Qui est [considérée] comme une femme âgée? Quiconque a traversé trois saisons [sans menstruation], approchant de sa vieillesse. Le rabbin Eliezer dit: toute femme [c'est-à-dire jeune ou vieille] qui a traversé trois saisons [sans menstruation], son heure [de découverte du sang] suffit [pour compter son impureté à partir de ce moment]. Le rabbin Yose dit: une femme enceinte ou qui allaite qui a traversé trois saisons [sans menstruation], leur heure suffit [pour les rendre impures seulement à partir du moment de la découverte du sang].
Bartenura on Mishnah Niddah
כל שעברו עליה שלש עונות – an intermediate-size period is thirty days. And since that these three intermediate-sized periods have gone by for her following her arrival at being close to old age, sufficient for her is her time. And she is called being close to old age, for all who call her: “Mommy, Mommy,” on account of her old age but she does mind.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
Introduction
Today's mishnah defines whom is considered an old woman, that need not be concerned that she retroactively defiled things.
The mishnah uses the world "onah" (in plural "onot"). An "onah" is the period in which she is supposed to have been menstruating. Generally, an "onah" is 30 days, although obviously this may vary from woman to woman.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Niddah
כל אשה – [every woman] and even one who is not old and for whom three periods have passed and she did not see it (i.e., a drop of blood), sufficient for her is her time.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
Who is regarded as "an old woman"? Any woman over whom three "onot" have passed near the time of her old age. A woman who has missed her period three times in a row, roughly 90 days, and is close to old age (so this is not because she is pregnant or sick or some other reason) is now considered "an old woman." Obviously, this makes sense in this context. A woman who has stopped menstruating due to menopause is old for the issue discussed in this mishnah what type of woman does not regularly menstruate.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Niddah
מעוברת ומניק שעברו עליהן שלש עונות – but not if for whom they have not passed, for it is not like the first Tanna/teacher who said (see Mishnah 4): “Once it is known that the fetus is present,” and a nursing mother once he has been born. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer nor according to Rabbi Yossi.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
Rabbi Eliezer says: for any woman over whom have passed three onot it suffices [to reckon her period of uncleanness from] the time of her [observing a flow]. Rabbi Eliezer says that any woman who has missed three periods for any reason, even if she is not old, needs only reckon her period of impurity from the time she sees blood.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
Rabbi Yose says: for a woman in pregnancy and a nursing woman over whom three onot have passed it suffices [to reckon their period of uncleanness from] the time of their [observation of the flow]. According to mishnah four, as soon as a woman's pregnancy is noticeable, or as soon as she begins to nurse her child, she would only count her period of impurity from the time blood flows. According to Rabbi Yose, she must first go through three periods without menstruating.
