Niddah 73a (עג.) — the Talmud in English

The verse states that in the second passage dealing with a zava [woman experiencing zavah discharge] "

in the second passage, which discusses a woman who experiences a flow of blood,

without the time of her niddah"

for this implies that the verse is speaking of a woman who sees blood for three days

adjacent to her niddah,

namely, on the eighth, ninth, and tenth days after the beginning of her niddah .

And I have derived only the case of adjacent to her niddah—

far removed from her niddah,

distant from the conclusion of her niddah,

one day—how do I know it?

That is, she saw blood on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh days after the beginning of her niddah.

The verse states: “Or if she experiences a discharge beyond her niddah.”

And I have derived only

a period far removed

by one day; how do I know that the case of being far removed by two

137, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten days

is also included?

You have said: What do we find with

day

four

after the seven days of niddah—

which is fit for counting

the seven clean days, when she saw blood on the three days adjacent to the days of niddah,

and is fit for zavah status,

by virtue of the verse’s inclusion, “or if she experiences a discharge”—for if she saw blood after being removed by one day from her niddah, that is, on the second, third, and fourth days after her days of niddah, she thereby becomes a major zava.

I, too, will include the tenth day—

which is fit for counting

the seven clean days

and is fit for zavah status.

And how do I know that the eleventh day is also included,

which is not counted among the “seven clean days” when she sees blood adjacent to her niddah—

the verse states: “without the time of her niddah” —

even when it is very far removed from the days of her niddah!

Could I include even the twelfth day?

You have said: No.

And what did you see to include the eleventh day and exclude the twelfth?

I include the eleventh day—

which is fit for counting

“or if she experiences a discharge.”

For when the fourth day after the days of niddah was included as a day of zavah status, the eleventh day was likewise included for counting the seven clean days.

And I exclude the twelfth day—

which is not fit for counting

the seven clean days of

“or if she experiences a discharge.”

And I have derived

a zava who sees blood

for only three days; how do I know the case of two days—

the verse states: “days.” 138

How do I know the case of one day—

the verse states: “all the days.” “Impure”—

this teaches that she renders the man who has intercourse with her impure,

even when she saw blood for only one day,

as a niddah. “

She”—

she renders the man who has intercourse with her impure, but a zav does not render impure what he has intercourse with.

The Gemara explains the reason that this exclusion was necessary:

Is this not a logical inference

[kal va-chomer]

? What is the case with her,

the zava, who is not comparable to a zav and whose impurity is less severe,

as she does not render impure through

three

sightings as through

three

days,

that is, she must see three sightings on three separate days in order to become a major zava,

yet she renders the man who has intercourse with her impure.

He,

the zav,

who renders impure through

three

sightings

even on one day,

as through

three

days—

is it not certainly the case that he should render impure what he has intercourse with?

The verse states: “She”—

she renders the man who has intercourse with her impure, but a zav does not render impure what he has intercourse with.

And how do I know that she creates the impurity of lying and sitting?

The verse states: “Like the lying place of her niddah.”

And I have derived

that she creates the impurity of lying and sitting

only

a zava who sees blood

for three days.

A minor zava, who sees only

two days—how do I know

that she creates the impurity of lying and sitting?

The verse states: “days.”

How do I know the case of one day?

The verse states: “all the days.”

And how do I know that she counts one for one,

that she observes one day corresponding to one day?

The verse states: “It shall be for her.”

The verse added an additional “existence” for her—that is, a separate law from that of a major zava regarding observation: she does not observe seven clean days; rather, she observes one day corresponding to one day.

Could she count seven for two?

It is a logical inference: Just as he,

the zav, whose impurity is less severe,

does not count one for one—

he counts seven for two,

sightings on two days,

she,

whose impurity is more severe,

who counts one for one—

is it not certainly the case that she should count seven for two?

The verse states: “It shall be for her”—

she counts only her day.

The Gemara concludes its earlier challenge, from which it is demonstrated that the teaching concerning the eleven days between one niddah period and the next is not a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai, but rather

apparently, they are verses!

The Gemara answers:

According to Rabbi Akiva—

they are verses,

from whose implications this halakha is derived.

According to Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya—

it is a halakha,

a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.

Rav Shemaya said to Rabbi Abba:

Since the wording of the verse concerning the impurity of a zava is, “And if a woman has a discharge, her blood being discharged for many days,” therefore

say:

if she saw blood

during the day—

she should be a zava,

but if she saw blood

at night—

she should be a niddah!

He said to him: The verse says concerning you, “beyond her niddah”—

adjacent to her niddah!

And this is the eighth night, since the seven days of niddah end at the conclusion of the seventh day.

When is it adjacent to her niddah?—

At night, and yet the verse calls her a zava.

The tanna of the school of Elijah taught: Whoever reviews halakhot every day—

it is guaranteed to him that he is a member of the World to Come.

As it is stated: “His ways are everlasting.”—

Do not read “ways” (halikhot), but “halakhot”!

That is, the Mishna, the beraita, and the halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.

We will return to you, chapter “Tinoket,” and Tractate Niddah is concluded