More Discussions for this daf
1. Upon how many Jews does the Shechinah descend 2. 10 years of marriage with no kids 3. Avraham and Sarah's child
4. 10 years 5. Hash-m desires the Tefilos of Tzadikkim 6. Chazakah
7. Chazakah 8. Abaye and Rava 64b 9. חומה
DAF DISCUSSIONS - YEVAMOS 64

S F asked:

The Gemorah questions the period of 10 years and makes a suggestion that two and a half years should be the 'maximum' wait time - the time of 3 pregnancies - Rashi calculates this as being 9 months x 3 = 27 months plus a month in between each child.

Firstly that would only make 29 months -

Secondly we learned previously that a woman should not become pregnant within 24 months of giving birth as it could be potentially lethal for the newborn child. (unless one would have to say that the mother did not nurse her children)

S F

The Kollel replies:

It could be that Rashi is assuming that a month is added before the first pregnancy as well, due to various factors that could complicate a woman's becoming pregnant right away, such as Bi'ah Rishonah etc.

In any event, I don't think that this amount of time is referring to a woman losing a child during an almost full term pregnancy each time, nor stating that woman should try to have many children in this fashion. This is implied by the Gemara's usage of "k'Neged" which does not mean directly because of, but rather parallel to (see Shabbos 21b, Megilah 23a, and othet places in the Gemara where "k'Neged" is used and it is clearly not a direct reason, but a parallel). This amount of time was deemed sufficient to determine the woman's immediate childbearing capabilities. To show that this is a time of some significance, Rav Shmuel Bar Shilas stated that such an amount of time would have sufficed to possibly have up to three children, not that one should do so.

All the best,

Yaakov Montrose