משנה: אֵי זוֹ הִיא זְקֵינָה. כָּל־שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת סָמוּךְ לְזִקְנָתָהּ. רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר כָּל־אִשָּׁה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת דַּייָהּ שָׁעָתָהּ. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. מְעוּבֶּרֶת וּמֵינִיקָה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶן שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת דַּייָן שָׁעָתָן. MISHNAH: What is an old woman? Any who missed three periods when she became old. Rebbi Eliezer says, the timing of any woman who misses three periods is exact. Rebbi Yose said, the timing of a pregnant or a nursing woman who had stopped for three periods is exact.
הלכה: אֵי זוֹ הִיא זְקֵינָה כול׳. רִבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר. מַחְמַת הֶחָלָב הַדָּמִין מִסְתַּלְּקִין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. מַחְמַת הַצַּעַר הַדָּמִים מִסְתַּלְּקִין. אַשְׁכָּחַת אָמַר קוּלַּת וְחוּמְרַת עַל דְּרִבִּי מֵאִיר קֻלַּת וְחוּמְרַת עַל דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. קוּלַּת עַל דְּרִבִּי מֵאִיר. שֶׁאִם הָיָה מוֹשֵׁךְ וְיוֹנֵק אַרְבַּע אוֹ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים דַּייָהּ שָׁעָתָהּ. וְחוּמְרַת. שֶׁאִם נָֽתְנָה בְנָהּ לְמֵינִיקָה וּגְמָלַתּוּ וָמֵת מְטַמָּא מֵעֵת לְעֵת. וְקוּלַּת עַל רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. שֶׁאִם נָֽתְנָה בְנָהּ לְמֵינִיקָה וּגְמָלַתּוּ וָמֵת דַּייָהּ שָׁעָתָהּ. וְחוּמְרַת. שֶׁאִם הָיָה מוֹשֵׁךְ וְיוֹנֵק אַרְבַּע אוֹ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים אָסוּר עַד כ"ד חוֹדֶשׁ. וְהָא רִבִּי מֵאִיר אָמַר. מְטַמָּא מֵעֵת לְעֵת. מָה. מִיַּד אוֹ לִכְשֶׁיִּפְסוֹק הַתִּינּוֹק וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַחֲזוֹר. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא. יוֹנֵק הוּא הַתִּינּוֹק וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד כ"ד חֹדֶשׁ שְׁלֵימִין. מִיכָּן וְהֵילָךְ כְּיוֹנֵק שֶׁקֶץ. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר. יוֹנֵק הוּא הַתִּינּוֹק וְהוֹלֵךְ אֲפִילּוּ אַרְבַּע אוֹ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמוּתָּר. פֵּירַשׁ אֵין מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ. עַד אֵיכָן. רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אָחָא רִבִּי חִייָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. עַד מֵעֵת לְעֵת. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים מֵעֵת לְעֵת. בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים. בִּזְמַן שֶׁפֵּירַשׁ מִתּוֹךְ בּוּרְייוֹ. אֲבָל אִם פֵּירַשׁ מִתּוֹךְ חוֹלְייוֹ מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ מִיַּד. וּבְתִינּוֹק שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁל סַכָּנָה. אֲבָל בּתִינּוֹק שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל סַכָּנָה אֲפִילוּ לְאַחַר כַּמָּה מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ מִיַּד. HALAKHAH: “What is an old woman,” etc. Rebbi Meïr says, the blood disappears because of the milk93In the Niddah.9a">Babli, 9a, “the blood is turned into milk”.. Rebbi Yose says, the blood disappears because of the pain94In the Niddah.9a">Babli, 9a, R. Yose, R. Simeon, and R. Jehudah hold that “her limbs are in disorder and do not return to their natural shape before 24 months.”. You find a leniency and a stringency following Rebbi Meïr, and a leniency and a stringency following Rebbi Yose. A leniency following Rebbi Meïr, for if the baby was continuing to suckle for four ot five years, her timing continues exact95Niddah.9a">Babli 9a, Niddah 2:1" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.2.1">Tosephta 2:1.. And a stringency, if she handed her child to a wet-nurse or it died, she [makes impure] for 24 hours. A leniency for Rebbi Yose, for if she handed her child to a wet-nurse or it died, her timing is exact96Up to 24 months after giving birth.. And a stringency, for if the baby was continuing to suckle for four ot five years, it is forbidden after 24 months97The text is influenced by the following discussion over the length of the nursing period. R. Yose holds that the timing of a nursing woman is exact only up to 24 months; Niddah.9a">Babli 9a, Niddah 2:1" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.2.1">Tosephta 2:1.. But did not Rebbi Meïr say, she makes impure for 24 hours? When98After stopping to nurse, when do the rules for the mother change from exact timing to retroactive impurity?? Immediately or if the baby stops and cannot start again? Let us hear from the following99Niddah 2:2" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.2.2">Tosephta 2:3, Ketubot.60a">Babli Ketubot 60a; Ketubot 5:6:4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Ketubot.5.6.4">Yerushalmi Ketubot 5:6 (Notes 147–151) in a slightly different version as seen from the variant readings denoted by כ. One may assume that the rich landlord R. Eliezer presents the rule usual in his moneyed circle and the poor charcoal burner R. Joshua those of the poor, who had no money for baby food and could use the implied contraception provided by nursing.: “A baby can nurse until 24 complete months, after that it is as if an abomination suckled, the words of Rebbi Eliezer. Rebbi Joshua said, a baby can nurse even four or five years; this is permitted. If he stopped, one cannot return him.” How long? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: up to 24 hours. Rebbi Ḥizqiah, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish, up to three times 24 hours. When was this said? If he stopped when healthy. But if he stopped because of sickness, one can return him immediately. And for a baby which was not in danger100Danger to his life.. But a baby who was in danger one can return him immediately even after a longer time.
זְקֵינָה. אֵי זוֹ הִיא זְקֵינָה. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֵֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. כָּל־שֶׁקּוֹרִין אוֹתָהּ אִימָּא וְאֵינָהּ מַקְפֶּדֶת. וּבְדַעְתָּהּ הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי. אָמַר רִבִּי אָבִין כָּל־שֶׁהִיא רְאוּיָה לְהִיקָּרוֹת אִימָּא. “An old woman.” Who is an old woman? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, any person whom one calls “mother” and she is not offended101A similar opinion in the Niddah.9">Babli, 9a/b. “Mother” is the obvious translation but the meaning is that of German Mütterlein “little mother”, for which I did not find a concise English translation. Similar,אַבָּא in the next paragraph is Väterlein “little father”.. Does that depend on her opinion? Rebbi Abun said, any who should be called “mother”102Quoted in Niddah 9b:1:1" href="/Tosafot_on_Niddah.9b.1.1">Tosaphot 9b, s. v. כל..
תַּנֵּי. הָעֲבָדִים וְהַשְּׁפָחוֹת אֵין קוֹרִין אוֹתָן אַבָּא פְלוֹנִי וְאִימָּא פְלוֹנִית. שֶׁלְּבֵית רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיוּ קוֹרִין לְעַבְדֵּיהֶן וּלְשִׁפְחוֹתֵיהֶן אַבָּא טָבִי וְאִמָּה טָבִיתָא. It was stated103Śemaḥot 1:13; quoted in the Berakhot.16b">Babli, Berakhot 16b. The quote is placed here because of the mention of אימא. As noted by H. L. Fleischer in Levy’s Dictionary s. v. טביתא, Acts 9:36 relates that a woman whose Aramaic name was Tabitha was called in Greek Δορκάς “gazelle, hind”; the names Tabi, Tabitha are the Aramaic nouns טָבְיָא “gazelle, hart”, טָבִיתָא “gazelle, hind”, translations of Hebrew צְבִי (m.), צִבְיָה (f., woman’s name 2Chr. 24:1). Fleischer insists that ظبية، صبية “girl” (ט̇ביה, צביה) never means “servant girl” in classical Arabic. The occurrence of a name with its translation for the same person is a general phenomenon; cf. E. und H. Guggenheimer, Etymologisches Lexikon der jüdischen Familiennamen. München 1996, pp. xxvii–xxviii.: One does not call male or female slaves “little father X” or “little mother Y”. In the house of Rabban Gamliel they used to call their male and female slaves “little father Tabi” and “little mother Tabitha”.
תַּנֵּי רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. יָֽלְדָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְגַּייְרָה אֵין לָהּ דַּם טוֹהַר. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְיֵאוּת. אִילוּלֵי דְתַנִּיתָהּ רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה הֲװָת צְרִיכָה לוֹ. מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין לָהּ דָּמִים טְמֵאִין אֵין לָהּ דָּמִים טְהוֹרִין. תַּנֵּי. הַגִּיּוֹרֶת וְהַשְּׁבוּיָה וְהַשִּׁפְחָה שֶׁנִּפְדּוּ וְשֶׁנִּתְגַייְרוּ וְשֶׁנִּשְׁתַּחְרְרוּ צְרִיכוֹת לְהַמְתִּין שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי יוּדָה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. אֵינָן צְרִיכוֹת לְהַמְתִּין שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים. וּבְדָמִים. רִבִּי יוּדָה אוֹמֵר. דַּייָה שָׁעָתָהּ. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. מְטַמֵּא מֵעֵת לָעֵת. אָמַר רִבִּי. נִרְאִין דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְדָמִים וְדִבְרֵי רִבִּי יוּדָה בִווְלָד. וְרִבִּי חִייָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. הֲלָכָה כְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. רִבִּי בָּא בַּר כֹּהֵן בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. דִלֹא כֵן מַה אֲנָן אָֽמְרִין. רִבִּי יוּדָה וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אֶלָּא בְגִין דָּמַר רִבִּי. נִרְאִין. וְלֹא כֵן אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי זְעִירָה. כָּל־מָקוֹם שֶׁשָּׁנָה רִבִּי. נִרְאִין. אַדַּייִן הַמַּחֲלוֹקֶת בִּמְקוֹמָהּ. חוּץ מִן הָעִיגּוּל שֶׁלַּדְּבֵילָה. דְּאָהֵן מוֹדֵה לְאָהֵן וְאָהֵן מוֹדֵה לְאָהֵן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. קַשִׁיתָהּ קוֹמֵי רִבִּי חֲנִינָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרִבִי אַבָּהוּ. וַאֲפִילוּ דָבָר בָּרִיא שֶׁנִּבְעֲלוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ. וּסְתָם גּוֹיוֹת לֹא כִבְּעוּלּוֹת הֵן. Rebbi Hoshaia stated: If [a woman] gave birth and then converted, she has no period of purity. Rebbi Yose said, this is correct. If Rebbi Hoshaia had not stated this, would it have been a problem for us? Since she has no period of impurity104Living Gentiles cannot be impure by biblical standards; all their impurity is rabbinical. The biblical status of the impurity of Gentile corpses is a matter of dispute. Since the period of purity follows the period of impurity caused by birthing, the fact that the woman was still a Gentile when giving birth eliminates the period of impurity and with it the period of purity., she cannot have a period of purity. 105From here to the end of the paragraph, the text (with some significant changes) is from Yevamot 4:11:6" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.4.11.6">Yebamot 4:11, Notes 167–171. In the variant readings, the Leiden ms. of Yebamot is noted by י, the Ashkenazic ms. fragments [Qobez al yad XII (XXII)] by א. It was stated: The proselyte, the captive, and the slave woman who were redeemed, or converted, or freed, have to wait three months, the words of Rebbi Judah. Rebbi Yose says, they do not have to wait. Their blood, Rebbi Jehudah says, is timed exactly; Rebbi Yose says, it makes impure 24 hours retroactively. Rebbi said, the words of Rebbi Yose are reasonable for the blood, and the words of Rebbi Judah for the child. But Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, practice follows Rebbi Yose. Rebbi Abba bar Cohen asked before Rebbi Yose: For if it were not so, what could we say? Between Rebbi Jehudah and Rebbi Yose, practice does not follow Rebbi Yose? But because Rebbi said, “they are reasonable”. Did not Rebbi Abba say in the name of Rebbi Ze‘ira, every time Rebbi taught “they are reasonable”, the disagreement is unresolved except in the case of the fig cake where each party to the controversy accepts the opposition’s argument. Rebbi Yose said, I stated a difficulty before Rebbi Ḥanina ben Rebbi Abbahu: Even if it is certain that they had sex? He said to him, is a normal Gentile not like one who had sex?
רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר. כָּל־אִשָּׁה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת דַּייָהּ שָׁעָתָהּ. וְתַנֵּי עֲלָהּ. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. לֹא אָֽמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֶלָּא זְקֵינָה. וְהָתַנֵּי. אָמַר רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר. מַעֲשֶׂה בְרִיבָה אַחַת בְּעייתלו שֶׁהִפְסִיקָה שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת וְלֹא רָאָת וְאַחַר כָּךְ רָאָת. וּבָא מַעֲשֶׂה לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים וְאָֽמְרוּ. דַּייָה שָׁעָתָהּ. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. קָטָן הָיִיתָ. וְאֶין עֵדוּת לְקָטָן. פַּעַם אַחַת הוֹרָה רִבִּי כְרִבִּי לִעֶזֶר וְהָיָה מִצְטָעֵר. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אִיתָא חֲמִי. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוֹרָה כְקוּלֵּי רִבִּי מֵאִיר וּכְקוּלֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לֹא הָיָה מִצְטָעֵר וְכָאן הָיָה מִצְטָעֵר. אָמַר לֵיהּ. תַּמָּן יְחִידִין אִינּוּן. אִית לָךְ מֵימַר. נִצְרְפָה דַעְתּוֹ עִם רִבִּי מֵאִיר וְרָבוּ עַל רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. נִצְרְפָה דַעְתּוֹ עִם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרָבוּ עַל רִבִּי מֵאִיר. אִית לָךְ מֵימַר הָכָא. נִצְרְפָה דַעְתּוֹ עִם רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר וְרָבוּ עַל חֲכָמִים. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּתַנֵּי עֲלָהּ. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. הוֹרָייַת שָׁעָה הָֽיְתָה. “Rebbi Eliezer says, the timing of any woman who misses three periods is exact.” But we stated on this: They said to him, the Sages said this only for the old woman. But did we not state34Niddah 1:5" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.1.5">Tosephta 1:9, Niddah.9b">Babli 9b.: “Rebbi Eliezer said, it happened with a girl in Aitlo35The vocalization is not known; the Babylonian tradition is different; the place has not been identified. But in any case it is impossible to prepare sacrifices outside of Jerusalem since living animals cannot become impure and the material for flour, wine, and oil sacrifices was controlled by the Temple.
In Babli and Tosephta it is stated that the impurity in effect should have been retroactive, that the ruling as given fits only extraordinary circumstances. One may assume that the Yerushalmi refers to a similar text and that Rav Ḥisda the Babylonian’s question really refers to this, that under normal circumstances the impurity of a menstruating woman without regular period should act retroactively on food prepared in purity outside of Jerusalem. that she missed for three periods and then had a period. When the case came before the Sages, they said that her timing was exact.” They said to him, you were underage, and an underage boy cannot testify106In general, an adult cannot testify to what he saw when he was underage. A small number of exceptions is listed in Ketubot 2:9:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Ketubot.2.9.1">Mishnah Ketubot 2:10.. Once did Rebbi decide to follow Rebbi Eliezer and he regretted it107Also mentioned in the Niddah.6a">Babli, 6a, Niddah.9b">9b, Eruvin.46a">Erubin 46a. In the Babli, Rebbi is quoted as saying that one may follow R. Eliezer in emergencies.. Rebbi Mana said before Rebbi Yose: Come and see, when he instructed following the leniencies of Rebbi Meïr and Rebbi Yose108As explained in the next Halakhah, he followed R. Meïr against R. Yose in matters of impurity of a pregnant woman and R. Yose against R. Meïr in matters of impurity of a nursing woman., he did not regret it, but in this case he regretted? He said to him, there we deal with isolated opinions109No opinion of the anonymous majority was recorded.. You can say, we add his110Rebbi’s own; while he lived one generation later, his standing is high enough that he may be counted with the students of R. Aqiba to decide matters. opinion to that of Rebbi Meïr to form a plurality against Rebbi Yose, and we add his opinion to that of Rebbi Yose to form a plurality against Rebbi Meïr; can you say here that we add his opinion to that of Rebbi Eliezer to form a plurality against the Sages? And in addition, it was stated on this111In Niddah 1:5" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.1.5">Tosephta 1:9, this is the answer which the majority gives to R. Eliezer about the ruling for the girl from Aitlo.: “It was an emergency decision.”
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. מְעוּבֶּרֶת וּמֵינִיקָה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶן שָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת דַּייָן שָׁעָתָן. וְתַנֵּי עֲלָהּ. יְמֵי עִיבּוּרָהּ וִימֵי מֵינִיקוּתָהּ מִצְטָֽרְפִין לְשָׁלֹשׁ עוֹנוֹת. דוּ סָבַר מַעְייָן אֶחָד הוּא. 90Niddah 1:4:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Niddah.1.4.1">Mishnah 1:5.“Rebbi Yose said, the timing of a pregnant or a nursing woman who had stopped for three periods is exact.” On that it was stated91Niddah 1:6" href="/Tosefta_Niddah.1.6">Tosephta 1:10: “R. Yose and R. Simeon say that the timing of a pregnant or a nursing woman is not exact unless there passed three periods (without menstruation); the days of her pregnancy and those of her nursing are added together.” It is clear that pregnancy and nursing cannot be counted together if the blood lost in childbirth is of menstrual character. Therefore, the Tosephta and the similar baraita quoted in the text are intelligible for Levi, not for Rav.: The days of her pregnancy and her nursing add up to three periods. Can he think that there is only one source?