More Discussions for this daf
1. Kol ha'Yad 2. mens underwear 3. Dam Nidah
4. Cervix 5. Hargashah 6. Hargashah
7. Text of the Mishnah 8. Underwear 9. Source (Azharah) for the Isur
10. mens underwear 11. wasting seed 12. Rivkah's early pregnancy
13. Bedikah 14. Bedikah for Zov 15. יהרג ואל יעבור
DAF DISCUSSIONS - NIDAH 13

Tiziana Mayer asked:

Dear Sirs,

Could you explain me the meaning of this verse: "kol haiad marbah libdoq banashim - meshubechet, ubaanashim - taqazaz (qof tsade tsade)"...my quotation indicates the source as Niddah, 20,1...is this quotation correct, and what does exactly mean?

Thank you

Yours faithfully

Tiziana Mayer

Italy

The Kollel replies:

The citation is from Nidah 13a. It means as follows:

The more a woman examines herself (for menstrual blood) the better, because, in this way, she will avoid questions of her Tum'ah, and she will save her husband from transgressing a Torah prohibition. By a man, it is the opposite; the less he examines himself (e.g. to check for Tum'ah caused by seminal or other emissions), the better, because examining himself for emissions could itself cause an unnecessary emission (which one is warned to avoid).

M. Kornfeld

D.A.F.

Tiziana Mayer asks:

But...I'd like to find out whether there was a man who would have been able to introduce a stain into women, in ancient times. I ask this in order to understand correctly a Immanuel Romano's verse: "li peloni - i.e. a man - ha yad marbah libdoq banashim"...the footnote to this passage was the quotation I asked you about, but the verse...what does it mean according to you?

Thank you very very much!

Tiziana Mayer

The Kollel replies:

Emanuel ben Shlomo, author of the poems known as Machbarot Emanuel (among other works), was a Jewish poet (and contemporary of Dante, early 14th century) who wrote love-poems. His works were so widespread that they earned mention in the Code of Jewish Law (as texts not to be read on Sabbath, and of negligible and even negative religious value any other day of the week. Note, however, that the poem "Yigdal", which most Jews read every morning, is based on one of his works. See Mas'as Kapai, by Rabbi David Cohen.)

Using poetic licence, he paraphrased verses and Talmudic citations for his love poems (a practice of which the sages did not approve). I presume that the quote you mention was "borrowed" and slightly warped for use in an entirely different context. It seems to be describing a flirt whose hands are constantly in those of women.

Be well,

M. Kornfeld

Tiziana Mayer replies:

Thank you. Your opinion is very important for me. In fact, I'm translating from hebrew to italian some Machberet; Romano, however, was not only a poet, but also a philosopher and a commentator. His works include a Perush al Bereshit, and many other commentaries: upon Shir haShirim, Meshalim etc. Moreover, he composed a treatise about the mystic shape of hebrew letters, and an Even dachon...his thought was influenced by Maimomides, Jehudah Romano, Albertus Magnus...and it is known that he was allowed to preach during Yom Kippur.

Thank you again

Tiziana Mayer