📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Tazira Metzora – Shevi’i: The impurity of Shichvas Zera; Nidda; Zava

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Shevi’i when connected to Tazria

  1. The impurity of Shichvas Zera:
    • A man who releases semen is to immerse in water and he is impure until the evening.
    • Any garment or leather that touches the semen is impure and is to be immersed in water.
    • A woman who lies with a man and he released semen into her, they are both impure until the evening and are to immerse in water.

 

  1. The impurity of a Niddah:
  • When a woman sees blood, she is to be in the state of Niddah for seven days.
  • Contact with her: Whoever touches her is impure until the evening. Whatever bed she lies on and whatever seat she sits on becomes impure until the evening. One who touches her bed becomes impure until the night. Whoever sits on her seat becomes impure until the night. If a man lies with her, he is impure for seven days just like her.

 

  1. The impurity of a Zava:
  • When a woman sees blood for many days outside of her menstruation period, she is to be in the state of impurity for the amount of days that she bled.
  • Contact with her: Whatever bed she lies on and whatever seat she sits on becomes impure until the evening. Whoever touches it is impure until the evening.
  • Purification process of Zava: When she stops seeing the blood she is to count seven days and is to become pure.
  • On the eighth day she is to take two birds and bring them to the Ohel Moed to the Kohen. The Kohen is to offer one as a Chatas and one as an Olah. She then becomes purified of her impurity.
  • Bnei Yisrael are to be warned of all the above impurities. This concludes the laws of all these impurities.

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 15:16–33

 

15:16 — Seminal Emission

Q1. What must a man do after a seminal discharge according to Rashi?

A: He must immerse his entire body in a mikveh and remains ritually defiled until nightfall.

 

15:17 — Semen on Objects

Q2. What happens to garments or leather that receive semen?

A: They must be immersed in a mikveh and remain ritually defiled until evening.

 

15:18 — Intercourse

Q3. Why does a woman become ritually defiled through intercourse?

A: It is a decree of the King, not because she touched semen, since hidden bodily contact does not usually convey defilement.

 

15:19 — Menstrual Discharge

Q4. From where must a woman’s discharge originate to cause defilement?

A: Only from the uterus, “the fountain of her blood.”

 

Q5. What color must the discharge be to cause defilement?

A: It must be red.

 

Q6. What does the term “נִדָּה” mean according to Rashi?

A: Separation, similar to banishment.

 

 

Q7. Does a single sighting of blood suffice to obligate seven days?

A: Yes—even if she saw blood only once.

 

15:20 — Beds and Seats

Q8. What objects become ritually defiled by a menstruant?

A: Any object designated for reclining or sitting.

 

15:21–22 — Touching Beds and Seats

Q9. What must one do after touching such an object?

A: He must immerse his garments and himself and remain defiled until nightfall.

 

15:23 — Sitting or Reclining

Q10. Does defilement require direct contact?

A: No—sitting or reclining alone suffices to defile garments.

 

Q11. What additional object is included by “עַל־הַכְּלִי”?

A: An object used for riding.

 

Q12. How is touching a riding object different?

A: Touching it does not defile garments, only the person.

 

15:24 — Intercourse with a Menstruant

Q13. How long is the man defiled?

A: Seven days, regardless of which day of her cycle it occurred.

 

Q14. What does “וּתְהִי נִדָּתָהּ עָלָיו” teach?

A: That he can transmit defilement like she can, to people and earthenware.

 

15:25 — Zavah (Abnormal Discharge)

Q15. What does “יָמִים רַבִּים” mean?

A: At least three consecutive days.

 

Q16. What are the “eleven days” mentioned by Rashi?

A: The days between menstrual periods during which three days of bleeding create zavah status.

 

Q17. How does a zavah differ from a menstruant?

A: A zavah must count seven clean days and bring an offering.

 

 

15:26–27 — Objects of a Zavah

Q18. How are her beds and seats treated?

A: Exactly like those of a menstruant.

 

Q19. What must one who touches them do?

A: Immerse himself and his garments and remain defiled until evening.

 

15:28 — End of Discharge

Q20. What must a zavah do after her discharge ends?

A: Count seven clean days before purification.

 

15:29–30 — Offerings

Q21. What offerings does the zavah bring?

A: Two birds: one sin‑offering and one ascent‑offering.

 

Q22. What is their purpose?

A: To effect atonement for her discharge.

 

15:31 — Separating Israel

Q23. What does “וְהִזַּרְתֶּם” mean?

A: Separation, from ritual defilement.

 

Q24. What does “death” refer to here?

A: Excision for defiling the Sanctuary.

 

15:32 — One Who Has One Discharge

Q25. Who is included in “זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַזָּב”?

A: A man with only one abnormal discharge.

 

Q26. What is his level of defilement?

A: Like a man who had a seminal emission—defiled until nightfall.

 

15:33 — Summary of Discharges

Q27. What order of severity does Rashi list?

A:

  1. Menstruant
  2. Zav / Zavah with two or more discharges
  3. One who has intercourse with a menstruant

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.