Questions tagged [pregnancy-birth]
laws and customs pertaining to pregnancy, labor, and childbirth
223 questions
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"Being Jewish" - born from a Jewish woman or having a Jewish mother?
This sounds frivolous but it's a genuine distinction.
One practical ramification is regarding conversion for a child born via surrogacy, whether the birth mother is Jewish and the egg donor is not, or ...
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Is there really a Midrash that says that G-d originally intended on Yaakov and Eisav to be born as one child but then then split into separate twins?
I heard this on a Torah class but there was no source provided. Is there really a Midrash that says that G-d originally made Yaakov and Eisav as one person but then Hashem split them into two separate ...
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Why was Sara informed about having a baby just months before she would've found out on her own?
In Parshas Vayeira, a Malach told Avraham that he and Sara will have a baby in a year. But Sara was anyway going to find out about the baby several months later, when she would realize the pregnancy. ...
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Three things that women die for during childbirth
In the 2nd Perek of Shabbat, the Mishnah says that women die during childbirth on account of 3 things: not being careful with Niddah, Challah, and Candle Lighting.
Of course, many Jews nowadays don’t ...
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Surrogacy and forbidden relationships [duplicate]
What is the law if a woman is a surrogate for her sibling's fertilized egg? I.e. a sister is implanted with the blastocysts of her brother and sister in law. According to the halacha, the child is ...
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Source for the story of Insemination in pool
I heard there’s a case in the Gemara that a woman in a pool got pregnant from a man in the pool who let שכבת זרע out into the water (with no direct contact though). Anyone have the source?
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If a kohen donates sperm to a convert or divorcee, is the child a kohen
According to Halacha, If a Kohen decides to donate sperm to a convert or divorcee, is the child conceived through that a Kohen or no?
The reason I ask is become some Poskim, such as R Moshe Feinstein,...
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Is shalom Zachar held for treifa babies
Halacha exempts baby boys with serious injuries or illnesses from Pidyon Haben (see this answer). My question is whether a shalom Zachar Seudat mitzvah should be held for a baby boy like this?
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Does a woman who gives her eggs become yoledet
In Leviticus 12:1-4 it states that a woman is impure for 7 days after birth, known as Yoledet. This is a status with similar rules to niddah. My question is, does this Halacha apply to a woman who ...
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Looking for a source that pregnant women should not smell bi'samim by havdalah
Looking for a source that pregnant women should not smell bi'samim by havdalah.
I have come across a few people claiming this.
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Pidyon Peter chamor on c section born donkeys
Does the mitzvah of Pidyon Peter Chamor (redeeming the firstborn donkey), apply if the donkey was born through C section (caesarean section)? Or does the Halakha not consider that is birth for the ...
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Pregnant woman with male fetus in a minyan?
There is a Halachic option that says if there are otherwise 9 adult (above bar mitzvah age) Jewish males, an underage (pre bar mitzvah) Jewish male can be counted to make a minyan (which normally ...
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What should a Jew do if he got a non-Jew pregnant?
This is NOT a situation that I or anyone I know is facing. It is hypothetical.
Imagine that a Jewish man impregnates a gentile woman. The woman refuses to convert. Which (if any) of the following ...
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Working out due date
I remember hearing once that there is a gematria how to work out the due date, something like the gematria of Ibur either 282 (w/o the vav) or 288 (with vav) from the last leil tevila. It may have ...
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Can i convert if I'm pregnant? [closed]
I was late 3 days and my biyfrend was concerned that his familly wouldnt accept the baby because i haven't started the conversion process, i dont even know how to start,Is it possible to have a speedy ...
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Can pregnant women look at animals? [duplicate]
Ive heard that pregnant women should not look at animals. What is the inyan behind pregnant women not looking at animals?
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Minhag to not share a photo of a newborn
Is there anything mentioning about either sharing photos of a newborn child or specifically not sharing photos of a newborn?
(or maybe not sharing pictures before the bris?)
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LOR Questions family planning
One of the most common questions Rabbis tend to get is about contraception. Specifically a discussion about family planning, and how long one can use contraception for. Before the man has fulfilled ...
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Halachically at what time is a baby born?
Is a baby born when the head emerges, when the whole body emerges, when the cord is cut, or something else? This is relevant, for example, in order to determine the baby's birthday or when to do a ...
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Were there any so to speak "divine conceptions," physically or spiritually, or conceptions by angels?
This question has been edited to add sources.
Bereshit 4:1 states, Now the man knew his wife Chava, and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have acquired a man with the Lord."
...
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Kohanic in vitro Pregnancy
I have the following theoretical questions, from many I’ve met and even a real case of someone very special I met in a hostel in Israel.
My assumptions are between parentheses after the list item.
...
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How did the Jews in Egypt have children if they couldn't go to the mikveh after giving birth?
This question is based on a few assumptions, which are based on a couple of Midrashim.
First of all, Shemos Rabbah 9:10 and Tanna D'Vei Eliyahu Chapter 7 say that the Egyptians were punished with the ...
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What type of pain allows a woman to choose to sterilize herself?
In bYevamot 65b there is a discussion as to a woman's mitzvah obligation (or not) to have children. The gemarah cites an episode of a woman who had an (unusually?) painful childbearing experience who ...
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Why do Chazal refer to the emergence of a baby from the womb as pesichas hakever
A term throughout Chazal is פתיחת הקבר, pesichas hakever, translated literally as the opening of the grave. For example, Niddah 21a. This term refers to the emergence of a fetus or baby from the womb (...
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The Word נולד by Each Tribe
The Yalkut Shimoni uses the word נולד when each tribe was born:
ראובן נולד בי"ד בכסליו מת בן מאה חמשים וחמש שנים
שמעון נולד בכ"ח בטבת ומת בן מאה ועשרים שנה
לוי נולד בי"ו בניסן ומת בן ...
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Can a pregnant woman go through the Sotah process?
A woman is 3 months pregnant from her husband. He now warns her not to seclude with Ploni. She does seclude and have carnal relations with Ploni.
If she is treated as a Sotah, the embryo will be lost ...
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Is it true that abortion is allowed if it endangers the mother's mental health?
I heard this and it makes no sense because then almost every mother would have the excuse to abort; What would the exact parameters of such mental health issues be?
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Trying to track down the textual source of a Jewish quote about a Rabbi Neskizh
I found the below quote in a a book called Spiritual Midwifery. I would love to know if the quote is real, and where it comes from. Thanks!
The Quote:
Rabbi Mordecai of Neskizh said to his son, the ...
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What is the connection between Noam Elimelech and childbirth?
This website says (and I’ve heard it countless times):
In his sefer Shulchan Melachim (page 35b), R. Moshe Tzvi Landau writes that it is customary to place the Sefer Noam Elimelech, beneath the head ...
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Is there a source for this Segulah to help somebody become pregnant?
There seems to be a Segulah to help a woman who is having trouble having a child.
The Segulah is to form a group of 40 women (or more) who will say Tefilas Chana (Perek Aleph and Perek Bais in the ...
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What is "unusual childbirth pain"?
The Talmud [Yevamot 65b, Ketubot 60a] allows a woman to sterilize herself if she suffers unusual childbirth pain.
What is "unusual childbirth pain"? Women testify to the fact that there is ...
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Why Hatov V'Hameitiv for son? [duplicate]
The Maharil (Milah 1:p.65) writes
נראה בעיני הטעם משום דאי׳ בגמרא אמרו לו אשתו ילדה זכר מברך הטוב והמטיב
וי״מ משום ארבעה צריכין להודות ואחד מהם היוצא מבית האסורים וכן התינוק
יצא כן מאסורי מעי אמו - ...
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Is stepping on fingernails still a concern today? [duplicate]
Rav Chaim Kanievsky is quoted saying a pregnant woman may walk on the nails of a non-Jew.
Does Rav Chaim Kanievsky hold it's still an issue for pregnant women to walk on cut nails today? I recently ...
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Is a baby born on Shabbos Muktza as Nolad?
Is a baby born on Shabbos Muktza as Nolad until the end of Shabbos?
I mean, he is quite literally Nolad - born on Shabbos. I understand that anything that the baby needs would would obviously be Mutar ...
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Why does the Torah say a woman has "sperm" or "seed"?
Why does the Torah say a woman has "sperm" or "seed" (for example, Genesis 24:60, and in other passages)?
And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, "Our sister, may you ...
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Who must "be fruitful and multiply"? [duplicate]
The commandment to be fruitful and multiply -- פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ [Gen. 1:28] appears to have been issued to all men [Yevamot 6:6], not just Jews. So why isn't it one of the Noahide laws, which apply ...
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Why Isn't There a Tefila for Fertility?
Within Shmoneh Esrai we daven for everyone of these items below, except for childbirth. Why?
R' Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be He has retained in His own hands and not entrusted ...
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Symbolism of Childbirth impurity differences male and female children in Leviticus 12? [duplicate]
I am a gentile asking for Jewish insight regarding the differences in ritual impurity time that comes from child birth (the time is doubled for baby girls). As a Christian, I got ideas from my ...
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Woman praying for others during labor- any source?
I've heard multiple times that when a woman is in labor it is a special time to pray for other people. Is there any source for that?
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Giving birth twice in a month
I came across an article about a woman with two wombs giving birth twice, nearly a month apart. How should such a woman deal with all the regular rules after giving birth.
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What stone prevents miscarriage?
The Shulchan Aruch OC (303:24) writes:
יוצאה באבן תקומה [פי' הערוך אבן ידועה שכשהיא על אשה לא תפיל] - women
are allowed to walk outside on shabbos with an even tekuma used to
prevent ...
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Why Leah is so stressed? [duplicate]
On Gen 30:9
וַתֵּ֣רֶא לֵאָ֔ה כִּ֥י עָמְדָ֖ה מִלֶּ֑דֶת וַתִּקַּח֙ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֣ה
שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her ...
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Discrepancy between description of how Bilhah and Zilpah had children
I noticed three inconsistencies between how the Torah describes the conception and delivery of the children of Bilhah and Zilpha, only 5 verses apart.
The conception/birth of Bilhah's son Dan is ...
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How is the date of Yitzchak's birth related to the dispute between R' Eliezer and R' Yehoshua?
There's a famous dispute between R' Eliezer and R' Yehoshua when the world was created: Tishrei or Nissan. Their dispute is recorded in Rosh Hashanah 10b - 11a:
תניא רבי אליעזר אומר בתשרי נברא העולם ...
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Is there any rule against finding out the gender of a fetus? [duplicate]
From my unscientific survey of what I've seen, it seems like most Orthodox Jews avoid finding out the gender of their child while it is still in utero (even if they otherwise take ultrasounds, blood ...
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Which parent names the first child?
Which parent names the first child according to current custom?
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May a pregnant woman eat non kosher food to satiate her craving?
An acquaintance of mine claimed that in the occasion of a craving of a particular non kosher food item, a pregnant woman would be permitted to consume it. Absent the food item, the woman and/or fetus ...
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How did Noah react to being childless?
Rashi to Genesis 5:32 reads:
אמר רבי יודן מה טעם כל הדורות הולידו למאה שנה וזה לחמש מאות אמר הקב״ה אם רשעים הם יאבדו במים ורע לצדיק זה ואם צדיקים הם אטריח עליו לעשות תיבות הרבה כבש את מעיינו ולא ...
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Grandfather opening the ark
What is the origin of a grandfather opening the ark if his daughter is pregnant? I am familiar with the custom for the husband to receive this honor in Shul.
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and daughters were born to them (bereishis 6:1)
There is a strange way of saying that the human population increase on parsha Bereishis (6:1). The pasuk says:
וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה
וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ ...
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