Niddah

MISHNAH. WOMEN IN REGARD TO THEIR VIRGINITY ARE LIKE VINES. ONE VINE MAY HAVE RED WINE  WHILE ANOTHER HAS BLACK WINE, ONE VINE MAY YIELD MUCH WINE WHILE ANOTHER YIELDS LITTLE.  R. JUDAH STATED: EVERY NORMAL VINE YIELDS  WINE,  AND ONE THAT YIELDS NO WINE IS BUT A DORKETAI. GEMARA. One taught:  A generation cut off.  R. Hiyya taught: As leaven is wholesome for the dough so is [menstrual] blood wholesome for a woman. One taught in the name of R. Meir: Every woman who has an abundance of [menstrual] blood has many children. MISHNAH. IF A YOUNG GIRL, WHOSE AGE OF MENSTRUATION  HAS NOT ARRIVED, MARRIED, BETH SHAMMAI RULED: SHE IS ALLOWED  FOUR NIGHTS,  AND BETH HILLEL RULED: UNTIL THE WOUND IS HEALED.  IF THE AGE OF HER MENSTRUATION HAS ARRIVED  AND SHE MARRIED, BETH SHAMMAI RULED: SHE IS ALLOWED  THE FIRST NIGHT, AND BETH HILLEL RULED: FOUR NIGHTS, UNTIL THE EXIT OF THE SABBATH.  IF SHE HAD OBSERVED A DISCHARGE WHILE SHE WAS STILL IN HER FATHER'S HOUSE,  BETH SHAMMAI RULED: SHE IS ONLY ALLOWED THE OBLIGATORY MARITAL INTERCOURSE,  AND BETH HILLEL RULED: ALL THAT  NIGHT. GEMARA. R. Nahman b. Isaac explained:  Even if she already observed a discharge.  Whence is this inferred? — Since in the final clause  a distinction is drawn between one who did and one who did not observe a discharge it follows that in the case in the first clause no distinction is made between the one and the other.  So it was also taught: Beth Hillel ruled: Intercourse is allowed until the wound is healed irrespective of whether she already  did or did not observe a discharge. UNTIL THE WOUND IS HEALED. For how long?  — Rab Judah replied: Rab said, 'So long as it discharges matter', but when I mentioned this in the presence of Samuel the latter said to me, 'I do not know what that "discharging" exactly means; rather explain.  So long as spittle is engendered in the mouth  on account of intercourse'.  How is one to understand the 'discharging' of which Rab spoke? — R. Samuel son of R. Isaac replied. This was explained to me by Rab: If when standing she observes a discharge and when sitting she does not observe one, it may be known that the wound has not healed; if when lying on the ground she observes a discharge and when lying on cushions and bolsters she does not observe one, it may be known that the wound had not healed; and if when lying on any of these she either observes a discharge or does not observe one, it may be known that the wound is healed. IF THE AGE OF HER MENSTRUATION HAS ARRIVED etc. It was stated: If she had intercourse in the day time,  Rab ruled, She has not lost thereby the right to intercourse during the nights. but Levi ruled, She has thereby lost the right to intercourse in the nights. Rab ruled, 'She has not lost thereby the right to intercourse during the nights', because we learnt, UNTIL THE EXIT OF THE SABBATH.  'But Levi ruled, She has thereby lost the right to intercourse in the nights', for the meaning of  FOUR NIGHTS mentioned is four 'onahs.  But according to Rab  what was the purpose of mentioning FOUR NIGHTS? — We were thereby informed of what is regarded as good manners, viz., that intercourse should take place at night.  But according to Levi  it should only have been stated FOUR NIGHTS, what was the purpose of saying, UNTIL THE EXIT OF THE SABBATH? — It is this that we were informed:  That it is permitted to perform the first marital intercourse  on the Sabbath,  in agreement with a ruling of Samuel; for Samuel ruled: It is permissible to enter through a narrow breach  on the Sabbath although one causes pebbles to fall. It was stated: If a man had marital intercourse  and found no blood but, having repeated the act,  he found blood, R. Hanina ruled: The woman is unclean;  but R. Assi ruled: She is clean. 'R. Hanina ruled: The woman is unclean', for if it were the case that the blood was that of virginity it would have issued on the first occasion. 'But R. Assi ruled: She is clean', because it is possible that something unusual may have happened to her, in accordance with a statement of Samuel; for Samuel stated, 'I could perform a number of acts of intercourse without causing any bleeding'. And the other?  — Samuel is different from ordinary people since his capability  was great. Rab stated: A woman who has reached her maturity  is  allowed  all the first night.  But this applies only to a woman who had never yet observed a discharge, but if she did observe one she is permitted the obligatory act of intercourse only and no more. An objection was raised: It once happened that Rabbi allowed a woman intercourse on four nights in twelve months.  Now how is one to understand his ruling? If it be suggested that he allowed her all these nights  during the period of her minority