|
Navigating the Bible| Genesis |
| Exodus |
| Leviticus |
| Subjects |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 |
| Numbers |
| Deuteronomy |
Childbirth |
|
| 12:1 | God spoke to Moses, telling him |
| 12:2 | to speak to the Israelites, relating the following: When a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she shall be ritually unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during the time of separation when she has her period. |
| 12:3 | On the eighth day, [the child's] foreskin shall be circumcised. |
| 12:4 | Then, for 33 additional days, she shall have a waiting period during which her blood is ritually clean. Until this purification period is complete, she shall not touch anything holy and shall not enter the sanctuary. |
| 12:5 | If she gives birth to a girl, she shall have for two weeks the same ritually unclean status as during her menstrual period. Then, for 66 days after that, she shall have a waiting period during which her blood is ritually clean. |
| 12:6 | When her purification period for a son or a daughter is complete, she shall bring to the priest, to the Communion Tent entrance, a yearling sheep for a burnt offering, and a young common dove, or a turtle dove for a sin offering. |
| 12:7 | [The priest] shall offer [the sacrifice] before God and atone for [the woman], thus cleansing her of the blood coming from her womb. This law applies whether a woman gives birth to a boy or to a girl. |
| 12:8 | If [the woman] cannot afford a sheep, she shall bring two turtle doves, or two young common doves, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. The priest shall then make atonement for her, and she shall be clean. |
Commentary:
| God spoke... After discussing unclean animals, the Torah now discusses human uncleanness; see Leviticus 7:21, 11:1. |
| time of separation... (Saadia; Rashbam). See Leviticus 15:19-24. Or, 'when she has her periodic discharge' (Rashi); or, 'when she has her periodic sickness' (Rashi; Ibn Ezra; Ramban). |
| On the eighth day... See Genesis 17:12. |
| for 33 additional days Making a total of 40. |
| her blood is ritually clean That is, even if the woman experiences vaginal bleeding during this time, she does not have the status of a menstruant woman (Niddah 35b; Yad, Issurey Biyah 4:5; Rashbam). The current practice, however, is to consider the woman unclean if she bleeds, even during the latter 33 days (Yad, Issurey Biyah 11:5-7; Turey Zahav, Yoreh Deah 194:1). |
| for 66 days after that Making a total of 80 days. |
| a young common dove... See note on Leviticus 1:14. |
|