Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 18:19/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ח:י״ט

אוְאֶל אִשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טֻמְאָתָהּ אָסַר הַכָּתוּב הַנִּדָּה מִפְּנֵי טַעַם שֶׁהִזְכַּרְתִּי (רמב"ן על ויקרא י"ח:ו'), שֶׁלֹּא הִתִּירָה הַתּוֹרָה הַמִּשְׁכָּב רַק לְקִיּוּם הַזֶּרַע, וְהִנֵּה הַוָּלָד נוֹצָר מִדַּם הָאִשָּׁה כֻּלּוֹ אוֹ רֻבּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי כְּבָר (רמב"ן על ויקרא י"ב:ב'), וּמִדַּם הַנִּדּוּת לֹא יִהְיֶה נוֹצָר כְּלָל, וְאֵיךְ יַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ וָלָד וְהוּא סַם הַמָּוֶת יָמִית כָּל בַּעַל חַיִּים שֶׁיִּשְׁתֶּה אוֹתוֹ אוֹ יֹאכְלֶנּוּ. וְהִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹת בָּרֶחֶם דַּם נִדָּה הַרְבֵּה לֹא תִּתְעַבֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי לֹא יוֹצֵר כְּלָל, וְאַף אִם תִּתְעַבֵּר מִדָּם אַחֵר וְיִהְיֶה נִזּוֹן מִזֶּה, הוּא יְמִיתֶנּוּ. וּכְבָר הִזְכִּירוּ הָרוֹפְאִים עוֹד שֶׁאִם יִהְיֶה נִזּוֹן מִדָּם מְשֻׁבָּח, וְכָל מְזוֹנוֹ מִדָּם טוֹב אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּקַּע בְּתוֹכוֹ מִדַּם הַנִּדּוּת, יַחְמִיץ אוֹתוֹ וְיוֹלִיד בַּוָּלָד שְׁחִין וַאֲבַעְבּוּעוֹת לְמִינֵיהֶם. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (תנחומא מצורע א) אִם יִשָּׁאֵר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּגוּפוֹ קְצָת יִהְיֶה הַוָּלָד מְצֹרָע. וּמִכָּל הַפָּנִים הָאֵלּוּ רָאוּי שֶׁתַּרְחִיק הַתּוֹרָה מִשְׁכַּב הַנִּדָּה. וְעוֹד הִגִּידוּ בּוֹ נִסָּיוֹן אֲמִתִּי, וְהוּא מִמִּפְלְאוֹת תְּמִים דֵּעִים בַּתּוֹלָדָה, כִּי הַנִּדָּה בִּתְחִלַּת זֹבָהּ אִם תַּבִּיט בְּמַרְאָה שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הַבָּהִיר וְתַאֲרִיךְ לִרְאוֹת בָּהּ, יֵרָאוּ בַּמַּרְאָה טִפּוֹת אֲדֻמּוֹת כְּטִפּוֹת דָּם, כִּי הַטֶּבַע הָרַע הַמַּזִּיק שֶׁבָּהּ תּוֹלִיד גְּנַאי, וְרֹעַ הָאֲוִיר יִדְבַּק בַּמַּרְאָה. וְהִנֵּה הִיא כְּאֶפְעֶה הַמֵּמִית בְּהַבָּטָתוֹ, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁתַּזִּיק לַשּׁוֹכֵב עִמָּהּ, אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּק גּוּפָהּ וּמַחְשַׁבְתָּהּ בּוֹ וּבְמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ, וּלְכָךְ גָּזַר עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא ט"ו:כ"ד) "וּתְהִי נִדָּתָהּ עָלָיו", כִּי רָעָתָהּ רֹעַ מִתְדַּבֵּק. וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר "בְּנִדַּת טֻמְאָתָהּ", וְיֹאמַר "טֻמְאַת הַנִּדָּה" (יחזקאל לו יז), כִּי יַזְכִּיר בָּהּ לְעוֹלָם טֻמְאָה, שֶׁהִיא כַּשֶּׁרֶץ וְכָאִישׁ הַמְּצֹרָע שֶׁטֻּמְאָה לָהֶם בְּגוּפָם. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁזֶּהוּ טַעַם "אֶת מְקֹרָהּ הֶעֱרָה וְהִיא גִּלְּתָה אֶת מְקוֹר דָּמֶיהָ" (ויקרא כ':י"ח), כִּי הַמָּקוֹר הַמָּשְׁחָת הַהוּא רָאוּי לְהִסָּתֵם, לֹא שֶׁיִּגָּלֶה וְיִשְׁאֲבוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם הָרָעִים הַמַּזִּיקִים מְאֹד. וְהִנֵּה נֶאֱסַר לְזֶרַע הַקֹּדֶשׁ כָּל יְמֵי טֻמְאָתָהּ עַד שֶׁתִּטְבֹּל בַּמַּיִם, כִּי אָז תִּטְהַר גַּם בְּמַחְשַׁבְתָּהּ וְתִהְיֶה נְקִיָּה לְגַמְרֵי:

1AND UNTO A WOMAN DURING HER SEPARATION FOR HER UNCLEANNESS, THOU SHALT NOT APPROACH TO UNCOVER HER NAKEDNESS. Scripture prohibited [having intercourse with] a menstruant woman for the reason I have mentioned,²⁹⁷ that the Torah permitted sexual intercourse only for the sake of raising children,²⁹⁸ and since the whole child or the greater part thereof is created out of the woman’s blood, as I have already mentioned,²⁹⁹. and from the blood of menstruation it is not created at all [therefore the Torah prohibited intercourse with her during the period of her impurity]. Indeed, how could a child be formed out of this blood, since it is deadly poisonous, capable of causing the death of any creature that drinks or eats it! Now when the womb contains a large amount of this blood of menstruation, the woman cannot become pregnant, as this blood is not endowed at all with the capacity for forming [a child]. Even if she were to become pregnant from other blood, and then derive nourishment from this blood, the child would die. Physicians have also mentioned already that if the foetus derives nourishment from the best of blood, and all its nutriment be of the best quality, but some of this blood of menstruation is mixed with it, it will cause it to go bad, and produce in the child inflammatory swellings and sores of all kinds. And in the opinion of our Rabbis,³⁰⁰ 1. even if a small part of this [blood of menstruation] remains, in the foetus, the child will be a leper. By virtue, then, of all these reasons it was fitting that the Torah prohibit intercourse with a menstruant. The doctors have also told us in connection with it, a true experience, which is one of the wondrous works of Him Who is perfect in knowledge³⁰¹ in creation, that if a menstruant woman at the beginning of her issue were to concentrate her gaze for some time upon a polished iron mirror, there would appear in the mirror red spots resembling drops of blood, for the bad part therein [i.e., in the issue] that is by its nature harmful, causes a certain odium, and the unhealthy condition of the air attaches to the mirror, just as a viper kills with its gaze. And surely it is harmful to have intercourse with her then, since physically and mentally she is attached to the man’s body and mind. Therefore Scripture prohibited it by saying, and her impurity will be upon him,³⁰² meaning that her condition is a contagious one. It is with reference to this that it states, the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity,³⁰³ always mentioning in connection with her the term “impurity,” which is like that used in speaking of a creeping thing and of a leper, in which cases their impurity is within their bodies. It is possible that this is the sense of the expression, he hath bared her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood,³⁰⁴ for that blemished fountain should be covered, and not bared in order to draw its bad and extremely harmful waters. Thus intercourse has been prohibited to the holy seed³⁰⁵ all the days of her impurity, until she immerses herself in water [i.e., in a ritual pool],³⁰⁶ for then she will be purified also in her thoughts,³⁰⁷, on the significance of immersion, that it is not merely a matter of removing mud or dirt which may be removed by water, but “it is a Scriptural decree, the validity of the act depending upon the disposition of the heart. It is for this reason that the Sages have said: ‘If he immersed himself without intention, it is as though he had not immersed himself at all’ (Chagigah 18 b) … Thus he whose heart intends to purify himself, becomes purified as soon as the [actual] immersion is accomplished.” It is clear, then, that since both body and soul must participate in the act of immersion, the effect and potency of the purification applies to both body and soul as Ramban here states, “for then she will be purified also in her thoughts, and become completely clean.” See “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. 117-119. and become completely clean [in body and mind].