617 - תריז דין עוברה ומניקה ויולדת ביום הכיפורים ובו ה' סעיפים

617 - The Law of a Pregnant, Nursing, or Postpartum Woman on Yom Kippur - 5 Subsections

1 Pregnant women and nursing women — they fast and complete the fast on Yom Kippur.

2 A pregnant woman who smelled food, and if they do not give her from the food it is possible that she will miscarry her fetus — because the fetus smelled the scent of the food and desires it, and if she does not eat from it, it is possible that it will be dislodged to come out, and it turns out that both of them are in danger — they whisper in her ear that "today is Yom Kippur" — perhaps she will be able to restrain herself.

And if her mind was settled, in that the fetus ceased from its desire through this reminder — that is best.

And if her mind was not settled by this, but rather she says: "I need to eat" (see the explanation of this matter in siman 618), or her face began to change, even though she did not say "I need to eat" — they dip a spindle in the gravy and place it into her mouth — perhaps her mind will be settled by this.

And if her mind was not settled by this, and her face is still changed, or she still says "I need" — they give her from the gravy itself. (Less and less than the measure, as will be explained in siman 618.)

And if with this too her mind was not settled — they give her from the food itself. (Less and less than the measure.) Until her mind is settled.

3 And not a pregnant woman alone, but even any person who smelled food and his face changed — he is in danger if they do not give him to taste from the food. Therefore they feed him on Yom Kippur, in the manner that they feed the pregnant woman who smelled.

But if his face did not change, even though he says "I need to eat" — they do not feed him. Unless he is ill, for then, even if he did not smell the scent of food and he says "I need," or the physicians say that he needs to eat — they feed him immediately what he needs, as much as he needs.

And they said to give him first from the gravy only regarding a pregnant woman, or one who smelled the scent of the food — for neither they nor we have an assessment of the settling of their minds. Sometimes it is settled with the gravy, and sometimes they need the food itself. Therefore we are exacting with them in whatever is possible.

But a sick person whom they feed on the word of expert physicians — they give him according to what the experts say.

And likewise if they feed him on his own word, that he says "I need" — they give him until he says "enough." Except that one must be careful to feed him less and less than the measure, as will be explained in siman 618 (se'if 3).

4 A woman who gave birth within three days — she should not fast at all. Even if she says "I do not need" — they feed her against her will.

Nevertheless one should feed her less and less than the measure, as will be explained in siman 618.

From three days until the end of seven days from her birth: if she said "I need to eat," even though her companions and likewise the physicians say that she does not need — even so they feed her immediately, less and less than the measure, as will be explained there.

From then onward: she is like any other sick person who is not in danger. Because certainly there is no danger on account of the birth after seven days from her birth.

Therefore, even if she said "I need to eat on account of the pain of the birth" — they do not feed her — since there is no danger in the matter.

But if she said "I need to eat because the illness is becoming heavy upon me" — they feed her in the manner that they feed any sick person who says "I need," as will be explained there. See there.

5 These three days, and likewise these seven days — we do not count them from time to time. For example, if she gave birth on the 7th of Tishrei after midday — we do not reckon the three days until after midday of Yom Kippur.

Rather we reckon them according to the order of the days of creation, and Yom Kippur is the fourth day from her birth.

And if she said "I do not need" — they do not feed her at all. But in an unspecified case, where she says nothing, or she says that she does not know whether she needs — they feed her. Unless her companions or the physicians say that she does not need, for then they do not feed her, unless she said explicitly: "I need to eat."