## Niddah Daf 31b

###### Niddah 31b:1
[Niddah 31b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:1)

שֶׁמְּשַׁהִין עַצְמָן בַּבֶּטֶן כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּזְרִיעוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁיְּהוּ בְּנֵיהֶם זְכָרִים — מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶן הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ הֵם מַרְבִּים בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָּנִים. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַב קַטִּינָא: יָכוֹלְנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת כׇּל בָּנַי זְכָרִים. אָמַר רָבָא: הָרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת כׇּל בָּנָיו זְכָרִים — יִבְעוֹל וְיִשְׁנֶה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**they delay** while **in** their wives’ **abdomen,** initially refraining from emitting semen **so that their wives will emit seed first,** in order **that their children will be male, the verse ascribes them** credit **as though they have many sons and sons’ sons. And this** statement **is** the same as that **which Rav Ketina said: I could have made all of my children males,** by refraining from emitting seed until my wife emitted seed first. **Rava says** another method through which one can cause his children to be males: **One who wishes to make all of his children males should engage in intercourse** with his wife **and repeat** the act.


###### Niddah 31b:2
[Niddah 31b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:2)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: אֵין אִשָּׁה מִתְעַבֶּרֶת אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לְוִסְתָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הֵן בְּעוֹוֹן חוֹלָלְתִּי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **And Rabbi Yitzḥak says** that **Rabbi Ami says: A woman becomes pregnant only** by engaging in intercourse **close to the onset of her** menstrual **cycle, as it is stated: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity”** (Psalms 51:7). This iniquity is referring to intercourse close to the woman’s menstrual cycle, when intercourse is prohibited. Accordingly, David is saying that his mother presumably conceived him at this time.


###### Niddah 31b:3
[Niddah 31b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:3)

וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: סָמוּךְ (לטבילה) [לִטְבִילָתָהּ], שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְחֵטְא יֶחֱמַתְנִי אִמִּי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** A woman becomes pregnant only by engaging in intercourse **near** the time of her **immersion** in a ritual bath, through which she is purified from her status as a menstruating woman, **as it is stated** in the continuation of the same verse: **“And in sin [*uvḥet*] did my mother conceive me”** (Psalms 51:7).


###### Niddah 31b:4
[Niddah 31b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:4)

מַאי מַשְׁמַע דְּהַאי ״חֵטְא״ לִישָּׁנָא דְּדַכּוֹיֵי הוּא? דִּכְתִיב ״וְחִטֵּא אֶת הַבַּיִת״, וּמְתַרְגְּמִינַן ״וִידַכֵּי יָת בֵּיתָא״. וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא מֵהָכָא: ״תְּחַטְּאֵנִי בְּאֵזוֹב וְאֶטְהָר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains this derivation: **From where may** it **be inferred that this term “*ḥet*” is** a reference **to purity?** The Gemara answers: **As it is written** with regard to leprosy of houses: **“*Veḥittei* the house”** (Leviticus 14:52), **and we translate** the verse into Aramaic as: **And he shall purify the house. And if you wish, say** that the interpretation is derived **from here: “Purge me [*teḥatte’eni*] with hyssop, and I shall be pure”** (Psalms 51:9). Evidently, the root *ḥet*, *tet*, *alef* refers to purification.


###### Niddah 31b:5
[Niddah 31b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:5)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא זָכָר בָּעוֹלָם — בָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שִׁלְחוּ כַר מוֹשֵׁל אֶרֶץ״. ״זָכָר״ — זֶה כַּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **And Rabbi Yitzḥak says** that **Rabbi Ami says: When a male comes into the world,** i.e., when a male baby is born, **peace comes to the world, as it is stated: “Send the lambs [*khar*] for the ruler of the land”** (Isaiah 16:1). This *khar*, or *kar*, a gift one sends the ruler, contributes to the stability of the government and peace, and the word **male [*zakhar*]** can be interpreted homiletically as an abbreviation of: **This is a *kar* [*zeh kar*].**


###### Niddah 31b:6
[Niddah 31b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:6)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק דְּבֵי רַבִּי אַמֵּי: בָּא זָכָר בָּעוֹלָם — בָּא כִּכָּרוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, ״זָכָר״ — זֶה כַּר, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּכְרֶה לָהֶם כֵּרָה גְדוֹלָה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak from the school of Rabbi Ami says: When a male comes into the world, his loaf** of bread, i.e., his sustenance, **comes into his possession.** In other words, a male can provide for himself. This is based on the aforementioned interpretation of the word **male [*zakhar*]** as an abbreviation of: **This is a *kar* [*zeh kar*],** and the term *kar* refers to sustenance, **as it is written: “And he prepared great provision [*kera*] for them”** (II Kings 6:23).


###### Niddah 31b:7
[Niddah 31b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:7)

נְקֵבָה — אֵין עִמָּהּ כְּלוּם, נְקֵבָה — נְקִיָּיה בָּאָה, עַד דְּאָמְרָה: ״מְזוֹנֵי״ — לָא יָהֲבִי לַהּ, דִּכְתִיב: ״נׇקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ עָלַי וְאֶתֵּנָה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
By contrast, **when a female comes into the world, nothing,** i.e., no sustenance, comes **with her.** This is derived from the homiletic interpretation of the word **female [*nekeva*]** as an abbreviation of the phrase: **She comes clean [*nekiya ba’a*],** i.e., empty. Furthermore, **until she says:** Give me **sustenance,** people **do not give her, as it is written** in Laban’s request of Jacob: **“Appoint me [*nokva*] your wages, and I will give it”** (Genesis 30:28). Laban used the word *nokva*, similar to *nekeva*, when he said that he would pay Jacob only if he explicitly demanded his wages.


###### Niddah 31b:8
[Niddah 31b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:8)

שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו אֶת רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: מִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה יוֹלֶדֶת מְבִיאָה קׇרְבָּן? אָמַר לָהֶן: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁכּוֹרַעַת לֵילֵד, קוֹפֶצֶת וְנִשְׁבַּעַת שֶׁלֹּא תִּזָּקֵק לְבַעְלָהּ, לְפִיכָךְ אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה תָּבִיא קׇרְבָּן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The students of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai asked him: For what** reason **does the Torah say** that **a woman after childbirth brings an offering? He said to them: At the time that** a woman **crouches to give birth,** her pain is so great that **she impulsively takes an oath that she will not engage in intercourse with her husband** ever again, so that she will never again experience this pain. **Therefore, the Torah says** that **she must bring an offering** for violating her oath and continuing to engage in intercourse with her husband.


###### Niddah 31b:9
[Niddah 31b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:9)

מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַב יוֹסֵף: וְהָא מְזִידָה הִיא, וּבַחֲרָטָה תַּלְיָא מִילְּתָא! וְעוֹד — קׇרְבַּן שְׁבוּעָה (בעי) [בָּעֲיָא] אֵיתוֹיֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yosef objects to this** answer: **But isn’t** the woman **an intentional violator** of her oath? **And** if she wishes that her oath be dissolved, so that she may engage in intercourse with her husband, **the matter depends on** her **regret** of her oath. One is obligated to bring an offering for violating an oath of an utterance only if his transgression is unwitting. **And furthermore,** if the purpose of the offering that a woman brings after childbirth is to atone for violating an oath, then **she** should be **required to bring** a female lamb or goat as **an offering,** which is the requirement of one who violated **an oath,** rather than the bird offering brought by a woman after childbirth.


###### Niddah 31b:10
[Niddah 31b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:10)

וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה זָכָר לְשִׁבְעָה וּנְקֵבָה לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר? זָכָר, שֶׁהַכֹּל שְׂמֵחִים בּוֹ — מִתְחָרֶטֶת לְשִׁבְעָה. נְקֵבָה, שֶׁהַכֹּל עֲצֵבִים בָּהּ — מִתְחָרֶטֶת לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the students of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai further inquired of him: **For what** reason **does the Torah say** that a woman who gives birth to **a male** is ritually impure **for seven** days, **but** a woman who gives birth to **a female** is impure **for fourteen** days? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai answered them: When a woman gives birth to **a male, over which everyone is happy, she regrets** her oath, that she will never again engage in intercourse with her husband, already **seven** days after giving birth. By contrast, after giving birth to **a female, over which everyone is unhappy, she regrets** her oath only **fourteen** days after giving birth.


###### Niddah 31b:11
[Niddah 31b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:11)

וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה מִילָה לִשְׁמוֹנָה? שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ כּוּלָּם שְׂמֵחִים וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ עֲצֵבִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the students further asked him: **For what** reason **does the Torah say** that **circumcision** is performed only **on the eighth** day of the baby’s life, and not beforehand? He answered them: It is **so that** there **will not be** a situation where **everyone** is **happy** at the circumcision ceremony **but the father and mother of** the infant **are unhappy,** as they are still prohibited from engaging in intercourse.


###### Niddah 31b:12
[Niddah 31b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:12)

תַּנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: מִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה נִדָּה לְשִׁבְעָה? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרָגִיל בָּהּ וְקָץ בָּהּ. אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: ״תְּהֵא טְמֵאָה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים״, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲבִיבָה עַל בַּעְלָהּ כִּשְׁעַת כְּנִיסָתָהּ לַחוּפָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Meir would say: For what** reason **does the Torah say** that **a menstruating woman** is prohibited from engaging in intercourse with her husband **for seven** days? It is **because** if a woman were permitted to engage in intercourse with her husband all the time, her husband would be too **accustomed to her, and** would eventually be **repulsed by her.** Therefore, **the Torah says** that a menstruating woman **shall be ritually impure** for **seven days,** during which she is prohibited from engaging in intercourse with her husband, **so that** when she becomes pure again **she will be dear to her husband as** at **the time when she entered the wedding canopy** with him.


###### Niddah 31b:13
[Niddah 31b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:13)

שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו אֶת רַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי: מִפְּנֵי מָה אִישׁ מְחַזֵּר עַל אִשָּׁה, וְאֵין אִשָּׁה מְחַזֶּרֶת עַל אִישׁ? מָשָׁל לְאָדָם (שאבד) [שֶׁאָבְדָה] לוֹ אֲבֵידָה — מִי מְחַזֵּר עַל מִי? בַּעַל אֲבֵידָה מְחַזֵּר עַל אֲבֵידָתוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The students of Rabbi Dostai, son of Rabbi Yannai, asked him: For what** reason is it the norm that **a man pursues a woman** for marriage, **but a woman does not pursue a man?** Rabbi Dostai answered them by citing **a parable of a person who lost an item. Who searches for what?** Certainly **the owner of the lost item searches for his item;** the item does not search for its owner. Since the first woman was created from the body of the first man, the man seeks that which he has lost.


###### Niddah 31b:14
[Niddah 31b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:14)

וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אִישׁ פָּנָיו לְמַטָּה, וְאִשָּׁה פָּנֶיהָ לְמַעְלָה כְּלַפֵּי הָאִישׁ? זֶה מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרָא, וְזוֹ מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרֵאת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the students of Rabbi Dostai further asked him: **For what** reason does **a man** engage in intercourse **facing down, and a woman** engage in intercourse **facing up toward the man?** Rabbi Dostai answered them: **This** man faces **the place from which he was created,** i.e., the earth, **and that** woman faces **the place from which she was created,** namely man.


###### Niddah 31b:15
[Niddah 31b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:15)

וּמִפְּנֵי מָה הָאִישׁ מְקַבֵּל פִּיּוּס, וְאֵין אִשָּׁה מְקַבֶּלֶת פִּיּוּס? זֶה מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרָא, וְזוֹ מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרֵאת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the students also inquired: **For what** reason is **a man** who is angry likely to **accept appeasement, but a woman** is **not** as likely to **accept appeasement?** Rabbi Dostai answered them: It is **because this** man behaves like **the place from which he was created,** i.e., the earth, which yields to pressure, **and that** woman behaves like **the place from which she was created,** i.e., from bone, which cannot be molded easily.


###### Niddah 31b:16
[Niddah 31b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:16)

מִפְּנֵי מָה אִשָּׁה קוֹלָהּ עָרֵב, וְאֵין אִישׁ קוֹלוֹ עָרֵב? זֶה מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרָא, וְזוֹ מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרֵאת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי קוֹלֵךְ עָרֵב וּמַרְאֵךְ נָאוֶה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The students continued to ask Rabbi Dostai: **For what** reason **is a woman’s voice pleasant, but a man’s voice is not pleasant?** He answered: **This** man is similar to **the place from which he was created,** the earth, which does not issue a sound when it is struck, **and that** woman is similar to **the place from which she was created,** a bone, which makes a sound when it is struck. The proof that a woman’s voice is pleasant is **that it is stated** in Song of Songs that the man says to his beloved: **“For sweet is your voice, and your countenance is beautiful”** (Song of Songs 2:14).


###### Niddah 31b:17
[Niddah 31b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:17)

**הֲדַרַן עֲלָךְ הַמַּפֶּלֶת חֲתִיכָה.**


###### Niddah 31b:18
[Niddah 31b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:18)

מַתְנִי' **בְּנוֹת** כּוּתִים נִדּוֹת מֵעֲרִיסָתָן, וְהַכּוּתִים מְטַמְּאִים מִשְׁכָּב תַּחְתּוֹן כָּעֶלְיוֹן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן בּוֹעֲלֵי נִדּוֹת,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** Samaritan **girls** are considered **menstruating women from** the time they lie in **their cradle. And the Samaritan** men **impart ritual impurity** to the **lower bedding like the upper** bedding, i.e., all layers of bedding beneath them are impure, and their status is like the bedding above a man who experiences a gonorrhea-like discharge [*zav*]: The status of both levels of bedding is that of first-degree ritual impurity, which can impart impurity to food and drink. This is **due to** the fact **that** Samaritan men are considered men who **engage in intercourse with menstruating women.**


###### Niddah 31b:19
[Niddah 31b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:19)

וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבוֹת עַל כׇּל דָּם וָדָם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** they are considered men who engage in intercourse with menstruating women because Samaritan women **observe** the seven-day menstrual period of ritual impurity **for each and every** emission of **blood,** even for blood that does not render them impure. Accordingly, if a Samaritan woman has an emission of impure blood during the seven-day period, she will nevertheless continue counting seven days from the first emission. It is therefore possible that the Samaritan men will engage in intercourse with their wives while they are still halakhically considered menstruating women, as the seven-day period of impurity should have been counted from the emission of the impure blood.


###### Niddah 31b:20
[Niddah 31b:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:20)

וְאֵין חַיָּיבִין עֲלֵיהֶן עַל בִּיאַת מִקְדָּשׁ, וְאֵין שׂוֹרְפִין עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁטּוּמְאָתָן סָפֵק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But** one who enters the Temple while wearing **those** garments upon which a Samaritan had lain **is not liable** to bring an offering **for entering the Temple** in a status of impurity, **nor does one burn *teruma*** that came into contact with **those** garments, **because their impurity** is **uncertain.**


###### Niddah 31b:21
[Niddah 31b:21](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:21)

**גְּמָ'** הֵיכִי דָּמֵי? אִי דְּקָא חָזְיָין — אֲפִילּוּ דִּידַן נָמֵי, וְאִי דְּלָא קָחָזְיָין — דִּידְהוּ נָמֵי לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The mishna teaches that Samaritan girls are considered menstruating women from the time they lie in their cradle. The Gemara asks: **What are the circumstances** of this statement? **If** the mishna is referring to girls **who** already **see** menstrual blood, then **even our own,** i.e., Jewish girls, are **also** considered menstruating women under such circumstances. **And if** it is referring to girls **who do not** yet **see** menstrual blood, then **their** girls, i.e., those of the Samaritans, should **also not** have the status of menstruating women.


###### Niddah 31b:22
[Niddah 31b:22](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Niddah/r/31b:22)

אָמַר רָבָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אַחָא בַּר רַב הוּנָא אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: הָכָא בְמַאי עָסְקִינַן? בִּסְתָמָא, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִיכָּא מִיעוּטָא דְּחָזְיָין — חָיְישִׁינַן. וּמַאן תַּנָּא דְּחָיֵישׁ לְמִיעוּטָא?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava, son of Rav Aḥa bar Rav Huna, says** that **Rav Sheshet says: Here we are dealing with an unspecified** case, i.e., it is unknown whether these girls have experienced their first menstrual period. **Since there is a minority** of girls **who see** menstrual blood, **we are concerned** with regard to each Samaritan girl that she might be from this minority. The Gemara asks: **And who** is the *tanna* who **taught that one must be concerned for the minority?**