Laws of Motherhood

12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:

‘When a woman gives birth and delivers a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days; (A)as she is in the days of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Then on (B)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall stay at home in her condition of [a]blood purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall stay at home in her condition of [b]blood purification for sixty-six days.

(C)When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one-year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove (D)as a [c]sin offering. Then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the [d]flow of her blood. This is the law for her who gives birth to a child, whether a male or a female. But if [e]she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take (E)two turtledoves or two young doves, (F)the one as a burnt offering and the other as a [f]sin offering; and the (G)priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 12:4 Lit blood of purifying; i.e., ritually clean blood from childbirth
  2. Leviticus 12:5 See note v 4
  3. Leviticus 12:6 Or purification offering
  4. Leviticus 12:7 Lit fountain
  5. Leviticus 12:8 Lit her hand does not find enough for
  6. Leviticus 12:8 Or purification offering

Instructions for Women after Childbirth

12 Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: When a woman gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days. This is the same number of days she is unclean for her monthly period. The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old. Then she must stay at home for 33 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding. She must not touch anything holy or go into the holy place until the days needed to make her clean are over.

“When a woman gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean as in her monthly period. However, she will be unclean for two weeks. Then she must stay at home for 66 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding.

“When the days needed to make her clean are over, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a mourning dove as an offering for sin. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The priest will offer them in Yahweh’s presence to make peace with the Lord for her. Then she will be clean from her flow of blood.

“These are the instructions for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. If she cannot afford a lamb, she must use two mourning doves or two pigeons. One will be the burnt offering and the other the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for her, and she will be clean.”

[TAZRIA-METZORA]

12 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, If an isha have conceived, and born a zachar, then she shall be temeiah shivat yamim; according to the yamim of the niddah (menstruation separation) for her infirmity shall she be temeiah (unclean).

And in the yom hashemini the basar of his arel (uncircumcision, foreskin) shall be circumcised.

And shloshim yom ushloshet she shall then remain in demei tohorah (blood of her purifying, i.e., period in which she would be unclean); she shall touch no kodesh, nor enter the Mikdash, until the yamei of her tohorah be fulfilled.

But if she bear a nekevah, then she shall be temeiah two weeks, as in her niddah (separation); and she shall remain in the blood of her tohorah sixty-six days.

And when the yemei tohorah are fulfilled, for a ben, or for a bat, she shall bring a keves of the first year for an olah, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a chattat (sin offering), unto the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed unto the kohen;

Who shall offer it before Hashem, and make kapporah for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her dahm. This is the torah for her that hath born a zachar or a nekevah.

And if she be not able to afford to bring a seh, then she shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons; the one for an olah, and the other for a chattat; and the kohen shall make kapporah for her, and she shall be teherah (clean) [See Lk 2:24 regarding this chapter and on how Moshiach was first brought to the Beis Hamikdash].