Issurei Biah - Chapter Five

A woman becomes impure due to factors beyond her control, whether for niddah or for zivah.1

What is implied? For example, she jumped from place to place;2 she saw animals, beasts, or fowl copulating, was aroused, and began bleeding.3 In these and in other analogous instances, regardless of the situation, since she experienced bleeding, she becomes impure.

She becomes impure from even the smallest amount of bleeding. Even a drop of blood the size of a mustard seed [makes her impure as if] much blood had drained from her.

All women become impure [when blood is discovered in] the outer chamber [of the vagina]. Even though the blood did not emerge outside [her body], but instead, was discharged from the womb without flowing further, since it emerged from the upper portion of the vaginal channel,4 she is impure, even though the blood is still within her flesh. [This is alluded to by Leviticus 15:19:] "A discharge of blood within her flesh."

Until where does the upper portion of the vaginal channel extend? Until the place that the male organ reaches when inserted entirely during relations. The upper portion of the vaginal channel itself is like the uterus.5

Our Sages6 spoke in metaphoric terms with regard to a woman. The uterus where a fetus is formed is called "the source." It is the place where the blood that renders a woman a niddah or a zavah emanates from. It is called "the room," for it is found deep within her body. The entire uterine channel,7 i.e., the lengthy place whose entrance contracts severely at the time of pregnancy so that the fetus will not fall, but opens very wide at birth is called "the antechamber," i.e., it is like a gateway to the uterus.

When the male organ is inserted entirely during relations, it enters the "antechamber" but does not reach its end. Instead, it is slightly removed according to the size of the organs. Above the "room" and the "antechamber" - but located between the "room" and the "antechamber" - is the place where the woman's two ovaries and the ducts in which her ova become mature are located. This place is called "the loft." There is an opening from the "loft" to the top of the "antechamber." This opening is called the "passageway." When the male organ is inserted entirely during relations it goes beyond the "passageway."8

Blood which comes from the "room" is always impure with the exception of "the blood of purity"9 which the Torah deemed pure and bleeding which occurs before birth, as will be explained.10 Blood from the "loft" is entirely pure. It is like the blood from a wound in the intestines, the liver, or a kidney and the like.

[The following laws apply when blood] is discovered in the "antechamber." If it is discovered between the "passageway" [and the uterus], she is impure, for the assumption is that it came from "the room." She is liable for entering the Temple11 and we burn terumah and sacrificial foods because of this.12 We do not say that perhaps it descended from the "loft" through the opening, for most of the blood found in such a place is from the "room."

When blood is found in the "antechamber" between the opening [and the entrance to the vagina], she is impure, because of a doubt. Perhaps [the blood] came from the "room" or [perhaps it] flowed from the loft through the passageway. Therefore we do not burn terumah and sacrificial foods because of this, nor is she liable for entering the Temple.13

Not every liquid that comes from the "room" renders a woman impure, only blood, as [ibid.] states: "A discharge of blood." Therefore if a white or a green14 liquid flows from the uterus, even if it is viscous like blood, she is pure since it does not appear as blood.

There are five [colors of] blood that [render] a woman impure. They are: red, black, bright saffron, muddy water, and diluted wine.15 All other colors are pure.

What is meant by red? The color of blood that comes from the blood which flows initially when people let blood. This blood is placed in a cup, the stain is placed next to it, and [the two] are compared. The black is like dried ink.16

What is meant by bright saffron? Fresh saffron should be brought together with the clod of earth from which it is growing. From the better stalks, one should take the middle stalk that is entirely a stem. In each one, there are three stalks and each stalk has three leaves. One should bring the stain next to the middle leaf on the middle stalk and compare it.

What is meant by "like muddy water"? We take earth from the valley of Sichnei or the like which is red and pour water over it until the water level is the thickness of a garlic peel above the earth. There is no required amount of water or earth that must be brought. One should stir them in the container and compare [the color to that of the stain] at that time while [the water] is murky. If [the water] becomes clear, one should stir it again and make it murky.

If the color of the stain matched the color of any of these four shades or was deeper than them, [the woman] is impure. If it is lighter than they are, she is pure.

What is implied? If a black stain was darker than dried ink, [the woman] is impure. If it was lighter than it, i.e., it was like a black olive, tar, or a raven, she is pure. Similar principles apply with regard to the other three colors.

What is meant by like diluted wine? Like one portion of fresh, undiluted wine like the wine of the Sharon in Eretz Yisrael17 mixed with two portions of water. If the appearance of the stain was darker or lighter than this, [the woman] is pure. [The stain must be] the exact color of this mixture.

A woman's word is accepted if she says: "I had a stain of this-and-this color and I lost it." The wise man rules whether she is pure or impure [based on her statement].18

How does a person bring the two close and compare? He takes the portion of the cloth that has the stain in his hand and looks at it and at the ink, the saffron leaf, the blood that was let [contained] in a cup, the muddy water, or the diluted wine [contained] in a cup. He compares them according to his perception and rules whether she is impure or pure.

He should not look at the cup from the outside. Instead, he should look at the liquid in the cup. The cup should be wide, weigh a maneh, and contain two luggin,19 so that light will enter it and it will not be shadowy.

A stain should be checked only on a white cloth and in sunlight. One makes a shadow with his hand over the stain while standing in the sun so that he will be able to see it as it is.20

It is not necessary for every person checking a stain to do all the above whenever he checks [a stain]. Instead, a sage develops a sensitive eye [to the colors of stains]. When he sees it, he will immediately rule whether it is impure or pure. If he has doubts regarding the appearance of a particular stain, he should bring it close and compare it to ink, to blood that has been let, or to the other [impure] colors.

[The following rules apply when] a woman discharges a piece [of flesh from the vagina]. Even if it is red, she is impure [only] when it is accompanied by blood. If not, she is pure.21 Even if [when the piece of flesh] is cut open, it is filled with blood, she is ritually pure. For this is not the blood of niddah, but rather blood from the piece [of flesh].

When the woman discharges a piece [of flesh] which is torn and there is blood collected within it, she is impure.22

[The following rules apply when a woman] discharges something like a shell, something like a hair, something like earth, or something like mosquitoes. If these entities have a red appearance, they should be placed in lukewarm water. If they dissolve, she is impure. For it was blood that congealed. And whenever [a woman] discovers dried blood, she is impure.23

If the entities remained in lukewarm water for more than a day and then dissolved, there is a doubt whether the woman is impure. If they did not dissolve after an entire day, they are from a wound and she is pure.

[The following rules apply if a woman] discharges something resembling a locust, a fish, a teeming animal, or a crawling animal. If it is accompanied by blood, it is impure. If not, it is pure.24

When a woman places a tube in her "antechamber" and expels blood through the tube,25 she is pure. For [Leviticus 15:19] speaks of "A discharge of blood within her flesh." [Implied is that] the discharge must be within her flesh as is the ordinary way in which women menstruate. For it is not ordinary for a woman to discharge blood through a tube.26

When a woman urinated and excreted blood together with the urine, she is pure.27 [This applies] whether she was standing or sitting while urinating. Even if she has physical sensations and her body shudders,28 she need not suspect [that the blood originated in the uterus]. Instead, the sensation is associated with her urination [and] urine does not originate in the uterus. Instead, this blood [stems from] a wound in the colon or in the kidney.

Hymeneal bleeding is pure. It is neither the blood of niddah or the blood of zivah, for it is not from the uterus. Instead, it is blood from a wound.

What are the laws applying to virgins [who suffer] hymeneal bleeding?29 If she married when she was a minor, whether she never menstruated or whether she menstruated while in her father's home,30 she is permitted to her husband until the wound heals. For any bleeding that she discovers stems from the wound. If she discovers other blood after the wound heals, she is considered as a niddah.

[The following rules apply when a woman] marries when she is a na'arah.31 If she never menstruated beforehand, she is permitted to her husband for four days, by day and by night, even though blood is flowing, provided the wound did not heal.32

If she had already menstruated in her father's home and then married, her husband should not [continue] to engage in relations with her.33 After the first time, he should separate. The hymeneal bleeding is considered as if it is the beginning of menstruation.

When a girl who has reached majority,34 but has not menstruated, she is given the entire first night.35

The [first] four nights36 that are granted to a na'arah who has not menstruated need not be consecutive. [Instead,] the couple may engage in relations the first night and wait even two or three months and engage in relations for a second night, provided the wound has not healed.37

Similarly, with regard to a minor who is allowed to continue engaging in relations until the wound heals, even if it does not heal for an entire year, they may engage in relations either non-consecutively or day after day.

[The following rules apply when a girl] married while she was a minor and became a na'arah while married to her husband. [If] the blood is still flowing because of the wound, all of the times she engaged in relations while a minor are considered as one night and she is given license to complete the four days granted to her38 during the period of na'arut.

Even if the three days she is granted during the period of na'arut are all non-consecutive, [e.g.,] they engaged in relations one night every two months, this is permitted, provided the wound has not healed.

How do we know whether or not the wound has healed? If [the woman] would discover blood when she stands but not when she sits; if she would discover [blood] when she sits on the earth, but not when she sits on pillows or blankets,39 the wound has not healed.40 If, however, the bleeding ceases and she does not discover [blood], whether she stands or whether she sits on a pillow, the wound has healed. Similarly, even if her bleeding has not ceased, but she continues to discover blood even when she is sitting on pillows and blankets, we assume that this is not blood from the wound, but rather menstrual bleeding.41

If she would discover blood in the midst of relations, [we assume] that it comes as a result of the wound.42 If she engaged in relations and did not discover blood and afterwards, discovered blood out of the context of relations, [we assume] that it is menstrual bleeding.

When a man engages in relations with a virgin and she does not bleed and then, he engages in relations with her again and she does bleed, [we assume] that this is menstrual bleeding, even if she is a minor. [The rationale is that] if it were hymeneal bleeding, it would have appeared the first time.

When a man has relations with a girl below the age of three and she bleeds, this is hymeneal bleeding.