עַד עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתִּיר בִּשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן בַּר יוֹסֵף: הֵן הֵן דִּבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, הֵן הֵן דִּבְרֵי בֵּית הִלֵּל. שֶׁבֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ.

until twenty-four months from the day the child was born. The reason for this decree is to protect the child. If she remarries she may become pregnant and may not be able to continue nursing, but her second husband will not be obligated to support the child who is not his son. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And Rabbi Yehuda permits getting married after eighteen months. Rabbi Natan bar Yosef said: These words are the same as the statement of Beit Shammai, and those words are the same as the statement of Beit Hillel, i.e., this is an ancient dispute, as Beit Shammai say: Twenty-four months, and Beit Hillel say: Eighteen months.

אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: אֲנִי אַכְרִיעַ; לְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ – מוּתֶּרֶת לִינָּשֵׂא בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד חֹדֶשׁ, לְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר בִּשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ – מוּתֶּרֶת לְהִנָּשֵׂא בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הֶחָלָב נֶעְכָּר אֶלָּא לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: I will decide. According to the one who says twenty-four months, she may marry after twenty-one months, since even if she gets pregnant, for the first three months of pregnancy she can still continue to nurse. According to the one who says eighteen months, she may marry after fifteen months, since the milk becomes spoiled due to pregnancy only after three months.

אָמַר עוּלָּא: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. וְאָמַר מָר עוּקְבָא: לִי הִתִּיר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָשֵׂאת לְאַחַר חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. אֲרִיסֵיהּ דְּאַבַּיֵי אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּאַבַּיֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַהוּ לֵיאָרֵס בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲדָא – דְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְעוֹד: בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל – הֲלָכָה כְּבֵית הִלֵּל, וַאֲמַר עוּלָּא: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וַאֲמַר מָר עוּקְבָא: לִי הִתִּיר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא לָשֵׂאת לְאַחַר חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּאַתְּ לֵיאָרֵס.

Ulla said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. And Mar Ukva said: Rabbi Ḥanina allowed me to marry a nursing woman after fifteen months. It is related that Abaye’s tenant farmer came before Abaye to ask a question. He said to him: What is the halakha with regard to betrothing a nursing woman after fifteen months? Abaye said to him: One reason it is permitted is that in disputes between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, the halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda. And furthermore, this is actually a dispute between earlier tanna’im , and when Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel dispute, the halakha is in accordance with Beit Hillel. And in addition, Ulla said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda. And Mar Ukva said: Rabbi Ḥanina allowed me to marry after fifteen months, and therefore all the more so you are permitted to betroth her, as you are only betrothing and not marrying her.

כִּי אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב יוֹסֵף אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ: צְרִיכָה לְהַמְתִּין עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ, חוּץ מִיּוֹם שֶׁנּוֹלַד בּוֹ וְחוּץ מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּתְאָרְסָה בּוֹ. רְהַט בַּתְרֵיהּ תְּלָתָא פַּרְסֵי, וְאָמְרִי לָהּ: פַּרְסָא בְּחָלָא, וְלָא אַדְרְכֵיהּ.

When Abaye came before Rav Yosef and told him of the incident, Rav Yosef said to him in response: Rav and Shmuel both say: She must wait twenty-four months before even becoming betrothed, excluding the day that the child was born and excluding the day she became betrothed. When Abaye heard this, he ran three parasangs after his tenant farmer, and some say that he ran one parasang [ parsa ] through sand. He wanted to inform him that he should not rely on the leniency, but rather he should act in accordance with Rav and Shmuel, who prohibited the betrothal, but he did not succeed in catching up to him.

אֲמַר אַבַּיֵי: הַאי מִילְּתָא דַּאֲמוּר רַבָּנַן: אֲפִילּוּ בֵּיעֲתָא בְּכוּתְחָא לָא לִישְׁרֵי אִינִישׁ בִּמְקוֹם רַבֵּיהּ – לָא מִשּׁוּם דְּמֶיחֱזֵי כְּאַפְקֵירוּתָא, אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא מִסְתַּיְּיעָא מִילְּתָא לְמֵימְרָא. דְּהָא אֲנָא הֲוָה גָּמֵירְנָא לֵיהּ לְהָא דְּרַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, אֲפִילּוּ הָכִי – לָא מִסְתַּיְּיעָא לִי מִילְּתָא לְמֵימַר.

Abaye said that he learned from this situation that which the Sages said: A person should not permit even eating an egg in kutaḥ , a dish made with milk, in his teacher’s vicinity. This this is a very simple ruling, as an egg is not meat and may unquestionably be eaten with milk. There are no stringencies that apply to this case, but nevertheless one should not rule even on such a halakha in his teacher’s vicinity. Abaye explained that this is not because it appears disrespectful to teach halakha in one’s teacher’s vicinity, as this is a simple matter that does not require great knowledge of halakha , rather because he will not be successful in saying the matter correctly. An illustration of this principle is what just happened, since I had learned this halakha of Rav and Shmuel, and even so I was unsuccessful in saying it correctly, as I ruled in the vicinity of my teacher, Rav Yosef.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: נָתְנָה בְּנָהּ לְמֵינֶקֶת, אוֹ גְּמָלַתּוּ, אוֹ מֵת – מוּתֶּרֶת לִינָּשֵׂא מִיָּד. רַב פַּפָּא וְרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ סְבוּר לְמֶיעֲבַד עוּבְדָא כִּי הָא מַתְנִיתָא. אָמְרָה לְהוּ הַהִיא סַבְתָּא: בְּדִידִי הֲוָה עוּבְדָא, וַאֲסַר לִי רַב נַחְמָן.

§ The Sages taught: If a woman gave her child to a wet nurse during the waiting period, or weaned him, or the child died, she is permitted to marry immediately. It is related that Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, thought to act in accordance with this baraita . However, a certain old woman said to them: There was an incident in which I was involved with regard to this issue and Rav Naḥman prohibited it for me.

אִינִי?! וְהָא רַב נַחְמָן שְׁרָא לְהוּ לְבֵי רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא! שָׁאנֵי בֵּי רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא, דְּלָא הַדְרֵי בְּהוּ.

The Gemara asks: Is that so? Didn’t Rav Naḥman permit this for the members of the Exilarch’s household? The Gemara answers: The Exilarch’s household is different, since people employed by them do not renege out of fear of the consequences. Consequently, if a woman from that household arranges a wet nurse for her child, it is certain that the wet nurse will keep her commitment, whereas with other people there is a danger that if the mother remarries the child might be left without anyone to feed him.

אֲמַר לְהוּ רַב פַּפִּי: וְאַתּוּן לָא תִּסְבְּרוּהָ מֵהָא דְּתַנְיָא: הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה רְדוּפָה לֵילֵךְ לְבֵית אָבִיהָ, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ כַּעַס בְּבֵית בַּעְלָהּ, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בַּעְלָהּ חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִין, אוֹ שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בַּעְלָהּ זָקֵן אוֹ חוֹלֶה, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה עֲקָרָה, וּזְקֵנָה, אַיְילוֹנִית, וּקְטַנָּה, וְהַמַּפֶּלֶת אַחַר מִיתַת בַּעְלָהּ, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לֵילֵד – כּוּלָּן צְרִיכוֹת לְהַמְתִּין שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר.

Rav Pappi said to Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua: And do you not maintain that such a marriage is prohibited from that which is taught in a baraita : If a woman frequently went to her father’s house and had been there for a long time; or she had been angry with her husband and separated from him while still in his house; or her husband had been incarcerated in prison; or her husband had gone overseas; or her husband had been old or ill; or if she was a barren woman, or elderly, or a sexually underdeveloped woman, or a minor girl; or if she had miscarried after the death of her husband; or if she was unfit to give birth for any other reason, although in any of these cases there is no concern that she might be pregnant, they must all wait at least three months. The Sages said that a woman must wait for three months between marriages, so there would be no doubt as to who is the father of any child she may give birth to, and they did not distinguish between different women with regard to this decree. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir.

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מַתִּיר לֵיאָרֵס וְלִינָּשֵׂא מִיָּד. וְאָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר בִּגְזֵירוֹתָיו!

However, Rabbi Yosei permits all the aforementioned women to be betrothed and to marry immediately, since there is no concern that they may be pregnant. And Rav Naḥman said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Meir with regard to all of his decrees. In every place where Rabbi Meir was stringent so as to avoid possibility of error, the halakha is in accordance with his opinion. Consequently, this ruling should apply also to a nursing mother who wishes to remarry; the restriction should apply equally to a woman who had given her child to a wet nurse, or who had weaned him, or whose child had died.

אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: לָאו אַדַּעְתִּין. וְהִלְכְתָא: מֵת – מוּתָּר, גְּמָלַתּוּ – אָסוּר. מָר בַּר רַב אַשִׁי אֲמַר: אֲפִילּוּ מֵת נַמִי אָסוּר, דִּלְמָא קָטְלָה לֵיהּ, וְאָזְלָא וּמִינַּסְבָא. הֲוָה עוּבְדָא וַחֲנַּקְתֵּיהּ. וְלֹא הִיא, הַהִיא שׁוֹטָה הֲוַאי, דְּלָא עָבְדֵי נָשֵׁי דְּחָנְקָן בֵּנַיְיהוּ.

They answered him: The matter was not in our mind, meaning that we had forgotten this principle. Nevertheless, the Gemara concludes: The halakha is that if a nursing mother’s child died, the mother is permitted to marry she had weaned him, she is prohibited from marrying, lest she forcibly wean him prematurely. Mar bar Rav Ashi said: Even if the child died, she is also prohibited from marrying, because if it were permitted when the child dies, there would be concern that she might kill him and then go and get married. It is related that there was an incident where a woman strangled her child for this reason. The Gemara concludes that that is not so, i.e., this incident does not affect the halakha . That woman was insane, and since women do not ordinarily strangle their children, one need not be concerned about this happening.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הֲרֵי שֶׁנָּתְנוּ לָהּ בֵּן לְהָנִיק – הֲרֵי זוֹ לֹא תֵּנִיק עִמּוֹ לֹא בְּנָהּ וְלֹא בֶּן חֲבֶרְתָּהּ. פָּסְקָהּ קִימְעָא – אוֹכֶלֶת הַרְבֵּה, לֹא תֹּאכַל עִמּוֹ דְּבָרִים הָרָעִים לֶחָלָב.

§ The Sages taught: If someone gave a child to a wet nurse, and she agreed to nurse him for payment, she may not nurse her own child or another woman’s child together with him, in order that she not take away milk from the child she is being paid to nurse. Even if she fixed a small allowance for food with the payment for nursing, she must nevertheless eat large quantities she may not eat together with him, i.e., while she is nursing the child, things that are bad for her milk.

הָשְׁתָּא בְּנָהּ אָמְרַתְּ לָא, בֶּן חֲבֶרְתָּהּ מִיבָּעֲיָא?! מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: בְּנָהּ הוּא דְּחָיֵיס עִילָּוֵיהּ – מְמַצְיָא לֵיהּ טְפֵי, אֲבָל בֶּן חֲבֶרְתָּהּ, אִי לָאו דַּהֲוָה לָהּ מוֹתָר – לָא הֲוָה מְמַצְיָא לֵיהּ, קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן.

The Gemara asks about this baraita : Now that you said that she may not nurse her own child together with her client’s child, is it necessary to say that she cannot nurse another woman’s child? The Gemara answers: Lest you say that the prohibition is limited to her child, as there is a concern that since she favors him, she will feed him more milk than the other child, but with regard to another woman’s child, if she did not have surplus milk she would not feed him, and therefore it should be permitted, the baraita therefore teaches us not to distinguish between the cases.

פָּסְקָהּ קִימְעָא אוֹכֶלֶת הַרְבֵּה, מֵהֵיכָא? אֲמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: מִשֶּׁלָּהּ.

The baraita said that even if she fixed a small allowance for food, she must eat large quantities. The Gemara asks: From where should she get this food if the allowance cannot cover it? Rav Sheshet said: From her own funds. Because she accepted an obligation to nurse the child, she must take the necessary steps to fulfill her obligation.

לֹא תֹּאכַל עִמּוֹ דְּבָרִים הָרָעִים. מַאי נִינְהוּ? אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא: כְּגוֹן כְּשׁוּת, וְחָזִיז, וְדָגִים קְטַנִּים, וַאֲדָמָה. אַבַּיֵי אֲמַר: אֲפִילּוּ קָרָא וְחַבּוּשָׁא. רַב פַּפָּא אֲמַר: אֲפִילּוּ קָרָא וְכוּפְרָא. רַב אַשִׁי אֲמַר: אֲפִילּוּ כַּמְכָּא וְהַרְסְנָא. מִינַּיְיהוּ פָּסְקֵי חַלְבָּא, מִינַּיְיהוּ עָכְרִי חַלְבָּא.

The baraita said: She may not eat together with him things that are bad for her milk. The Gemara asks: What are these foods that are detrimental for milk? Rav Kahana said: For example, hops; and young, green grain sprouts; small fish; and soil. Abaye said: Even pumpkin and quince. Rav Pappa said: Even pumpkin and palm branches with small, unripe dates. Rav Ashi said: Even kutaḥ [ kamka ] and small fried fish. All these items are bad, as some cause milk to dry up and some cause milk to spoil.

דִּמְשַׁמְּשָׁא בֵּי רֵיחַיָּא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי נִכְפֵּי, דִּמְשַׁמְּשָׁא עַל אַרְעָא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי שְׁמוּטֵי, דְּדָרְכָא עַל רְמָא דַּחֲמָרָא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי גִּירְדָּנֵי, דְּאָכְלָה חַרְדְּלָא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי זַלְזְלָנֵי, דְּאָכְלָה תַּחְלֵי – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי דּוּלְפָנֵי, דְּאָכְלָה מוֹנִינֵי – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי מְצִיצֵי עֵינָא, דְּאָכְלָה גַּרְגּוּשְׁתָּא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי מְכוֹעֲרֵי, דְּשָׁתְיָא שִׁיכְרָא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי אוּכָּמֵי, דְּאָכְלָה בִּישְׂרָא וְשָׁתְיָא חַמְרָא – הָווּ לָהּ בְּנֵי

The Gemara cites other possible consequences of a mother’s behavior that could affect her children: A woman who engages in intercourse in a mill will have epileptic children; one who engages in intercourse on the ground will have long-necked children; one who steps on a donkey’s dung when pregnant will have bald children; one who eats mustard during pregnancy will have gluttonous children; one who eats garden cress [ taḥlei ] will have tearful children; one who eats fish brine [ moninei ] will have children with blinking eyes; one who eats soil will have ugly children; one who drinks intoxicating liquor will have black children; one who eats meat and drinks wine during pregnancy will have children who are