Niddah is a masekhet or tractate of the Mishnah and the Talmud, and is part of the order of Tohorot. The content of the tractate primarily deals with the legal provisions related to Halakha of Niddah.
Structure
Niddah consists of 10 chapters. It has 79 mishnahs and 73 pages gemara. Chapter headings • Shammai Omer () • Hol Ka'yad () • Hamapelet Chatichah () • Bnot Kutim () • Yotzei Dofen () • Ba Siman () • Dan Niddah () • Haroeh Kettem () • Haisha Shehi Oseh () • Tinoket () == Summary and contemporary critiques ==
Summary and contemporary critiques
Niddah outlines laws of family purity, especially those relating to menstruation, childbirth, and bodily emissions. Its detailed regulations around ritual impurity, female puberty, and marital intimacy have drawn modern criticism for reinforcing outdated views on gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. While studied as part of traditional Jewish legal discourse, many contemporary communities approach its rulings critically, prompting ongoing debate about its relevance and ethical implications today. The most controversial passage found in Niddah 44b states that a girl aged three years and one day could be betrothed through intercourse, reflecting ancient legal definitions of consent and ritual status. This was part of a theoretical debate among early rabbinic scholars and is not regarded as normative or acceptable by modern Jewish authorities. Contemporary Jewish communities universally reject child marriage and interpret such passages within their historical and non-prescriptive context. == See also ==