The commandment of the matter of the impurity of a woman who has given birth: To render a woman who has given birth impure; meaning to say that when a woman gives birth she be impure for her husband — and all the more so for pure items — seven days for a male and two weeks for a female, as it is stated (Leviticus 12:2, Leviticus 12:5), “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she will be impure for seven days, etc. And if she gives birth to a female, she will be impure for two weeks, etc.”
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need] for a preface: There is no doubt that all of the sicknesses of people come either because of an excess in the body or from the angle of a deficit that happens from whatever reason it might be. As in truth, so long as [a person’s] constitution is in total equilibrium and it not have a deficit, the body will not become ill. And the sin of people brings them to have an excess or a deficit from what people need for their constitution, and they become sick.
And we have already said in the warning of the “torn” animal (Sefer HaChinukh 73) and in the prohibitions of foods (Sefer HaChinukh 147, 148) that God, blessed be He, distanced His people that He chose from all the things that hurt the body, in that it is a vessel for the soul that knows its Creator. And so too from this root did He distance us from the woman who has given birth, from the menstruant and from the zavah (a woman with an irregular discharge) for a few days, until they become cleansed from that excess that they have, which is a bad and infectious thing. Therefore they, may their memory be blessed, said (Rashi on Leviticus 12:2) that a woman never [experiences] blood unless her head and limbs are heavy upon her. And there is no doubt that this excess makes them, and anyone who comes close to them at all, sick. And all the more so with sexual relations, which is the epitome of physical closeness. And also the offspring that is born [from a union] while that excess overpowers her is destined for bad illnesses. And from this root that we said from the angle of excess, the Torah commanded that she be impure from the male seven [days] and two weeks from the female. As there is no doubt that the excesses of the woman that gives birth to a female are greater than one who gives birth to a male — since conception of a male indicates heat in the female. And [it is] like they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 60a), “‘If a woman conceives (literally, gives seed) and gives birth to a male — [if] a woman gives seed first, she gives birth to a male.” And it is well-known that the excesses of heat are few and its action is always quick — it is a logical thing. And therefore seven days of cleansing suffices with the pregnancy of a male.
And the conception of a female indicates coldness in the constitution of the female. And in coldness, excesses abound; and hence she needs two weeks for the cleansing of her body. And so did I find the matter after I wrote this [in] Ramban, may his memory be blessed, and these are his words (Ramban on Leviticus 12:4): “Because the constitution of the female is cold and wet, and the dampness in the womb of the mother is very great and cold. And therefore, she gave birth to a female. And hence she requires a big cleansing because of the multitude of dampness and the blood decaying in her and because of her coldness. And it is well-known that the cold sicknesses require a longer time to be cleansed than the hot ones.” To here [are his words].
And similar to this is also the matter of the menstruant and the zavah. As the menstruant is purified after seven days — and even if she gushes all of the seven, so long as she stops on the seventh while it is still day — by the law of the Torah. But the zavah requires seven clean [days after her bleeding], because the flow indicates the extent of the excesses of the woman — and that is the continuation of the emptying of blood many days after the days that are customary in most women. And it is possible for us to say that the sickness of discharging blood in women from month to month was so that their weak minds not become haughty. Or [it is] so as to distance their closeness from man a little, so that he not run after them all of the days. As the thing of this messiness that he knows about them will be a little disgusting in his eyes and he will not always err in his love of them.
And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said in Niddah 31b from the angle of the simple understanding — I mean to say that they intended to reveal one of the great benefits that there is in the commandment besides its great and strong principles — and they wrote that there is a benefit in the distancing of the wife a little time so as to make her more beloved to her husband at the fit time, and that they should not get sick one of the other from the great constancy of their closeness and they give their eyes to other bodies — like most of the other nations, who are not restrained by our strict fences, do. And likewise this reason of theirs suffices from the angle of the simple understanding with the woman who has given birth; such that he not disgrace himself with her immediately, and lest she be disgusting in his eyes and he be sick of her, like we said in Niddah 31b.
From the laws of the commandment is, for example, that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Niddah 66a) that all women who give birth are impure — and even if they did not see blood, as it is impossible to have an opening of the womb without blood. And it is one whether the woman gives birth to a live [baby] or to a dead one, and even if she miscarried — and that is when its form is completed — she is impure with the impurity of birth. And even if she miscarried a placenta or an amnion full of water or blood, behold this one [must be] concerned about a birth; as it established for us that there is no placenta without a fetus. And even though they do not find the fetus in the placenta now, we are concerned lest it dissolved inside it. And from the doubt, she sits [out] the days of impurity for a female which is two weeks, and the days of purification for a male which are thirty-three days and not more - as from a doubt, we are stringent [to this side] and [that side]. And this that we say that she must be concerned about a birth is specifically when forty days have passed over her since she conceived. But if forty days have not passed over her, she does not concern herself about a birth — and even on the actual fortieth day, as the fortieth day is considered like before the [end of] forty days. And nonetheless even though she does not concern herself about a birth — meaning to say, and she will not have the days of purification like a woman who has given birth — she concerns herself, nonetheless, about the impurity of a menstruant. And even if the birth was a dry birth — meaning to say that she did not see blood at all — we say that since she gave birth, it is impossible to have an opening of the womb without blood, and lest it was little and it got lost. And any woman that has days of birth for impurity has days of purification from Torah writ. And the days of purification are thirty-three for a male and sixty-six for a female. And the matter is like this [regarding] the law of the Torah: That after she gave birth, the woman counts seven days from the day she gave birth. And whether she gave birth at the beginning of the night or at midday or even near sunset, she counts that day of birth as one day and completes six [more] days upon it. And whether she [experiences blood] a few of the days of the seven or all of the seven, she immerses on the evening of the seventh, which is the eighth night, and she is pure for her husband. And even if she is gushing blood on that eighth night, she immerses and is pure for her husband; as the Torah permitted all blood that a woman has given birth will see after the seven days within the thirty-three days for a male, and after fourteen within sixty-six days for a female.
And about this they, may their memory be blessed, said (Niddah 35b) that there is one “wellspring” and the Torah made it impure, and the Torah [also] made it pure. [This is] meaning to say that the blood of birth that the Torah made impure and the blood of purification that the Torah made pure are from one place; and that is [that] both of them come out from the source (the uterus), which is a place of impurity. However the Torah made the matter depend on time and made impure the blood that comes from her at one time and made [it] pure at a second time. And blessed is the One that knows all wisdom, as He did every thing for a correct and necessary reason. And He, blessed be He, knows that up to a certain time, the blood is damaging; and [that] from then on, it is not damaging.
But now all of Israel has girded itself and has become accustomed to treat the blood of purification like the blood of impurity. And the general principle of the matter is that a woman today does not ever emerge from her impurity until she undergoes seven full days clean from all blood. And she begins counting them from the evening. And this is a great principle and it is practiced until this day in all the places of the proper Israelites. And through this, we are saved from several doubts. And the laws of the doubts that sometimes arise upon the woman giving birth — for example, if she is obligated to sit [out] for the impurity of a male or the impurity of a female, as sometimes she must sit [out] for a male and a female and for [being] a menstruant from the doubt; the law of what is the law of one who has a miscarriage of a type of beast or bird; what is the law if their faces are like the faces of people or if their faces are not like the faces of people; what is the law of one who has a miscarriage of types of gnats [or] types of hairs; one who has a miscarriage of the image of a man that has wings of flesh; likewise one who has a miscarriage of the image of a man with one eye and one thigh; one who has a miscarriage of a male together with a sandal, and that is a creature that is not recognizable whether it is male or female; the law of a woman that goes out full and comes back empty and errs in her calculation — and the rest of its many details regarding her impurity are all in Tractate Niddah. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah 191.) And the matter of the laws of sacrifices are scattered in many tractates, and many of them are in Zevachim, Arakhin, Keritot and Negaim.
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times regarding that women giving birth are impure. And one who transgresses it and has sexual relations with her volitionally during the time specified for prohibition — or even after the specified time, so long as she has not immersed — has violated this positive commandment, besides that he has violated a negative commandment, as with a menstruant. And [it is] like the matter that is written (Leviticus 12:2), “like the days of her menstrual illness, shall she be impure.” And [so] he is liable for excision. If inadvertent, he is liable to bring a fixed sin-offering at the time of the [Temple].
מִצְוַת עִנְיַן טֻמְאַת יוֹלֶדֶת – לְטַמֵּא הַיּוֹלֶדֶת. כְּלוֹמַר הָאִשָּׁה כְּשֶׁתֵּלֵד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה טְמֵאָה לְבַעְלָהּ וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לִטְהָרוֹת שִׁבְעָה יָמִים כְּשֶׁתֵּלֵד זָכָר, וּשְׁבוּעַיִם כְּשֶׁתֵּלֵד נְקֵבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יב ב ה) אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְגוֹ', וְאִם נְקֵבָה תֵלֵד וְטָמְאָה שְׁבֻעַיִם וְגוֹ'.
The commandment of the matter of the impurity of a woman who has given birth: To render a woman who has given birth impure; meaning to say that when a woman gives birth she be impure for her husband — and all the more so for pure items — seven days for a male and two weeks for a female, as it is stated (Leviticus 12:2, Leviticus 12:5), “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she will be impure for seven days, etc. And if she gives birth to a female, she will be impure for two weeks, etc.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. הַקְדָּמָה, אֵין סָפֵק כִּי חֳלָיֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם יָבוֹאוּ אוֹ מִפְּנֵי מוֹתָר שֶׁבַּגּוּף אוֹ מִפְּנֵי חִסָּרוֹן אוֹ מִצַּד הֶפְסֵד שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל מֵאֵיזוֹ סִבָּה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַטֶּבַע יָשָׁר בְּתַכְלִית הַיֹּשֶׁר, וְלֹא קִבֵּל הֶפְסֵד דָּבָר, לֹא יֶחֱלֶה הַגּוּף, וְחֵטְא בְּנֵי אָדָם יְבִיאֵם לְהַעֲדִיף אוֹ לְהַחְסִיר בַּמֶּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְטִבְעָם וְיֶחֱלוּ.
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need] for a preface: There is no doubt that all of the sicknesses of people come either because of an excess in the body or from the angle of a deficit that happens from whatever reason it might be. As in truth, so long as [a person’s] constitution is in total equilibrium and it not have a deficit, the body will not become ill. And the sin of people brings them to have an excess or a deficit from what people need for their constitution, and they become sick.
וּכְבָר אָמַרְנוּ בְּאַזְהָרַת טְרֵפָה (מצוה עג) וְאִסּוּרֵי מַאֲכָלוֹת (מצוה קמז קמח) כִּי הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא רִחֵק עַמּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר מִכָּל הַדְּבָרִים הַמַּזִּיקִים אֶת הַגּוּף בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ כְּלִי לַנֶּפֶשׁ הַיּוֹדַעַת יוֹצְרָהּ. וּכְמוֹ כֵן מִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה הִרְחִיקָנוּ מִן הַיּוֹלֶדֶת וּמִן הַנִּדָּה וְהַזָּבָה יָמִים מִסְפָּר עַד שֶׁיִּתְנַקּוּ מֵאוֹתוֹ הַמּוֹתָר שֶׁבָּהֶן שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר רַע וּמַחְלִיא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ כִּי כָּל מוֹתַר מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ מַחֲלָה הוּא. עַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (רש"י ויקרא שם), שֶׁאֵין אִשָּׁה רוֹאָה דָם שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ רֹאשָׁהּ וְאֵבָרֶיהָ כְּבֵדִים עָלֶיהָ, וְאֵין סָפֵק כִּי בְּאוֹתוֹ הַמּוֹתָר מַחֲלָה לָהֶן וּלְכָל הַקָּרֵב בָּהֶן שׁוּם קִרְבָה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה שֶׁהוּא תַּכְלִית הַקִּרְבָה הַחָמְרִית, וְגַם הַוָּלָד הַנּוֹלָד בְּעוֹד שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הַמּוֹתָר מִתְגַּבֵּר עָלֶיהָ מְעֻתָּד לָחֳלָאִים רָעִים. וּמִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ מִצַּד הַמּוֹתָר, צִוְּתָה הַתּוֹרָה לִהְיוֹת טְמֵאָה מִן הַזָּכָר שִׁבְעָה, וּמִן הַנְּקֵבָה שְׁבוּעַיִם, שֶׁאֵין סָפֵק כִּי מוֹתְרֵי הַיּוֹלֶדֶת נְקֵבָה גְּדוֹלִים מִן הַיּוֹלֶדֶת זָכָר, לְפִי שֶׁהֵרָיוֹן הַזָּכָר יוֹרֶה חֹם בַּנְּקֵבָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (נדה כה ב) אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר, אִשָּׁה מַזְרַעַת תְּחִלָּה יוֹלֶדֶת זָכָר, וְיָדוּעַ כִּי הַחֹם מוֹתָרָיו הֵם מְעַטִּים וִימַהֵר פְּעֻלָּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם, דָּבָר מֻשְׂכָּל הוּא, וְעַל כֵּן יַסְפִּיק לָנוּ בְּהֶרְיוֹן הַזָּכָר נִקָּיוֹן שֶׁל שִׁבְעָה יָמִים.
And we have already said in the warning of the “torn” animal (Sefer HaChinukh 73) and in the prohibitions of foods (Sefer HaChinukh 147, 148) that God, blessed be He, distanced His people that He chose from all the things that hurt the body, in that it is a vessel for the soul that knows its Creator. And so too from this root did He distance us from the woman who has given birth, from the menstruant and from the zavah (a woman with an irregular discharge) for a few days, until they become cleansed from that excess that they have, which is a bad and infectious thing. Therefore they, may their memory be blessed, said (Rashi on Leviticus 12:2) that a woman never [experiences] blood unless her head and limbs are heavy upon her. And there is no doubt that this excess makes them, and anyone who comes close to them at all, sick. And all the more so with sexual relations, which is the epitome of physical closeness. And also the offspring that is born [from a union] while that excess overpowers her is destined for bad illnesses. And from this root that we said from the angle of excess, the Torah commanded that she be impure from the male seven [days] and two weeks from the female. As there is no doubt that the excesses of the woman that gives birth to a female are greater than one who gives birth to a male — since conception of a male indicates heat in the female. And [it is] like they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 60a), “‘If a woman conceives (literally, gives seed) and gives birth to a male — [if] a woman gives seed first, she gives birth to a male.” And it is well-known that the excesses of heat are few and its action is always quick — it is a logical thing. And therefore seven days of cleansing suffices with the pregnancy of a male.
וְהֶרְיוֹן הַנְּקֵבָה תּוֹרֶה עַל קְרִירוּת טֶבַע הַנְּקֵבָה, וּבִקְרִירוּת יִרְבּוּ הַמּוֹתָרוֹת, וְלָכֵן תִּצְטָרֵךְ שְׁבוּעַיִם לְנִקְיוֹן גּוּפָהּ. וְכֵן מָצָאתִי הָעִנְיָן אַחֲרֵי כָּתְבִי זֶה לְהָרַמְבַּ"ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (ויקרא יב ד), וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי טֶבַע הַנְּקֵבָה קַר וְלַח, וְהַלֵּחָה בְּרֶחֶם הָאֵם רַבָּה מְאֹד וְקָרָה, וְעַל כֵּן יָלְדָה נְקֵבָה, וּלְפִיכָךְ הִיא צְרִיכָה נִקָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל מִפְּנֵי רִבּוּי הַלֵּחוֹת וְהַדָּם הַמְּעֻפָּשׁ שֶׁבָּהֶן וּמִפְּנֵי קְרִירוּתָן, וּבְיָדוּעַ כִּי הֶחֳלָאִים הַקָּרִים צְרִיכִים בְּנִקְיוֹנָם אֲרִיכוּת זְמַן יוֹתֵר מִן הַחַמִּים. עַד כָּאן.
And the conception of a female indicates coldness in the constitution of the female. And in coldness, excesses abound; and hence she needs two weeks for the cleansing of her body. And so did I find the matter after I wrote this [in] Ramban, may his memory be blessed, and these are his words (Ramban on Leviticus 12:4): “Because the constitution of the female is cold and wet, and the dampness in the womb of the mother is very great and cold. And therefore, she gave birth to a female. And hence she requires a big cleansing because of the multitude of dampness and the blood decaying in her and because of her coldness. And it is well-known that the cold sicknesses require a longer time to be cleansed than the hot ones.” To here [are his words].
וּבְדוֹמֶה לָזֶה יִהְיֶה הָעִנְיָן גַּם כֵּן בְּנִדָּה וְזָבָה, כִּי הַנִּדָּה תִּטְהַר לְשִׁבְעַת יָמִים וַאֲפִלּוּ שׁוֹפַעַת כָּל שִׁבְעָה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁתִּפְסֹק בַּשְּׁבִיעִי מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם מִדִּין תּוֹרָה, וְהַזָּבָה צְרִיכָה שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים, לְפִי שֶׁהַזִּיבָה תּוֹרֶה עַל רֹב מוֹתְרֵי הָאִשָּׁה וְזֶהוּ הֶמְשֵׁךְ הֲרָקַת דָּמִים יָמִים רַבִּים אַחַר יָמִים הַנְּהוּגִים בְּרֹב הַנָּשִׁים. וְאֶפְשָׁר לָנוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁחֹלִי הֲרָקַת הַדָּמִים בַּנָּשִׁים מֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתָּן הַקַּלָּה עֲלֵיהֶן אוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק קִרְבָתָן קְצָת מִן הָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא רָץ אַחֲרֵיהֶן כָּל הַיָּמִים, כִּי יִתְגַּנּוּ בְּעֵינָיו קְצָת בִּדְבַר הַלִּכְלוּךְ הַהוּא שֶׁיֵּדַע בָּהֶן וְלֹא יִשְׁגֶּה תָּמִיד בְּאַהֲבָתָן.
And similar to this is also the matter of the menstruant and the zavah. As the menstruant is purified after seven days — and even if she gushes all of the seven, so long as she stops on the seventh while it is still day — by the law of the Torah. But the zavah requires seven clean [days after her bleeding], because the flow indicates the extent of the excesses of the woman — and that is the continuation of the emptying of blood many days after the days that are customary in most women. And it is possible for us to say that the sickness of discharging blood in women from month to month was so that their weak minds not become haughty. Or [it is] so as to distance their closeness from man a little, so that he not run after them all of the days. As the thing of this messiness that he knows about them will be a little disgusting in his eyes and he will not always err in his love of them.
וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמְרוּ בְּנִדָּה (לא ב) עַל צַד הַפְּשָׁט. רְצוֹנִי לוֹמַר שֶׁכִּוְּנוּ לְגַלּוֹת אֶחָד מִן הַתּוֹעֲלוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּמִּצְוָה מִלְּבַד רֹב עִקָּרֶיהָ הַגְּדוֹלִים וְהַחֲזָקִים. וְכָתְבוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת בְּהַרְחָקַת הָאִשָּׁה קְצָת זְמַן כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחַבֵּב עַל בַּעְלָהּ יוֹתֵר בַּזְּמַן הַמֻּכְשָׁר וְלֹא יָקוּצוּ זֶה מִזֶּה לְרֹב הַתְמָדַת קִרְבָתָן וְיִתְּנוּ עֵינֵיהֶם בְּגוּפִים אֲחֵרִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ רַב הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם גְּדוּרִים בִּגְדָרֵינוּ הַחֲמוּרִים, וּכְמוֹ כֵן יַסְפִּיק טַעְמָם זֶה עַל צַד הַפְּשָׁט בְּיוֹלֶדֶת שֶׁלֹּא יִתְנַוֵּל בָּהּ מִיָּד, וְשֶׁמָּא תִּתְגַּנֶּה בְּעֵינָיו וְיָקוּץ בָּהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בְּנִדָּה (שם).
And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said in Niddah 31b from the angle of the simple understanding — I mean to say that they intended to reveal one of the great benefits that there is in the commandment besides its great and strong principles — and they wrote that there is a benefit in the distancing of the wife a little time so as to make her more beloved to her husband at the fit time, and that they should not get sick one of the other from the great constancy of their closeness and they give their eyes to other bodies — like most of the other nations, who are not restrained by our strict fences, do. And likewise this reason of theirs suffices from the angle of the simple understanding with the woman who has given birth; such that he not disgrace himself with her immediately, and lest she be disgusting in his eyes and he be sick of her, like we said in Niddah 31b.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. כְּגוֹן מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם סו א) שֶׁכָּל הַיּוֹלְדוֹת טְמֵאוֹת וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ דָּם, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִפְתִיחַת הָרֶחֶם בְּלֹא דָּם, וְאֶחָד הַיּוֹלֶדֶת חַי אוֹ מֵת וַאֲפִלּוּ נֵפֶל, וְהוּא שֶׁתִּגָּמֵר צוּרָתוֹ טְמֵאָה טֻמְאַת לֵדָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ הִפִּילָה שִׁלְיָא אוֹ שַׁפִּיר מָלֵא מַיִם אוֹ דָּם, הֲרֵי זוֹ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת לְלֵדָה, דְּקַיְמָא לַן אֵין שִׁלְיָא בְּלֹא וָלָד. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מוֹצְאִים עַכְשָׁו הַוָּלָד בַּשִּׁלְיָא, חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא נִמּוֹק בְּתוֹכוֹ, וְתֵשֵׁב מִסָּפֵק יְמֵי טֻמְאָה שֶׁל נְקֵבָה שֶׁהֵם שְׁבוּעַיִם, וִימֵי טֹהַר שֶׁל זָכָר שֶׁהֵם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יוֹם וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, דְּמִסָּפֵק אָזְלִינַן הָכָא וְהָכָא לְהַחְמִיר. וְזֶה שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לָחוּשׁ לְוָלָד, דַּוְקָא שֶׁעָבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם מִשֶּׁנִּתְעַבְּרָה, אֲבָל לֹא עָבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, אֵינָהּ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת לְלֵדָה, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעִים מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁיּוֹם אַרְבָּעִים כְּלִפְנֵי אַרְבָּעִים הוּא חָשׁוּב. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת לְלֵדָה, כְּלוֹמַר וְלֹא יִהְיוּ לָהּ יְמֵי טֹהַר כְּמוֹ בְּיוֹלֶדֶת, חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת הִיא מִכָּל מָקוֹם לְטֻמְאַת נִדָּה. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיָּלְדָה לֵדָה יְבֵשָׁה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא רָאֲתָה דָּם כְּלָל, אָנוּ אוֹמְרִים, מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּלְדָה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִפְתִיחַת הָרֶחֶם בְּלֹא דָּם, וְשֶׁמָּא הָיָה מוּעָט וְנֶאֱבַד, וְכָל אִשָּׁה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ יְמֵי טֻמְאַת לֵדָה, יֵשׁ לָהּ יְמֵי טֹהַר מִדִּין תּוֹרָה, וִימֵי הַטֹּהַר הֵם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לְזָכָר וְשִׁשִּׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה לִנְקֵבָה. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא כֵּן, דִּין תּוֹרָה, שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה אַחַר שֶׁיָּלְדָה מוֹנָה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים מִיּוֹם שֶׁיָּלְדָה, וּבֵין שֶׁיָּלְדָה מִתְּחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה אוֹ בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ סָמוּךְ לִשְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה, מוֹנָה אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁל לֵדָה יוֹם אֶחָד וּמַשְׁלִים עָלָיו שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, וּבֵין רוֹאָה קְצָת יָמִים מִן הַשִּׁבְעָה אוֹ כָּל הַשִּׁבְעָה, לָעָרֶב שֶׁל שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁהוּא לֵיל שְׁמִינִי, טוֹבֶלֶת וּטְהוֹרָה לְבַעְלָהּ, וַאֲפִילּוּ שׁוֹפַעַת דָּם בְּאוֹתוֹ לֵיל שְׁמִינִי, טוֹבֶלֶת וּטְהוֹרָה לְבַעְלָהּ, שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הִתִּירָה כָּל הַדָּמִים שֶׁתִּרְאֶה הַיּוֹלֶדֶת אַחַר שִׁבְעָה יָמִים לְזָכָר בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יוֹם, וְאַחַר אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לִנְקֵבָה בְּתוֹךְ שִׁשִּׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה יוֹם.
From the laws of the commandment is, for example, that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Niddah 66a) that all women who give birth are impure — and even if they did not see blood, as it is impossible to have an opening of the womb without blood. And it is one whether the woman gives birth to a live [baby] or to a dead one, and even if she miscarried — and that is when its form is completed — she is impure with the impurity of birth. And even if she miscarried a placenta or an amnion full of water or blood, behold this one [must be] concerned about a birth; as it established for us that there is no placenta without a fetus. And even though they do not find the fetus in the placenta now, we are concerned lest it dissolved inside it. And from the doubt, she sits [out] the days of impurity for a female which is two weeks, and the days of purification for a male which are thirty-three days and not more - as from a doubt, we are stringent [to this side] and [that side]. And this that we say that she must be concerned about a birth is specifically when forty days have passed over her since she conceived. But if forty days have not passed over her, she does not concern herself about a birth — and even on the actual fortieth day, as the fortieth day is considered like before the [end of] forty days. And nonetheless even though she does not concern herself about a birth — meaning to say, and she will not have the days of purification like a woman who has given birth — she concerns herself, nonetheless, about the impurity of a menstruant. And even if the birth was a dry birth — meaning to say that she did not see blood at all — we say that since she gave birth, it is impossible to have an opening of the womb without blood, and lest it was little and it got lost. And any woman that has days of birth for impurity has days of purification from Torah writ. And the days of purification are thirty-three for a male and sixty-six for a female. And the matter is like this [regarding] the law of the Torah: That after she gave birth, the woman counts seven days from the day she gave birth. And whether she gave birth at the beginning of the night or at midday or even near sunset, she counts that day of birth as one day and completes six [more] days upon it. And whether she [experiences blood] a few of the days of the seven or all of the seven, she immerses on the evening of the seventh, which is the eighth night, and she is pure for her husband. And even if she is gushing blood on that eighth night, she immerses and is pure for her husband; as the Torah permitted all blood that a woman has given birth will see after the seven days within the thirty-three days for a male, and after fourteen within sixty-six days for a female.
וְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (נדה לה ב), כִּי מַעְיָן אֶחָד הוּא וְהַתּוֹרָה טִמְּאַתּוּ וְהַתּוֹרָה טִהֲרַתּוּ. כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁדְּמֵי הַלֵּדָה שֶׁטִּמְּאָה הַתּוֹרָה וּדְמֵי הַטֹּהַר שֶׁטִּהֲרָה הַתּוֹרָה מִמָּקוֹם אֶחָד הוּא וְהוּא מִן הַמָּקוֹר, שֶׁהוּא מָקוֹם טֻמְאָה יוֹצְאוֹת שְׁנֵיהֶן, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה תִּתְלֶה הָעִנְיָן בַּזְּמַן, וּתְטַמֵּא הַדָּם הַיֹּצֵא מִמֶּנָּה בִּזְמַן אֶחָד וּתְטַהֵר בַּזְּמַן הַשֵּׁנִי, וּבָרוּךְ הַיּוֹדֵעַ כָּל הַחָכְמָה כִּי הַכֹּל עָשָׂה בְּטַעַם נָכוֹן וּמְחֻיָּב, וְהוּא בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָדַע שֶׁעַד אוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן, הַדָּמִים מַזִּיקִין וּמִשָּׁם וְאֵילָךְ לֹא יַזִּיקוּ.
And about this they, may their memory be blessed, said (Niddah 35b) that there is one “wellspring” and the Torah made it impure, and the Torah [also] made it pure. [This is] meaning to say that the blood of birth that the Torah made impure and the blood of purification that the Torah made pure are from one place; and that is [that] both of them come out from the source (the uterus), which is a place of impurity. However the Torah made the matter depend on time and made impure the blood that comes from her at one time and made [it] pure at a second time. And blessed is the One that knows all wisdom, as He did every thing for a correct and necessary reason. And He, blessed be He, knows that up to a certain time, the blood is damaging; and [that] from then on, it is not damaging.
וְעַכְשָׁו נָהֲגוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגָדְרוּ עַצְמָן לִנְהֹג טֻמְאָה בִּדְמֵי טֹהַר כְּמוֹ בִּדְמֵי טֻמְאָה. וּכְלַל הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵין הָאִשָּׁה עַכְשָׁו עוֹלָה מִטֻּמְאָתָהּ לְעוֹלָם עַד שֶׁתַּעֲמֹד שִׁבְעָה יָמִים שְׁלֵמִים נְקִיִּים מִכָּל דָּם וְתַתְחִיל לִמְנוֹתָן מִבָּעֶרֶב, זֶהוּ כְּלָל גָּדוֹל וְעַד הַיּוֹם נוֹהֲגִים כֵּן בְּכָל מְקוֹמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַכְּשֵׁרִים, וּבָזֶה נִצַּלְנוּ מִכַּמָּה סְפֵקוֹת. וְדִינֵי הַסְּפֵקוֹת הַמִּתְחַדְּשׁוֹת לִפְעָמִים עַל הַיּוֹלֶדֶת, כְּגוֹן אִם תִּתְחַיֵּב לֵשֵׁב עַל טֻמְאַת זָכָר אוֹ עַל טֻמְאַת נְקֵבָה, שֶׁפְּעָמִים תִּצְטָרֵךְ מִתּוֹךְ הַסָּפֵק לֵשֵׁב לְזָכָר וְלִנְקֵבָה וְגַם לְנִדָּה. וְדִין הַמַּפֶּלֶת כְּמִין בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וָעוֹף מָה דִּינָהּ, וְאִם פָּנִים כִּפְנֵי אָדָם אוֹ אֵין פְּנֵיהֶם כִּפְנֵי אָדָם מָה דִּינָהּ וְהַמַּפֶּלֶת כְּמִין יַבְחוּשִׁין, כְּמִין שְׂעָרוֹת. וְהַמַּפֶּלֶת דְּמוּת אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כְּנָפַיִם שֶׁל בָּשָׂר, וְכֵן הַמַּפֶּלֶת דְּמוּת אָדָם בְּעַיִן אַחַת וְיָרֵךְ אַחַת. וְהַמַּפֶּלֶת זָכָר וְסַנְדָּל עִמּוֹ, וְהִיא הַבְּרִיָּה שֶׁאֵינָהּ נִכֶּרֶת אִם זָכָר אוֹ נְקֵבָה. וְדִין הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁיּוֹצֵאת מְלֵאָה וּבָאָה רֵיקָנִית וְהִיא טוֹעָה בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנָהּ. וְיֶתֶר רֻבֵּי פְּרָטֶיהָ בְּעִנְיְנֵי טֻמְאָתָהּ, הַכֹּל בְּמַסֶּכֶת נִדָּה (י"ד סי' קצ"א). וְעִנְיַן דִּינֵי קָרְבָּנוֹת, מְפֻזָּרִין בְּהַרְבֵּה מַסֶּכְתּוֹת. וּמֵהֶן הַרְבֵּה בִּזְבָחִים וַעֲרָכִין וּכְרֵיתוֹת וְקִנִּין וּנְגָעִים (י"ד ס' קכג).
But now all of Israel has girded itself and has become accustomed to treat the blood of purification like the blood of impurity. And the general principle of the matter is that a woman today does not ever emerge from her impurity until she undergoes seven full days clean from all blood. And she begins counting them from the evening. And this is a great principle and it is practiced until this day in all the places of the proper Israelites. And through this, we are saved from several doubts. And the laws of the doubts that sometimes arise upon the woman giving birth — for example, if she is obligated to sit [out] for the impurity of a male or the impurity of a female, as sometimes she must sit [out] for a male and a female and for [being] a menstruant from the doubt; the law of what is the law of one who has a miscarriage of a type of beast or bird; what is the law if their faces are like the faces of people or if their faces are not like the faces of people; what is the law of one who has a miscarriage of types of gnats [or] types of hairs; one who has a miscarriage of the image of a man that has wings of flesh; likewise one who has a miscarriage of the image of a man with one eye and one thigh; one who has a miscarriage of a male together with a sandal, and that is a creature that is not recognizable whether it is male or female; the law of a woman that goes out full and comes back empty and errs in her calculation — and the rest of its many details regarding her impurity are all in Tractate Niddah. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah 191.) And the matter of the laws of sacrifices are scattered in many tractates, and many of them are in Zevachim, Arakhin, Keritot and Negaim.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן לְעִנְיָן שֶׁהַיּוֹלְדוֹת טְמֵאוֹת. וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וּבָא עָלֶיהָ בְּמֵזִיד בְּתוֹךְ הַזְּמַן הַמֻּגְבָּל לְאִסּוּר אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אַחַר זְמַן הַמֻּגְבָּל כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא טָבְלָה בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה זֶה, וְגַם עָבַר עַל לָאו כְּמוֹ בְּנִדָּה, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (ויקרא יב ב) כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּוֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא. וְחַיָּב כָּרֵת, בְּשׁוֹגֵג חַיָּב לְהָבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת.
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times regarding that women giving birth are impure. And one who transgresses it and has sexual relations with her volitionally during the time specified for prohibition — or even after the specified time, so long as she has not immersed — has violated this positive commandment, besides that he has violated a negative commandment, as with a menstruant. And [it is] like the matter that is written (Leviticus 12:2), “like the days of her menstrual illness, shall she be impure.” And [so] he is liable for excision. If inadvertent, he is liable to bring a fixed sin-offering at the time of the [Temple].