Niddah 16b (טז:) — the Talmud in English

The Sages taught: Although they said that one who engages in marital relations by the light of a lamp is disgraceful,

nevertheless—

Beit Shammai say: She requires two

new

witnesses for each and every act of marital relations,

or—

she should engage in relations

by the light of the lamp

so that she will be able to examine the witness!

And Beit Hillel say: It is sufficient for her to use two witnesses throughout the entire night!

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

that she engages in relations several times during that night and examines only after the final act,

let us be concerned that perhaps she will see a mustard-seed-sized drop of blood during the first act of intercourse,

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

and seminal fluid will cover it during the second act of intercourse,

since she did not examine between one act of marital relations and the next?!

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

for if you are concerned about such possibilities, there is also reason to be concerned

until the saliva [

blood ]

inside the mouth [

in that place ]

perhaps

will dissolve and disappear [

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 comparable

the blood that

dissolves once to blood that dissolves twice!

It was taught: Rabbi Yehoshua said: I see the validity of the statement of Beit Shammai!

His students said to him: Rabbi, how much have you imposed upon us [

stringently ]

?!

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

Rabbi Zeira said: From the statements of them all we may learn [“

that since even Beit Hillel reduced the number of examinations only so as not to prolong the process, and because in the end it is impossible to rectify the matter completely”—Ritva]:

A person of spiritual stature [

pious person ]—

should not engage in relations and repeat the act

without examining between them!

Rava said:

even a person of spiritual stature

may engage in relations and repeat the act,

and one cannot derive a ruling from the beraita. This is because

when that teaching was stated—it was stated

with regard to taharot,

since all the examinations required by the beraita are solely due to the elevated standard of taharot, and not because of concern for a prohibition.

It was taught likewise

that all the examinations required by the beraita are only due to the elevated standard of taharot, and not because of concern that she might be prohibited to her husband.

As it was taught:

When are these matters stated,

that she is obligated to examine before and after marital relations?

With regard to taharot,

when she is occupied with taharot, and solely because of the stringency of taharot.

But with regard to her husband—

she is permitted!

For there is no concern that she is prohibited to her husband even without an examination. Therefore, when she is not occupied with taharot, she does not examine, even if her husband is a person of spiritual stature.

And the beraita continues:

And when are these matters stated,

that she is permitted to her husband without an examination, even if he departed on a journey and does not know whether she saw blood,

when he left her with the presumption that she was ritually pure.

But

if

he left her with the presumption that she was ritually impure—

she remains forever with her presumptive status,

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 that Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said:

A woman who is occupied with taharot and

examined with a witness

before marital relations,

and the witness was lost

—

she is prohibited from engaging in relations until she examines

again!

Rabbi Ila strongly objected to this: If the witness were present,

would she not engage in relations

without examining it until the following day,

even though she did not know

at the time of marital relations whether or not there was blood on it?

Now too,

since the witness was lost—

let her engage in relations!

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

Rava said to him:

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

This woman,

whose witness was not lost—

has a means of verification available,

for on the following day she will know whether she rendered the taharot handled yesterday impure, and she will also know whether she must bring an offering if she engaged in marital relations while impure.

But this woman,

whose witness was lost—

has no means of verification available,

and the Sages instituted that she should have the possibility of examining after marital relations.

Rabbi Yohanan said: It is prohibited for a person to engage in marital relations during the day!

And the Gemara explains:

What is the verse?

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 ]

said [

the one who said ]:

A male child has been conceived

!”

And it is demonstrated from the verse that only

the night is designated for conception,

that is, for marital relations,

but the day is not designated for conception.

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

shall die!” [

And one who engages in marital relations during the day sometimes sees something disgraceful in it and despises the marital relations, which are called “ways.” ]

And the Gemara asks:

And Reish Lakish, what does he expound from 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.

As Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa expounded: The angel appointed over conception

—“Night” is his name!

[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 mighty person or a weak one?

A wise person or a fool? A wealthy person or a poor one?

And the Gemara infers:

But he does not say, “wicked or righteous,”

that is,

in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Hanina. 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 on.

And the Gemara explains:

And Rabbi Yohanan,

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

For if so,

that it is as Reish Lakish says, that the verse was stated only for Rabbi Hanina’s exposition,

let the verse write “And the night said”—

“

a male child has conceived! What”

is the reason that the verse is written, “And the night said”—

“a male child has been conceived,”

but rather the verse comes to associate conception with night, teaching that the time for conception is specifically at night.

And the Gemara continues to explain:

And Rabbi Yohanan, what does he expound from this verse of Reish Lakish [

“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 scholar [

Torah scholar ]

who is accustomed [

accustomed ]

to banqueting houses.

And some say: A quarrelsome scholar [

one who speaks excessively ] .

2.

One who seats a Sabbath in the heights of a city,

meaning that he seats his students at the head of the city, thereby appearing arrogant.

3.

One who holds the penis while urinating.

4.

One who enters his fellow’s house suddenly 125 .

Rabbi Yohanan said: 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.

1.

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

2.

And one who holds his penis while urinating

water.