Niddah 13a — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

Every hand that checks frequently [

among men — if they have not become impure with the impurity of a seminal emission; and among women — if they have not become impure through niddah or zivah].

Now, if the frequent checking is

among women —

the hand

that checks is praiseworthy, since it prevents her from rendering tahor things impure and from causing her husband to stumble.

But if it is

among men —

the hand

that checks frequently should be cut off, because it brings the one checking to the serious stumbling block of emitting semen in vain.

Gemara:

And the Gemara discusses:

What is different with women

whose frequent checking is praiseworthy,

and what is different with men, for whom it is forbidden?

And it answers:

Women —

are not subject to sensation!

For the checking does not affect the woman so as to cause her the stumbling block of sin, and therefore the woman who checks is praiseworthy.

But

men, who are subject to sensation,

since checking can bring them to the destruction of semen, which is a serious sin —

it should be cut off

— the hand that checks!

And the Gemara objects:

If so,

that the distinction between them is the situation of a stumbling block of sin,

why specifically

do we say: Every hand that

checks frequently

among men should be cut off? But

if he does not check frequently

—

also

his hand should be cut off, since even a little checking can cause men to stumble!? And it answers:

When it teaches

in the Mishna, “Every hand that

checks frequently” —

it

teaches about the checking of

women

— for frequent checking in their case is praiseworthy.

The tanna said: In what case is this statement

that the hand that checks frequently among men should be cut off? When the checking was

concerning

whether the man checking saw

a seminal emission,

for since a person senses the issuing of a seminal emission, there is no need to check whether it issued from him as long as he did not sense it.

But concerning a discharge,

which also issues without sensation , and it is impossible to know whether it issued except through checking —

he too,

the man afflicted with a discharge who became impure through zivah, and checks to see whether his sighting continues in order to know whether he is obligated to bring an offering — is

praiseworthy

5, like women,

who are praiseworthy for their frequent checking!

And even concerning a seminal emission,

there is a manner in which checking is permitted: that

if he comes to check with a pebble,

which is a hard object that does not cause heating,

or with earthenware —

he may check!

And the Gemara objects:

A

why,

do we not check with a cloth

as well? For from the tanna’s wording it is implied that it is permitted to check specifically with a pebble and with earthenware, but not with another object.

But it was taught: He checks himself with a cloth, and with anything with which he wishes to check!?

And it answers:

As Abaye said [

in another place, as will be explained below]:

With a thick cloth

it is possible to check.

Here too,

this

that we learned

in the beraita, that he checks with a cloth, refers specifically

to a thick cloth,

which resembles a pebble and earthenware.

And the Gemara explains:

And where was it stated

the statement

of Abaye

that it is permitted to check with a thick cloth?

Regarding that which we learned:

A kohen who

was eating teruma, and felt that his limbs had trembled,

meaning that semen had been dislodged from his body and was about to issue, and when the semen issues from his body he becomes impure and is forbidden to eat teruma, while he wishes to finish eating the teruma before he becomes impure —

he grasps his organ,

preventing the semen from issuing from his body,

and swallows,

in the meantime, quickly,

the teruma!

For as long as the semen has not issued, he is still permitted to eat the teruma.

And the Gemara asks: How can the Mishna say that he has this remedy, that he

grasps

his organ?

But it was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who grasps his organ and urinates —

it is as though he brings a flood upon the world,

because by this he emits semen in vain, and this was the sin of the generation of the Flood!?

And to resolve this,

Abaye said:

the permission to grasp his organ and swallow the teruma applies specifically

with a thick cloth,

which does not cause heating and does not cause the destruction of semen. [And this is the explanation intended by the Gemara above when it said, “As Abaye said: with a thick cloth.”]

Rava said: Even you may say

that the case is one in which he grasps his organ

with a soft cloth —

since it has been dislodged,

the semen to issue —

it has been dislodged!

And the Gemara objects:

And Abaye,

why did he forbid grasping his organ with a soft cloth? But the semen had already been dislodged from its place before the checking!?

And it answers:

He is concerned lest he come to add

to the emission of semen through the heating at the time of grasping the organ.

And Rava is not concerned lest he come to add!

And the Gemara asks:

Is he not?

Is there no reason to be concerned about adding to the destruction of semen through the heating during this act?

But it was taught [

in Tosefta chapter 2:7, on our Mishna]:

This [

that is, the man who checks himself regularly]

to what is this comparable —

To one who places a finger in the eye, for as long as the finger is in the eye —

the eye weeps and continues to weep!

And likewise with a man: the more he adds and checks, the more he causes an additional emission of semen!

And Rava

answers that a distinction must be made, because in our Mishna the case is that his limbs trembled and he sensed that the semen had been dislodged, all at once, to issue. In such a case —

every heating, and then further heating at its time —

is uncommon!

But the intention of the beraita, which compares the one checking to one who places a finger in the eye, is a case different from that discussed by the Mishna: he handles the organ repeatedly, as when he checks and checks again; and as he continues handling it, the semen continues to issue slowly, like a tear issuing slowly with every handling of the hand in the eye.

The essential matter: Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who grasps the organ and urinates —

it is as though he brings a flood upon the world!

They said to Rabbi Eliezer: But behold,

if he does not grasp it, then his urine does not travel far, and

droplets

of urine

splash onto his feet, and he appears

because of this

like one whose organ is cut off [

who cannot father children], since he does not project his urine far;

and it turns out that he brings a defamatory suspicion upon his sons that they are mamzerim?! Rabbi Eliezer said to them: It is better that he bring a defamatory suspicion upon his sons that they are mamzerim than that he make himself wicked, [

even]

for one hour before the Omnipresent!

Another beraita: Rabbi Eliezer said to the Sages

that there is advice by which it is possible to prevent the droplets from splashing onto his feet even without grasping his organ with his hand:

let a man stand

on

a high place —

and urinate

downward!

Or let him urinate in loose earth,

where the droplets are absorbed; it is appropriate to make this effort, to trouble himself to urinate specifically in these places,

and not make himself wicked for one hour before the Omnipresent.

And the Gemara explains:

What did he say to them

Rabbi Eliezer to the Sages

first?

The prohibition, or the advice?

If you say the first one, in which only the prohibition was stated,

he said to them first, this is not possible! For how is it possible

that after he told them the prohibition

in an absolute manner, that in every circumstance it is forbidden to hold it in his hand while urinating

he then told them a remedy!?

For this implies that he merely gave them advice how it is possible to refrain from holding it, but if it is not possible to act according to his advice, it is permitted to hold it.

And the Gemara decides:

Rather,

necessarily,

this,

the advice,

he told them first. And they said to him

the Sages: If

he has no elevated place and loose soil—

what

should he do?

He said to them: It is preferable that he bring disrepute upon his sons, and that he not make himself wicked for one moment before the Omnipresent!

And the Gemara explains:

And why all this?—

Because he emits semen in vain!

For Rabbi Yohanan said: Whoever emits semen in vain—

is liable to death! As it is stated: “And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He killed

Onan,

“him also.”

Rabbi Yitzhak and Rabbi Ami said:

he is

as though

spilling blood!

As it is stated,

“Who console themselves among the elms, under every green tree, slaughtering the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks”—

Do not read “slaughtering

the children,”

but rather “squeezing

the children”! That is, those who emit semen in vain. And Scripture called them as though they had slaughtered the children.

Rav Asi said:

he is

as though worshipping idolatry!

For

it is written here—

“under every green tree.” And it is written there—

“upon the high

mountains

and under every green tree.”

Rav Yehuda and Shmuel were standing on the roof of the synagogue of

the place

Ḍaf

[a place name],

and it was situated

[that synagogue] within the boundaries of

Nehardea.

Rav Yehuda said to Shmuel: I need to urinate,

and how shall I do this on the roof of the synagogue?

He said to him

Shmuel to Rav Yehuda:

Sharp one

[a designation for Rav Yehuda because he was sharp]:

Hold your organ

so that the urine will not fall beneath you onto the roof of the synagogue,

and urinate outward.

And the Gemara raises a difficulty:

How did

Rav Yehuda

do this? But it was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says, “Whoever holds his organ and urinates is as though he brings a flood upon the world”?!

And it answers:

Abaye said—

He made

this ruling of Rav Yehuda

like a military search party 14 ,

for in a place of danger and fear a person is occupied with what he is doing without thinking about other matters, and therefore, while Rav Yehuda was on the roof, he did not have to fear that he might come to erotic thoughts when he held his organ, as is explained—

For we learned: A military search party

[an army unit that comes to search and plunder]

that entered a city,

if

in a time of peace

it entered—

barrels

of wine that were

open are forbidden

from then on for drinking, lest the soldiers pour a libation from them to idolatry. But the barrels that were

sealed

remained

permitted.

And if the army entered

in a time of war—

both these and those are permitted, because they do not have time to pour a libation! Thus, since they are afraid,

for the soldiers are frightened because of the war—

they do not come to pour a libation.

Here too—

since he is afraid

Rav Yehuda while standing on the roof—

he does not come to erotic thoughts!

And the Gemara explains:

And what “fear” is there here?

a.

If you wish, say—

the fear of the night and of the roof

[from standing at the edge of the roof at night].

b.

And if you wish, say—

the fear of his teacher

[for Rav Yehuda was Shmuel’s student].

c.

And if you wish, say—

the fear of the Divine Presence

[which rests in the synagogue, on whose roof he was standing].

d

. And if you wish, say—

the awe of his Master was upon him

[for Rav Yehuda was God-fearing, and it was permitted for him to hold his organ even when not on the roof].

For Shmuel called Rav Yehuda concerning him: “This one is not a human being born of a woman!”

[for he was so God-fearing].

e.

And if you wish, say,

for this reason it was permitted for Rav Yehuda, because

he was married, for Rav Nahman said:

If he was married

[so that he has bread in his basket]

it is permitted

to hold.

f.

And if you wish, say: In this manner,

in this way

he instructed him

Shmuel instructed Rav Yehuda to act:

for Abba, son of Rabbi Benjamin bar Hiyya, taught—

although it is forbidden to hold the organ,

but he may assist with the testicles from below!

g.

And if you wish, say: In this manner, he instructed him

Shmuel instructed Rav Yehuda:

for Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan—

there is a boundary to it

for the prohibition of holding:

from the corona and below—

it is permitted.