Difference in time of purity from birth impurity
Hello Rabbi,
Regarding a woman giving birth, it is explained that her period of purity from the time of birth is one week – if she gave birth to a boy, and two weeks – if she gave birth to a girl.
My question is, do you know of any explanation or reason for the difference in the time of impurity depending on the sex of the newborn?
Do you think this is a result of chauvinism and the perception of women as more “impure,” and as a result, women need a longer period of impurity?
I don’t know. There are many explanations that could be offered and I don’t see a way to decide between them.
For example, impurity is always associated with the absence of life, and therefore death is the ancestor of impurity (which is why impurity was also permitted in the community, because the community does not die). Hence, impurity at birth is due to the exit of life from the womb, which leaves impurity behind. According to this, the exit of a female from the womb is the exit of a more significant life (because a female can bring more life into the world), and therefore she leaves more impurity behind.
Is this a wort? Is this a reasonable explanation? I don’t know. Therefore, I don’t deal with the reasons for the mitzvot and I don’t see much value in it.
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