Zdarzyło się, że przed rabinem Akiwą pojawiła się kobieta. Powiedziała do niego: „Widziałam plamę [krwi]. Powiedział jej:„ Może miałaś ranę? ”Odpowiedziała mu:„ Tak, ale się zagoiła ”. Odpowiedział jej:„ Może to [ była rana, która] mogła się otworzyć i wytworzyć krew. ”Powiedziała mu:„ Tak. ”I rabin Akiwa uznał ją za czystą. Zobaczył swoich uczniów patrzących na siebie [ze zdumieniem]. Powiedział im:„ Dlaczego ta sprawa jest trudna w twoich oczach? Mędrcy bowiem nie stwierdzili, że ta sprawa jest rygorystyczna, ale raczej pobłażliwa, ponieważ jest powiedziane: „A jeśli kobieta ma popływ, krew będzie jej przepływem w jej ciele” (Kapłańska 15:19); krew [czyni kobietę nieczystą według Tory], ale nie plama [krwi]. "
Bartenura on Mishnah Niddah
דם ולא כתם – but it is the Sages who decreed on the bloodstains, therefore, we follow them for a lenient ruling.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
Introduction
In this remarkable mishnah, Rabbi Akiva demonstrates just how lenient he can be in matters of doubtful impurity.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
It happened that a woman came in front of Rabbi Akiva and said. She said to him: I have seen a bloodstain. He said to her: Perhaps you had a wound? She said to him: Yes, but it has healed. He said to her: Perhaps it could have opened again and let out some blood." She said to him: Yes. And Rabbi Akiva declared her clean. In this story a woman comes in front of Rabbi Akiva, presumably to ask him if the blood that she found somewhere on her body or clothing would make her into a menstruant. Rabbi Akiva searches for a reason to be lenient and finds one she had a wound and it might have opened (see yesterday's mishnah). He then rules that she is clean. This story is typical of Rabbi Akiva's lenient approach to halakhah he wishes to make halakhah lenient so that the woman can prevent being considered unclean.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Niddah
He saw his disciples looked at each other in astonishment. He said to them: Why do you find this difficult, for the sages did not say this rule in order to be stringent but rather to be lenient, for it is said, "And if a woman have issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood" blood but not a bloodstain. Interestingly, his students are astonished by this approach. Instead of searching for a leniency, they feel that Rabbi Akiva should have ruled strictly. Indeed, it is not that likely that the blood came from a wound that had already healed. Rabbi Akiva responds to them that from the Torah, only an actual blood flow can make a woman impure. The fact that a blood stain counts as a sign of impurity is a ruling of the rabbis. In such a case, we can, and indeed should be, lenient. The blood stain is a sign of impurity only if it is certain that it is menstrual blood.
