Recommitting to the laws of niddah

Last week I quoted the Midrash Aggadah on “Yom HaShmini” who raised the possibility that one of the interpretations of Kohelet 11:2, which speaks of seven becoming eight, is that of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simone who said that seven refers to the days of the niddah period. If the laws of niddah are followed, the midrash suggests in the name of G-d, a child will be born who will be circumcised on the eigth day.

Sounds like a pretty good guarantee.

In another passage in the Midrash Aggadah on our parsha, we are reminded of how there are three partners in the creation of a human being: the father, the mother and G-d. This notion comes from the Talmud (Kiddushin 30b, Niddah 31a), and many homiletical teachings emerge from it.

But perhaps the most profound thought, certainly one that crosses the mind of God-fearing parents when their children are born, is how clearly one can understand that G-d is in this world when one observes a newborn.

Of course the initial passage above is a nice thought, but there are plenty of people who observe these laws meticulously and still struggle with infertility.It’s not so simple.

In his Toldot Yitzchak, Rabbi Yitzchak Caro utilized a Talmudic teaching to explain how an expectant parent must pray for the fertilization to take root in the first three days, from day 3 to day 40 pray for a male child, from day 40 to the end of the first trimester pray that it shouldn’t be a miscarriage, from 3 months to 6 months pray that it should not be a stillborn, from 6 months pray that it should be born in peace.

If so, he concludes, it seems that the health of the child and success of the pregnancy is dependant on prayer more than on nature.

With regard to the praying for a “male” child – well, this passage is on the segment that says “When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male.” (For those who like “The Godfather,” think of the blessing Luca Brasi gave Don Corleone at the Godfather’s daughter’s wedding.)

Otherwise, the passage speaks for itself about prayer’s role in all of this.