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In Tora

In Tora

And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him; and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even

There is a Machloket between Rif and Rambam. The subject is beginning in massechet Brachot. mishna Chapter 3,4.(in Gemara folio 20B)

I will quote the Bartenura on the Mishna concerning baal keri. as an abstract of the Gemara and after this explain through a few lines of Gemara the difference between diverse Rishonim. Bartenura:

עֶזְרָא תִּקֵּן שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרָא בַּעַל קֶרִי בַּתּוֹרָה בֵּין שֶׁרָאָה קְרִי לְאוֹנְסוֹ בֵּין ‏לִרְצוֹנוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּטְבֹּל. וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה שֶׁאֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מְצוּיִין אֵצֶל נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן כְּתַרְנְגוֹלִים ... וּכְבָר נִפְסְקָה הַהֲלָכָה דְּבִטְּלוּהָ לִטְבִילוּתָא, וּבַעֲלֵי קֶרְיִין קוֹרִין קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע כְּדַרְכָּן וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִתְפַּלְּלִין וּמְבָרְכִין כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת וְאֵין מְעַרְעֵר בַּדָּבָר ‏
Ezra ordinated that a man after having seminal emission do not read Tora, no matter if this emission was adventitious or deliberate, until he immerse in Mikve. The reason for this is not uncleannes, since words of Tora are not susceptible of uncleanness, but the aim is to avoid that scholar might allways be with their wives like cocks.

On the basis of this they laid down that sufferers from (gonorrhoea) [urethral discharge, gleet], lepers, and those who had intercourse with niddoth are permitted to read the Torah, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, and to study the Mishnah, [Midrash] the Talmud, halachoth and haggadoth, but {despite uncleanness they may be in fear and trembling (according to Rashi)} a ba'al keri is forbidden {his uncleanness is a consequence of lightness and prentenciousness}.

But this ordinance had been canceled

But Rabenu Yona and Rambam do not agree and the Shulchan Aruch follows clearly the Rambam that the "Ezra's immersion" was completely cancelled S.A. O.C. 88

Nowedays, is Baal keri subject to specific laws? There is a Machloket between Rif and Rambam. This topic is covered in massechet Brachot. mishna Chapter 3,4.(in Gemara folio 20B)

  I will quote the Bartenura on the Mishna concerning baal keri. as an abstract of Gemara and rambam, and then I will try to explain through reading a few lines of Gemara. Bartenura:

עֶזְרָא תִּקֵּן שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרָא בַּעַל קֶרִי בַּתּוֹרָה בֵּין שֶׁרָאָה קְרִי לְאוֹנְסוֹ בֵּין ‏לִרְצוֹנוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּטְבֹּל. וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה שֶׁאֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מְצוּיִין אֵצֶל נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן כְּתַרְנְגוֹלִים ... וּכְבָר נִפְסְקָה הַהֲלָכָה דְּבִטְּלוּהָ לִטְבִילוּתָא, וּבַעֲלֵי קֶרְיִין קוֹרִין קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע כְּדַרְכָּן וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִתְפַּלְּלִין וּמְבָרְכִין כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת וְאֵין מְעַרְעֵר בַּדָּבָר ‏
Ezra ordinate that a man after having seminal emission do not read Torah, no matter if this emission was adventitious or deliberate, until he immerse in Mikve. The reason for this is not uncleanness, since words of Torah are not susceptible of uncleanness, but the aim is to avoid that scholar might always be with their wives like cocks.

On the basis of this they laid down that sufferers from (gonorrhoea) [urethral discharge, gleet], lepers, and those who had intercourse with niddoth are permitted to read the Torah, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, and to study the Mishnah, [Midrash] the Talmud, halachoth and haggadoth, but {despite uncleanness they may be in fear and trembling (according to Rashi)} a ba'al keri is forbidden {his uncleanness is a consequence of lightness and pretentiousness}.

But this ordinance don't spread in all Israel, and most people failled to follow it, consequently it would annulled _{(Rambam Kriat Shema 4, 8)}

But Rabenu Yona and Rambam do not agree and the Shulchan Aruch follows the Rambam and wrote that the "Ezra's immersion" was completely cancelled S.A. O.C. 88

Ezra ordained that a healthy man whose emission is voluntary must immerse in forty se'ahs

The Rif concluded following Rav Hayi Gaon that for prayer the ordinance is not annulled (see also Tosfot) and Baal Keri need at least 9 Kabim.

Magen Avrohom, cited in Mishna Brura calls those the continue the minhag as Anshey maasse (people with a great behavior). This minhag is valuable (note that it is different from the 'daily Tevila'). {In Gemara, different types of Baal keri are distinguished, immersion in mikve and 9 kabim water thrown, in Rishonim, dinim of Chatsitsa and Sheuvim. see in poskim}

On the basis of this they laid down that sufferers from (gonorrhoea) [urethral discharge, gleet], lepers, and those who had intercourse with niddoth are permitted to read the Torah, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, and to study the Mishnah, [Midrash] the Talmud, halachoth and haggadoth, but {despite uncleanness they may be in fear and trembling (according to Rashi)} a ba'al keri is forbidden {his uncleanness is a consequence of lightness and prentenciousness}.

Ezra ordained that a healthy man whose emission is voluntary must immerse in forty se'ahs

The Rif concluded following Rav Hayi Gaon that for prayer the ordinance has not been annulled (see also Tosfot) and Baal Keri need at least 9 Kabim.

Magen Avrohom, cited in Mishna Brura calls those the continue the minhag as Anshey maasse (people with a great behavior). This minhag is laudable (note that it is different from the 'daily Tevila'. Daily tvila is not needed if a man is not Baal keri. On the contrary, in Gemara we see several evidences that prove that scholar were not going to Mikve if they were not baal keri). {In Gemara, different types of Baal keri are distinguished, immersion in mikve and 9 kabim water thrown, in Rishonim, dinim of Chatsitsa, Kelim and Sheuvim. see in poskim}