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Ramban on Genesis 31:35/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״א:ל״ה

אאַל יִחַר בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי כִּי לֹא אוּכַל לָקוּם מִפָּנֶיךָ לֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי מָה הִתְנַצְּלוּת זֶה, וְכִי הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶן הָאֹרַח לֹא יָקוּמוּ וְלֹא יַעַמְדוּ. אוּלַי אָמְרָה כִּי רֹאשָׁהּ וְאֵיבָרֶיהָ כְּבֵדִים עָלֶיהָ וְהִיא חוֹלָה בְּבֹא הָאֹרַח, כִּי כֵן דַּרְכָּן, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בִּמְעַטּוֹת הַלֵּדָה כְּרָחֵל שֶׁדְּמֵיהֶן מוּעָטִין וְהָאֹרַח יִכְבַּד עֲלֵיהֶם מְאֹד. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי הָיוּ הַנִּדּוֹת בִּימֵי הַקַּדְמוֹנִים מְרֻחָקוֹת מְאֹד, כִּי כֵן שְׁמָן מֵעוֹלָם "נִדּוֹת" לְרִחוּקָן, כִּי לֹא יִתְקָרְבוּ אֶל אָדָם וְלֹא יְדַבְּרוּ בוֹ, כִּי יָדְעוּ הַקַּדְמוֹנִים בְּחָכְמָתָם שֶׁהֶבְלָן מַזִּיק, גַּם מַבָּטָן מוֹלִיד גְּנַאי וְעֹשֶׂה רֹשֶׁם רַע, כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאֲרוּ הַפִּילוֹסוֹפִים, עוֹד אֲנִי עָתִיד לְהַזְכִּיר נִסְיוֹנָם בָּזֶה (ויקרא יח יט). וְהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבוֹת בָּדָד בְּאֹהֶל לֹא יִכָּנֵס בּוֹ אָדָם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בַּבָּרַיְתָא שֶׁל מַסֶּכֶת נִדָּה, תַּלְמִיד אָסוּר לִשְׁאֹל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל נִדָּה, רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ הַדִּבּוּר הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיהָ הוּא טָמֵא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, אָסוּר לְאָדָם לְהַלֵּךְ אַחַר הַנִּדָּה וְלִדְרֹס אֶת עֲפָרָהּ, שֶׁהוּא טָמֵא כַּמֵּת כָּךְ עֲפָרָהּ שֶׁל נִדָּה טָמֵא, וְאָסוּר לֵהָנוֹת מִמַּעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיהָ. וּלְכָךְ אָמְרָה רָחֵל, רְאוּיָה הָיִיתִי לָקוּם מִפְּנֵי אֲדוֹנִי לְנַשֵּׁק יָדָיו, אֲבָל דֶּרֶךְ נָשִׁים לִי וְלֹא אוּכַל לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלֶיךָ וְגַם לֹא לָלֶכֶת בָּאֹהֶל כְּלָל, שֶׁלֹּא תִּדְרֹךְ אַתָּה עָפָר רַגְלַי. וְהוּא הֶחֱרִישׁ מִמֶּנָּה וְלֹא עָנָה אוֹתָהּ, כִּי לֹא הָיוּ מְסַפְּרִים עִמָּהֶן כְּלָל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדִּבּוּרָהּ טָמֵא:

1LET NOT MY LORD BE ANGRY THAT I CANNOT RISE UP BEFORE THEE. I do not understand what kind of an apology this is. Do women in that condition not rise or stand? Perhaps she said that her head and limbs feel heavy, and she was sick on account of the menstruation, for such is the customary way among them, and all the more among those such as Rachel, whose birth-giving powers are diminished since they have little blood,²²¹ and menstruation presses very heavily upon them.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that in ancient days menstruants kept very isolated for they were ever referred to as niddoth on account of their isolation since they did not approach people and did not speak with them. For the ancients in their wisdom knew that their breath is harmful, their gaze is detrimental and makes a bad impression, as the philosophers have explained. I will yet mention²²² their experiences in this matter. And the menstruants dwelled isolated in tents where no one entered, just as our Rabbis have mentioned in the Beraitha²²³ that for some reason had not been included in the Mishnah by Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi. The collection of Beraithoth was compiled by Rabbi Chiyah and Rabbi Oshayah. They are generally found in the Tosephta. which follows the order of the Mishnah. of Tractate Niddah:²²⁴. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 177, and commencing with the second edition also on p. 548, column 2, top of page. “A learned man²²⁵ or talmud here is not clear. is forbidden to greet a menstruant. Rabbi Nechemyah says, ‘Even the utterance of her mouth is unclean.’ Said Rabbi Yochanan: ‘One is forbidden to walk after a menstruant and tread upon her footsteps, which are as unclean as a corpse; so is the dust upon which the menstruant stepped unclean, and it is forbidden to derive any benefit from her work.’” Therefore Rachel said, “It would be proper for me to rise before my lord to kiss his hands, but the way of women is upon me, and I cannot come near you nor walk at all in the tent so that you should not tread upon the dust of my feet.” And Laban kept silent and did not answer her, as it was customary not to converse with them at all because the speech of a menstruant was unclean.