Ketubot

At what age?  — Raba in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Abba who had it from Rab replied: Three months. Samuel, however, said: Thirty days; while R. Isaac stated in the name of R. Johanan: Fifty days. R. Shimi b. Abaye stated: The halachah is in agreement with the statement of R. Isaac which was made in the name of R. Johanan. One can well understand [the respective views of] Rab and R. Johanan since they are guided by the child's keenness of perception.  According to Samuel, however, is such [precocity]  at all possible? — When Rami b. Ezekiel came  he said, 'Pay no regard to those rules which my brother Judah laid down in the name of Samuel; for this said Samuel: As soon as [the child]  knows her'. A [divorced woman] once came to Samuel [declaring her refusal to suckle her son]. 'Go', he said to R. Dimi b. Joseph, 'and test her case'.  He went and placed her among a row of women and, taking hold of her child, carried him in front of them. When he came up to her [the child]  looked at her face with joy,  but she turned her eye away from him. 'Lift up your eyes'. he called to her, 'come, take away your son'. How does a blind child know [its mother]? R. Ashi said: By the smell and the taste. Our Rabbis taught: A child must be breast fed for  twenty-four months. From that age onwards  he is to be regarded as one who sucks an abominable thing; these are the words of R. Eliezer. R. Joshua said: [He may be breast fed] even for four or five years. If, however, he ceased  after the twenty-four months and started again  he is to be regarded as sucking an abominable thing. The Master said, 'From that age onwards he is to be regarded as one who sucks an abominable thing'. But I could point out a contradiction: As it might have been presumed that human  milk is forbidden  since such [prohibition may be deduced from the following] logical argument: If in the case of a beast  in respect of which the law of contact  has been relaxed  [the use of] its milk has nevertheless been restricted,  how much more should the use of his milk be restricted in the case of a human being in respect of whom the law of contact has been restricted;  hence it was specifically stated, The camel because it  cheweth the cud [… it is unclean unto you],  only 'it' is unclean; human milk, however, is not unclean but clean. As it might also have been presumed that only [human] milk is excluded  because [the use of milk] is not equally [forbidden] in all cases  but that [human] blood is not excluded  since [the prohibition of eating blood] is equally applicable in all cases,  hence it was specifically stated, it,  only 'it' is forbidden; human blood, however, is not forbidden but permitted.  And [in connection with this teaching] R. Shesheth has stated: Even [a Rabbinical] ordinance of abstinence is not applicable to it!  — This is no difficulty. The latter  [refers to milk] that has left [the breast]  whereas the former  [refers to milk] which has not left [the breast]. [This law, however], is reversed in the case of blood,  as it was taught: [Human] blood which [is found] upon a loaf of bread must be scraped off and [the bread] may only then be eaten; but that which is between the teeth  may be sucked without any scruple. The Master stated, 'R. Joshua said: [He may be breast fed] even for four or five years'. But was it not taught that R. Joshua said: Even when [he carries] his bundle on his shoulders?  — Both represent the same age.  R. Joseph stated: The halachah is in agreement with R. Joshua. It was taught: R. Marinus said, A man suffering from an attack on the chest  may suck milk  [from a beast] on the Sabbath.  What is the reason? — Sucking is an act of unusual  unloading  against which, where pain  is involved, no preventive measure has been enacted by the Rabbis. R. Joseph stated: The halachah is in agreement with R. Marinus. It was taught: Nahum the Galatian  stated, If rubbish  was collected  in a gutter  it is permissible to crush it with one's foot quietly  on the Sabbath, and one need have no scruples about the matter. What is the reason? — Such repair is carried out in an unusual manner  against which, when loss is involved,  the Rabbis enacted no preventive measure. R. Joseph stated: The halachah is in agreement with the ruling of Nahum the Galatian. 'If he ceased, however, after the twenty-four months and started again he is to be regarded as one who sucks an abominable thing'. And for how long?  — R. Judah b. Habiba replied in the name of Samuel: For three days. Others read: R. Judah b. Habiba recited  before Samuel: 'For three days'. Our Rabbis taught: A nursing mother whose husband died within twenty-four months [of the birth of their child] shall neither be betrothed nor married again