Nidah 37 -43
- The reconciliation of the two caskets
- What interrupts counting the clean days of the zav
- How many days for full-term birth
- The impact of fear on the menstrual cycle
- During which part of the menstrual cycle is a woman more prone to bleeding
- The status of a woman who gives birth through Caesarian section
- Which disqualifications of a sacrifice cause it to be removed from the altar
- A discussion of the female anatomy in reference to the laws of nidah
- Ages of puberty in boys and girls
Counting the Days
"And G-d let her have harayon (conception of a child)." Ruth 4:13
This terse report on Ruth's conceiving and bearing a child whose descendant will be King David serves as a guideline to the length of time between conception and birth.
The gematria (numerical equivalent of the word harayon (hei = 5, reish = 200, yud = 10, vav = 6, nun = 50) is 271, which is the equivalent of nine 30-day months plus one.
If conception did not take place right away, this period could extend to 272 or even 273 days.
Aware of this schedule, the early extremely righteous Jews purposely planned for conception to take place on a day in the week so that the actual birth would not take place on Shabbat and necessitate a violation (though permitted for lifesaving) of the holiness of that day.
- Nidah 38b
What the Sages Say
"Even those who say that those who give birth in nine months do not give birth before full term agree that those who give birth in seven months such a birth can take place in six months and two days."
- The Sage Mar Zutra - Nidah 38b
