Mishnah Niddah 2

¹Every hand that makes frequent examination: In the case of women is praiseworthy, But in the case of men it ought to be cut off. In the case of a deaf, an person not of sound senses, a blind or an insane woman, if other women of sound senses are available they attend to her, and they may eat terumah. It is the custom of the daughters of Israel to have intercourse using two testing-rags, one for the man and the other for herself. Virtuous women prepare also a third rag to prepare the "house" [before intercourse]. ²If [blood] is found on his rag they are both unclean and they are liable to bring a sacrifice. If any blood is found on her rag immediately after their intercourse, they are both unclean and must bring a sacrifice. If [blood] is found on her rag after a time, they are unclean due to doubt but they are exempt from a sacrifice. ³What is meant by "after a time"? As long as it takes to get down from the bed and wash her "face." [If blood was found some time] after she causes uncleanness retrospectively for a period of twenty-four hours but she does not cause the man who had intercourse with her to be unclean. Rabbi Akiva says: she also causes the man who had intercourse with her to be unclean. And the sages agree with Rabbi Akiva that one who saw a bloodstain defiles the man who had intercourse with her. ⁴All women are in the presumption of being pure for their husband. For those who return from a journey, their wives are in the presumption of being pure. Bet Shammai says: a woman needs two testing-rags for every time she has intercourse, or she must have relations in the light of a lamp. Bet Hillel says: two testing-rags suffice her for the whole night. ⁵The sages spoke of a woman through a metaphor: A chamber, a vestibule and an upper chamber. The blood of the chamber is unclean, If blood is found in the vestibule, and there arises a doubt about its character, it is deemed unclean, because it is presumed to have come from the source. ⁶Five kinds of blood in a woman are unclean: red, black, like bright crocus, like earthy water, or like diluted wine. Bet Shammai says: also like fenugreek water or the juice of roasted meat. But Bet Hillel declares these clean. One that is yellow: Akavia ben Mahalalel declares unclean And the sages declare clean. Rabbi Meir said: even if it does not convey uncleanness as a bloodstain it conveys uncleanness as a liquid. Rabbi Yose says: it does neither the one nor the other. ⁷What is considered red? Like the red of a wound. Black: Like ink-sediment. Darker than this is impure. Lighter than this is pure. Like bright crocus: like the clearest shade in it. Like earthy water: from the Bet Kerem valley, when water floats over it. Like diluted wine: two parts water, one part wine, from wine of the Sharon.