1)

(a)The Mishnah - declares the young daughters of Kutim Nidos from birth.

(b)The reason for this is based on the Pasuk in Metzora "ve'Ishah ki Sih'yeh Zavah". We learn from the extra 'Vav' in the word "ve'Ishah" that - a girl is subject to Tum'as Nidah from the moment she is born (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)And it is the fact that the Kutim did not agree with this D'rashah - that prompted the Chachamim to decree Nidus on the baby daughters of the Kutim.

2)

(a)When the Tana says that Kutim are Metamei Mishkav Tachton ke'Elyon, he means that - if a Kuti is lying on a number of sheets, the bottom ones (those with which his body do not come into direct contact) are Metamei food and drink, but not a person or Keilim (like the blanket that covers a Zav [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(b)Chazal issued this decree because they were all (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 'Mipnei she'Hein') considered Bo'alei Nidos (who have been intimate with Nidos). This was - because they would observe the Dinim of Nidah for all types of blood (even if it was of a color that Chazal considered Tahor) see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 've'Hein Yoshvos'.

(c)The problem with that is that - assuming a Kutis had a sighting of yellow blood, and then in the middle of her seven days of Tum'ah, she saw red blood, she would continue counting the seven days of Nidus from the first sighting instead of from the second one, considering herself Tahor when really she was still Tamei.

3)

(a)These Dinim would be irrelevant today however, even if we were to observe the Dinim of Tum'ah and Taharah nowadays - because once they were discovered to be worshipping the image of a dove on Har G'rizim, Chazal declared upon them the status of Nochrim in all regards.

(b)The Mishnah exempted a person who wore the clothes of a Kuti and entered the Beis-Hamikdash, from a Korban or from burning Terumah that the clothes touched - because their Tum'ah was only a Safek.

4)

(a)We have a problem with the previous ruling from a Mishnah in Taharos, where the Tana rules that - six S'feikos (one of which is 'Bigdei Am ha'Aretz') require the Terumah which they touched to be burned.

(b)The problem is - why our Mishnah says the opposite (see Tos. Yom-Tov)?

(c)We answer that our Mishnah is speaking where the Kuti had just Toveled in the presence of the Chaver, before treading on his clothes. Neither are we afraid that his clothes touched those of the Chaver as he stood on them - because the Tana is speaking either where the Kuti was still naked (see Tos. Yom-Tov [Ibid.]) when he trod on his clothes, or where he was wearing the clothes of the Chaver, or when he Toveled, he also Toveled the clothes that he was now wearing.

(d)This explains why we are not concerned about Bigdei Am ha'Aretz. Neither are we concerned that the Kuti may have been a Bo'el Nidah, who is Tamei for seven days, and whose Tevilah was therefore not valid - because it is a S'fek S'feika a. he may not have been Bo'el during the last seven days, and even if he did, his wife may have seen Tahor blood, in which case she was not even Tamei.

5)

(a)The Tana Kama declares the daughters of Tzedokim - Nidos (like Kutiyos) unless they are known to have gone in the ways of Yisrael (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)Rebbi Yossi - gives them the Din of a Kasher Yisrael, unless they are known to have followed in their fathers footsteps.

(c)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

6)

(a)The spit and urine of ...

1. ... a Metzora'as are Tamei min ha'Torah - because they are her Ma'ayanos, which are Tamei like those of a Zav.

2. ... a Nochris are Tamei - like a Zav, mi'de'Rabbanan (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)Beis Shamai declares the Dam Tahor of a Metzora'as and the blood of a Nochris - Tahor.

(c)Their reason with regard to the blood of ...

1. ... a Nochris is - as a reminder that it is only mi'de'Rabbanan, and that one should therefore be careful not to burn Terumah on account of it.

2. ... a Metzora'as is - because since it neither gathers in the body before emerging (like urine and spit), it is not considered a Ma'ayan.

7)

(a)When Beis Hillel say ke'Rukah u'che'Meimei Raglehah, they mean that - the Dam Tahor of a Metzora'as and the blood of a Nochris are Tamei like their their spit and urine.

(b)Beis Hillel disagree with Beis Shamai regarding the blood of ...

1. ... a Nochris - because, since they consider the fact that the Rabbanan did not decree on her dry blood, sufficient a Heker.

2. ... a Metzora'as - because, even though her blood is not a Ma'ayan, we learn from the extra words "la'Zachar ve'la'Nekeivah" that it nonetheless has the Din of a Ma'ayan (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

8)

(a)Beis Shamai ascribe to the blood of a Yoledes after the seventh day, who has not yet Toveled, the same Din as that of a Nochris and a Metzora'as. In spite of the fact that the seven days of Tum'ah have passed, and min ha'Torah, she is Tahor - the Rabbanan decreed Tum'ah on her after the seven days, because of blood that she saw during the seven days.

(b)And the Chachamim did not also decree on the blood after it has dried - as a Heker ... , as they learned above (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)Here too, Beis Hillel are more stringent. They declare the blood Tamei even after it has dried - because, in their opinion, the blood of a Yoledes, even after seven days (following the birth of a boy), is Tamei min ha'Torah, until she has Toveled.

(d)Beis Shamai concede that the blood of a Yoledes is Tamei even if she sees after seven days following the birth of a boy or fourteen days following the birth of a girl - if she is a Zavah who has not yet counted her seven clean days (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

9)

(a)When the Tana says ha'Makshah Nidah, he means - a woman who has birth-pangs and sees blood and subsequently gives birth during her period of Nidus, is Tamei Nidah.

(b)If the same thing were to occur during the eleven days between one Nidus and the other - she would be Tahor ...

(c)... because we would consider the pangs to be those of childbirth and not of Zivus (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

10)

(a)According to R. Eliezer, should she have twenty-four hours of respite without pain, before giving birth, she is Yoledes be'Zov. R. Yehoshua requires - specifically a night and a day (see Tos. Yom-Tov) ...

(b)... like Shabbos.

(c)The Halachah - is like R. Eliezer.

(d)She is Tamei - even if the respite is from the pain, but not from the blood.

11)

(a)When R. Meir says that the Kishuy of a Yoledes may last even forty or fifty days, he means that - provided there is no break, she is Tahor, even if the pangs began forty or fifty days (see Tos. Yom-Tov) before the birth.

(b)And when R. Yehudah says Dayah Chodshah, he means that - she is Tahor only if the pangs began in the last month, but not earlier.

(c)According to R. Yossi and R. Shimon - birth-pangs that began more than two weeks before the birth are not considered birth-pangs (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)The Halachah is - like R. Yossi and R. Shimon.

12)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a woman who has birth-pangs (and who sees blood) within eighty days of giving birth to a girl. This is possible - if she and her husband were intimate during the sixty-six day period of Taharah following the first birth (see also Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The Tana Kama - rules that she is Tahor ...

(c)... because the Torah declares Tahor all blood that she sees during that period.

13)

(a)R. Eliezer declares her Tamei - because, since the blood came as a result of the birth-pangs of the second baby (and not the birth of the first one), it is not Dam Tahor. Consequently, it has the status of Dam Nidus, from which the Torah does not purify a Yoledes (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The Tana Kama bases his view on the fact - that if in a regular case, where the Torah is strict with Dam Shofi (where the woman saw blood on three consecutive days before giving birth), it is lenient with Dam Koshi (as we learnt earlier in the Perek), how much more so will it be lenient with Dam Koshi, in this case, where it is lenient with Dam Shofi (the sixty-six days of Taharah [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(c)R. Eliezer however - counters with the principle Dayo la'Ba min ha'Din Lih'yos ke'Nadun (see Tos. Yom-Tov), which in this case, means that the Torah is only lenient with regard to Dam Zivus, but not to Dam Nidus, as we explained.

(d)The Tana Kama will concede that she is Tamei (Leidah) - once the second baby (miscarriage) emerges.

14)

(a)The source for the eleven days between one Nidus and another is - Halachah le'Moshe mi'Sinai.

(b)During that period - a woman is Tahor (and does not require Bedikah), until she has a sighting.

(c)When the Tana adds Yashvah ve'Lo Badkah Shag'gah, Ne'ensah, Heizidah ve'Lo Badkah, Tehorah (see Tos. Yom-Tov), he is talking about - the period when she is subject to Nidus.

15)

(a)The Tana concedes that - once the time of her Veses arrives, if she failed to examine herself she is Tamei ...

(b)... even if she examines herself subsequently and finds no blood (see Tos. Yom-Tov) ...

(c)... due to the Chazakah that a period comes in its time.

16)

(a)R. Meir declares Tahor a woman hiding from robbers or soldiers, who fails to examine herself when her Veses arrives - because the fear of discovery prevents the blood from moving.

(b)The Chachamim rule that she is Tamei.

(c)The Halachah is like the Chachamim (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

17)

(a)The Tana now discusses ...

1. ... a Zav and a Zavah - with reference to the seven clean days that they need to count after the second (Zav) or third (Zavah) sightings.

2. ... a Shomeres Yom k'Neged Yom - a woman who sees once or twice during the days of Zivus.

(b)He declares them all - be'Chezkas Tamei (if they failed to examine themselves morning and evening).

(c)A Shomeres Yom k'Neged Yom - observes only the following day, and should she not have a sighting by the end of the day, she Tovels at night-time (see Tos. Yom-Tov) and is Tahor for her husband.