[Avodah] Sefer HaChinuch on why 2 weeks Nidah for a girl and only 1

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, February 14, 2008 2:31 pm, cantorwolberg at cox.net wrote:
: That's not the reason that I teach.
: A boy is one week and the reason for 2 weeks for a girl baby is
: because of the potential life that girl will eventually give birth to.
: Hence, the extra week is added for the girl.

A coomon theme in Tazria (Ki Sazria?) issues of parashah sheets. I
heard it attributed to the Meshekh Chokhmah, the Rogotchover and the
Tanya (ch 6), but never actually found the source. If anyone saw a
primary source, I would appreciate the mar'eh maqom.

RSRH defines tum'ah as that which creates the illusion that we are
merely animals and victim to our physical drives. This has the
advantage of explaining tum'as sheratzim -- they live amongst us,
inhabit our homes, share much of our structure, but we are medaberim
and they aren't. (RSRH does a much better job, see parashas Chuqas.)
But it doesn't address this question. Birthing is a hard physical
process regardless of the baby's gender. Why would giving birth to a
girl create the "pernicious misconception ... that Man must --
willy-nilly -- submit to the power of physical forces" more than to a
boy?

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
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