Niddah 16b — the Talmud in English

Gemara:

The Sages taught: Even though they said that one who has intercourse by candlelight is disgraceful,

nevertheless—

Beit Shammai say: She requires two witnesses

new

for each and every intercourse,

or—

she should have intercourse

by candlelight

so that she can examine the witness

! And Beit Hillel say: Two witnesses for the entire night suffice!

It was taught: Beit Shammai said to Beit Hillel: According to your words,

that she has intercourse several times during that night and examines only after the final time,

let us be concerned lest she see a drop of blood the size of a mustard seed during the first intercourse,

and that drop of blood remain on the walls of the womb,

and seminal fluid cover it during the second intercourse,

since she did not examine between one intercourse and the next?!

Beit Hillel said to them: According to your words as well, let us be concerned;

if you are concerned about such concerns, there is also reason for concern

until the saliva [the

blood]

in the mouth [in that place]

in that place ]

perhaps

will dissolve and go away [that is: why should we not be concerned that during that very intercourse the seminal fluid covered the drop of blood]?!

that is, why should we not be concerned that during that very act of intercourse the seminal fluid will cover the drop of blood ]?!

They said to them

Beit Shammai:

Because it is not similar

to blood that

dissolves once, to blood dissolving twice!

It was taught: Rabbi Joshua said: I see the words of Beit Shammai!

His disciples said to him: Rabbi, how greatly have you extended [how much have you made stringent]

stringently ]

upon us?!

He said to them: It is better that I extend upon you in this world, so that your days may be extended in the World to Come!

Rabbi Zeira said: From the words of them all we learn [“Since even Beit Hillel reduced the examinations only so as not to extend the procedure, and because

in the end it is impossible to rectify the matter completely”—Ritba]:

A person of piety [a pious person]—

pious person ]—

should not have intercourse and repeat

without examining between them!

Rava said:

even a person of piety

has intercourse and repeats

and one cannot learn from the beraita. For

when that was taught—

it was regarding ritual purity,

for all the obligation of the examinations in the beraita is only because of the higher standard of ritual purity, and not because of concern for a prohibition.

It was also taught so:

all the obligation of the examinations in the beraita is only for the higher standard of ritual purity, and not because of concern for a prohibition regarding her husband.

For it was taught:

When are these words said

that she is obligated to examine before intercourse and afterward?—

regarding ritual purity,

when she is occupied with matters of ritual purity, and solely because of the stringency of ritual purity.

But regarding her husband—

she is permitted!

There is no concern of a prohibition regarding her husband even without an examination; therefore, when she is not occupied with matters of ritual purity, she does not examine, and even if her husband is a person of piety.

The beraita continues:

And when are these words said

that she is permitted regarding her husband without an examination, even if he set out on a journey and does not know whether she saw,

when he left her with the presumption of ritual purity.

But,

if

he left her with the presumption of impurity—

she always remains with her presumption

as impure, even if the seven days have passed during which she can immerse and become pure,

until she says

to him explicitly—

I am pure!

Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav:

a woman occupied with matters of ritual purity who

examined with a witness

before intercourse,

and it was lost

the witness—

is forbidden to have intercourse until she examines

again!

Rabbi Ila raised an objection against it: If it were present,

the witness,

would she not have intercourse

without inspecting it until the next day,

even though she did not know

at the time of intercourse whether blood was found on it or not?

Now too,

since the witness was lost—

let her have intercourse!

For we did not obligate her to know whether she was pure before intercourse.

Rava said to him:

Although she is not obligated to inspect the witness before intercourse, there is a distinction in the matter:

this one,

whose witness was not lost—

has proof remaining,

so that tomorrow she will know whether she rendered impure the ritually pure items of yesterday, and she will also know whether she must bring an offering if she had intercourse while impure.

But this one,

whose witness was lost—

has no proof remaining,

and the Sages’ enactment was that she should have the possibility of examining after intercourse.

Rabbi Yohanan said: It is forbidden for a person to have intercourse during the day!

And the Gemara explains:

What verse [supports this]?

As it is stated—in Job, when he cursed the day of his conception and birth:

“May the day perish

on which I was born, and the night

on which ]

that said:

the one who said ]:

‘A male child has been conceived!’”

!”

And it is demonstrated from the verse that only

night is given for conception,

that is, for intercourse,

and day is not given for conception.

Reish Lakish said: From here: “He who despises his ways”—

shall die! [And one who has intercourse during the day sometimes

sees in it something disgraceful and despises intercourse, which is called a way.]

And the Gemara asks:

And as for Reish Lakish, this verse of Rabbi Yohanan—

what does he derive from it?

And it answers:

He requires it for that which Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa expounded.

For Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa expounded: That angel appointed over conception

—“Night” is his name! [And this is the meaning of the verse: May the day on which I was born perish, and the day on which the angel appointed over conception, called “Night,” proclaimed my conception.]

[This is the meaning of the verse: May the day on which I was born perish, and the day on which the angel appointed over conception, called “Night,” proclaimed my conception.]

And he takes

the angel

a drop

of conception

and places it before the Holy One, blessed be He, and says before Him: Master of the Universe, what will become of this drop—

a strong person or a weak person?

A wise person or a fool? A rich person or a poor person?

And the Gemara infers:

But “wicked or righteous” he does not say,

that is,

as Rabbi Hanina [said]. For Rabbi Hanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven—

except for fear of

Heaven! As it is stated: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you, but to fear.” And so forth.

And the Gemara explains:

And Rabbi Yohanan,

although he too expounds as Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa, nevertheless also learns from the verse, “And the night said, ‘A male child has been conceived,’” that night is given for conception and not day:

For if so,

if it were as Reish Lakish said, that the verse came only for Rabbi Hanina’s exposition,

let the verse write

“And the night said”—

“a male child has been conceived”! What is

the reason that the verse writes, “And the night said”—

“a male child has been conceived,”

rather, the verse comes to attach conception to night, to teach that the time of conception is specifically at night.

The Gemara continues to explain:

And Rabbi Yohanan, this verse of Reish Lakish [“He who despises his ways—shall die”]

“He who despises his ways shall die” ]

what does he derive from it?

He requires it for that which is written in the Book of Ben Sira: “Three I hate, and four I do not love”—

1.

A minister [a Torah scholar]

Torah scholar ]

accustomed [accustomed]

accustomed ]

to the banquet house.

And some say: An irritable minister [one who speaks excessively] .

one who speaks excessively ] .

2.

And one who seats a Sabbath in the heights of a city,

seating his students at the head of the town, which appears haughty.

3.

And one who holds the organ and urinates.

4.

And one who enters his fellow’s house suddenly 125.

Rabbi Yohanan said:

And even

one who enters

his own house

suddenly!

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai said: There are four things that the Holy One, blessed be He, hates, and I

126, do not love them.

A.

One who enters his house suddenly, and needless to say, his fellow’s house.

B.

And one who holds the organ and urinates

water.