Shammai says: [Regarding] all women their times [of discovering a discharge of blood] suffice for them. Hillel says: [They are considered tamei] from [the time of their last] examination to [the time of their present] examination, even for many days. But the Sages say: [The law is] neither in accordance with the words of this one nor in accordance with the words of that one; rather, “twenty-four hours” reduces [the time of] “from examination to examination,” and “from examination to examina-tion” reduces [the time of] “twenty-four hours.”  [For] any woman who has a [fixed] period, her time suffices for her.  And one who [examines herself] with examination cloths when she engages in marital relations, this [examination] is the equivalent of a [regular] examination, and reduces the [time of] “twenty-four hours” and [the time of] “from examination to examination.”

What is [an example of the law that] her time suffices for her? [If a woman] had been sitting on a bed and handling tohoros, and she left [the bed] and discovered [a discharge of uterine blood], she is tamei but they all are tahor.  Even though [the Sages] said [that] she conveys tumah [retroactively] for twenty-four hours, she begins counting only from the time that she sees [the discharge].

R’ Eliezer says: [There are] four women whose times suffice for them: a virgin, a pregnant woman, a nursing woman, and an old woman. R’ Yehoshua said: I heard [this law] only [with regard to] a virgin. However, the law is like R’ Eliezer.

What is [meant by] a virgin? Any [girl] who had never discharged blood in her life, even if she is married.  [Regarding] a pregnant woman, [her time suffices for her only] from when her fetus becomes noticeable.  [Regarding] a nursing wom-an, [her time suffices for her] until she weans her child. If she gave her child to a wet nurse, [or] she weaned him or he died, R’ Meir says: She conveys tumah [retroactively] for twenty-four hours. But the Sages say: Her time suffices for her.

What is meant by an old woman? Any [woman] for whom three periods have passed near her old age. R’ Eliezer says: Any woman for whom three periods have passed, her time suffices for her. R’ Yose says: A pregnant woman and a nursing woman for whom three periods have passed, their times suffice for them.

And regarding what did they say that her time suffices for her? With [regard to] the first discharge [of blood]. But with [re-gard to] the second discharge, she conveys tumah [retroactively] for twenty-four hours. But if she experienced the first [dis-charge] as a result of an external stimulus, [then] even [for] the second [discharge] her time suffices for her.

Even though they said that her time suffices for her, she is still required to examine herself, except for a niddah, and [a woman] who is observing her days of tohar blood. And [similarly when] she engages in marital relations [she must examine herself] with examination cloths, except for one who is observing her days of tohar blood, and a virgin whose bloods are ta-hor.  And twice [each day] she must make examinations, in the morning and in the evening, and [also] when she pre-pares herself to have marital relations. Further [obligated] than they are Kohanos when they wish to eat terumah. R’ Yehudah says: Also after they have finished eating terumah.

Any hand that examines excessively is, among women, praiseworthy, but among men, let it be cut off.  A woman who is deaf, a deranged woman, a blind woman or a woman who has lost her mind, if they have mentally competent women [available to them], [those women] should prepare them and they may [then] eat terumah.  It is the practice of the daughters of Israel that they cohabit with two examination cloths [pre-pared], one for [the husband] and one for [the wife], and the pious women prepare for themselves a third [examination cloth] “to prepare the house.”

[If blood] is found on his [examination cloth], they are tamei and obligated [to bring] an offering. [If blood] is found on her [cloth] im- mediately, they are tamei and obligated [to bring] an offering. [If blood] is found on her [cloth] after a while, they are tamei because of a doubt and are exempt from [bringing] an offering.

What is “after a while”? As long as it takes for [the woman] to descend from the bed and wipe her “face.”  And af-terward, she conveys tumah [retroactively] for a period of twenty-four hours and does not convey tumah to the one who cohabited with her. R’ Akiva says: She also conveys tumah to the one who cohabited with her.  The Sages concede to R’ Akiva [in a case] where she sees a bloodstain that she conveys tumah to the one who cohabited with her.

All women are in a presumptive state of taharah for their husbands. [Men] returning from a journey —- their wives are in a presumptive state of taharah for them.  Beis Shammai say: [A woman] needs two examination cloths for each and every act of cohabitation, or she should cohabit by [using] the light of a lamp. Beis Hillel say: Two examination cloths suffice for her the entire night.

The Sages composed a metaphor regarding a woman: The Room, the Vestibule, and the Attic.  Blood of the Room [is] tamei. [If blood] was found in the Vestibule, its doubt [is] tamei since it is presumed [to have come] from the uterus.

A woman has five tamei [shades of] blood: Red, black, [a shade] similar to the radiance of crocus, [a shade] similar to earth waters, and [a shade] similar to diluted [wine].  Beis Shammai say: Also [a shade] similar to fenugreek waters and similar to the juices of roasted meat, while Beis Hillel declare [these shades] tahor.  The [color] yellow, Akavia ben Me-halalel declares [it] tamei, while the Sages declare [it] tahor.  R’ Meir said: [Even] if [yellow blood] does not convey tumah as a bloodstain, it conveys tumah as a liquid.  R’ Yose says: [It conveys tumah] neither in this manner nor in that manner.