Questions tagged [pregnancy-birth]
laws and customs pertaining to pregnancy, labor, and childbirth
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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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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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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 Is there really a Midrash that says that G-d originally made Yaakov and Eisav as one person but then Hashem split them into two separate ...
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Can a pregnant woman go to aquariums?
Some have the custom that pregnant women do not go to zoos. (See here)
Does this custom extend to aquariums too?
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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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Haamek Davar's implication that God used childbearing terminology
The Haamek Davar explains Genesis 17:16–19 as follows: In verse 16, God tells Abraham that He "will give [Abraham] a son from" Sarah. Because Sarah is no longer physically capable of ...
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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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Must a woman cover her hair during childbirth?
Does a woman need to cover her hair during childbirth or other major medical procedures?
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When is a convert's Hebrew birthday?
Is it their conversion date, the Hebrew date on which they were biologically born, or something else? (For questions of halachic age as well as mystical significance)
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When during IVF are the parents' thoughts determining the level of the soul of their baby
I have read that the thoughts of a couple during marital relations does determine and effect the level of the soul they draw down for their baby. What about a couple using IVF to conceive? When ...
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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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Is a Jew permitted to have an abortion?
Under what, if any, circumstances may a Jewish woman undergo an abortion? Can a Jewish doctor perform an abortion?
As each case and individual is unique, please consult your rabbi for practical ...
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How did Jacob manage to have 12 children in 7 years?
Did Leah manage to have 6 sons and 1 daughter in the space of 7 years or was it over a longer period of time?
In general it seems difficult to fit all of Ya'akov's children into a 7 year period. ...
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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 do the sources say about when women can reveal they're pregnant
I've heard that women are meant to wait until after the first trimester to reveal that they are pregnant. (One rabbi I heard say they should wait even beyond, if possible.) The idea being to avoid ...
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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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Is a mother who has just given birth allowed to travel within a month or so of birth?
This question was inspired by the account in Matthew of the events immediately following Jesus' birth. According to Matthew, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but his parents took him away immediately ...
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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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Does the colouring of animals depend on what the mother sees before conception?
What is the meaning of the strategies (hishtadlus) that Yaakov made with the conception of the animals starting at 30 (37)?
Is it or was it a natural thing that the colouring of animals depends on ...
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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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When does the soul enter the fetus?
When during the pregnancy does the soul enter into the embryo or fetus? At conception? At how many weeks or months after conception or before birth? Thank you
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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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Is there an issue with ladies looking at animals when they are pregnant?
Is there an issue with ladies going to the zoo or looking at animals in general when they are pregnant? I've heard it may be specific to ugly animals (e.g. monkeys) so as not to scare the mother. Or ...
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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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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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Is human placenta kosher?
There is, apparently, something called placenta encapsulation which means making pills out of a placenta postpartum for the purpose of digesting placenta. People claim that these pills offer unique ...
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Rav Moshe's Psak on Fertility Treatments
I recently read an interview with Rav Dovid Feinstein and he referenced a two year period of Rav Moshe's life that were troubling due to backlash he received following a controversial psak regarding ...
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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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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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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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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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Halachot of IVF
Does anyone know of any good teshuvas or sefers giving an overview of the halacha of in-vitro fertilization IVF? (Feel free to also give overviews in your answers, but I'd appreciate links to the ...
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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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Does marrying the woman one got pregnant before the baby is born make a difference?
The non-Jewish world considers any child born out of wedlock a bastard. As such, there is often a rush to get married before the baby is born, once the child is conceived out of wedlock.
In Jewish ...
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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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Blessings on Birthdays
There is apparently a practice among contemporary Jews of giving out blessings on one's birthday. Is there any source for this in the Jewish tradition?
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What is the status of a fetus before it emerges?
Sanhedrin 72B says a fetus becomes a person when its head emerges. But I have heard that abortion is justified based on the permission to kill a rodef (deadly pursuer). But it seems to me that, ...
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Source for parable about two twins in the womb
I once heard/read a parable about two babies in their mother's womb. It goes something like this.
Two twins in the womb are speaking of the world to come, one believes it exists, the
other not. ...
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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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