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Nidah 64

1. "VESES HA'CHODESH" -- EXPECTING TO SEE BLOOD ON A PARTICULAR DAY OF THE MONTH OPINIONS: The Gemara discusses an argument between Rav and Shmuel concerning how a woman establishes a monthly interval Veses. From the fact that the Gemara deals with establishing a Veses in a case of a woman bleeding on the fifteenth day of one month, the sixteenth of the next month, and then on the seventeeth of the third month, we see that there is some correlational link between the days of the month and her bleeding.

   We know that certain physical signs (such as cramping, trembling, sneezing) can indicate the onset of menstruation. Can a calendar date such as the day of the month also be linked to bleeding?

   1. The RAMBAN writes that it is not possible that her bleeding could be linked to the day of the month. "Does the Shofar [that announces when the new month begins] cause her to bleed? Does the constellation of that month cause her to bleed?" The Ramban asserts that the RAMBAM also maintains that there is no such thing as a Veses being linked to the day of the month, since he does not mention it at all.

   2. The RE'AH (Bedek ha'Bayis 7:3) also says that it does not make sense that a Veses should be established according to the day of the month. However, it could be established based on the phase of the moon (as calculated from the Molad), since there is a relationship between the phase of the moon and a woman's menstruation. The Ramban (see (a)) also mentions the idea that a full moon could be related to the menstrual cycle.

      RAV YONASAN EIBESHITZ (Pleisi 189) questions this. If a woman's cycle is related to the phases of the moon, determing her Veses would require extremely involved calculations based on the Molad of the exact location in which she lives, and it could not be based on the standard Molad (which is based on the Molad as seen from Cairo).

   3. The RASHBA (Toras ha'Bayis 7:3) maintains that there certainly is a monthly Veses, based on the day of the month. He justifies this approach based on the Yerushalmi (Kesuvos 1:2) which states that if a girl reaches the age of three in Nisan and Beis Din decides to add a second Adar before Nisan begins, the girl's physical nature will be affected by their decision. If she is raped during the second Adar, her Besulim will regenerate; if she is raped during Nisan, they will not.

   4. TOSFOS (DH Itmar, and cited in the Ramban) says that not only could her Veses be linked to a specific day of the month, but it could also be linked to a specific day of the week (that is, if she bled consistently on three Sundays, Sunday will become her Veses; see Chart #12, 6:B).

      HALACHAH: The Ramban himself (Hilchos Nidah 5:12) concludes that we should be stringent and follow Tosfos' opinion and observe a monthly Veses as well as a weekly one. This is also the ruling of the SHULCHAN ARUCH (Yoreh Deah 189:3).

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