Niddah

MISHNAH. THE SAGES SPOKE OF [THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF] A WOMAN IN FIGURATIVE SPEECH: AN UNRIPE FIG, A FIG IN ITS EARLY RIPENING STAGE AND A RIPE FIG. SHE IS LIKE AN UNRIPE FIG' WHILE SHE IS YET A CHILD; A FIG IN ITS EARLY RIPENING STAGE' WHEN SHE IS IN THE AGE OF  HER MAIDENHOOD. DURING BOTH THE LATTER AND THE FORMER AGES,  THEY  RULED, HER FATHER IS ENTITLED TO ANYTHING SHE FINDS AND TO HER HANDIWORK AND TO THE RIGHT OF INVALIDATING HER VOWS. 'A RIPE FIG' — AS SOON AS SHE BECOMES A BOGERETH, AND HER FATHER HAS NO LONGER ANY RIGHT OVER HER. WHAT ARE THE MARKS [OF A BOGERETH]? R. JOSE THE GALILEAN SAYS: THE APPEARANCE OF  THE WRINKLE BENEATH THE BREAST. R. AKIBA SAYS: THE HANGING DOWN OF  THE BREASTS. BEN AZZAI SAYS: THE DARKENING OF THE RING AROUND THE NIPPLE. R. JOSE SAYS: [THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BREAST TO A STAGE] WHEN ONE'S HAND BEING PUT ON THE NIPPLE IT SINKS AND ONLY SLOWLY RISES AGAIN. GEMARA. SHE IS LIKE 'AN UNRIPE FIG'  WHILE SHE IS YET A CHILD, as it is written in Scripture, The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs. 'A FIG IN ITS EARLY RIPENING STAGE',  WHEN SHE IS IN THE AGE OF HER MAIDENHOOD, as we have learnt: Figs [become subject to tithe] as soon as they reach an early stage of ripening  and Rabbah b. Bar Hana explained this to mean: As soon as their tips grow white. And if you prefer I might say that the meaning  is derived from the following: For my soul became impatient of them, and their soul also loathed  me. A RIPE FIG',  as one would say, 'It has come forth complete.' WHAT ARE THE MARKS [OF A BOGERETH]? R. JOSE THE GALILEAN SAYS: THE APPEARANCE OF THE WRINKLE. Samuel explained: Not the actual appearance of the wrinkle, but it suffices if, when putting her hands behind her, the wrinkle beneath the breast seems to appear. Samuel  examined his slave and paid her four zuz compensation for the indignity. Samuel thereby followed his principle, for Samuel stated: Of them  may ye make bondmen  for ever,  I have given them to you for work  but not to be subjected to indignities. Samuel assigned his female slaves to individual husbands.  R. Nahman interchanged them.  R. Shesheth entrusted them to Arabs  but told them 'Be careful to have no intercourse with an Israelite'. R. JOSE SAYS etc. What is the meaning of ukaz?  — Samuel replied: The nipple of the breast. Our Rabbis taught: What are the marks of bagruth? R. Eleazar son of R. Zadok stated, When the breasts begin to shake.  R. Johanan b. Beroka stated, When the top of the nose  grows white. But is not a woman when this grows white already old? — Rather said R. Ashi, when the top of the nose splits.  R. Jose stated, When a ring is formed around the nipple. R. Simeon stated, When the mons veneris grows lower.