Audio by Shloimy Zelcer

Mishnah Niddah 9:4: If three women were sleeping in one bed and blood was found under one of them, they are all impure. If one of them examined [herself] and was found to be impure, she is impure and the other two are pure; and [even if none of them examined] they may attribute to one another [if there is any reason to assume one of them is more or less fit to see blood]. And if none of them are fit to see [blood, i.e. if they were virgins or pregnant, etc.], we view all of them as though they are fit [to see blood].

שָׁלשׁ נָשִׁים שֶׁהָיוּ יְשֵׁנוֹת בְּמִטָּה אַחַת וְנִמְצָא דָם תַּחַת אַחַת מֵהֶן, כֻּלָּן טְמֵאוֹת. בָּדְקָה אַחַת מֵהֶן וְנִמְצֵאת טְמֵאָה, הִיא טְמֵאָה וּשְׁתֵּיהֶן טְהוֹרוֹת, וְתוֹלוֹת זוֹ בָזוֹ. וְאִם לֹא הָיוּ רְאוּיוֹת לִרְאוֹת, רוֹאִין אוֹתָן כְּאִלּוּ הֵן רְאוּיוֹת:

Mishnah Niddah 9:5: If three women were sleeping in one bed and blood was found under the middle one, they are all impure. If [it was found] under the one on the inside [i.e. if the bed was beside a wall], the two inner ones are impure and the one on the outside is pure. If [it was found] under the outside one, the two outside ones are impure and the one on the inside is pure. Rabbi Yehuda said: when is this the case? When they passed by way of the foot of the bed; but if the three of them passed by way of climbing on [from the side], they are all impure. If one of them examined [herself] and was found to be pure, she is pure and the other two are impure. If two of them examined and found [themselves] to be pure, they are pure and the third one is impure. If the three of them [examined] and found themselves to be pure, they are all impure. To what is this comparable? To an impure mound [of stones containing a corpse] which became mixed among two pure mounds. If one of them was examined and found to be pure, it is pure and the other two are impure. If two of them were [examined and] found to be pure, they are pure and the third is impure. If the three of them were [examined and] found to be pure, they are all impure, according Rabbi Meir, for Rabbi Meir would say: Anything which is presumed to be impure remains in its impurity until the location of the impurity becomes known in certainty. And the Sages say: one should examine [the mounds to search for the corpse] until one reaches a rock or virgin soil [underneath them, indicating the absence of impurity].

שָׁלשׁ נָשִׁים שֶׁהָיוּ יְשֵׁנוֹת בְּמִטָּה אַחַת וְנִמְצָא דָם תַּחַת הָאֶמְצָעִית, כֻּלָּן טְמֵאוֹת. תַּחַת הַפְּנִימִית, שְׁתַּיִם הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת טְמֵאוֹת וְהַחִיצוֹנָה טְהוֹרָה. תַּחַת הַחִיצוֹנָה, שְׁתַּיִם הַחִיצוֹנוֹת טְמֵאוֹת וְהַפְּנִימִית טְהוֹרָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁעָבְרוּ דֶרֶךְ מַרְגְּלוֹת הַמִּטָּה. אֲבָל אִם עָבְרוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן דֶּרֶךְ עָלֶיהָ, כֻּלָּן טְמֵאוֹת. בָּדְקָה אַחַת מֵהֶן וְנִמְצֵאת טְהוֹרָה, הִיא טְהוֹרָה וּשְׁתַּיִם טְמֵאוֹת. בָּדְקוּ שְׁתַּיִם וּמָצְאוּ טְהוֹרוֹת, הֵן טְהוֹרוֹת וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית טְמֵאָה. שְׁלָשְׁתָּן וּמָצְאוּ טְהוֹרוֹת, כֻּלָּן טְמֵאוֹת. לְמַה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְגַל טָמֵא שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב בֵּין שְׁנֵי גַלִּים טְהוֹרִים, וּבָדְקוּ אַחַד מֵהֶן וּמָצְאוּ טָהוֹר, הוּא טָהוֹר וּשְׁנַיִם טְמֵאִין. שְׁנַיִם וּמָצְאוּ טְהוֹרִים, הֵם טְהוֹרִים וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי טָמֵא. שְׁלָשְׁתָּן וּמָצְאוּ טְהוֹרִים, כֻּלָּן טְמֵאִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר, שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא בְחֶזְקַת טֻמְאָה, לְעוֹלָם הוּא בְטֻמְאָתוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּוָּדַע לְךָ, טֻמְאָה הֵיכָן הִיא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, בּוֹדֵק עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לְסֶלַע אוֹ לִבְתוּלָה:

Click here for an introduction to Mishnayos Niddah from "Companion Mishnayot" by Heshey Zelcer

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