A first approach to Siman 183: the Mehaber's single seif and the Rama's gloss, vocalized Hebrew text and a fluent English translation. This is the very first siman of the laws of טהרת המשפחה (family purity). When does a woman become niddah? The role of the uterine source (מקור), of the sensation (הרגשה) as the Torah's condition, of the dislodging of the blood (עקירה) even without it exiting outward, of the smallest drop "like a mustard seed" (כחרדל), and the foundation of the seven clean days (שבעה נקיים) established by the stringency of Rabbi Zeira.
Topic: The foundation of Niddah — makor, hargasha, akira and the seven clean days Source: שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן קפ״ג
Compilation: הרב יוסף חיים סממה DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study outline
1.The Mehaber's text: the single seif and the Rama's gloss, vocalized
2.Context: what is טהרת המשפחה? Where the Niddah section opens
4.Makor: only blood from the source renders impure (Shach, "מקור דמיה")
5.Hargasha: the sensation, a Torah condition — the three kinds (Pitchei Teshuva)
6.Akira and k'chardal: impurity from the dislodging, even one drop (Taz, PT)
7.Seven clean days: the foundation — the stringency of Rabbi Zeira (Niddah 66a)
8.The Rama's gloss: single and married, the karet
9.Modern practical cases and synthesis — always, consult your Rav
1. The Mehaber's text — the single seif
Siman 183 opens the laws of Niddah (טהרת המשפחה), which extend through Siman 200. It contains only one seif (סעיף אחד) — but this seif is the foundation of the whole subject: it sets out when a woman becomes niddah and why she counts seven clean days. The Mehaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) states the basic rule; the Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) adds his gloss (הגה) on the universal scope of the prohibition. This is an intimate and weighty subject: here we present the sugya and the concepts, never ruling on a personal case.
The seif — a woman whose blood came from her source
A woman whose blood has come out of her source (מקור) — whether under duress (באונס) or naturally (ברצון) — is impure (niddah), provided she senses its emergence (והוא שתרגיש ביציאתו). And from the moment she senses that it has been dislodged from its place and come out (שנעקר ממקומו ויצא), she is impure — even though it has not gone outward (אע״פ שלא יצא לחוץ). And even if she saw only a drop of blood "like a mustard seed" (כחרדל) — she counts seven clean days (שבעה נקיים). Rama's gloss: as their law will be explained further on in Siman 196; and there is no distinction between a single woman (פנויה) and a married woman (נשואה) regarding the prohibition of niddah (Rivash § 422, cited by the Beit Yosef), for "whoever has relations with a niddah is liable to karet" (כל הבא על הנדה חייב כרת).
The central idea, in one sentence: what renders a woman niddah is not any bleeding, but blood from the uterine source (מקור), sensed (הרגשה) at the moment it dislodges (עקירה). Three conditions held together. And from that instant — even for a tiny drop — the consequence is the obligation to count seven clean days before immersion. The whole rest of the laws of Niddah (the details of the count, the בדיקות, the כתמים) unfolds from this single seif.
2. Context — what is טהרת המשפחה?
The laws of Niddah (a woman in a state of menstrual impurity) form, together with those of the mikveh, what is today called טהרת המשפחה, "family purity." They hold a central place in Jewish life and are treated with particular gravity and modesty. This is why our study limits itself to presenting the material — the sources, the concepts, the views — without ever claiming to settle a concrete situation.
טהרת המשפחה — Family purity: the body of laws governing the state of niddah, separation, the counting of clean days and immersion in the mikveh. Siman 183 is their gateway: it defines what renders a woman niddah.
The siman first states the Torah rule — sensed blood from the מקור renders impure — then, through the Rama's gloss, recalls its universal scope (every woman, married or not) and its gravity (karet). The practical consequence, the seven clean days, rests on a famous rabbinic enactment, the stringency of Rabbi Zeira (§ 7), which unifies all of today's practice.
The siman's main questions
Question
Concept
Typical answer
Which blood renders impure?
Makor
Only blood from the uterine source
What is the Torah's condition?
Hargasha
Sensing it at the moment it dislodges
From when?
Akira
From the dislodging, even without exiting outward
What quantity suffices?
K'chardal
The smallest drop
What consequence?
Seven clean days
Count seven clean days (Siman 196)
The cross-cutting idea: the siman articulates a Torah rule (makor + hargasha → impure) and a practice grounded in rabbinic law (the seven clean days, via the stringency of Rabbi Zeira). Understanding this articulation is the key to all the laws of Niddah.
3. The key concepts of this siman
To understand Siman 183, one must master a short technical vocabulary describing the blood's origin, the sensation accompanying it, the moment impurity arises and the practical consequence.
מקור — The source: the uterine source from which menstrual blood comes. Only blood from the makor renders the woman impure. Bleeding from another origin (a wound, מכה) is a separate subject (cf. the כתמים, Siman 190).
הרגשה — The sensation: the fact of sensing that the blood dislodges and comes out. This is the Torah condition (דאורייתא). Without hargasha, a stain found afterward (כתם) falls under a distinct, rabbinic regime (דרבנן, Siman 190).
עקירה — The dislodging: the detachment of the blood from its place in the makor. The impurity arises from that instant — even if the blood has not yet exited outward (לבית החיצון).
כחרדל — Like a mustard seed: the image conveying that the smallest drop suffices. There is no quantity threshold: one sensed drop renders impure.
שבעה נקיים — Seven clean days: the seven days without a sighting of blood that must be counted before immersion. Their foundation is the stringency of Rabbi Zeira (§ 7); their details are in Siman 196.
כרת — Karet: "excision," the gravest sanction of the Torah. The Rama recalls that the prohibition of niddah carries karet, marking its gravity — for every woman, single or married.
The three pillars to remember:מקור (the origin of the blood) — הרגשה (the sensation, a Torah condition) — עקירה (the moment, from the dislodging). Together they render impure; and the consequence is invariably the seven clean days.
4. Makor — only blood from the source renders impure
The very first word of the law is מִמְּקוֹרָהּ, "from her source." Not all blood renders a woman niddah, but only blood that comes from the uterine source. The Shach (the great commentary on Yoreh De'ah) gives its scriptural foundation.
The Shach (ש״ך) — an abbreviation of שפתי כהן, Siftei Kohen, by Rabbi Shabtai haCohen (Lithuania, 17th century). It is, together with the Taz, the reference commentary on Yoreh De'ah, of great analytical depth. (There is no Mishna Berura here: it comments only on Orach Chaim.)
The Shach connects "מִמְּקוֹרָהּ" to the verse וְהִיא גִּלְּתָה אֶת מְקוֹר דָּמֶיהָ ("and she has uncovered the source of her blood" — Vayikra 20:18): the derasha "מקור דמיה." From here we learn that only blood from the source renders impure — as opposed to blood from another origin (a wound, a מכה), which does not have the status of niddah blood.
The distinction דם המקור / דם מכה (blood of the source / blood of a lesion) is foundational: it explains why, in cases of non-menstrual bleeding, one must clarify the origin of the blood. This is precisely what makes consulting a Rav (and, where needed, a physician) indispensable: determining the origin is not the role of a study text. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
5. Hargasha — the Torah condition
The law sets an express condition: וְהוּא שֶׁתַּרְגִּישׁ בִּיצִיאָתוֹ — "provided she senses its emergence." The hargasha (the sensation) is the Torah-level (דאורייתא) condition: it is what distinguishes sensed blood (Torah law) from a mere stain found afterward (כתם, rabbinic rank).
The three kinds of hargasha (Pitchei Teshuva s.k. 1)
The Pitchei Teshuva (פתחי תשובה) — a compilation by Rabbi Avraham Tzvi Hirsch Eisenstadt (19th century) that gathers, in the margins of the Shulchan Aruch, the rulings of the responsa (שו״ת) of the Acharonim. It is a precious guide linking the base text to the later practical literature.
The Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 1) distinguishes three kinds of hargasha: (1) שנזדעזע גופה — the body shudders (per the Rambam, Hilchot Issurei Bia ch. 5); (2) שנפתח מקורה — the sensation of the makor opening (cf. Simanim 188 and 190); (3) דבר לח זב — the sensation of a moist flow (per the responsa of the Acharonim).
Why is this decisive? Because the hargasha is what separates two regimes:
With hargasha: the status is de'oraita (Torah law) — this is our seif.
Without hargasha (a stain, כתם, found afterward): the status is derabbanan (rabbinic), with its own rules (Siman 190).
Distinguishing a sensation from a mere finding is precisely one of the points where practice requires a competent halachic guide.
Today, assessing a hargasha — and the boundary with a כתם — is never a matter of reading alone. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
6. Akira and k'chardal — from the dislodging, even one drop
Two clarifications in the seif tighten the rule further: the moment the impurity arises, and the quantity required.
Akira — impurity from the dislodging (Taz; Pitchei Teshuva s.k. 2)
The Taz (ט״ז) — an abbreviation of טורי זהב, Turei Zahav, by Rabbi David haLevi Segal (Poland, 17th century). Often in dialogue — and sometimes in debate — with the Shach, it is the other great commentary on Yoreh De'ah.
The seif rules: מִשֶּׁתַּרְגִּישׁ בּוֹ שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְיָצָא — טְמֵאָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא לַחוּץ. The woman is impure from the dislodging (akira) of the blood from its place, even if it has not yet exited outward (לבית החיצון). The Taz stresses this point; the Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 2) reports the question of the Brit Avraham: does the actual exit from the beit ha-chitzon outward add anything, or is the impurity already complete from the akira? (Related material in Siman 188.) The Taz also explains the two possible causes — באונס (under duress: a jump, an exertion) or ברצון (the natural course) — without this changing the status.
K'chardal — the smallest drop suffices (Pitchei Teshuva s.k. 3)
The seif adds: וַאֲפִלּוּ לֹא רָאֲתָה אֶלָּא טִפַּת דָּם כְּחַרְדָּל — "even if she saw only a drop of blood like a mustard seed." There is no quantity threshold at all: the smallest sensed drop suffices. The Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 3, in the name of the Shev Yaakov and the Keter Kehuna) clarifies borderline cases, including that of דם יבש (dried blood).
Remember the contrast: the impurity depends neither on quantity (a drop k'chardal suffices) nor on exiting outward (the akira suffices) — but it does depend on the sensation (hargasha). A coherent edifice: sensation yes, quantity no. For any concrete application, consult your Rav.
7. Seven clean days — the foundation
The practical consequence of the seif is clear: יוֹשֶׁבֶת עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים — "she counts seven clean days." But why seven clean days, and where does this rule, which unifies all of today's practice, come from?
חומרא דרבי זירא — The stringency of Rabbi Zeira (Niddah 66a): at its root, the Torah distinguishes the niddah (who sees blood within her days and waits seven days) from the zavah (who sees outside her days and, for the major flow, must count seven clean days). The daughters of Israel (בנות ישראל)accepted upon themselves to treat any sighting of blood — even a drop, even on niddah days — as a possible case of zivah. The result: one always counts seven clean days before immersion.
What unifies all of modern practice: thanks to this acceptance, one no longer distinguishes, in practice, between niddah and zavah. Any woman who sees blood (with hargasha) — even a drop k'chardal — counts seven clean days and then goes to the mikveh. This is exactly what our seif says: yoshevet alav shiv'a neki'im. The details of the count (when to begin, the בדיקות, the הפסק טהרה) are set out in Siman 196, as the Rama indeed notes.
In one sentence: the condition of the impurity is from the Torah (makor + hargasha); the uniform consequence of the seven clean days stems from a stringency accepted by the daughters of Israel (Niddah 66a). Holding these two levels together is holding the thread of all the laws of Niddah.
8. The Rama's gloss (הגה)
The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) adds to the Mehaber's text a short but weighty gloss, underscoring the universal scope of the prohibition and its gravity.
Single and married — no distinction
Rama's gloss: ואין חילוק בין פנויה לנשואה לענין איסור נדה — "there is no distinction between a single woman (פנויה) and a married woman (נשואה) regarding the prohibition of niddah" (in the name of the Rivash, § 422, cited by the Beit Yosef). The state of niddah, and the prohibition that follows from it, do not depend on marital status: they concern every woman.
Whoever has relations with a niddah is liable to karet — the gravity
The Rama gives the reason: כי כל הבא על הנדה חייב כרת — "for whoever has relations with a niddah is liable to karet." Karet ("excision") is one of the gravest sanctions of the Torah: this is why the prohibition applies with the same force, regardless of the person's status.
The Rama's gloss does two things: it universalizes the prohibition (every woman, not only the married one) and marks its gravity (karet). It also refers, for the details, to Siman 196. These are statements of principle: their translation into a real situation — conversion, betrothal, particular circumstances — always rests with a competent authority. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
9. Modern practical cases
How does this foundational seif illuminate practice today? Here, presented with sobriety, are four points of principle — each referring to the competent authority for any concrete decision.
Case 1 — The guiding principle of all טהרת המשפחה
The master rule follows directly from the seif: any sighting of uterine blood accompanied by a hargasha renders niddah → one counts seven clean days → then immersion. This is the skeleton of the whole subject; the details of the count and the בדיקות are in Simanim 196-197. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
Case 2 — Hargasha vs. ketem
The difference between a sensation felt (hargasha, de'oraita) and a stain found without sensation (ketem, derabbanan, Siman 190) changes the status and the consequences. Assessing which case it is is not the role of a study text. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
Case 3 — The origin of the bleeding (makor vs. makkah)
Only blood from the makor renders impure; bleeding from another origin (a lesion, makkah) falls under a different regime. In cases of non-menstrual bleeding, determining the origin may require a physician's opinion in addition to the Rav's. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
Case 4 — The universality of the prohibition
The Rama's gloss recalls that the prohibition of niddah concerns every woman — single (פנויה) as well as married (נשואה), and in the various situations of life. This is a subject to approach with modesty and sobriety: the concrete implications are settled case by case. For the application to your situation, consult your Rav (or a competent Dayan / Yoetzet).
The common thread of the four cases: first one identifies the origin of the blood (makor?), the sensation (hargasha?) and the moment (akira). But the concrete decision always rests with a competent authority, who knows the factual details and the person's situation.
Synthesis of Siman 183
The essence of Siman 183 in a few sentences:
Only blood from the uterine source (makor) renders impure (Shach: the derasha "מקור דמיה").
The sensation (hargasha) is the Torah condition; the Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 1) distinguishes three kinds.
The impurity arises from the dislodging (akira), even without exiting outward (Taz; PT s.k. 2).
The smallest drop k'chardal suffices — no quantity threshold (PT s.k. 3).
The consequence is invariably the seven clean days (shiv'a neki'im), founded on the stringency of Rabbi Zeira / the daughters of Israel (Niddah 66a); details in Siman 196.
The Rama: no distinction between single and married (Rivash) — for the prohibition carries karet.
Memory table
Concept
What it says
Makor
Only blood from the source renders impure
Hargasha
The sensation, a Torah condition (3 kinds)
Akira
From the dislodging, even without exiting outward
K'chardal
The smallest drop suffices
Seven clean days
The stringency of Rabbi Zeira (Niddah 66a)
Single and married / karet
A universal and grave prohibition (Rama, Rivash)
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
Which blood renders impure? How does the Shach learn that it is the blood of the מקור?
What is the הרגשה? Why is it the de'oraita condition?
What are the three kinds of hargasha according to the Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 1)?
From which moment is the woman impure? What does "even without exiting outward" mean (Taz, PT s.k. 2)?
What does כחרדל mean? Is there a quantity threshold (PT s.k. 3)?
Why does one count seven clean days? What is the חומרא דרבי זירא (Niddah 66a)?
What does the Rama rule on פנויה ונשואה? Why does he invoke the כרת?
What is the difference between הרגשה and כתם? Why does it change the status?
To go further
If you want to deepen this siman:
📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: the pilpul — niddah de'oraita vs. zavah and the stringency of Rabbi Zeira, the exact moment of impurity (akira vs. exit to the beit ha-chitzon), the three kinds of hargasha and the hargasha / ketem relationship, the derasha "מקור דמיה," the scope of karet (Rivash), anchored in the sugya of Niddah 66a
✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: the comparative tables (makor / hargasha / akira), the golden rules, and quick memorization of the foundational seif