Audio by Dr. Michael Sokolow

Mishnah Zavim 2:1: All [persons] are made unclean through a zivah discharge, even converts, even slaves, whether they are emancipated or not emancipated, a deaf-mute, a shoteh, a minor, a eunuch [whether rendered impotent] by man or a eunuch from the time of seeing the sun [from birth]. [With regard to] a tumtum [person (or animal) with recessed sexual organs whose gender is therefore impossible to determine, presently, by external examination. It is halachically uncertain whether such is male or female], or an androginos [person (or animal) with both male and female sexual organs. It is halachically uncertain whether such is male, female or, perhaps, has a uniquely defined halachic gender], we impose upon them the stringencies of the man and the stringencies of a woman; they render unclean through [menstruation] blood like a woman and through egglike substance [semen] like a man, but their uncleanliness remains in doubt.

הכל מטמאין בזיבה, אף הגרים, אף העבדים, בין משחררין בין שאינן משחררין, חרש, שוטה, וקטן, סריס אדם, סריס חמה. טמטום ואנדרוגינוס, נותנין עליהן חמרי האיש וחמרי האשה, מטמאין בדם כאשה ובלבן כאיש, וטמאתן בספק:

Mishnah Zavim 2:2: There are seven ways a zav is examined [for the cause of his discharge], providing he has not entered the bounds of zivah [it is not established that he is a zav. He is examined if the discarge is not the result of an external cause and thus regular semen]; with regard to food [that he has eaten], drink, [that he has drunk], a load [he may have carried], a jump [he may have made], sickness [he may have suffered] , [an improper] sight [he may have seen] or [impure] thoughts [he may have had], whether he had impure thoughts before seeing [a woman] or he saw [ woman] before he had the impure thoughts [the emission caused by all of the above is considered a normal emission and he does not become a zav]. Rabbi Yehuda says [adds], Even if he saw cattle, wild animals or birds copulating with each other, [and] even if he saw the colored garments of a woman [the emission does not render him a zav]. Rabbi Akiva says, even if he ate any kind of food, whether bad or good or he drank any kind of drink [the emission does not render him a zav]. They [the sages] said to him, [according to you] there will never be zavim. He [Rabbi Akiva] responded to them, The responsibility of [the existence of] zavim is not upon you. [However] once he has entered the bounds of zivah [once it is established that he is a zav], we no longer examine him. [Discharges resulting from] an accident or a doubtful [discharge] and seminal emissions are [considered] unclean because there is an established likelihood [that there was an impure discharge]. [When] he sees the first discharge he is examined [for the seven things]. [When he sees] the second discharge he is examined [for the seven things]. [When he sees] the third discharge, we no longer examine him. Rabbi Eliezer says, Even at the third [incident] we examine him because [of the need to know if he is obligated to bring] a sacrifice.

בשבעה דרכים בודקין את הזב עד שלא נזקק לזיבה. במאכל, במשתה, ובמשא, בקפיצה, בחלי, ובמראה ובהרהור. הרהר עד שלא ראה או שראה עד שלא הרהר. רבי יהודה אומר, אפלו ראה בהמה, חיה ועוף מתעסקין זה עם זה, אפלו ראה בגדי צבע האשה. רבי עקיבא אומר, אפלו אכל כל מאכל, בין רע בין יפה, ושתה כל משקה. אמרו לו, אין כאן זבין מעתה. אמר להם, אין אחריות זבים עליכם. משנזקק לזיבה, אין בודקין אותו. אנסו וספקו ושכבת זרעו טמאים, שרגלים לדבר. ראה ראיה ראשונה, בודקין אותו. בשניה, בודקין אותו. בשלישית, אין בודקין אותו. רבי אליעזר אומר, אף בשלישית בודקין אותו, מפני הקרבן:

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