נשים וספרי תורה Talmud 3A

(5) A book [i.e. a Torah scroll] which was erased leaving only eighty-five letters in it, like the portion of (Numbers 10:35-36), "And it was when the Ark was raised...,"‏ renders the hands impure. A scroll on which are written eighty-five letters, like the portion of, "And it was when the Ark was raised...,"‏ renders the hands impure. All sacred scriptures render the hands impure. The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure. Rabbi Yehudah says: The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, but there is a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Yose says: Ecclesiastes does not render the hands impure, and there is a dispute regarding The Song of Songs. Rabbi Shimon says: Ecclesiastes is among the [relative] leniencies of Beit Shammai, and the [relative] stringencies of Beit Hillel. Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai said, "I have a recieved tradition from the mouths of seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria into his seat [as head] at the Academy, that The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure." Rabbi Akiva said, "Mercy forbid! No one in Israel ever disputed that The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, since nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies! And if they did dispute, there was only a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes." Rabbi Yochanan ben Yehoshua, the son of Rabbi Akiva's father-in-law, said, "In accordance with words of Ben Azzai, thus did they dispute, and thus did they conclude."

(12) Zavim, Zavot, Niddot, and women who gave birth are permitted to read the Torah and to learn Mishna, Midrash, laws, and Aggadot. And men who had a seminal emission (Baalei Keraim) are forbidden in all of them. Rebbi Yossi says, “He can learn the laws that he is familiar with, as long as he does not arrange the Mishna.”

From here the Sages stated: Zavim, lepers, and those who engaged in intercourse with menstruating women, despite their severe impurity, are permitted to read the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and to study Mishna and Gemara and halakhot and aggada. However, those who experienced a seminal emission are prohibited from doing so... it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira would say: Matters of Torah do not become ritually impure and therefore one who is impure is permitted to engage in Torah study. He implemented this halakha in practice. The Gemara relates an incident involving a student who was reciting mishnayot and baraitot hesitantly before the study hall of Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira. The student experienced a seminal emission, and when he was asked to recite he did so in a rushed, uneven manner, as he did not want to utter the words of Torah explicitly. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: My son, open your mouth and let your words illuminate, as matters of Torah do not become ritually impure, as it is stated: “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29). Just as fire does not become ritually impure, so too matters of Torah do not become ritually impure.

(8) All who are ritually unclean, even women in their menstruating period, and even a non-Israelite, may hold a scroll of the law and read in it, for the words of the Torah do not contract uncleanliness, provided that the holder's hands are not dirty or soiled. They must therefore wash their hands and then they may touch it.

(9) All who are impure, even a menstruating woman, are permitted to hold a Torah scroll and to read from it, provided that their hands are not dirty or soiled.

(1) All those who are impure read from the Torah, and read the Shema, and pray - except for the Baal Keri [he who has an emission] who was removed by Ezra from the rest of the impure people, and he [Ezra] prohibited him [the Baal Keri] from reading the Torah, reading the Shema, and from prayer until they immersed, so that scholars would not be with their wives like roosters. And afterwards they cancelled this enactment, and returned it to the original law, that even the Baal Keri is permitted in Torah, reading the Shema, and prayer without immersion and without washing with nine Kabs of water, and such is the custom. Rem"a: There are those who wrote that a niddah in the days when she sees [blood] may not enter the Synagogue, or pray, or mention the Name, or touch the [Torah] scroll (Maimuniyot ch. 4); and there are those who say that she is permitted to do all of those, and that is the correct opinion (Rashi laws of Niddah). But the custom in these lands is according to the first claim. And in the days after menstruation [but before immersion] the custom was to permit, even in the places where they were stringent, in the High Holidays and similar occasions when many assemble to go the Synagogue, them to go to the Synagogue like all other women, for it causes them great sadness, that all are assembled and they stand outside (Terumat HaDeshen, Part II 132).

Utter God's name – this requires further study, because there are those who say that women are obligated by the Torah to recite the blessing after meals, and if so how can they becomes exempt from a positive Torah commandments by way of a custom that has no basis?! Therefore it seems to me that anyway she should hear the blessing after meals from others, and if there is no one else to recite it for her she should say it herself in a whisper, and even more so with kiddush, which is from the Torah. Because even an ejaculant in the time of the Talmud would recite the blessing after meals thorugh thought alone, and in Benyamin Ze'ev he wrote that the custom was just to not enter the synagogue and not look at a Torah scroll and when they would pray, they wouldn't stand in front of another, and this was because of a custom of respect, not because of a prohibition, and this is correct.