## Sforno on Leviticus Chapter 15

###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:2:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:2:1)

**זָב מִבְּשָׂרוֹ.** כְּבָר בָּאָה הַקַּבָּלָה ״מִבְּשָׂרוֹ״ וְלֹא מֵחֲמַת אָנְסוֹ, וְזֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַזָּב שׁוֹתֵת בְּסִבַּת בְּשָׂרוֹ שֶׁהוּא כִּנּוּי לָאַמָּה אוֹ לִכְלִי הַזֶּרַע, וְלֹא מֵחֲמַת סִבָּה אַחֶרֶת מְגָרֶת אֶת הַזּוֹב. וּכְבָר פֵּרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (נדה לה:) שֶׁהַזּוֹב הוּא כְּלֹבֶן בֵּיצָה הַמּוּזֶרֶת. וְכַאֲשֶׁר יִקְרֶה זֶה מִבְּשָׂרוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּסִבַּת חֳלִי כְּלִי הַזֶּרַע בִּלְבָד, הִנֵּה זֶה יוֹרֶה עַל חֻלְשָׁתָם וְחִסָּרוֹן עִכּוּלָם אֲשֶׁר יִקְרֶה עַל הָרֹב בְּסִבַּת רֹב הִתְמָדַת הַמִּשְׁגָּל וְהִרְהוּרָיו, אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לֹא תֶחְדַּל זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת. וּבְכֵן רָאוּי שֶׁיִּסְפֹּר שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים אֲשֶׁר בָּם יָסוּרוּ הִרְהוּרָיו מִלִּבּוֹ, וְיִטְבֹּל מִן הַטֻּמְאָה, וִיכַפֵּר בְּחַטָּאת וְעוֹלָה עַל מַה שֶּׁפָּעַל וְהִרְהֵר.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
זב מבשרו, the Talmud K’ritut 8 already explained the preposition מ in the word מבשרו as meaning “emanating from,” and not as “due to, on account of.” The word בשר refers to the male organ. In other words, unless the symptoms described here are due to a local physiological imbalance and not as a secondary effect of some other primary cause such as overeating, for instance, these symptoms will not result in and confer ritual impurity. 
Our sages in Niddah 35 already explained that the symptom called זוב is very similar in appearance to the albumen in an egg which has become rotten. When the cause is directly connected to the male organs of the afflicted person the legislation under discussion in this chapter applies. This is the meaning of the word מבשרו, a disturbance in the male organ to function properly. The author speculates that the cause may be overly frequent indulgence in the sex act, which in turns leads to insufficient time for the seminal fluid being replaced properly, etc. If that were the cause, a cause brought about by fantasizing about the sex act too often, the remedy, in part, would be the seven days during which the afflicted person counts towards his being healed, reflecting on the part his lifestyle played in causing the symptoms from which he suffered. By indulging in fewer sexual fantasies and the need to offer a sin offering after being free from these symptoms the afflicted person my be on the way to spiritual rehabilitation also. These thoughts are reflected in the Talmud on the folios we referred to.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:18:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:18:1)

**וְאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ.** לֹא כָתַב ״וְאִישׁ כִּי יִשְׁכַּב אֶת אִשָּׁה״, כִּי הֵעִיד עַל הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא תִטְמָא מֵחֲמַת שׁוּם זוֹב בִּלְתִּי אָדֹם אוֹ קֶרִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁטָּמֵא בָּאִישׁ. אָמְנָם טֻמְאַת הָאִשָּׁה בְּקֶרִי לֹא תִהְיֶה אֶלָּא כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אִישׁ אוֹתָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא בֵּית הַסְּתָרִים.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואשה אשר ישכב איש אותה note that the Torah does not write איש כי ישכב את אשה, “when a man sleeps with a woman,” which is the Torah’s normal way of introducing such subjects, i.e. emphasizing the predominating role of the male in the sexual union. The reason for this change in syntax is to teach that unless the colour of the fluid originating in her vagina is reddish it does not confer ritual impurity. The only time the whitish seminal excretion of a woman confers ritual impurity on her male partner is when the man initiates the customary sexual union with her even if the seminal fluid remains in בית הסתרים “hidden” parts within the orifices of the woman, has not seen the light of day.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:19:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:19:1)

**וְאִשָּׁה כִּי תִהְיֶה זָבָה דָּם.** לִמֵּד דִּינֵי הַנִּדָּה וְהַזָּבָה, וְהִטְעִין אֶת הַזָּבָה קָרְבַּן חַטָּאת וְעוֹלָה. וּבָזֶה הֵעִיד כִּי לֹא יִקְרֶה זֶה בִּבְנוֹת עַמּוֹ זוּלָתִי לְהָעִיר אָזְנָן עַל מֶרִי קָדַם בְּפֹעַל וּבְמַחֲשָבָה, כִּי הוּא אָמְנָם הַרְבּוֹת הָעֹנֶשׁ שֶׁעָנַשׁ אֶת חַוָּה עַל פְּעֻלָּתָהּ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּהּ, שֶׁנִּכְלָל בְּאָמְרוֹ ״הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ״ (בראשית ג:טז). וּבְכֵן רָאוּי שֶׁתִּסְפּוֹר שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים, עַד יֵעָרֶה עָלֶיהָ רוּחַ תְּשׁוּבָה וְטָהֳרָה, וְאָז תִּטְבּוֹל וּתְכֻּפַּר בְּחַטָּאת עַל פְּעֻלַּת הָרַע וּבְעוֹלָה עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ואשה כי תהיה זבה דם, here the Torah teaches rules concerning the menstruating woman and the one afflicted with untimely discharges from her vagina, stating that purification of the latter requires two offerings, a sin offering and a burnt offering. The Torah testifies by the nature of the offerings required that the disease described “does not come out of the blue,” but was the result of improper thoughts or even improper actions which preceded it. 
Original woman who was punished for her sin was not only punished for eating from the tree of knowledge, but for the thoughts which ran through her mind prior to translating sinful thought into sinful action. We believe that this is reflected in the wording of the punishment הרבה ארבה עצבונך, “I will greatly multiply your discomfort” (during pregnancy and giving birth) (Genesis 3,16) The punishment fitted the crime which was not something that was the result of a sudden impulse. The seven days until purification from the date of the end of the state of zavah is achieved, gives her time to reflect and to think pure thoughts as opposed to the time she had originally spent before violating G’d’s commandment not to eat from that tree. When the proper thoughts course through her mind during these seven days called appropriately שבעה נקיים, seven days of purification, her mind and not only her body will have been cleansed from improper attitudes so that the ritual immersion cleanses both body and mind. When this is the case, the two offerings required by the zavah will bring her the atonement for previous misdemeanours both in thought and in action. The sin offering atones for sinful action, the burnt offering for forbidden thoughts.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:32:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:32:1)

**זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַזָּב.** זֶה הוּא מַה שֶׁרָאוּי לְעַיֵּן בְּכָל אֵלֶּה: רִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁבִּהְיוֹת הַזָּב טָעוּן קׇרְבַּן חַטָּאת, יוֹרֶה שֶׁבָּא עַל חֵטְא בְּמַעֲשֶׂה וּבְמַחֲשָׁבָה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
זאת תורת הזב, the following considerations dealing with our subject need to be kept in mind: 1) seeing that the male afflicted with the discharge in question is required to bring a sin offering at the termination of the healing process teaches that the affliction was due to sin both in deed and in thought.
 2) ואשר תצא ממנו שכבת זרע לטמאה בה the fact that ejaculation of seminal fluid by a man results in his becoming ritually impure is due to the contamination of man the species by the original serpent, for ever since the original sin seminal ejaculation has been used for physical gratification also, not only for the function allocated to it by G’d, propagation of the species. Had it not been for the serpent’s seduction of Eve, nothing spiritually negative would have become part of the act of ejaculating seminal fluids.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:32:2
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:32:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:32:2)

**וַאֲשֶׁר תֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע לְטָמְאָה בָהּ.** כִּי אָמְנָם טַעַם טֻמְאַת הַקֶּרִי הוּא שֶׁכַּוָּנַת הַמּוֹצִיאוֹ הִיא לְטָמְאָה בָהּ בְּעֶטְיוֹ שֶׁל נָחָש, לֹא לְקִיּוּם הַמִּין, שֶׁלּוּלֵי זֶה לֹא הָיְתָה בַּזֶּרַע שׁוּם טֻמְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין טֻמְאָה בְּפֶרֶשׁ וּבְשֶׁתֶן.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:1
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:33:1)

**וְהַדָּוָה בְּנִדָּתָהּ.** כִּי ״דָּוָה״ מוֹרֶה שֶׁהָיָה זֶה עַל חֵטְא, וּלְפִיכָךְ הִיא טְמֵאָה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והדוה בנדתה, the word דוה alludes to something sinful, hence she became ritually defiled.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:2
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:33:2)

**וְהַזָּב.** וְהָעִיּוּן בִּדְבַר הַזָּב הוּא שֶׁהוּא לְהָעִיר אֹזֶן עַל חֵטְא שֶׁקָּדַם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
והזב, the thoughts we must entertain when studying this subject is that we must reflect on the original sin.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:3
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:33:3)

**אֶת זוֹבוֹ לַזָּכָר וְלַנְּקֵבָה.** וְעִם זֶה רָאוּי לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן הֶבְדֵּל זוֹב הַזָּכָר מִזּוֹב הַנְּקֵבָה, כִּי זוֹב הַנְּקֵבָה לֹא יְטַמֵּא זוּלָתִי הָאָדֹם, וְזוֹב הַזָּכָר לֹא יְטַמֵּא זוּלָתִי בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בִּלְתִּי אָדֹם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
את זובו לזכר ולנקבה, at this point we must consider the difference between the legislation governing a man’s involuntary seminal-like ejaculation, and that of a woman. A woman’s discharge confers impurity only if it is reddish, whereas the parallel discharge by a male confers impurity only if it is not reddish.


###### Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:4
[Sforno on Leviticus 15:33:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Leviticus/r/15:33:4)

**וּלְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב עִם טְמֵאָה.** גַּם כֵּן רָאוּי לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן שֶׁעַל הָאִישׁ הַשּׁוֹכֵב עִם טְמֵאָה אָמַר ״וְתָהִי נִדָּתָהּ עָלָיו״ (ויקרא טו:כד), וְלֹא כֵן יֹאמַר עַל הַטְּהוֹרָה שֶׁיִּשְׁכַּב הַזָּב אוֹתָהּ. כִּי בָזֶה יוֹרֶה שֶׁהַזָּכָר מִתְקַלְקֵל יוֹתֵר בִּשְׁכִיבַת הַדָּוָה מִמַּה שֶׁתִּתְקַלְקֵל הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁכִיבַת הַחוֹלֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּא הַנִּסָּיוֹן בִּמְצֹרַעַת וְזוּלָתָהּ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ולאיש אשר ישכב עם טמאה, here we also have to reflect on the subject of a man deliberately indulging in sexual intercourse with a ritually contaminated woman. The Torah had written (verse 24) ותהי נדתה עליו, “her state of menstrual separation will apply to him.” There is no parallel verse describing such a result as due to a ritually pure woman sleeping with a man who was a zav at the time. [the ritual impurity of the zav was induced by a diseased body, as opposed to menstruation which is a natural state ever since the original sin. Ed.] There appears to be a dichotomy there. The Torah teaches that when a man is violating sexual mores he causes more spiritually negative fallout to himself than when a woman does the same thing in reverse. At least, there appears to be a difference between sickness induced by individual sin, such as zav and zavah as well as in the case of tzoraat, which we explained as also a sickness due to individual sin, not to the spiritual state of man, the species, since the original sin. This is why voluntary carnal association with the menstruant woman is a greater sin than voluntary carnal association with zav or zavah.