Niddah 65a — the Talmud in English

"Until the wound heals," we learned,

we learned this law concerning a minor, and not four nights בלבד.

Rather, he gave

that he gave

her all of them

all of them

during the days of maidenhood.

But this too is impossible, for

can there be twelve months of maidenhood?

Can it be that the days of maidenhood continue for twelve months?

But Shmuel said: There are only six months between maidenhood and maturity!

And if you say: Less than this

less than six months

is what there cannot be, but more

but more than six months of the days of maidenhood

there can be,

even up to twelve months—

But

does not Shmuel say, "There are only six months

only

he said

Shmuel?!

Rather—

he gave her

Rabbi

two

nights

during the days of minority and two during the days of maidenhood,

and these four intercourses took place over twelve months.

Rav Ḥinnana bar Shelemya asked Rav:

A minor whose time to see had not arrived, who married and had intercourse, and whose law was that she was permitted to have intercourse until the wound healed; before the wound healed,

her time to see arrived while she was under her husband

so that she became twelve years old,

what is the law?

Is her law like that of one whose time to see arrived and who married, or not?

He said to him: All the intercourses that you have with her

while she is a minor whose time to see has not arrived

are not

considered

except

as one intercourse,

and the remainder

the three nights during which she will have intercourse after she grows older and her time to see arrives

complete four nights:

as the law of one whose time to see arrived and who married. Therefore, it cannot be said that the case concerns two nights during her minority and two during her maidenhood over twelve months.

For all her intercourses during her minority are considered only as intercourse during one night, and it follows that three intercourses remain for the days of her maidenhood; and it is impossible to divide them into periods of three months each, because the days of maidenhood comprise only six months!?

Rather:

the case must necessarily be

that he gave her

Rabbi

one during the days of minority, two during the days of maidenhood, and one during the days of maturity.

If you grant that an ordinary mature woman—

if you say that the law of every mature woman who married after she matured is that

we give her more

than one night, it is understandable why Rabbi gave a minor who married and matured while under her husband one complete night during her maturity [after we counted all her nights during her minority as one and gave her two additional nights during her maidenhood],

for just as it benefited

just as all her intercourses during

minority

which

during the days of maidenhood, we reduce one from her,

we subtract only one from her, because we counted all her intercourses during her minority as one, so three nights remained for her during the days of maidenhood; likewise

it also benefited

the nights during which she had intercourse during

maidenhood toward maturity—

to reduce one from her,

to subtract only one from her, and therefore, from the two nights given to every mature woman, only one night remains.

But if you grant that an ordinary mature woman

that every mature woman who married is given only the first night, and

we do not give her more—

we should give her only the intercourse of the mitzva

one during the days of maturity,

and no more!

The Gemara answers:

Actually—

he gave her one during the days of minority and three during the days of maidenhood.

Do you think that every three months

every three months are considered

one—

"period"

—one period?

Not so. Rather,

every two months

two months

one—

"period"

are considered one. And it follows that it is possible to give her three intercourses during three periods within the six months of her maidenhood, and during the days of maturity she has nothing.

Menaḥem Saksenah was taking and going

he was on his way

to the place

of his residence,

of Shmuel.

He thought

he would

perform

to do

an act, “

a ruling of halakha,”

in accordance with Rav’s view,

according to Rav’s view, that a mature virgin is permitted [to have intercourse] throughout the entire first night,

and even if she had seen

blood before the marriage.

He said: He did not distinguish

he distinguished

for Rav between whether she had seen and whether she had not seen.

He preceded,

he preceded

and died on the road,

he died on the way before he managed to carry out his intention [to rule in accordance with Rav’s view, even if she had seen blood].

Shmuel recited concerning Rav: “No harm shall befall the righteous,”

it did not happen that Rav would stumble by Menaḥem Saksenah carrying out an act while relying on an understanding of his words as though Rav had said that she is permitted throughout the entire night, even if she had seen blood .

Rav Ḥinnana bar Shelemya said in the name of Rav:

Once a person’s teeth have fallen out,

when he has grown old—

his provisions decrease,

for they come to him with difficulty.

As it is stated: “I also gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities

and lack of bread in all your places.”

We learned in the Mishna:

She saw, while she was still [in her father’s house].

The Sages taught: If she saw [blood] while she was still in her father’s house,

Beit Hillel say: The entire night is hers, and they grant her one full period.

And how long is one full period?

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel explained: A night and half a day.

And the Gemara raises a difficulty:

Do we really require all this

—is the measure of a “period” really so long?

And we juxtapose [this] with [a teaching]: If one had winepresses

in which grapes are trodden in order to extract their juice, in order to make wine,

and olive presses

where oil is extracted from olives,

[and] they were impure.

And he wished to make them [usable] in purity

to purify them so that they would not render impure the liquid found in them.

What does he do?

The boards

that are placed upon the grapes in order to press them,

and the palm branches

with which they clean the winepress,

and the press-floors,

the winepresses themselves in which the grapes are placed—

he washes them,

he rinses them with water so that no impure wine or oil will remain.