Halakhah for Zavim 2:2

בְּשִׁבְעָה דְרָכִים בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הַזָּב עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִזְקַק לְזִיבָה. בְּמַאֲכָל, בְּמִשְׁתֶּה, וּבְמַשָּׂא, בִּקְפִיצָה, בְּחֹלִי, וּבְמַרְאֶה וּבְהִרְהוּר. הִרְהֵר עַד שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה אוֹ שֶׁרָאָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הִרְהֵר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ רָאָה בְהֵמָה, חַיָּה וָעוֹף מִתְעַסְּקִין זֶה עִם זֶה, אֲפִלּוּ רָאָה בִגְדֵי צֶבַע הָאִשָּׁה. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ אָכַל כָּל מַאֲכָל, בֵּין רַע בֵּין יָפֶה, וְשָׁתָה כָל מַשְׁקֶה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אֵין כָּאן זָבִין מֵעָתָּה. אָמַר לָהֶם, אֵין אַחֲרָיוּת זָבִים עֲלֵיכֶם. מִשֶּׁנִּזְקַק לְזִיבָה, אֵין בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. אָנְסוֹ וּסְפֵקוֹ וְשִׁכְבַת זַרְעוֹ טְמֵאִים, שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר. רָאָה רְאִיָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. בַּשְּׁנִיָּה, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. בַּשְּׁלִישִׁית, אֵין בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אַף בַּשְּׁלִישִׁית בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ, מִפְּנֵי הַקָּרְבָּן:

There are seven ways a zav is examined [for the cause of his discharge], providing he has not entered the bounds of zivah [it is not established that he is a zav. He is examined if the discarge is not the result of an external cause and thus regular semen]; with regard to food [that he has eaten], drink, [that he has drunk], a load [he may have carried], a jump [he may have made], sickness [he may have suffered] , [an improper] sight [he may have seen] or [impure] thoughts [he may have had], whether he had impure thoughts before seeing [a woman] or he saw [ woman] before he had the impure thoughts [the emission caused by all of the above is considered a normal emission and he does not become a zav]. Rabbi Yehuda says [adds], Even if he saw cattle, wild animals or birds copulating with each other, [and] even if he saw the colored garments of a woman [the emission does not render him a zav]. Rabbi Akiva says, even if he ate any kind of food, whether bad or good or he drank any kind of drink [the emission does not render him a zav]. They [the sages] said to him, [according to you] there will never be zavim. He [Rabbi Akiva] responded to them, The responsibility of [the existence of] zavim is not upon you. [However] once he has entered the bounds of zivah [once it is established that he is a zav], we no longer examine him. [Discharges resulting from] an accident or a doubtful [discharge] and seminal emissions are [considered] unclean because the matter has feet [there are grounds for the assumption that it is zavut emission]. [When] he sees the first discharge he is examined [for the seven things]. [When he sees] the second discharge he is examined [for the seven things]. [When he sees] the third discharge, we no longer examine him. Rabbi Eliezer says, Even at the third [incident] we examine him because [of the need to know if he is obligated to bring] a sacrifice.

Sefer HaChinukh

It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since God, blessed be He, distanced us greatly from the excesses and commanded us to be holy and righteous regarding food and drink and in all other matters of man. And there is no doubt that the matter of a discharge happens to a person from his constantly leaving the straight path in his foods and drinks. And that putrid, disgusting and impure excess develops in his body, from this. And it is like they, may their memory be blessed, said (Kiddushin 2b), "It is the way of excessive drinking to lead to discharge." And the Torah informed us that a man who has this in him is called impure; and impurity is a general name for anything disgusting and vile. And in our distancing ourselves from this, we acquire the trait of righteousness and balance in all of our dispositions and in all of our abilities. And it is from this matter that he is not impure from one appearance. As that fluid has not [yet] become so strong in his body. And [so,] this small amount is not an indication of his being very habituated to leave the straight path. And since that is so, it is not fitting to render him impure with a small amount - as a person is built in a way that it is impossible for him to prevent himself from not leaving the straight line at all. But in his leaving it much, he will then be called guilty; and it is fitting that he should be impure. And even though they, may their memory be blessed said (Mishnah Zavim 2:2), "There are seven ways a zav is examined: with regard to food; drink; a load; a jump; illness; a sight; or [improper] thoughts" - meaning to say if it happened to him because of this, he is not impure - our argument is not contradicted by this. As the matter is that we need to examine if his discharge was by way of a one-time event and he should not be made impure for that; or whether it has become strong in his body from a bad habit to which he has become accustomed many times, and [so,] it is fitting to render him impure. And so did Ramban, may his memory be blessed, write (in Ramban on Leviticus 15:11) and this is his language: "And the reason for the impurity of the discharge is because of its being a heavy illness, from the contagious illnesses." To here [are his words]. And if it were from the angle of an event - meaning to say from one of the [seven] well-known ways - it would not be a contagious disease, and it would not be fitting to render him impure. And we only do this inspection with the second appearance, as there is no impurity of discharge without two appearances, as we said. As so did the true explanation come to us.

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