriate sacrifices. after bringing these sacrifices, she does not impart impurity to any article, even sacrificial foods that she touches (Kessef Mishneh).

This immersion is significant with regard to relations with her husband. Although she remains ritually impure because of her tzara‘at, she is not forbidden to be intimate with him.

Semen, saliva, and urine.

A woman who experienced one or two days of zivah bleeding, in which instance she is required to experience one spotless day and immerse to regain ritual purity.

I.e., checking to be certain that she does not experience uterine bleeding.

I.e., he is not liable for a sin-offering for unknowingly engaging in relations with a woman in the zivah state.

10.

The laws of zivah apply only in the eleven days that follow directly after the seven days of Nidah. After those eleven days, any bleeding a woman experiences is considered to be Nidah bleeding. Thus if a woman experiences uterine bleeding for the first or second time on the eleventh day of zivah, she could never become a major zavah, because it is impossible for her to experience three consecutive days of zivah bleeding. See Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 6:4-5; see also the following halachah.

11.

I.e., even if she also experiences uterine bleeding on the eleventh and twelfth days, she will never become a major zavah, because the bleeding of the twelfth day is considered as Nidah bleeding.

12.

As explained in Chapter 8, Halachot 1-3, a zav and a zavah impart impurity if they move an impure article even if they do not touch it. One would think that this would apply retroactively as well. Nevertheless, an exception is made with regard to an earthenware container and it is considered as pure even if a zav or zavah reverts to a state of impurity after touching it (see Megilah 8b).

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Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 5

Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 5

Quiz Yourself on Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav Chapter 5