Niddah

A Tanna recited before Rab: As it might have been assumed that if an abortion was a creature with a shapeless body or with a shapeless head its mother is unclean by reason of its birth, it was explicitly stated in Scripture, If a woman be delivered, and bear a man-child etc.  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised etc.,  thus implying  that only a child that is fit for the covenant of the eight days  [causes uncleanness to his mother] but these  are excluded, since they are not fit for the covenant of the eight days. 'And', said Rab to him, 'conclude your statement thus:  And one who had two backs and two spinal columns'. R. Jeremiah b. Abba intended to give a practical decision  in agreement with the view of Samuel,  but R. Huna said to him: 'What have you in your mind? To impose a restriction?  But this is a restriction that results in a relaxation, since you must in consequence  allow her also a period of clean blood.  Act rather in accordance with the view of Rab, since we have an established rule that in ritual matters the law is in agreement with Rab irrespective of whether this leads to a relaxation or a restriction. Raba said: It has been stated that a woman may bear  at nine months  and also at seven months.  Can [then] large cattle who bear  at nine months also bear  at seven months or not? — R. Nahman b. Isaac replied, Come and hear: 'One that is younger is equally forbidden'.  Does not this also refer to the large cattle?  — No, it may only refer to the small cattle.  What an argument this is! If you grant that the reference  was to the large cattle also, one can well see the necessity for it. For it might have been presumed that since [a seven monthly] is viable in the case of a woman it is also viable in that of cattle, we were informed that it is not viable; but if you maintain that reference was made to small cattle only, this would be obvious, for can a three monthly abortion live?  — It  was necessary: As it might have been presumed that anyone [born within] less than two months [before the conclusion of the normal conception] can survive,  hence we were informed that it  was not viable. Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: If an abortion had the likeness of Lilith  its mother is unclean by reason of the birth, for it is a child, but it has wings. So it was also taught: R. Jose stated, It once happened at Simoni  that a woman aborted the likeness of Lilith, and when the case came up for a decision before the Sages they ruled that it was a child but that it also had wings. If an abortion had the likeness of a serpent, Hanina the son of R. Joshua's brother ruled: Its mother is unclean by reason of the birth. R. Joseph proceeded to report the ruling to R. Gamaliel when the latter sent word [to]  R. Joshua, 'Take charge of  your nephew and come with him to me'. As they were going, Hanina's  daughterin-law came out to meet R. Joshua.  'Master', she said to him, 'what is your ruling where an abortion had the likeness of a serpent?' 'Its mother', he replied, 'is clean'. 'But', she retorted, 'was it not in your name that my mother-in-law told me that its mother was unclean?' 'And', he asked her, 'on what ground?' 'Since [she told him] its eye-ball is round like that of a human being'. As a result of her statements R. Joshua recollected his ruling and sent the following message to R. Gamaliel: 'Hanina gave his ruling on my authority'.  Abaye observed: From this incident it may be learnt that when a scholar gives a ruling he should also indicate his reason so that when he is ever reminded of it he would recollect it. MISHNAH. IF A WOMAN ABORTED A SAC FULL OF WATER, FULL OF BLOOD, OR FULL OF MATTER OF VARIOUS COLOURS, SHE NEED NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS BEING A VALID BIRTH; BUT IF ITS LIMBS WERE FASHIONED SHE MUST CONTINUE [IN UNCLEANNESS AND SUBSEQUENT CLEANNESS FOR THE PERIODS PRESCRIBED] FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE.  IF SHE ABORTED A SANDAL OR A PLACENTA SHE MUST ALSO CONTINUE [IN UNCLEANNESS AND CLEANNESS AS] FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE. GEMARA. One can well understand why BLOOD or WATER  [constitutes no valid birth, since in this respect] it is of no consequence;  but as regards MATTER OF VARIOUS COLOURS,  why should not the possibility be taken into consideration that it had originally been a child that was now squashed? — Abaye replied: How much of undiluted wine must the mother of this thing have drunk that her embryo should be squashed within her bowels!  Raba replied: We have learnt, FULL OF, and if it were the case that the embryo had been squashed something would have been missing.  R. Adda b. Ahaba replied: We have learnt, MATTER OF VARIOUS COLOURS, and if it were the case that an embryo had been squashed it would all have been reduced to the same colour. It was taught: Abba Saul stated, I was once a grave-digger  when I made a practice of carefully observing the bones of the dead. The bones of one who drinks undiluted wine are burned; those of one who drinks wine excessively diluted are dry;  and those of one who drinks wine properly mixed are full of marrow.  The bones of a person whose drinking exceeds his eating are burned; those of one whose eating exceeds his drinking are dry,  and those of one who eats and drinks in a proper manner are full of marrow. It was taught: Abba Saul (or, as some say, R. Johanan stated): I was once a grave-digger.  On one occasion, when pursuing a deer, I entered the thigh-bone of a corpse, and pursued it for three parasangs but did neither reach the deer nor the end of the thigh-bone.  When I returned I was told that it was the thigh-bone of Og, King of Bashan. It was taught: Abba Saul stated, I was once a grave-digger  and on one occasion there was opened a cave under me and I stood in the eye-ball of a corpse up to my nose. When I returned I was told that it was the eye of Absalom. And should you suggest that Abba Saul was a dwarf [it may be mentioned that] Abba Saul was the tallest man in his generation, and R. Tarfon reached to his shoulder and that R. Tarfon was the tallest man in his generation and R. Meir reached to his shoulder. R. Meir was the tallest man in his generation and Rabbi reached to his shoulder. Rabbi was the tallest man in his generation and R. Hiyya reached to his shoulder, and R. Hiyya was the tallest in his generation and Rab reached to his shoulder. Rab was the tallest man in his generation and Rab Judah reached to his shoulder, and Rab Judah was the tallest man in his generation and his waiter Adda reached to his shoulder.