## A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic

###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 4
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וְאִשָּׁה כִּי תִהְיֶה זָבָה דָּם יִהְיֶה זֹבָהּ בִּבְשָׂרָהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תִּהְיֶה בְּנִידָּתָהּ וְכָל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהּ יִטְמָא עַד הָעָרֶב.

**Urim, 2011:**
A woman who has a flow of blood in her body shall be a *niddah* for seven days, and all who touch her shall be ritually impure until sundown.


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 6
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וְאֶל אִּשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טֻמְאָתָהּ לֹא תִקְרַב לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ.

**Urim, 2011:**
A woman in the ritually impure state of *niddah*, you shall not approach for sexual relations.


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 10
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וְזֶה מִשְׁפָּטָהּ: מִשֶּׁתִּרְאֶה טִיפַּת דָם אֲפִילּוּ כְּחַרְדָּל אוֹ פָחוֹת, בֵּין בְּאוֹנֶס בֵּין בְּרָצֹון, מוֹנָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים עִם יוֹם רְאִיָּיתָהּ וְטוֹבֶלֶת בְּלֵיל שְׁמִינִי. וְכָך הַדִּין: אֲפִילּוּ שׁוֹפַעַת כָּל שִׁבְעָה, רַק שֶׁתִּפְסוֹק בְּטָהֳרָה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי קוֹדֶם בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת וּבְעֶרֶב טוֹבֶלֶת בְּלֵיל שְׁמִינִי. (טור; יורה דעה, קפג)

**Urim, 2011:**
A woman remains a *niddah* for seven days whether she bleeds for one day or the entire seven. Whenever the bleeding ceases, she ends her *niddah* status, according to original Torah law, immersing in the *mikveh* after nightfall of the seventh day – i.e., at the beginning of the eighth day.¹

footnotes:
¹ The Jewish day begins at sunset, with the day following the night, as the Torah states in Genesis 1: “and it was evening and it was morning.”


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 11
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וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְאֵילָךְ עַד אֲחַד עָשָׂר יוֹם, נִקְרָאִים יְמֵי זִיבָה, וְהֵן שֶׁהַחֲכָמִים קוֹראִין לָהֶם "אֲחַד עָשָׂר יוֹם שֶׁבֵּין נִדָּה לְנִדָּה". וּמִשְׁפָּטָהּ בָּהֵן: אִם רָאֲתָה בָהֶן יוֹם אֶחָד לְבָד – בֵּין שֶׁתִּרְאֶה בִתְחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה אוֹ בְסוֹף הַיּוֹם, רַק שֶׁתִּפְסוֹק בְּטָהֳרָה – מְשַׁמֶּרֶת כָּל הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁאַחַר כָּך. אִם לֹא תִרְאֶה, תַּשְׁכִּים לְמָחָר וְתִטְבּוֹל מִיָּד מֵאַחַר הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, אִם תִּרְצֶה; וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֲסוּרָה לְשַׁמֵּשׁ כָּל הַיּוֹם שֶׁמָּא תִרְאֶה וְתִסְתּוֹר – וְזוֹ הִיא שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת "שׁוֹמֶרֶת יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד יוֹם". רָאֲתָה גַם בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי וּפָסְקָה בוֹ – מַשְׁכֶּמֶת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְטוֹבֶלֶת, וְלֹא תְשַׁמֵּשׁ כָּל הַיוֹם... וְגַם זוֹ בִכְלַל שׁוֹמֶרֶת יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד יוֹם וְזוֹ הִיא שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת "זָבָה קְטַנָּה". (טור; יורה דעה, קפג)

**Urim, 2011:**
On the other hand, if a woman experiences uterine bleeding during the eleven days following the seven days of *niddah*, she acquires the status of *zavah*. One or two consecutive days of bleeding make her a *zavah ketanah* (minor *zavah*), and she has to wait until the following day (and is thus described שׁוֹמֶרֶת יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד יוֹם – i.e., keeping one day in the place of the other). On that following day, if she has discovered no additional blood during the night that passed, she can go to the *mikveh* anytime after sunrise.


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 12
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רָאֲתָה גַם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי – נַעֲשֵׂית זָבָה גְדוֹלָה, וְלֹא תִטְהַר עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהּ שִׁבְעָה יָמִים נְקִיִּים חוּץ מִיּוֹם שֶׁפּוֹסֶקֶת בּוֹ. וְטוֹבֶלֶת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְאַחַר הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה מִיָּד אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲסוּרָה לְשַׁמֵּשׁ שֶׁמָּא תִרְאֶה וְתִסְתּוֹר. (טור; יורה דעה, קפג)

**Urim, 2011:**
If the bleeding occurs on three or more consecutive days, the woman acquires the status of a *zavah gedolah* (major *zavah*), who needs to count seven blood-free days (*shiva neki’im*) before immersing in the *mikveh.*², she continues to count seven days followed by eleven days consecutively and her status depends on which part of this cycle she experiences uterine bleeding. While the Rambam’s method of calculation fits better with certain Talmudic passages, it is more difficult to explain its practical applications.

footnotes:
² This is the method of counting according to the explanation of Rashi and most other authorities. The Rambam has a different method: from the time in her life that she is first a niddah


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 14
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עָבְרָה כָל אֲחַד עָשָׂר יָמִים וְלֹא רָאֲתָה – חוֹזֶרֶת לִתְחִלַּת יְמֵי נִדּוּת. וְאִם רָאֲתָה בָהֶם – נַעֲשָׂה זָבָה וְאֵינָה חוֹזֶרֶת לִימֵי הַנִּדּוּת עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהּ שִׁבְעַה נְקִיִּים, וְאָז יַתְחִילוּ יְמֵי הַנִּדּוּת וְאַחֲרֵיהֶן יְמֵי הַזִּיבוּת. (טור; יורה דעה, קפג)

**Urim, 2011:**
Bleeding that occurs after the eleven “days of *zivah*” are over, renders a woman *niddah*. However, if she has become a *zavah gedolah*, she cannot revert to *niddah* status until seven blood-free days have passed.


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 17
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דְבַר תּוֹרָה חֲמִשָּׁה דָמִים טְמֵאִים בְּאִשָּׁה וְתוּ לָא. (טור; יורה דעה, קפח)


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 19
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אֲבָל הָאִידָּנָא, שֶׁנִתְמַעֵט הַבְּקִיאוּת, חָזְרוּ לְטַמְּאוֹת כָּל שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ מַרְאֵה אָדוֹם, בֵּין אִם הוּא כֵּהֶה הַרְבֵּה אוֹ עָמוֹק, וְכֵן כָּל מַרְאֵה שָׁחוֹר. (טור; יורה דעה, קפח)


###### A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 1; Hilchot Niddah; Biblical and Rabbinic 21
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מִשֶּׁרָבּוּ הַגָּלִיּוֹת וְתָכְפוּ הַצָּרוֹת וְנִתְמַעֲטוּ הַלְּבָבוֹת, חָשׁוּ שֶׁמָּא יָבֹאוּ לִטְעוֹת בְאִיסוּר כָּרֵת – שֶׁמָּא תִרְאֶה אִשָּׁה בִימֵי נִדָּתָהּ שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים וְיִהְיֶה הַכָּל דָּם טוֹהַר, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי תִרְאֶה דָם טָמֵא וּסְבוּרָה לִטְבּוֹל בְּלֵיל שְׁמִינִי וּצְרִיכָה עוֹד שִׁבְעָה יָמִים – הֶחְמִירוּ לְטַמֵּא כָל מַרְאֵה דָם אָדוֹם; וּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹאוּ לִידֵי טָעוּת בֵּין יְמֵי נִּדָה וִימֵי זִיבָה, הוֹסִיפוּ חוֹמְרָא אַחַר חוּמְרָא עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אִם לֹא תִרְאֶה אֶלָּא טִיפַּת דָּם כְּחַרְדָּל תֵּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִיּם כְזָבָה גְדוֹלָה. (טור; יורה דעה, קפג)