Quotation for Niddah 1:4

אֵיזוֹ הִיא בְתוּלָה, כֹּל שֶׁלֹּא רָאֲתָה דָם מִיָּמֶיהָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנְּשׂוּאָה. מְעֻבֶּרֶת, מִשֶּׁיִּוָּדַע עֻבָּרָהּ. מֵנִיקָה, עַד שֶׁתִּגְמֹל אֶת בְּנָהּ. נָתְנָה בְנָהּ לְמֵנִיקָה, גְּמָלַתּוּ אוֹ מֵת, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, מְטַמְּאָה מֵעֵת לְעֵת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, דַּיָּהּ שְׁעָתָהּ:

Who [is considered] a virgin [such that her hour suffices]? Any who has never seen [menstrual] blood all her days, even if she is married. A pregnant woman? [She is considered to be pregnant] once her fetus becomes known [i.e. at the end of her first trimester]. A nursing woman? [She is considered to be nursing] until she weans her child [i.e. for twenty-four months]. If she gave her child to a nursemaid, or weaned him, or if he died [within twenty-four months], Rabbi Meir says: she is rendered impure [retroactively] from that time to that time [on the previous day, i.e. twenty-four hours earlier]. And the Sages say: her hour [of discovering blood] suffices [to render her impure only from that moment].

Tosefta Niddah

A nursing woman whose son dies -- within twenty-four months, she imparts impurity for twenty-four hours. Therefore, if she was nursing him and even five years pass, her time is sufficient, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon say, her time is not sufficient; rather, twenty-four months. Therefore, if she was nursing and even four or five years pass, she only has twenty-four months. A nursing woman whose husband dies -- behold, she should not be betrothed or married until twenty-four months [of nursing] pass, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says, eighteen months. Rabbi Yonatan ben Yosef says, Beit Shammai say, twenty-four months, and Beit Hillel say, eighteen months. Said Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel to the words of the one who says "twenty-four months," it is permitted for her to marry on the twenty-first month, [and] to the words of the one who says "eighteen months," it is permitted for her to marry on the fifteenth month, since milk does not spoil before three months have passed.

Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Previous Verse Full Chapter Next Verse