Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 20:21/אבן עזרא על ויקרא כ׳:כ״א
אואמר על אשת אח נדה והטעם ראוי שירחק ממנה וכן אמרו אחיכ׳ שונאיכם מנדיכם והנה אין בעריות זכר נדה כי אם באשת אח והנדה אסורה גם תבוא עת להיות מותרת גם כן יתכן באשת האח כאשר אפרש בפרשת כי ישבו אחים יחדו ואשר אמרו כאשר היא אחות האב אסורה כן אסור לאשה שתנשא לדודה לא זה הדרך כי העריות הזכרים הם המכריחים ואין מי יכריחם ואם בדרך שקול דעתם החסרה יראה לנו למה לא נקבל עדות שתים נשים ואם על הערכים תהיינה ארבעת נשים כמו שני עדים על כן אנחנו צריכים לקבלה:
1[IT IS IMPURITY.] Scripture employs the term niddah (impurity) with regard to a brother’s wife. The meaning of niddah hiy (it is impurity)73, she is distanced. The term niddah usually refers to a menstruating women. is, it is fitting for him to distance himself from her.74 comes from the root nun, dalet, dalet, which means to wander. Similarly, Your brethren that hate you, that cast you out (menaddekhem)…have said (Is. 66:5).75, which is related to the word niddah, has the meaning of to distance. Note, there is no mention of niddah in all of the prohibited sexual partners76. except with regard to a brother’s wife. A niddah77 is prohibited.78 However, a time comes when she is permitted.79, and they immerse themselves seven days after the cessation of their menstrual flow, with 12 days being the minimum. This possibility,80 as I will explain in the section If brethren dwell together (Deut. 25:5), also arises in the case of a brother’s wife. My reply to those who say,81 as it is prohibited to marry the sister of the father (v. 19) so it is prohibited for a woman to marry her uncle82 is: this is not the way of Scripture.83 It is the males who are dominant84 (your husband) shall rule over thee. with regard to the prohibited sexual practices.85 No one dominates the male.86 Let those who accept the faulty logic of those who offer the above interpretation87 show us why we should not accept the testimony of two women.88 If they89 argue from the laws of evaluation90 then four women should be equal to two male witnesses. We therefore need tradition.