משנה: כָּל־הַיָּד הַמַּרְבָּה לִבְדּוֹק בַּנָּשִׁים מְשׁוּבַּחַת וּבָאֲנָשִׁים תִּיקָּצֵץ. הַחֵרֶשֶׁת וְהַשּׁוֹטָה וְהַסּוֹמָה וְשֶׁנִּטְרְפָה דַּעְתָּהּ אִם יֵשׁ לָהֶן פִּיקְחוֹת מַתְקִינוֹת אוֹתָן וְאוֹכְלוֹת בַּתְּרוּמָה. דֶּרֶךְ בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת בְּעִדִּים אֶחָד לוֹ וְאֶחָד לָהּ וְהַצְּנוּעוֹת מַתְקִינוֹת לָהֶן שְׁלִישִׁית אֶחָד לְהַתְקִין אֶת הַבַּיִת. MISHNAH: Every hand which checks frequently1To check for genital emissions. is praiseworthy2Since she minimizes impurity of foods. for women but should be cut off for men3Since it will arouse the man sexually.. If an insane woman, or a blind, or a mentally disturbed4The insane is permanently mentally disabled; the mentally disturbed is ill temporarily. have sane5Depending on the context, פיקח can mean either “sane” or “seeing”; here it means both. women friends, they can put them in order6They can check them out and certify that they are not menstruating. so they can eat heave7If they are members of a Cohen’s household.. It is the way of Jewish women to have intercourse with cloths, one for him and one for her8If they are preparing their food in purity and are required to check themselves at least twice a day, so they can wipe themselves after intercourse and inspect the cloths the next morning to be sure no blood appears on any cloth., and the religious ones prepare a third to put their house in order9Since the requirement was already stated in Halakhah 1:7 that a woman engaged in preparing pure food has to check herself before intercourse, the question arises in the Halakhah what this Mishnah adds to Mishnah 1:7..
הלכה: כָּל־הַיָּד הַמַּרְבָּה לִבְדּוֹק בַּנָּשִׁים מְשׁוּבַּחַת כול׳. כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. כָּל־הַמַּרְבֶּה לִיתֵּן יָדוֹ עַל עֵינוֹ מַרְבֶּה לְהוֹצִיא דִמְעָה. רִבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר. תִּיקָצֵץ עַל טִיבּוּרוֹ. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. וַהֲרֵי כְרֵיסוֹ נִבְקַעַת. אָמַר לָהֶן. לָכָךְ אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי. שֶׁמּוֹתוֹ שֶׁלָּזֶה יָפִין לוֹ מֵחַייָו. חֲבֵרַייָא אָֽמְרִין. רִבִּי טַרְפוֹן מְקַלְּלוֹ קְלָלָה שֶׁהִיא נוֹגַעַת בְּגוּפוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. לֹא בָא אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁאָסוּר לְמַשְׁמֵשׁ מִן הַטִּיבּוּר וּלְמַטָּן. הָדָא דְתֵימַר לְעִנְייָן שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע. אֲבָל לְעִנְייָן זִיבָה כָּל־הַמַּרְבָּה לִבְדּוֹק מֵחֲבֵירוֹ מְשׁוּבָּח מֵחֲבֵירוֹ. HALAKHAH: “Every hand which checks frequently is praiseworthy for women,” etc. So is the baraita10A similar text is quoted piecewise in the Babli, 13a/b. A continuous text is in Tosephta 2:8: “Every hand which checks frequently is praiseworthy for women but should be cut off for men; Rebbi Ṭarphon says, it should be cut off on his navel. One said to him, does that not split open his belly? He said to them, that is what I said, to what can this be compared? To one who forcefully puts his hand on his eye who will have tears. When has this been said? In the matter of semen. But in a case of gonorrhea, every hand which checks more frequently than another is more praiseworthy than the other.”: “Any one who frequently puts his hand on his eye will frequently have tears. Rebbi Ṭarphon says, it should be cut off on his navel. One said to him, does that not split open his belly? He said to them, that is what I said, for such a person’s death is better than his life.” The colleagues say, Rebbi Ṭarphon curses him in his body. Rebbi Yose said, he only explains that it is forbidden to manipulate lower than the navel. “That is, in the matter of semen. But in a case of gonorrhea, every hand which checks more frequently than another is more praiseworthy than the other.11An exact check is necessary to determine the duration of his impurity and the correct way of purification once the patient is healed.”
צְנוּעוֹת הָיוּ בוֹדְקוֹת עַל כָּל־חָבִית וְחָבִית וְעַל כָּל־כִּכָּר וְכִכָּר. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּטַבִּיתָה שִׁפְחָתוֹ שֶׁלְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָֽיְתָה מַכְתֶּפֶת יֵינוֹת לִנְסָכִין וְהָֽיְתָה בוֹדֶקֶת עַל כָּל־חָבִית וְחָבִית. אָֽמְרָה לוֹ. רִבִּי. רָאִיתִי כֶתֶם. וְנִזְדַּעְזֵעַ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. אָֽמְרָה לוֹ. בּוֹדֶקֶת הָיִיתִי עַל כָּל־חָבִית וְחָבִית וְלֹא נִטְמֵיתִי אֶלָּא עַל חָבִית זוֹ בִּלְבַד. The religious women were checking themselves out for every amphora and every loaf. 12A similar story appears in the Babli, 6b, where Rabban Gamliel had to rule that only the last amphora was impure. Rabban Gamliel here is clearly Gamliel I, Hillel’s grandson, since libations are possible only in the Temple. The Babli has great trouble with the story because it identifies the master as Gamliel II of Jabne. It happened that Tabitha, the slave girl of Rabban Gamliel, was carrying wine for libations and checked herself for every amphora. She said to him, my master, I detected a stain. Rabban Gamliel started. She said to him, I was checking myself for every amphora and was impure only for that amphora.
אָֽמְרוּן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יַנַּאי. אֵין כָּן סוֹמָה. וְקָמַת. אָֽמְרוּן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּרִבִּי חֲנִינָה. אֵין כָּן סוֹמָה. וְקָמַת. רִבִּי אִילָא רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה בְּשֵׁם דְּבֵית רִבִּי יַנַּאי. אֵין כָּן סוֹמָה. They said in Rabbi Yannai’s name: There is no blind woman. Does this hold up? They said in Rabbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥanina’s name: There is no blind woman. Does this hold up? Rebbi Ila, Rabbi Yose ben Ḥanina, in the name of the House of Rebbi Yannai: There is no blind woman13One has to omit the reference to a blind woman in the Mishnah. It seems that there was opposition to this statement and it was accepted only on the authority of R. Ilai. The Babli, 13b, quotes the statement in R. Yose ben R. Ḥanina’s name and explains that a blind woman can check herself and show the cloth to a seeing friend. While she needs help, she acts on her own and does not have to be certified..
אָמַר רִבִּי יַנַּאי. אַף הָרִאשׁוֹנָה נִקְרֵאת צְנוּעָה. תַּנִּינָן צְרִיכוֹת בּוֹדְקוֹת. וְאַתְ אָמַר הָכֵין. אָמַר רִבִּי אִילָא. לְהוֹדִיעָךְ שֶׁכָּל־מִי שֶׁהוּא מְקַייֵם דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים נִקְרָא צָנוּעַ. Rebbi Yannai said, the first one14The woman working on pure food mentioned in Mishnah 1:7 who is required to check herself before intercourse. also is called religious. We have stated “they have to check themselves”, and you say so15In Mishnah 1:7, the checking is stated as a requirement. In Mishnah 2:1, a similar statement appears as an act of special piety. It is impossible to explain Mishnah 2:1 as dealing with a woman not occupied with pure food since Mishnah 2:3 very clearly states that all women are permitted to their husbands without any checking.? Rebbi Ila said, to tell you that everybody who keeps the directives of the rabbis is called religious16The Babli, 12a, quotes the explanation attributed here to R. Ila in the name of R. Immi and rejects it since a person who does not follow the rabbis’ directives is called evil. Rava explains there that the religious women take a new piece of textile for every check whereas others use the same piece repeatedly..
רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַב. בָּֽדְקָה בְיָד שֶׁאֵינָהּ בְּדוּקָה אוֹ שֶׁהִטִּיחַ גּוּפָהּ לְבֵית תּוֹרְפָהּ חֶזְקַת הַגּוּף כְּבָדוּק הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא. מַתְנִיתָא אָֽמְרָה כֵן. נִמְצָא עַל שֶׁלּוֹ טְמֵאִין וְחַייָבִין בְּקָרְבָּן. לֹא שֶׁכָּל־הַגּוּף בְּחֶזְקַת בָּדוּק. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. תִּיפְתָּר שֶׁבָּדַק. וְאִיקְפַּד רִבִּי זְעִירָא. אָמַר. וְדַרְכוֹ לְכֵן. רִבִּי זְעִירָה בְשֵׁם רַב יִרְמְיָה. עַד כִּגְרִיס הִיא תוֹלָה. יוֹתֵר מִיכֵּן צְרִיכָה מַתְלָא. אָֽמְרִין. חָזַר בֵּיהּ רַב יִרְמְיָה. אָֽמְרִין. כַּד שָׁמַע מִילֵּיהוֹן דְּרַבָּנִן חָזַר בֵּיהּ. רִבִּי מְשַׁבֵּחַ לְרִבִּי חָמָא אָבוֹי דְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֵּירִבִּי יוֹסֵי. רִבִּי חָמָא אָבוֹי דְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֵּירִבִּי יוֹסֵי. בָּֽדְקָה בְיָד שֶׁאֵינָהּ בְּדוּקָה אוֹ שֶׁהִטִּיחַ גּוּפָהּ לְבֵית תּוֹרְפָהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כְּדִבְרֵי מִי אַתְּ שׁוֹאֲלֵינִי. כְּדִבְרִי הָרַב כְּדִבְרֵי הַתַּלְמִיד. אָמַר לֵיהּ. אַבָּא אָמַר כֶּתֶם. וְרִבִּי אוֹמֵר רְאִייָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ. דֵּין הוּא דְּאַתְּ מְשַׁבַּח בֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָה. הַנֵּי לְבַר נַשׁ מִישְׁמוֹעַ טַעֲמֵיהּ דְּרַבֵּיהּ. Rebbi Jeremiah17Later in the Halakhah he correctly is called Rav Jeremiah (bar Abba). in the name of Rav: If she checked herself with an unchecked hand18An unwashed hand which might have blood on it from other sources. or if she hit hard with her body on her genitals19The expression is elliptic and uses the masculine for the feminine. If the woman sat down hard, or hit herself with a hard object on the outer genitals, and now there are blood drops found there. Rav declares her impure as menstruating since one has to assume that any blood found came from the body at the time it was found, and that her body, including her hand, was free of blood drops beforehand., the presumption is that her body was checked. Rebbi Ze‘ira said, the Mishnah20Mishnah 2:2. says so: “If it was found on his [cloth], they are impure and obligated for a sacrifice.21If the next morning there was nothing on her cloth but a bloodstain was found on his, it is assumed that both their bodies were clean at the start of intercourse and that, therefore, the bloodstain had to come from her.” Does that not mean that there is a presumption that the body was checked? Rebbi Ḥanina said, explain it if he had checked himself. Rebbi Ze‘ira was offended. Do people do that22Nobody checks himself out like that.? Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Rav Jeremiah: Up to a broken bean she hangs it, more than that its needs an explanation23This statement seems to be elliptic and should read: If the stain is smaller than a broken bean, one may presume it is the blood of a louse or flea. If the stain is larger, it comes from menstrual blood unless there is an explicit explanation, i. e., a known source of the blood. Yerushalmi מתלא is the same as Babylonian אמתלא “an explanation” (etymologically: a peg to hang on.). They said, Rav Jeremiah retracted this. They said, he retracted it when he was informed of the words of the rabbis24In the following story.. Rebbi praised Rebbi Ḥama, the father of Rebbi Hoshaiah, before Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose. Rebbi Ḥama, the father of Rebbi Hoshaiah, asked before Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose: If she checked herself with an unchecked hand or if she hit hard with her body on her genitals? He said to him, according to him are you asking me? Following the teacher or following the student? My father25R. Yose, Rebbi’s teacher. In the Babli, 14a, R. Yose’s opinion is credited to R. Ḥiyya (the Elder). said, a stain26Which creates a doubt that it be menstrual blood.. But Rebbi said, an episode of bleeding27A case of certain menstrual bleeding.. He said to him: That is the one of whom you are proud28The reaction is unintelligible here. It is explained in the Babli, 14b, where R. Ḥama’s question was about the situation discussed in the next paragraph and where R. Ḥama insisted to hear Rabbi’s opinion, not that of R. Yose (R. Ismael’s father and Rebbi’s teacher), about which R. Ismael was offended.? Rebbi Ze‘ira said, it profits a man to learn his own teacher’s reasons29R. Ḥama’s question was justified (but he could have asked in a more diplomatic way.).
בָּֽדְקָה וְהִנִּיחָתוֹ בְּקֻפְצָה שֶׁל זְכוּכִית. רִבִּי חִייָה אוֹמֵר. כֶּתֶם. וְרִבִּי אוֹמֵר. רְאִייָה. הָתִיב רִבִּי חִייָה לְרִבִּי. וֲאַתְּ אֵין אַתְּ נוֹתֵן לָהּ מִיתְלָא. אָמַר רִבִּי בּוּן בַּר חִייָה. טַעֲמָא דְרִבִּי. דֶּרֶךְ קֻפְצִיּוֹת בְּדוּקוֹת מִן הַשְּׁרָצִין וְאֵינָן בְּדוּקוֹת מִן הַמַּאֲכוֹלֶת. עַד כִּגְרִיס הִיא תוֹלָה. יוֹתֵר מִיכֵּן בְּמַה יֵשׁ לִתְלוֹת בָּהּ. If she checked30She wiped herself with a cloth and put it away for inspection later when it was found stained. and deposited it in a glass box, Rebbi Ḥiyya said, a stain; Rebbi said, an episode of bleeding. Rebbi Ḥiyya objected to Rebbi: Do you not give her the possibility of an explanation? Rebbi Abun bar Ḥiyya said, Rebbi’s reason is that a box is safe from crawling things, it is not safe from lice31Which might have been on the cloth. The size of a squeezed louse is the upper limit of a stain which may be explained away.. Up to the size of a broken bean she explains it; if it is larger, by what can it be explained?