Contemporary Issues In Halakha: Laws Of Family Purity, Sources Part 2

6) Tractate of Nidda 31b

It was taught: R. Meir used to say, Why did the Torah ordain that the uncleanness of menstruation should continue for seven days? Because being in constant contact with his wife[a husband might] develop a loathing towards her. The Torah, therefore, ordained: Let herbe unclean for seven daysin order thatshe shall be beloved by her husband as at the time of her first entry into the bridal chamber.

7) Tractate of Nidda 66a

Said Rav Yoseph said Rav Yehudah said Rav: Rebbe [Rabbi Judah the Prince] enacted in Sadot that if [a woman] saw blood for one day, that she should abstain for six and that [one day]; if she saw blood for two [days] that she should abstain for six and those [two]; but if she saw blood for three days, she must abstain for seven clean days.

Said Rebbe Zeira: The daughters of Israel assumed a stringency upon themselves, that even if they see a blood spot the size of a mustard seed, they abstain for seven clean days.

8) Rashi

In Sadot – a place where there are none versed in Torah and they don’t know how to differentiate between the days of nidda and the days of zav.

Six and that [one day] – as is the law of the Torah, for they may be days of nidda.

Two [days] that she should abstain for six and those [two] – for stringency, for the first day may be the end of zivah and the second day the beginning of niddah, and six more days are necessary. But three [days] for if they were days of zivah she needs seven clean days therefore she should sit seven clean days for she might be in the days of zivah.

9) Tractate Niddah 67b

Rav ruled: If a niddah performs immersion at the proper time she may do it only at nightbut if she performs it after the proper timeshe may do it either in the day time or at night. R. Yohanan ruled: Whether at the proper time or after the proper time a niddah may perform immersion only at night, on account of the possibility of her daughter’s following her lead. Rav, moreover, also withdrew his ruling; for R. Hiyya the son of Ashi citing Rav said: Whether at the proper time or after the proper time a niddah may perform immersion only at night
on account of the possibility of her daughter’s following her lead . . .

Said R. Papa to Rava, Now that the Rabbis have made all niddot into doubtful zavot, why then should they not allow themto perform immersion in the daytime of the seventh day? — This cannot be allowed on account of the following ruling of R. Shimon. For it was taught: “After that she shall be clean” (Leviticus 15:28),”after” means after all of them, implying that no uncleanness may intervene between them; but R. Shimon stated: “After that she shall be clean”implies that after the act she shall be clean, but the Sages have ruled that it was forbidden to do so in case she might thereby land in a doubtful situation.

10) Rashi

At the proper time – on the seventh [day] and we are dealing with niddah from the Torah where she did count seven clean days.

At night – as it is written that “she should be in her niddah” (Leviticus 15:19), she should be in her niddah all seven days.

On account of the possibility of her daughter’s following her lead – that her daughter will act like her [mother] and immerse in the day, even on the seventh day, and she will [be punished] by ‘being cut off,’ and she didn’t know that her mother immersed on the eight day.

Have made all niddot into doubtful zavot – that even a niddah counts seven clean [days]

Perform immersion in the daytime – of the seventh day for either she is a niddah and she is immersing more than seven days after seeing [blood] or she is a zivah and she immerses in the daytime.

After the act – since she counted a little bit of the seventh day she can become purified by immersion.

Doubtful situation – lest she have conjugal relations during the day and she sees blood immediately after relations; the result is that all the days of waiting are cancelled out and her immersion is invalid.

11) Tractate of Brakhot 31a

The Rabbis taught in a baraita: One should not rise to pray neither amidst a lawsuit, nor amidst a matter of law, but rather amidst a clear cut rule. And what is an example of a clear cut rule? Abaye said: such as that of Rabbi Zeira, for Rabbi Zeira said, Jewish women have accepted upon themselves the stringency that even if they see a drop of blood the size of a mustard seed, they wait seven days.

12) Rashi

A clear cut rule – one that doesn’t require deliberation, so that one shouldn’t be pondering over it during prayer.

13) Beit Ha-behira to the Meiri, the tractate of Brakhot 31a

This is the rule of niddah from the Torah and in these times that we mentioned the sages of Israel were at their finest, knowing well matters of purity and impurity. It was clear to them according to their wisdom the sight of impure blood that was worthy to begin counting seven days of niddah and the sight of pure (non-menstrual) blood that would have no consequences.

Afterward, the wisdom of the sages was reduced due to the weight of exile and frequency of troubles, and they worried that they might err in this matter whose punishment for voluntary disobedience is being cut off from one’s people, and for involuntary disobedience is bringing a sin offering for a woman could see blood for seven days and the first six could be pure blood which do not count at all, and the seventh day turn out to be the first day of her menstrual counting, but she will think that she can immerse that evening when she really must wait another six days, and even if you say she could find a specialist to ask, perhaps she might err in another aspect of the niddah and zivah counting.