1. The bleeding of niddah, the bleeding of zivah, the bleeding before childbirth,¹See Chapter 7, Halachah 1. the pure blood that follows childbirth,²See Chapter 4, Halachah 2,5. are all one type of bleeding. They [all] come from the uterus, from the same source. The laws applying [to this bleeding], however, change according to the time [and circumstance],³Niddah 96b states: "It [comes from] one source. [Here,] the Torah ruled it impure, and [here,] the Torah ruled it pure." causing the woman who discovers the bleeding to be considered as pure, a niddah, or a zavah.

2. What is implied? When a woman menstruates for the first time or when she menstruates at the fixed time at which it has been established that she will menstruate,⁴I.e., this is speaking about a woman who has a regular day of the month or interval at which she menstruates. she is a niddah for seven full days. [This applies] whether she continues to bleed throughout the seven days or she only discovered one drop of blood. If she discovers blood on the eighth day, this is the blood of zivah, because it comes "outside the time for niddah" [Leviticus 15:25].⁵I.e., in addition to the impurity associated with niddah, ordinary menstrual bleeding, the Torah establishes a category of impurity when a woman suffers uterine bleeding at times other than the days she is a niddah. This category is referred to as zivah. A woman enters this category when she suffers uterine bleeding between the day following the seven days associated with her ordinary menstrual bleeding and the eighteenth day following those days. As will be explained in the commentary to the following halachot, there is a difference of opinion between the Rambam and the other Rishonim with regard to the definition of these seven days.

3. Any blood that is discovered between one fixed time that a woman can be expected to menstruate and the next fixed time that she can be expected to menstruate is the blood of zivah. It is a halachah transmitted to Moses on Sinai that there are no more than eleven days between one menstrual bleeding and an another.

4. All of the seven days beginning with the day on which a fixed time that a woman can be expected to menstruate was established are called "the days of niddah." [This applies] whether the woman menstruates or not.⁶As will be explained, according to the Rambam, the definition of days as "the days of niddah" is not dependent on whether a woman actually menstruates or not, but on the day when, according to the schedule established previously, she could be expected to menstruate. Why are they called "the days of niddah"? Because they are fit [for a woman to be considered] a niddah? Any blood discovered during these days is considered as the blood of niddah.

5. The eleven days that follow these seven are called "the days of zivah." [This applies] whether the woman discovers bleeding or not. Why are they called "the days of zivah"? Because they are fit [for a woman to be considered] a zivah? Any blood discovered during these days is considered as the blood of zivah. Take care with regard to these names: "the days of niddah" and "the days of zivah."

6. Throughout her entire life, from the time she establishes a time when she can be expected to menstruate until she dies or until she transfers the time she can be expected to menstruate to another date,⁷As occurs after birth, as stated in Chapter 7, Halachah 2. she should count seven days from the beginning of the day when she could be expected to menstruate and eleven days after them. Afterwards, [she counts] another seven days and another eleven days.⁸The simple meaning of the Rambam's words is that the same 18 day pattern - 7 days niddah, 11 days zivah - continues throughout a woman's life whether or not she menstruates on those days or not. When she menstruates she must see whether she is in the midst of the days of niddah or the days zivah and follow the appropriate laws.

Rashi and Ramban offer a different interpretation. According to their view, the day's of niddah and zivah depend on a woman's circumstances each month. When she menstruates, she begins the days of niddah. If she continues bleeding beyond seven days or if she discovers uterine bleeding after these seven days (but within the next eleven days), she becomes a zavah. She remains in that category until seven "spotless" days pass. After those seven days, when she discovers uterine bleeding again, she becomes a niddah. Similarly, if she does not discover uterine bleeding within the eleven days, the next time she discovers uterine bleeding, she is considered as a niddah.

There are Talmudic passages which appear to support both positions. The position of Rashi and the Ramban appears to be closer to a woman's actual physical pattern and the commentaries question why the Rambam - a doctor - did not take note of this dimension. The Tur (Yoreh De'ah 183) follows the view shared by Rashi and the Ramban. In practice, however, this difference of opinion is not relevant at all, for as stated in Chapter 11, at present, Jewish women have accepted the stringency of counting seven "spotless" days whenever they discover even the slightest uterine bleeding. Hence, whatever their status actually is, they will certainly not transgress.

Take care of this reckoning so that you will know [a woman's status] if she discovers blood. Was it in the days of niddah or the days of zivah? For throughout a woman's entire life, she [follows the same pattern]: seven days of niddah and eleven days of zivah unless the pattern was interrupted by a birth, as will be explained.⁹Chapter 7, Halachah 2.

7. When a woman discovers uterine bleeding during the days of zivah for only one day or for two consecutive days, she is called a minor zavah,¹⁰The distinctions between a minor zavah and a major zavah are discussed in the following halachah. and she is called one who watches a day for a day.¹¹As indicated in the following two halachot, the intent is that for the day(s) she is impure, she must observe one "spotless" day. If she discovered [uterine bleeding] for three consecutive days, she is a zavah in the complete sense of the term. She is called a major zavah or merely referred to as a zavah without any further description. [This is derived from Leviticus 15:25]: "When a woman will have a flow of blood for many days...." The minimum implied by the plural form, "days," is two. "Many" indicates [at least] three.

8. There is no difference between a major zavah and a minor zavah except the counting of seven ["spotless" days] and the necessity to bring a sacrifice. For a major zavah must count seven "spotless" days [before immersing to regain ritual purity] and a minor zavah need only count one day. And a major zavah must bring a sacrifice when she purifies herself¹²See Hilchot Mechusrei Kapporah, ch. 1, for a description of this sacrifice. and a minor zavah need not. They are both impure and the prohibition against relations applies to both of them equally.

9. What is implied? If she discovered blood in the days of zivah - whether she discovered it in the beginning of the night or she discovered it at the end of the day - that entire day, she is impure. It is as if the bleeding did not cease from the time she discovered it until the sun sets. She should watch herself throughout the night.¹³I.e., take note if there is any bleeding. It is sufficient to check and see on the following morning if there are any signs of bleeding. If there are no signs of bleeding at night, she should arise in the morning and immerse herself after sunrise.¹⁴She may not, however, touch any articles that are ritually pure or engage in relations with her husband until nightfall, as explained in Halachot 13 and 14. She should watch herself for the entire day. If there are no signs of bleeding,¹⁵If, however, there are signs of bleeding, her immersion is disqualified retroactively and it is as if she was impure for the entire day. there is then a pure day to compensate for the impure day and she is permitted to her husband at night.

10. If she discovered [uterine] bleeding also on the second day, whether at night or whether during the day, after she immersed herself, that second day is also impure and she must watch herself for the entire third night. If there are no signs of bleeding at night, she should arise in the morning and immerse herself after sunrise. She should watch herself for the entire day.¹⁶Lest she discover uterine bleeding and become impure retroactively. If there are no signs of bleeding, there is then a pure day to compensate for the two impure days¹⁷The one day is sufficient. There is no need for two days, one for each of the impure days. and she is permitted to her husband at night.

11. If she discovered [uterine] bleeding on the third day, whether during the day or at night, she is a major zavah and she must count seven pure days when there is no uterine bleeding [at all], as [Leviticus 15:28] states: "She must count seven days for herself." She immerses herself on the seventh day after sunrise and is permitted to her husband at night. On the eighth day, she brings her sacrifice, two turtle doves or two doves.

12. When a minor zavah immerses herself at night¹⁸See Rabbi Akiva Eiger who questions whether the Rambam would accept the immersion of a woman who immerses herself between dawn (alot hashachar) and sunrise. during the day she is watching or a major zavah immerses herself on the seventh night, it is as if she did not immerse herself.¹⁹I.e., the immersion must be made after sunrise. She is like a niddah who immerses herself within the seven days.

13. When a person has relations with a major zavah after she immersed herself on the seventh day of her counting [of "spotless" days] or with a minor zavah after she immersed herself on the day on which she must watch herself, he is not liable for kerait, because she immersed herself at the time she was fit to immerse herself when regaining ritual purity.²⁰Even if she later discovers uterine bleeding and is therefore considered impure, they are not considered to have transgressed intentionally, because at the time, the woman was potentially in a state of ritual purity. This woman, however, possessed improper culture, for relations with her and things she touches are tenative.²¹I.e., as stated in the following halachah, she can retroactively be considered impure.

14. What is meant by their being "tentative"? If the day on which she immersed herself is completed without her discovering any uterine bleeding, everything which she touched after she immersed herself is ritually pure and there is no liability for relations with her. If, however, she discovers blood on this day after immersing herself, she is considered as a zavah retroactively. Anything which she touched is retroactively considered as impure and she and the man who engaged in relations with her are obligated to bring a sacrifice.²²For inadvertently violating the transgression against relations with a zavah. Therefore she is forbidden to her husband until the evening, lest she bring herself to a situation involving doubt.

15. When a zavah counts six "spotless" days and discovers uterine bleeding on the seventh day, even if it is close to sunset,²³If, however, the bleeding is not discovered until after nightfall, she is considered to have regained ritual purity and then become impure anew as a minor zavah. all of the days counted previously are invalidated²⁴I.e., it is not only that she loses the one day; all of the days that she had counted previously are also invalidated. The seven "spotless" days must be consecutive [Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 196:10)]. and she begins a new reckoning of seven "spotless" days after the impure day.

16. If [a woman] discharges semen²⁵I.e., she engaged in relations with a man and then discharged his semen from her vagina. This is speaking about a situation in which the couple engaged in relations when forbidden. Alternatively, she engaged in relations before becoming a zavah and discharged the semen after entering that state of impurity. For the semen to render her impure, it must be less than three full days old. See Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 196:11). during the days she is counting, she invalidates one day. She is like a zav who has a seminal emission who invalidates one day [in his counting].²⁶See Hilchot Mechusrei Kapparah 3:2.

If she discovered uterine bleeding on the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth days of her "days of zivah," she is not considered a major zavah. Instead, from the state of a minor zavah, she becomes a niddah. For the twelfth day is the beginning of her days of niddah²⁷As stated in Halachot 5 and 6, there are only eleven days of zivah. Afterwards, the days of niddah begin again. and a woman who discovers bleeding in her days of niddah does not become a zavah, as we explained.²⁸See Halachah 4 which states: "Any blood discovered during these days is considered as the blood of niddah." Thus she will have only discovered blood on two days of zivah. That is not sufficient to render her a major zavah.

17. What is the intent of the Torah's wording [Leviticus 15:25]: "After the time for niddah"? That if she discovered bleeding on the three days that follow her niddah [bleeding], she is a zavah,²⁹I.e., we do not say that her menstrual bleeding is extended. Instead, this bleeding is considered as a new phase, governed by different laws. i.e., she discovered bleeding on the eighth day after the onset of the days of niddah, the ninth day, and the tenth day, i.e., the first three of the eleven days of zivah.

[The following laws apply if a woman] discovers bleeding on the eleventh day of zivah and she immersed herself in the evening on the night of the twelfth day and engaged in relations.³⁰For she is required to wait for one "spotless" day before engaging in relations (Ra'avad). The Maggid Mishneh explains that this is a Rabbinic requirement. Although she is impure and the man who engaged in relations with her becomes impure and the laws regarding the impurity of the places where they both sit and lie apply, the couple are not liable for kerait. [The rationale is that] the twelfth day is not joined with the eleventh day for her to be considered a zavah. Her immersion that night is effective in saving her from [being liable to bring] a sacrifice.³¹Needless to say, however, she is forbidden to engage in such relations.

18. If she immerses herself on the twelfth day after sunrise, she is forbidden to her husband until the evening as is the law with regard to any minor zavah.³²By Rabbinic Law as stated in Halachah 14 and notes. She may, however, touch articles that are ritually pure, as stated in Hilchot Mitamei Mishkav UMoshav 5:8. If [her husband] transgresses and engages in relations with her, neither of them are liable at all.³³Since she immersed herself, her previous impurity departs and any new bleeding is not associated with the bleeding of zivah as the Rambam continues to explain. Even if she discovers blood on the twelfth day after they engaged in relations it is of no significance. For this is the blood of niddah and it is not associated with [the bleeding of] the previous day.

19. If she discovers bleeding at the conclusion of her seventh day of niddah during bein hashamashot,³⁴The period between sunset and the appearance of three stars. There is an unresolved doubt among the Rabbis if this time is considered as the conclusion of the previous day, the beginning of the following day, or a separate time of its own. See Hilchot Shabbat 5:4. and then discovers bleeding on the ninth day and the tenth day, there is an unresolved doubt if she is considered a [major]³⁵I.e., she is certainly a minor zavah. zavah.³⁶She must count seven "spotless" days before engaging in relations. Also, she brings a sacrifice, but it is not eaten, as explained in Hilchot Mechusrei Kapparah 1:6. For perhaps the [blood] discovered at first was on the eighth night and thus it is as if she discovered blood on three consecutive days at the beginning of her days of zivah.

Similarly, if she discovered bleeding on the ninth and tenth days of her days of zivah and discovered bleeding again at the conclusion of the eleventh day during bein hashamashot, there is an unresolved doubt if she is considered a [major] zavah. For perhaps the final discovery [of bleeding] was on the eleventh day and she will have discovered [bleeding] on three consecutive days during her days of zivah.

20. When a niddah inspects herself in the midst of her days of niddah and discovers that her bleeding has ceased, even if it ceased on the second³⁷On the first day, however, such an inspection is of no consequence, for as the Rambam states at the conclusion of the halachah, on the first day, we assume that she will continue to bleed. day of her menstrual period, and either, inadvertently or intentionally, did not inspect herself again until many days after her [days of] niddah and discovers impurity,³⁸I.e., uterine bleeding. we do not say that she was impure for all those days and [hence,] she is a zavah.³⁹I.e., we do not consider her to have bled for the entire time from the time she first inspected herself until the time that she discovered the bleeding. Instead, throughout the entire time that she did not inspect herself, we operate under the presumption that she is pure.⁴⁰I.e., we say that the uterine bleeding did not begin until it was discovered. This reflects a general principle: Once uterine bleeding is known to have stopped, we do not think that it has begun again until it is discovered. The Maggid Mishneh explains that this law applies whether the woman immersed herself or not.

If she inspected herself and found impurity, even if she checked herself on the seventh of her days of niddah, if she did not inspect herself again [before] bein hashamashot to separate herself from the impurity of niddah, but instead waited [several] days and afterwards inspected herself and found that she was pure, there is an unresolved doubt if she is considered a [major] zavah.⁴¹For perhaps she had continued bleeding from the conclusion of her days of niddah until shortly before she made an inspection. We have no way of knowing either way and hence, give her the status of a zavah because of the doubt.

If she discovered impurity, she is definitely a zavah. [The rationale is that since] at the beginning she discovered impurity and at the end, she discovered impurity, we operate under the presumption that she did not stop bleeding.⁴²Although we do not have certain evidence that she continued to bleed for this entire time, we operate under that assumption for the reason the Rambam mentions.

On the first day of menstruation, even though a woman [conducted an inspection and] found that she was pure, it is as if she discovered impurity. For on the first day of menstruation, we operate under the presumption that a woman's flow will continue.⁴³From the statements of the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 196:2) and the notes of the Dagul Mervavah, it would appear that if the woman's flow stops in the late afternoon of the first day, it is considered to have ceased.

21. When a zavah inspects herself on the first day of [the seven days]⁴⁴After making a hefsek taharah, an inspection that determines that the bleeding has ceased on the previous afternoon, before sunset. she must count and finds herself pure and then did not inspect herself until the seventh day and found that she was pure, she can be assumed to be pure.⁴⁵Nevertheless, at the outset, a woman should inspect herself twice on each of these seven days [Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 196:4)]. It is as if she inspected herself for all of the seven days and discovered herself to be pure.

22. Similarly, if she inspects herself on the first day of [the seven days] she must count and finds herself pure and [inspects herself] on the eighth day and found that she was pure, she can be assumed to be pure.⁴⁶I.e., despite the fact that she waited an extra day and did not immerse herself as soon as she was allowed, she is still considered as pure.

If she checked herself on the third day of zivah and discovered that the bleeding had ceased, but did not check herself on the first day of counting and then checked herself on the seventh day, she can be assumed to be pure.⁴⁷See Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 196:4) which mentions a difference of opinion on this matter, quoting also the opinion of Sefer Mitzvot Gadol who maintains that one must make an inspection on both the first and the seventh day.

The same laws apply to a zav⁴⁸Who must also inspect himself and count seven "spotless" days. See Hilchot Mechusrei Kapparah, ch. 3. with regard to all these inspections if he finds himself pure and it is considered as if he counted these days.

23. Whenever there is a doubt whether a woman is niddah or a zavah, she must count seven "spotless" days⁴⁹As is required of a zavah. because of the doubt. She immerses herself on the night preceding the eighth day⁵⁰Like a niddah who may not immerse herself during the day. Afterwards, she is permitted to her husband. She must bring the sacrifice of a zavah, but it is not eaten as will be explained in the appropriate place.⁵¹Hilchot Mechusrei Kapparah 1:6.