Question (Beraisa): If a woman saw blood for three consecutive days in the days of Zivah amidst labor pains, and on the third day miscarried a Ru'ach or a nonviable fetus (Me'iri - some say, something bearing no resemblance to a child), she is Yoledes b'Zov.

If it is considered a proper birth, the blood should not make her a Zavah. It is Dam Koshi!

Answer #1 (Rav Papi): (Really, it is not considered a proper birth). The 24 hours are a Rabbinic stringency. Chachamim did not choose to be stringent about one who miscarried a Ru'ach.

Answer #2 (Rav Papa): (Really, it is not considered a proper birth); a pregnant woman is Dayah Sha'atah because the heaviness of her head and limbs (normally) inhibits her blood. This applies even if she miscarried a Ru'ach.

Question (R. Yirmeyah): If a woman saw blood and (shortly afterwards) the fetus showed, what is the law?

Version #1 - Ritva: Once she feels that her head and limbs are heavy, even if this is before the fetus shows, she is Dayah Sha'atah;

Or, perhaps she is not Mesulekes Damim until the fetus shows, when her head and limbs are very heavy.

Version #2 - Rashba: Since she is Dayah Sha'atah once the fetus shows, this shows that she is Mesulekes Damim (at least 24 hours) beforehand, and is Dayah Sha'atah. (Perhaps this is only if her last Bedikah was less than 24 hours before the fetus showed.)

Or, perhaps she is not Mesulekes Damim until the fetus shows. According to letter of the law, she should not be Dayah Sha'atah until 24 hours after this, but Chachamim were lenient. (end of Version #2)

Answer (R. Zeira): A pregnant woman is Dayah Sha'atah because her head and limbs are (Ritva - very) heavy (which makes her Mesulekes Damim). This is not until the fetus shows.

Question (An elder): If a pregnant woman did not check herself when her Veses came, what is the law?

I ask according to the opinion that Vestos are mid'Oraisa. Therefore, without Bedikah, she is assumed to be Teme'ah;

Or, since a pregnant woman is Mesulekes Damim, she need not check. (She is Tehorah.)

Answer (R. Yochanan - Mishnah - R. Meir): If a woman was hiding (from an invading army or bandits) and her Veses came and she did not check herself, she is Tehorah, for fear inhibits Dam (Nidah).

Inference: If not for the fear, she would be Teme'ah. This shows that R. Meir holds that Vestos are mid'Oraisa;

Even so, since fear inhibits Dam, she need not check. Likewise, since pregnancy inhibits Dam, she need not check.

(Mishnah): A nursing woman is Dayah Sha'atah until she weans her baby.

(Beraisa - R. Meir): If a woman was nursing and her baby died within 24 months, she is like regular women. The 24 hours apply to her;

Therefore, if a woman kept nursing for four or five years, she is Dayah Sha'atah.

R. Yosi, R. Yehudah and R. Shimon say, she is Dayah Sha'atah for 24 months (even if her baby died);

Therefore, if a woman kept nursing past 24 months, the 24 hours apply to her.

R. Meir's reason is that her blood turns to milk (as long as she produces milk, she does not have Dam Nidah);

The reason of R. Yosi (and R. Yehudah... ) is that her limbs are perturbed by the birth. She does not have blood until they return to normal after 24 months.

Question: Why does R. Meir says "therefore... "? (Once he said that her blood returns when she stops nursing, we already know that it does not return as long as she nurses, even for five years!)

Answer: Indeed, he said this only for parallel structure with R. Yosi.

Question: Why does R. Yosi says "therefore... "? (He already said that her blood returns after 24 months. Surely this is even if she is still nursing!)

Answer: One might have thought that he agrees that nursing inhibits blood, but he holds that in any case, it never returns before 24 months. The Beraisa teaches that this is not so.

Support (Beraisa - R. Meir): A nursing woman's blood turns to milk;

R. Yosi says, her limbs are perturbed, and they do not return to normal until 24 months.

(R. Ila'i): R. Meir learns from "Mi Yiten Tahor mi'Tamei Lo Echad." (Only Hash-m can turn Tamei blood into Tahor milk!)

Question: How does R. Yosi expound the verse?

Answer #1 (R. Yochanan): Only Hash-m can turn Tamei semen into a Tahor baby.

Answer #2 (R. Elazar): Hash-m decreed that one who sprinkles Mei Chatas (water with ashes of the Parah Adumah), or has Mei Chatas sprinkled on him, is Tahor, but one who touches it becomes Tamei.

Question: It says "u'Mazeh Mei ha'Nidah Yechaves Begadav!" (One who sprinkles becomes Tamei.)

Answer #1: It refers to one who touches Mei ha'Nidah.

Objection #1: Another verse teaches that one who touches Mei ha'Nidah becomes Tamei!

Objection #2: The verse says that he is Metamei Begadim. One who touches Mei ha'Nidah is not Metamei Begadim!

Answer #2: "U'Mazeh... " refers to one who carries Mei Chatas.

Question: Why didn't the Torah say "v'Nosei... " if this is what it means?

Answer #1: It says "u'Mazeh... " to teach that one who carries becomes Tamei only if he carried the Shi'ur for sprinkling.

Question: This is like the opinion that there is a Shi'ur for sprinkling. According to the opinion that any amount suffices, how can we answer?

Answer #2: That opinion holds that it suffices if any amount reaches the person, but all agree that there is a Shi'ur that must be in the Kli (holding the Mei Chatas).

(Mishnah): The Shi'ur of Mei Chatas for sprinkling is enough to immerse the ends of the Ezov (hyssop) stalks (so drops will cling to them, enabling him to sprinkle).

This is the one Mitzvah that Shlomo did not understand -- "Amarti Echkamah v'Hi Rechokah Mimeni."

(Mishnah): A Zekenah is a woman who did not see blood for three periods close to her old age.

Question: What is considered close to her old age?

Answer #1 (Rav Yehudah): Other women call her "Zekenah" (old woman).

Answer #2 (Reish Lakish): Other women call her "Ima," and she is not embarrassed.

R. Zeira and Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak argued about whether it depends on her not objecting, or not being embarrassed.

Question: What is the difference between these answers?

Answer: They differ about one who is embarrassed, she but does not object.

Question: How much is considered a period?

Answer #1 (Reish Lakish): It is the average period of women, i.e. 30 days.

Answer #2 (Rava): It is 20 days (our text, Rashi; Tosfos - 23 days).

They do not argue. Reish Lakish gives the entire period, including the days of Tum'ah. Rava gives the days of Taharah between periods. (Tosfos - he excludes the seven days of Nidah. Rashi - he excludes also three days in which she could become a Zavah.)

(Beraisa): If a Zekenah did not see blood for three periods and then she saw, Dayah Sha'atah. If this happened a second time, Dayah Sha'atah. If this happened a third time, she is like regular women, and the 24 hours apply to her;

This is not (only) if she saw at the same interval (e.g. 91 days between sightings), but even if she saw at different intervals.

Objection: This implies that all the more so, if she saw at the same interval, Dayah Sha'atah. Just the contrary, if she saw at the same interval, she has a fixed Veses!

Suggestion: The Beraisa is like Chachamim who argue with R. Dosa and say that the 24 hours apply to a woman with a Veses.

Rejection: Still, this is a bigger Chidush than seeing at different intervals. The Beraisa should have said "not only if she saw at different intervals, but even if she saw at the same interval"!

Answer #1: Indeed, that is the correct text of the Beraisa.

Answer #2: The Beraisa is like R. Dosa. It means 'this is not if she saw at the same interval, rather, only if she saw at different intervals,

If she saw at the same interval, she fixed a Veses, so she is Dayah Sha'atah.'

(Mishnah - R. Eliezer): Any woman who did not see blood for three periods is Dayah Sha'atah.

(Beraisa - R. Eliezer): A case occurred in which a girl did not see blood for three periods. Chachamim ruled that she is Dayah Sha'atah.

Chachamim: We do not bring proofs from She'as ha'Dechak (pressed circumstances)!

Question: Why was it considered She'as ha'Dechak?

Answer #1: There was a famine.

Answer #2: She had touched much Taharos, so Chachamim were reluctant to cause a big loss.

(Beraisa): A case occurred, Rebbi ruled like R. Eliezer. After he remembered he said "In a She'as ha'Dechak, one may rely on R. Eliezer's opinion."

Question: What does "after he remembered" mean?

Suggestion: He remembered that the Halachah does not follow R. Eliezer, rather, Chachamim.

Rejection: If so, even in a She'as ha'Dechak, he could not rely on R. Eliezer's opinion!

Answer: The Halachah was not decided like either of them. He remembered that the majority argue with him, so l'Chatchilah one should rule like Chachamim, but in She'as ha'Dechak one may rely on R. Eliezer.

(Beraisa): The first two times a minor (below the normal age of seeing blood) sees blood, Dayah Sha'atah. The third time, she is like regular women, and the 24 hours apply to her;

If after this she did not see blood for three periods (of 30 days each) and then she saw, Dayah Sha'atah. If another three periods passed without blood and then she saw, Dayah Sha'atah. If this happened a third time, she is like regular women, and the 24 hours apply to her.

The first time a woman (past the normal age to cease seeing blood) sees blood, Dayah Sha'atah. The second time, the 24 hours apply to her;

If after this she did not see blood for three periods and then she saw, Dayah Sha'atah.