1) (Vayikra 12:6) ("And when the days of her purification are fulfilled (melos), for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb in its first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, to the door of the tent of meeting, to the Cohein.") "when they are fulfilled": She does not bring it in the midst of melos; if she does, she has not fulfilled her obligation. I might think that she may not bring it in the midst of melos (for this birth, even) for (the unfulfilled obligations for) previous births; it is, therefore, written "she shall bring." "for a son": she is liable for each son. "for a daughter": she is liable for each daughter. "or for a daughter": to include a woman who miscarried on the eve of the eighty-first day (of melos for a girl) as being liable for an offering, in accordance with the view of Beth Hillel. For Beth Shammai exempt her from an offering (for the miscarriage, even though it took place after melos [the end of the eightieth day]. For since an offering cannot be offered at night, it is considered as if it took place in the midst of melos). Beth Hillel queried Beth Shammai: How is the night preceding the eighty-first day different from the eighty-first day itself? (Furthermore,) if the former is equivalent to the latter for purposes of tumah (i.e., niddah), why should it not be so for purposes of an offering? Beth Shammai responded: No, if this is true of the eighty-first day, it is because she arrived at a time that she could bring an offering (for her first birth). Would you say the same for the night preceding the eighty-first day, when she has not arrived at a time that she can bring an offering? Beth Hillel: But this is refuted by the instance of a woman's miscarrying on the eighty-first day that falls on a Sabbath, in which instance she is liable for an offering even though that day (Sabbath) is not fit for an offering! Beth Shammai: No, for in that instance, even though it is not fit for an individual offering, it is fit for a communal offering, as opposed to the instance of a woman's miscarrying on the night preceding the eighty-first day, the night being fit neither for an individual offering nor for a communal offering. 2) And blood (i.e., your argument from tumah) is no refutation, for if a woman miscarries in the midst of melos, her blood is tamei and yet she is exempt from an offering (so that there is no necessary correction between the two). Beth Hillel said to them: "or for a daughter": to include a woman who miscarried on the eve of the eighty-first day (of melos for a girl) as being liable for an offering. 3) "she shall bring a lamb in its first year for a burnt-offering": its first year, and not a calendar year. "and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering": either one, (but not a beast at all). "for a sin-offering": and not a beast for a sin-offering. For does it not follow (that he should be able to bring a beast as a sin-offering), viz.: If in a place (e.g., a rich leper, a clean Nazirite or a high-priest on Yom Kippur) where a bird sin-offering with a beast burnt-offering are not kasher, a beast sin-offering with a beast burnt-offering are kasher, here, where a bird sin-offering with a beast burnt-offering are kasher, how much more so should a beast sin-offering with a beast burnt-offering be kasher; it is, therefore, written "and a pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering" — either one, (but not a beast at all). "to the door of the tent of meeting to the Cohein": We are hereby taught she tends to them and brings them to the door of the tent of meeting to the Cohein. 4) (Vayikra 12:7) ("And he shall offer it before the L–rd and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the source of her blood. This is the law for her who bears, whether a male or a female.") "And he shall offer it": What is the intent of this? I might think that since two are required both are indispensable (for her purification); it is, therefore, written "And he shall offer it" — one is indispensable; the other, not. Still, I would not know which. "And he shall make atonement" tells me that just as we find in all instances that atonement is effected through the sin-offering; here, too, atonement is effected through the sin-offering. 5) "and she shall be cleansed": to eat of the sacrifices. "from the source": We are hereby taught that all the blood that she sees (which makes her tamei) comes only from the source (i.e., the womb). "her blood(s)": Numerous bloods are tamei in her: red, black, bright colored crocus, the color of earth-water, and the color of wine diluted with water. Beth Shammai says: Also the color of fenugrec water and of the water of roast meat. Beth Hillel rules these tahor. "the law for her who bears": We are hereby taught that she brings one offering for numerous deliveries (within the counting period of the first). How so? If a woman gave birth and then miscarried within the eighty days for a girl, and she again miscarried within the eighty days for a girl, and, likewise, if one miscarried twins (at different intervals), she brings (only) one offering, (for the second). R. Yehudah says: she brings for the first, but not for the second; for the third, but not for the fourth. I might think even after the melos; it is, therefore, (to negate this) written "This" (is the law for her who bears"). 6) A woman who has upon her a safek (a doubt) of five births (as when she miscarried and it is not known what) or a safek of five zivoth (as when she saw three days but does not know whether in her niddah days or in her zivah days), she brings one offering and eats of the sacrifices, and the others are not binding upon her). (If she has upon her) five definite births or five definite zivoth, she brings one offering and eats of the sacrifices, and the others are binding upon her. It once happened that bird-couples rose in Jerusalem to (the price of) a golden dinar, at which R. Shimon b. Gamliel said: ("I swear by) this Temple that they will be (sold) for silver dinars," whereupon he entered beth-din and taught: A woman who has upon her five definite births or five definite zivoth brings one offering and eats of the sacrifices, and the others are binding upon her — whereupon the price fell on that day to (two) bird couples for two revi'ith (of a silver dinar for one).
Sifra Tazria Yoledet Chapter 3
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