Niddah 67b (סז:) — the Talmud in English

Three

intertwined hairs are not tightly bound, and therefore

do not constitute a separation.

Two

intertwined hairs:

I do not know

whether they are bound tightly enough to constitute a separation.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: We have no case in which we know

that it constitutes a separation

except

for

one

hair, which is bound tightly; but two are not bound tightly, and therefore they do not constitute a separation.

Rabbi Yitzhak said: By Torah law.

According to Torah law,

the majority

of the hair or the majority of the body, when there is a separation,

if one is particular about it,

meaning that one objects to the separation and intends to remove it,

it constitutes a separation. 59 .

If it covers the majority, but one is not particular about it—

it does not constitute a separation.

And the Sages decreed

that

a majority about which one is not particular

is treated as a majority about which one is particular—

because if a majority about which one is not particular did not constitute a separation during immersion, people would err and validate even a majority about which one is particular.

And they decreed regarding a minority about which one is particular

because of a majority about which one is particular—

because if they were to validate a minority about which one is particular, they would err and permit even a majority about which one is particular.

The Gemara raises an objection:

And let us also decree regarding a minority about which one is not particular, because of a minority about which one is particular!

It answers:

That itself,

the rule that a minority about which one is particular constitutes a separation, is itself only because of

a decree; and shall we then institute a decree to safeguard a decree?

Rav said: A menstruant

who immerses according to Torah law

at the proper time,

on the night following the seventh day of her menstruation [according to Torah law, before the daughters of Israel imposed this stringency upon themselves],

may immerse only at night,

and she cannot immerse on the seventh day. In this respect, the immersion of a menstruant differs from the immersion of a woman with a discharge, who immerses on the seventh day of her count of seven clean days.

But if she immerses not at the proper time,

meaning that the night of her immersion, following the seventh day, has passed and she did not immerse then,

she may immerse

the next day

either during the day or at night.

Rabbi Yohanan said: Whether at the proper time or not at the proper time, she may immerse only at night—

because of her daughter’s possible misunderstanding!

This is so that a daughter who sees her mother immersing during the day will not err and think that she too may immerse during the day on the seventh day.

And Rav, too, retracted his opinion

and also withdrew his ruling.

As Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: A menstruant, whether at the proper time or not at the proper time, may immerse only at night—

because of her daughter’s possible misunderstanding!

Rav Idi instituted in

the city of

Nehardea that women immerse on the eighth day—

because of lions

[because of fear of lions]!

He instituted that

Rav Aha bar Yaakov, in

the city of

Pappunai,

immerse during the day on the eighth day—

because of thieves!

He instituted that

Rav Yehuda, in

the city of

Pumbedita,

immerse during the day on the eighth day—

because of the cold,

the cold that prevailed there at night! He instituted that

Rava, in

the city of

Mehoza,

immerse during the day on the eighth day—

because of the abulaye

[the gentile gatekeepers of the city]!

Rav Pappa said to Rava and Abaye: Since,

given that

nowadays,

at present,

all of them,

all women who see blood, even menstrual blood, have been rendered by the Sages

as women with a possible discharge,

and therefore they count seven clean days after they cease seeing blood—if so,

let them immerse

during

the day

of

the seventh day,

since the seven days of menstruation have already passed and they are concerned only because of the possible discharge; why should they not be able to immerse during the day?

Abaye and Rava answered him:

It is because of Rabbi Shimon, as it was taught:

It is written in the section concerning the purification of a woman with a discharge from her impurity: “And she shall count for herself seven days

and afterward she may become pure.”

The verse comes to teach us:

“Afterward”—after all of them, so that no impurity may interrupt

the seven days of purification; rather, she must count seven clean days consecutively in a state of purity. This is the statement of the Sages.

Rabbi Shimon says: “And afterward she may become pure”—

after an act,

once she has counted part of the seventh day,

she may become pure

through immersion!

But the Sages said: It is forbidden to do so,

to immerse on the seventh day,

lest she come to a state of uncertainty,

meaning that she may see blood later that day and thereby retroactively invalidate her purification. Therefore, she may not immerse, because if she were to immerse, she might engage in marital relations, and through these relations she would enter a situation involving possible karet.

Rav Huna said: A woman may perform her preparations on Sunday and immerse on Tuesday—

for so

we find that

a woman performs her preparations on Friday eve and immerses on Saturday night,

since she cannot perform her preparations on Shabbat; and we derive what is possible from what is impossible.

And likewise,

a woman may perform her preparations on Sunday and immerse on Wednesday—

for so a woman performs her preparations on Friday eve and immerses on the conclusion of a Festival that occurs after Shabbat.

And likewise,

a woman may perform her preparations on Sunday and immerse on Thursday—

for so a woman performs her preparations on Friday eve and immerses on the conclusion of the two days of Rosh HaShana that occur after Shabbat.

And Rav Hisda said: In all of these cases,

when it is impossible to place the preparations immediately before the immersion,

we say

that she does not perform her preparations immediately beforehand; but to derive from this the rule for ordinary weekdays, on the basis of the reasoning,

“for so

we find,”

we do not say so.

Rather,

where it is possible—

it is possible,

and she should place them immediately before the immersion. Only

where it is not possible—

is it not possible.

And Rav Yeimar said: Even

“for so”—

we do say so.

Except

for

a woman who performs her preparations on Sunday and immerses on Thursday.

For the conclusion of the two days of Rosh HaShana following Shabbat is not a valid parallel,

as they did not permit her to separate the preparations and immersion by so much time even when Rosh HaShana occurs after Shabbat.

For it is possible that she perform the preparations at night and immerse at night,

and it is preferable to perform the preparations at night rather than separate them from the immersion by such a long interval.

Marimar taught: The halakha is in accordance with Rav Hisda,

who does not derive “what is possible” from “what is impossible,”

and as Rav Yeimar explains,

that she should not perform the preparations on Friday eve and immerse at the conclusion of Rosh HaShana; rather, she should perform the preparations at the conclusion of Rosh HaShana.

A question was raised before them: What is the ruling regarding a woman performing her preparations at night and immersing at night?

Did the Sages decree that it is forbidden to perform the preparations at night, lest she hurry to immerse and fail to perform the preparations properly, or did they not decree this?

Mar Zutra—

prohibits.

And Rav Hinena of Sura—

permits—

permits it.

Rav Adda said

of Sura

to (Rav Hinena of Sura)

[Mar Zutra]: Was this not the incident involving the wife

of

his wife

of

Abba Mari, the Exilarch, who quarreled,

who had quarreled with her husband and did not wish to immerse.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak went to appease her. And she said to him: Why have you come now,

since you have no reason to urge me to immerse tonight?