Commentary for Niddah 5:9

בַּת עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת, תָּבִיא רְאָיָה שֶׁהִיא בַת עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְהִיא אַיְלוֹנִית, לֹא חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת. בֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת, יָבִיא רְאָיָה שֶׁהוּא בֶן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְהוּא סָרִיס, לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא מְיַבֵּם, אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, זֶה וָזֶה בְּנֵי שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, הַזָּכָר כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל, וְהַנְּקֵבָה כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי, שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה מְמַהֶרֶת לָבֹא לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ:

A woman of twenty years who did not produce two [pubic] hairs, should bring evidence that she is twenty years old, and she is an <i>aiylonit</i> [an infertile woman]: she does not take part in <i>chalitzah</i> [the ceremony performed as an alternative way to release the widow of childless man from the obligation to wait for levirate marriage], nor <i>yibum</i>. A man of twenty years who did not produce two [pubic] hairs, should bring evidence that he is twenty years old, and he is a eunuch: he does not take part in <i>chalitzah</i>, nor <i>yibum</i>, according to Beit Hillel. Beit Shammai say: this and that one both [are considered to be infertile if they have not produced hairs] at the age of eighteen. Rabbi Eliezer says: regarding the male it is in accordance with Beit Hillel, and regarding the female it is in accordance with Beit Shammai, since a woman arrives [at maturity] earlier than a man.

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