Berachot 31: Conclusive Halacha; Hannah

The rabbis speak about when we bring sadness into happy occasions and when we bring happiness into sad occasions.  They note that halacha regarding how we pray should not distract us from our prayer.  Conclusive halachot are discussed.  They leave no room for further deliberation; they will not distract one from prayer.  The rabbis then give examples of conclusive halachot. 

Here we are introduced to the halachot regarding menstruation for the first time.  A woman is niddah, ritually impure, for seven days following the start of her period.  On the evening of the eight day she immerses in a spring or ritual bath. Torah law allows this even if she had been bleeding for the entire seven day period.  The Talmud states a stringency based on the women themselves: women insisted on waiting an extra seven days after the bleeding stops.  Until that immersion, any person or object she touches or anyone who carries her is ritually impure.   A man who has intercourse with a woman who is menstruating becomes ritually impure for seven days.  A woman is a zava if she has a flow of menstrual blood when she is not supposed to bleed during her cycle.  After two days of blood she just watches; after three days of blood she is subject to the laws of a zava, which include imparting ritual impurity like a male zav and bringing a sacrifice when she is again ritually pure. A man who has sex with a zava imparts ritual impurity as well.   

The Sages follow another train of thought: one may neither stand to pray from an atmosphere of sorrow, laziness, laughter, conversation, frivolity, purposeless matters. We should pray from an atmosphere of the joy of a mitzvah.  

When we leave a conversation, we should leave so that we are remembered in a positive way.  In the Tosefta we learn that Daniel's prayer ways said three times each day, which teaches that prayer is said a t fixed times.  David taught that these prayers are said at evening and morning and noon (Psalms 55:18).  WE learn to pray in our hearts while moving our lips from Hannah's prayer in I Samuel (1:13).

Several other examples are provided of conclusive halachot.  We learn about how we are supposed to do things based on how our ancestors have done things.  Hannah is given much attention throughout today's daf.  Her words, the way that she addresses G-d as the Holy One, Blessed be He, Master of the Universe - she was the first person to use that phrase.  

The rabbis describe what Hannah said to G-d as she prayed and how she challenged G-d with her words and her ideas.  She describes her body as made by G-d to have a child; she is grateful for the child that she receives, not wanting him to be "fair" which is considered to be a positive thing, or to be too short, which is considered to be a negative thing.  

It is interesting that the rabbis choose to focus their conversation on Hannah.  Most of their conversations are based on men's actions and words.  It is significant that Hannah is seen as powerful enough to warrant that attention.