Wednesday 6 November 2019

Niddah 14: Couples Examining for Menstrual Blood

We begin with an interesting conversation about men's avoidance of seminal emissions.  They are not to sleep on their backs, which may lead to such an occurrence.  But one must not say the bedtime Shema while on one's back; it should be said while standing and clothed.  If a person is too large or tired to turn to their side to say the Shema, it is permitted to remain lying on one's back.  Lying slightly to the side is alright.  Lying on one's stomach would mean that a man's penis is touching the bed, which seems to be dangerous if trying to avoid arousal.  

A new Mishna teaches that a woman who does not menstruate regularly should examine herself both before and after intercourse for blood.  Her husband should also examine himself after intercourse.  If either of them find blood after intercourse, they are both ritually impure for seven days, after which they are to bring sin offerings.  Especially modest women check with three different cloths.  Even if women check themselves hours after intercourse, finding blood is arguably a determination of ritual impurity retroactively.

The rabbis suggest several opinions regarding how these cloths are used, when they are used, and when their findings lead to ritual impurity.  There is a debate about blood found when a woman is urinating might have originated in the urethra or the uterus.  There are many rabbis who agree that any blood found, even if the examination cloth was not checked properly pre-intercourse, means that the couple is retroactively ritually impure. Stringency is expected by many rabbis when it comes to menstrual blood.

The rabbis also discuss how the cloth might be used after intercourse.  It would happen immediately, while still in bed.  A woman could put the cloth under the blanket and immediately check herself.  Anything after that time is considered to be much later, and not as reliable.  However, it would still result in a stringent ruling according to most rabbis.



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