The following is Shiur 1 of the Pirchei Shoshanim Shulchan Aruch learning program on Hilchos Niddah. I think it is helpful to explain a few of the basic principles of these laws and why we (or rather our wives) have taken upon ourselves certain stringencies.

INTRODUCTION

How does a woman become Niddah?
Types of bleeding

The Torah states (Vayikra 15, 19): “When a woman has a flow, blood flowing in her flesh, seven days she will be in her status of Niddah”. What kind of bleeding is the Torah referring to? (Her menstruation or another bleeding?)

In another verse (Vayikra 20, 18), the Torah describes the punishment which befalls a man who has a forbidden relation with a woman while she is Niddah and says: “And a man who will lie with a menstruating woman, and reveal her nakedness, her source he penetrated, and she has revealed the source ( Mekor) of her blood, they both will be cut off from among their people.

Common Terms

Mekor means the uterus and therefore our sages learnt that only blood discharged from the uterus renders the woman Niddah. From this last verse, chaza”l inferred also that not all types of blood make the woman Niddah, but only five types of blood (as will be explained in Simon 188).

The expression signifies that According to the Torah, only when a woman experiences a Hargasha-feeling of the bleeding bivsara , lit. “in her flesh”, she becomes Temea, impure (see Simon 183).

Impurity

The Torah states that the Niddah remains impure for seven days which means that, if for example she starts bleeding on Sunday, she won’t be able to get rid of the tuma, impurity, until after the Shabbos. On Motasei Shabbos she will be able to immerse herself in a Mikva and becoming pure and permissible to her husband. This is true either if the bleeding stopped since Sunday or if she continued bleeding into the Shabbos, given that by Shabbos’s end she has finished bleeding, in both cases she will be able to be Tovel , go into the Mikva, on Motsaei Shabbos and not before.

a) Let’s note that in order to be Tovel on the eighth night; we must be absolutely certain that this woman saw Niddah blood from the first day. However, if the blood of the first day was Dam Tohar (any blood but the five which render her Temea), then this woman only became Niddah on the second day when she experiences a discharge of Tamei blood on the second day, thus postponing the earliest time of the Tevila to the ninth night.

b) In the case of a woman bleeding the whole week from Sunday to Shabbos, if the first appearance of Dam Niddah will be on Sunday, day 1, she’ll finish her seven days of Niddah status the following Shabbos, day 7, and will therefore be authorized to be Tovel on Motsaei Shabbos, day 8. However, if during the entire week the blood was not one of the five types of Tamei blood, and she first saw Dam Tamei on Shabbos, a seemingly day 7, in that case, the seven day Niddah period starts only on that Shabbos, since we only start counting upon seeing Dam Tamei and not Dam Tahor, and will extend until the following Friday, allowing her therefore to proceed with her Tevila that Friday night (Shabbos).

Zava

In the next passage, the Torah (Vayikra 15, 25-30) teaches the laws of the Zava. The Zava, the one who is bleeding irregularly, also becomes Temea through a flow of blood from the Mekor but her impurity is somewhat different. Aside from differences in the strictness of the impurity, the timing is also not the same as for the Niddah.

Dam Zava for 1 day

If a woman sees blood which makes her a Zava for one day (i.e. Sunday), she has the status of Zava Ketana, short Zava. Given that when the next day (Monday), day 2, starts she has completely stopped bleeding, she will have to be Shomeret Yom keneged Yom, one who observes a day free of bleeding. She will have to ascertain (Through a Bedika, checking, see Simon 196) that she is not experiencing any bleeding on the following day (Monday), she will then be able to purify herself.

a) In addition, using the principle of Miktsas haYom keKulo, part of the day is considered as the entire day, she will be authorized to be Tovel on the morning of the next day (Monday morning) immediately after her Bedika. This part of the day being beTahara, in a state of purity, is considered as if the entire day passed beTahara, allowing her to Tovel.

b) However, she is not authorized to touch Trumah nor have relations with her husband before the night. We are afraid that she might see Dam again this day, thus invalidating retroactively the Tevila. We do not say that she became Tehora at the time of her Tevila and then Temea again when she restarted bleeding, in which case she was actually Tehora in between. Instead we say that, since the right to be Tovel before the night (before Monday night) is based on the principle of Miktsas haYom keKulo, once she saw Dam again this very day, we realize that the hour of Tahara didn’t reflect on the entire day, therefore invalidating the rule. She would then have been Temea at the time of the relations, transgressing a karet prohibition.

Dam Zava for 2 days

If the woman has a discharge of Dam Ziva for two days (Sunday and Monday), she still remains a Zava Ketana. As explained before, given that she stopped bleeding by the end of the 2nd day (Monday afternoon), she’ll be shomeret yom keneged yom on the day 3 (Tuesday). Following the Bedika (Tuesday morning) she will be able to be Tovel using the principle of Miktsas haYom keKulo.

Dam Zava for 3 or more days

When the Ziva discharge carries on for three days or more (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), the woman gets the status of Ziva Gedola - long Zava. In order to become Tehora she will need to be clean for seven days: the Shiva Nekiim.

a) These days must be consecutive, with no bleeding at all during that time.

b) Following the Bedika of the seventh day, she’ll be Tovel but will still have to refrain from any contact with Terouma or with her husband till the night (beginning of day 8). (We will discuss the laws of the Zava Gedola in length in Simon 196 and 197.)

Determining between Dam Niddah and Dam Zava

What type of blood is considered Dam Niddah and which is considered Dam Ziva?

Rambam

The Rambam holds that when a woman experiences the first discharge of her life she becomes a Niddah. From the day of the first bleeding, we start computing a period of seven days followed by a period of eleven days, followed by a period of seven days followed by a period of eleven days and so on…

These periods are computed whether she experiences another discharge or not:

a) The seven day period is called Yemei Niddah (the days of Niddah)

b) The eleven days period is called Yemei Ziva. Any blood discharged during the seven days period is Dam Niddah making her a Niddah. Any discharge during the eleven days period is Dam Ziva making her a Zava Ketana if she sees for one or two days only, and a Zava Gedola if she sees three days or more.

Rov HaPoskim

The opinion of the majority of the other Poskim is that whenever a woman experiences a discharge she becomes a Niddah. Any blood coming in the next seven days is Dam Niddah. Any blood discharged during the following eleven days (that is, between day 9 and day 18) is Dam Ziva. Any blood coming after that (i.e. from the nineteenth day and on) will be again considered Dam Niddah. According to this last opinion, a woman only becomes a Zava if she will experience two bleedings within a short period of time (less than eighteen days).

We have already mentioned earlier that it is important to ascertain that the Dam Niddah is really Tamei in order to allow the woman to be Tovel after seven days from the onset of the discharge.

In addition, one may confuse Yemei Niddah with Yemei Ziva:

a) If a woman has a discharge for three days, she might think that this is blood from the seven days period making her a Niddah -

b) While in fact she has attained the more stringent status of a Zava because it really came during the eleven days period of Dam Ziva !

Additional Procedures

To avoid any mistake, the Gemara tells us, in Niddah 66A, that Rebbi instituted in places where people weren’t learned, i.e. where there was no Bnei Torah; the following procedures to be implemented:

1. For a one day discharge (i.e. Dam Ziva), the woman will have to wait the usual seven days period of the Niddah before being allowed to purify herself. [If this one day discharge was Dam Ziva, she could really be Tovel the following day, but she must take in consideration that it might be Dam Niddah requiring therefore a seven days wait.]

2. For a two-day discharge, the woman has to wait eight days (the seven days Niddah period starting on the second day) to purify herself. [We take into account that the blood of day 1 may be Dam Ziva (on day 11), and day 2 of the discharge is actually the first of her becoming a Niddah. Alternatively, we suspect that the blood of the first day is Dam tohar (not from the five Tamei bloods). In this case she only became Tamei and Niddah on the second day.]

3. For a three-day discharge, she must observe shiva nekiim (a seven clean days period) before purifying herself. [If part or all of the bleeding occurred during the Yemei Niddah she could be Tovel already at the end of seven days, but we must take in consideration that all these three days were during the Yemei Ziva giving her the status of Zava Gedola.].

Halacha lmaaseh

At a later time, the universally accepted ruling became: Any minute bleeding requires shiva nekiim, a seven clean days waiting period. The rishonim give two reasons for this stringency.

1. To avoid any confusion with the case of a woman seeing a tiny amount of blood during the shiva nekiim which requires starting them over.

2. We suspect that the blood that was discovered today actually came during the previous three days, a 1/3 the day before yesterday, a 1/3 yesterday, and a 1/3 today. In addition, we say that these were days of Yemei Ziva rendering her a Zava Gedola and requiring Shiva Nekiim.

I think appropriate to explain who the author is of the Shiur I brought in the first message of this topic. It is Rav Ezra Bloch and the following is taken from the Pirchei Shoshanim Semicha web site:

HaRav Ezra Bloch Shlita was born in Paris, France where he attended The Ecole Luchien de Hirsch School. From there he attended the Merkaz Hatorah (Villemomble-Paris) under the leadership of the late Gaon HaRav Yaakov Toledano zt'l. From there R' Bloch traveled to Yerushalayim to learn under HaRav HaGaon Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZT'L at Yeshiva Kol Torah located in Bayit Vegan.

At Kol Torah R' Bloch heard shiurim and was under the close tutelage of Harav Dovid Hecksher Zt'l and then HaRav Boruch Weissbecker Shlita, the Rosh HaYeshiva of Beth Matityahu.

R' Bloch's keen mind and incredible Hasmadah led him to Bnei Brak where the doors of the Ponevez Yeshivah opened welcoming this young Ilui. For more than 4 years under the guidance of the late Gadol Hador HaGaon HaRav Menachem Shach zt'l and HaRav HaGaon HaRav Dovid Powarski Zt'l R' Bloch continued to grow in understanding the length and breadth of the Torah by the leaders of the generation. After building an almost unbreakable base, HaRav Bloch went on to further expand his abilities moving on to the Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, N.J. (U.S.A.), the largest YESHIVA in the world outside of Eretz Yisrael.

In a short time R' Bloch was able to learn English and begin to build a base of knowledge and acumen all in such a manner exhibited only by someone of humility and diginity. The amazing command of the entire Torah that rests with R' Ezra is incomprehensible. 15 years of growth under the guidance of the Rosh HaYeshiva Shlita and the receipt of Semicha from Lakewood has now provided a base for Rabbi Bloch Shlita to teach others. Rabbi Bloch resides there as well to this day with his wife Tirza (former of Zurich) where they have together built a family which is a model in reflecting what a Jewish home should be.

When the French community called out for a proper Maggid Shiur to give over Mesechta Rosh HaShanah for the C.D. DAF Daf Yomi project there was almost no choice in the matter as the job immediately was sent to R' Ezra. The entire French community recognize R' Ezra as a Gaon and one in which they can rely on for almost any project. Again when a French version in Sephadic was needed of Bircat Hamazon with explanation R' Ezra despite being of German Ashkenazic descent was called upon. R' Ezra completely rewrote and reformated and researched the entire project as if from scratch and has completed a sefer which is changing the entire approach of the French speaking world in saying Bircat Hamazon.

Recognizing R' Ezra's sensitivity to others The Yeshivah has called upon R' Ezra to prepare Chassanim in the area of Nida before their marriage. This area is of the most delicate and sophisticated areas of jewish law that exist and therefore only those who are of the most understanding and learned could possibly undertake such a task........especially, teaching those of the caliber that enter the Yeshiva in Lakewood and have been deemed a proper match for girls who eminate from the most prominent Rabbanic families in the world.

For more information about the various Semicha programs, go here: http://www.shemayisrael.com/smicha/

Yisroel,
Toda Raba!
Avi

B"H

Thank-you Rebbe Yosroel!

I was about to post my own findings, when I saw your post. I will write them anyway here, for our readers, in order to simplify matters.

In the Torah (Vayikra 15:19), we find the teaching:
ואשה כי תהיה זבה, דם יהיה זובה בבשרה, שבעת ימים תהיה בנדתה

(Translation)

"And when a woman suffers a menstrual flow, her flow being within her flesh, she shall continue in her separation seven days, etc."

In an ancient rabbinic source preserved in the Midrash Hagadol, the above biblical verse has been explained in this way:

The first thing that a woman sees at the beginning [of her period] is called "menstrual blood." [As it is written]: "She shall continue in her separation seven days," [etc.], and these [days] are called "the days of a menstruant." Had she seen blood also on the eighth [day], ninth [day] and tenth [day], she becomes a Zavah gedolah, for behold, she saw [blood] on three [consecutive] days outside the time of her [regular] period.

(Original text)

תחלת דבר שתראה האשה תחלה הוא נקרא דם נדה, ותהיה בנדתה שבעת ימים והן הנקראין ימי נדה. ראת שמיני תשיעי ועשירי נעשית זבה גדולה שהרי ראת שלשה ימים בלא עת נדתה

The emphasis here is on "the days of a menstruant." In laymen's terms: The days of a woman's natural purgation can actually be one day, or two days, but we allow her the entire seven days, if need be, for her natural purgation, but no more. Whatever blood is seen after the intitial seven days, beginning from the time she had her period, that blood is no longer the blood of a menstruant (Niddah), but rather the blood of a Zavah.

In short, the seven days are only a reference point for determining a woman's days of "Zivah."

We find a similar teaching in the Jerusalem Talmud (Berakhoth 37a): "The eleven-day time period between each [monthly] menstrual cycle is a halacha delivered to Moses at Sinai."

Meaning, the first 7 days wherein she sees blood makes her a Niddah. But any blood which she sees on the next 4 days makes her a Zavah, especially when that blood is seen by her on three consecutive days. (It should be noted, here, that there is a dispute between Maimonides and Nahmonides on how to interpret the teaching brought down in the Jerusalem Talmud.)

One of the fine points arising from this teaching, at least from the standpoint of the Torah alone, is that if a woman saw blood for only one day, and immersed herself the following night, but then again saw blood two days later, it is still considered the blood of her menstrual period (Niddah), but not the blood of "Zivah" (one that had an irregular flow of blood). However, if she saw blood one or two days, and then ceased from her flow, and again saw blood a week later, it is an irregular blood flow (Zavah). If it persisted three consecutive days, it requires her waiting seven clean days once the blood has stopped before she can immerse herself and reunite with her husband. (Nowadays, of course, every woman waits seven clean days before immersing herself.)

What has led to much confusion about the issue of "Niddah" is where we find in "Eliyahu Rabbah," a commentary on the Division known as "Tohoros" in our Mishnah (written by Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Wilna) a statement whereby he numbers the menstruant (Lev. 15:19) among the seven persons who all suffer seven-day uncleanness.

The Mahzor Vitri also, when explaining the meaning of נידותייך in the story about the woman's husband whose days were cut short because he had slept with his wife on the same bed while she was counting seven clean days (see: Tanna debe Eliyahu, ch. 15) explains that נידותייך means "the entire seven days of a woman's first appearance [of blood]."

David

quote:

Originally posted by David Ben-Abraham:
תחלת דבר שתראה האשה תחלה הוא נקרא דם נדה, ותהיה בנדתה שבעת ימים והן הנקראין ימי נדה. ראת שמיני תשיעי ועשירי נעשית זבה גדולה שהרי ראת שלשה ימים בלא עת נדתה

The emphasis here is on "the days of a menstruant." In laymen's terms: The days of a woman's natural purgation can actually be one day, or two days, but we allow her the entire seven days, if need be, for her natural purgation, but no more.

R' David, thank you for your thoughtful posting. However, far from helping your case, I believe that the above quote from the Midrash confirms what I have been saying all along, namely that once a woman sees a flow of blood the 7 days thereafter are called "Y'mei Niddah" irrespective of whether she sees any futher flows of blood on any of those days.

Kol Tuv.

B"H

Rebbe Yisroel,

It is the truth that we are concerned with, and no more. "Y'mei Niddah," only implies a time frame in relation to "Y'mei Zivah." It does not suggest that a woman is defiled for seven complete days if she had only seen blood for two, three, or four days! Proof of which is in our halacha (Yoreh Deah, section # 196, vs. 11). Maran did not require a woman to continue seven days in her uncleanness before she began to count her seven days of cleanness according to a latter enactment. Maran only acknowledges a wait of four days from the moment her blood ceases until she begins to count seven clean days, although he says that others will wait five days. The latter has become the widely accepted practice amongst Sepharadim.

Nevertheless, some women have always understoood the Torah to imply that she remains unclean for seven days from the standpoint of the Torah, no matter how many days her blood continued. As we said, Maimonides claims that this is an erroneous practice.

Rabbi Yoseph Chaim, the famous "Ben Ish-Chai," writes in his book "Halacha," second year, section Tzav, item # 7, the custom of Jewish women as practiced in Baghdad (Iraq) during the last century:

"No woman is made ritually clean unto her husband unless she counts first seven clean [days], and even if she saw a drop of blood like a mustard [seed]. Neither is she able to count seven clean [days] and immerse [herself] except only if six days have passed over her from the day whereon she saw [blood], but there are those who act even more stringently [and wait] after seven days [to begin their count]. Now let every one do according to his own custom in this [matter]. But here, in our city Baghdad, the majority of the city [has it as their custom] to count after six days, although there are families whose custom is [to count] after seven days."

(The original text)

כל אשה אינה נטהרת לבעלה אלא אם כן תספור תחילה שבעה נקיים, ואפילו ראתה טפת דם כחרדל. ואינה יכולה למנות שבעה נקיים ולטבול אלא דווקא אם עברו עליה ששה ימים מיום שראתה בו, ויש מחמירים אחר שבעה ימים. וכל אחד יעשה כמנהגו בזה. ופה עירנו בגדד רוב העיר מנהגם למנות אחר ששה ימים, אך יש משפחות שמנהגם אחר שבעה ימים

Sincerely,
David

R' David, I'm afraid I still don't agree with you. And what you brought from the Ben Ish Chai, the whole Paresha there is only Halacha L'Ma'aseh.

Have you spoken with your Rav yet?

Kol Tuv.

B"H

Rebbe Yisroel,

I have already asked several Rabbis about this matter. Some of their answers, however, are still pending.

From what I have been shown thus far, it is as we have stated. There can be no doubt about it. The halacha, for all practical purposes (הלכה למעשה), requires not that a woman wait seven days in uncleanness before she begins to count her seven days of cleanness.

The Boraitta that I quoted from the "Midrash Hagadol" cannot be misconstrued. Its import is clear. So, too, that teaching from the Jerusalem Talmud (Berakhoth 37a), as well as Rambam's view on this subject in Hilchos Issurei Bi'ah 11:14.

Whatever our persuassion might be, some women have always acted stringently in this matter, and will wait seven days from the moment their blood has stopped until they begin to count seven clean days.

David

Ok. Explain it to me again. What is the difference between Askenazic custom and Sephardic custom today. Who strongly objects to custom of waiting fourteen days instead of thirteen.
What is the problem in the interpetation of the Rambam on waiting the first three days because she may be tameh from shichva zerah when the correct text shows it should be two.

quote:

Originally posted by laurence shore:
Ok. Explain it to me again. What is the difference between Askenazic custom and Sephardic custom today. Who strongly objects to custom of waiting fourteen days instead of thirteen.
What is the problem in the interpetation of the Rambam on waiting the first three days because she may be tameh from shichva zerah when the correct text shows it should be two.

Aryeh,

First, Rambam agrees that if a woman accompanies with her husband (i.e. has conjugal relations) and sees blood during the act of "tashmish," even though that blood immediately stopped thereafter, she must forthwith separate herself from her husband, and wait three days before she begins to count seven clean days. This will give ample time for that semen which was collected within her to be discharged from her womb (where we suspect that it was mixed with her blood, and would otherwise return to make her unclean again if she had begun her seven day count in cleanness right away).

As for your other questions about Sephardic practices and Ashkenazi practises, Yossi Azose has summarised this matter very well in a different thread. I am pasting here his remarks. He wrote:

"I'm not sure whether there is universal agreement among Ashkenazim to follow the humrot of the RAM"A in this matter (i.e. to wait five days from the the start of menstruation before being able to start the 7 clean days, regardless of whether the husband had relations just prior to Nidda). However, I think it's worthy to cite:

1) The Arukh Hashulhan (Y"D 196:38) who, despite admitting that these are extreme humrot says:

אלא שמפני שהנשים כבר נהגו בזה ונתפשט המנהג בכל תפוצות ישראל לכן חלילה לשנות וכל הפורץ גדר ישכנו נחש

But since women are already accustomed to this, and the custom has spread throughout Israel, therefore it would be a sacriledge to change, and "any one who breaches the fence shall be bitten by a snake". (Note that the Arukh Hashulhan describes the minhag as universal).

2) Rav Moshe Feinstein, who often sets the standard for American Ashkenazic custom (Iggerot Moshe Y"D4 17:21 [toward the end]) where he says:

והדין ברור ופשוט בכל מדינותינו כהרמ"א להמתין חמשה ימים מיום הראייה ולספור אחר כך שבעה ימים

And the rule is clear and widespread throughout all our lands as the RAM"A, to wait 5 days from the day of (first) seeing (blood), and to count seven days (only) after then.

Also, it's worthwhile to go through an interesting discussion on the issue in Rav Ovadia Yosef's Taharat Habayit (starting on p392) where Rav Ovadia defends the minhag of Maran Bet Yosef against the Ben Ish Hai and other (Sephardic) poseqim who take a more stringent approach." END QUOTE.

As for Yemenite practices, some women wait a full seven days from the moment their cycle begins before they will begin to count the required seven days of cleanness. Others do as Rambam says, namely: The moment the blood of her menstrual cycle ceases, she begins counting the following day seven clean days (Hilchos Issurei Bi'ah 11:14).

David

B"H

Rebbe Yisroel,

The overwhelming majority of our commentators are saying what you have been saying all along, namely, that a Niddah (from the standpoint of the Torah) continues in a state of uncleanness for at least seven days.

Rabbeinu Asher (הרא"ש) wrote in Tractate Niddah, chapter 10:6 (Perek Tinoketh), s.v., ת"ר ואשה כי תהיה זבה, the following:

"The general rule which we adhere to from these oral teachings is that a menstruant woman, from the standpoint of the Torah, is whenever she begins to see blood for one day. That first day whereon she began to see [blood] is the beginning of her menstrual cycle, and she continues in such a state for seven days. It makes little difference if she had seen blood for those entire seven days, or whether she had seen [blood] for only one day. Now when the seven days are complete, she immerses herself on the eighth night and is permitted unto her husband. But if she saw blood on the eighth day, behold she enters within the eleven days that are interposed between each menstrual cycle, which are the days of [an irregular] running issue (Heb. ימי זיבות).

(Original Text)

כללא דנקטינן מהני מתנייתא. דנדה דאורייתא היכא דאתחילה וחזיא דמה יומא חד, ההוא יומא קמא דחזיא ביה הוי תחלת נדה ומשלמה עלה שבעה יומי. לא שנא חזיא דם בכולהו יומי ולא שנא לא חזיא אלא חד יומא. וכדנפקן שבעה יומי טבלה בליל שמיני ומשתריא לבעלה. ואי חזיא דם ביום השמיני הרי עיילה לה לתוך אחד עשר יום שבין דם נדה לדם נדה שהן ימי זיבות

Likewise, Rabbi Aharon Halevi, the author of "Sefer Ha-Hinouch," writes nearly the same thing in Parashas Acharei Mos, commandment # 207, and in Parashas Metzora, commandment # 182. Look there for his discussion on this subject.

So, too, we find in Midrash Tanhuma (Parashas Metzora), an excerpt taken from the writings of Rabbi Sherira Gaon who expressly mentions the matter of menstruant women, saying explicitly that they continue in their state of uncleanness for a minimum of seven days, even though they had seen blood for only one day.

All of these great commentators lend credence to that which Rebbe Yisroel has been saying all along, viz., that a Niddah is no less than seven days. So the question remains, however, why is it that not all women continue in compulsory seven days of uncleanness before they begin to count their seven days of cleanness? Perhaps the Rabbis saw that it was no longer necessary after the early generations ruled that all menstruant women require sitting out seven days of cleanness before immersing themselves in a mikveh. This additional wait automatically ensured that no woman would be forthwith permitted unto her husband when her blood stopped until she had waited seven days.

וצריך עיון

With deep respect,
David

Did anyway ever say that the peshat in the torah is that a woman waits seven days after seeing blood??
What can be lenient, and is if absolutely necessary as decided by an halachic authority, is that a woman does not have to check everyday, just the first and last day as described in detail in the gemara.

quote:

Originally posted by David Ben-Abraham:
So the question remains, however, why is it that not all women continue in compulsory seven days of uncleanness before they begin to count their seven days of cleanness? Perhaps the Rabbis saw that it was no longer necessary after the early generations ruled that all menstruant women require sitting out seven days of cleanness before immersing themselves in a mikveh. This additional wait automatically ensured that no woman would be forthwith permitted unto her husband when her blood stopped until she had waited seven days.

R' David, I also had the same question, and I came to the same conclusion that you did.

Kol Tuv.

quote:

Originally posted by laurence shore:
Did anyway ever say that the peshat in the torah is that a woman waits seven days after seeing blood?

Yes, that is the pshat. Nidda min HaTorah is 7 days, irrespective of the number of days of bleeding during those 7 days.

quote:

What can be lenient, and is if absolutely necessary as decided by an halachic authority, is that a woman does not have to check everyday, just the first and last day as described in detail in the gemara.

Now you are referring to the Shiva Neki'im [7 days of cleanliness] which only apply min HaTorah to a Zava.