Leviticus 12:1-5= No sex after giving birth?

[Phantaja]

I read in People how the Duggar family uses no birth control beside the Biblical recommendation of not having sex for forty days after having a baby boy and eighty days after having a girl.

I assume that they are referring to Leviticus 12:1-5, but I don't see how that means that sex is a no-no. Can someone explain?

[Smokering]

...I really can't, given that they don't seem to be Messianic/Torah observant in other respects. How odd. Neither 40 nor 80 days is that far off the six-week abstinence/healing period recommended by a lot of mainstream peds though, so it's probably not that unusual in practice.

[imnottelling]

That's a bit funny, actually.
My limited understanding is that there were 2 stages to the "purification" process after birth.
One is counting 7 days after bleeding commenced (or at minimum after 7 days for a boy, 14 for a girl), and becoming ritually pure through immersion in a natural body of water at that point and I would think that is when relations can resume.
The second part was an atonement offering given after the 40/80 days following the birth in the times of the Temple, but I don't believe that has anything to do with intimacy.
Jews who keep the laws of family purity do the first thing these days; since there is no Holy Temple, offerings are no longer given, and that 40/80 day landmark passes by unnoticed...

[anj_rn]

Ummm..no. The rule is minimum of 7 days for boy and 14 days for a girl, but you cannot go to the mikvah (to be cleased) until you have had 7 days with no bleeding (the same for your monthly cycle). The laws for family purity are specifically for Jews, so I do not know why anyone else would follow them. It also seems odd that they would only follow part of the law, but not the whole law. In fact, most orthodox and conservative Jews do not go to the mikvah regularly.

[merpk]

Originally Posted by anj_rn

Ummm..no. The rule is minimum of 7 days for boy and 14 days for a girl, but you cannot go to the mikvah (to be cleased) until you have had 7 days with no bleeding (the same for your monthly cycle). The laws for family purity are specifically for Jews, so I do not know why anyone else would follow them. It also seems odd that they would only follow part of the law, but not the whole law. In fact, most orthodox and conservative Jews do not go to the mikvah regularly.

I beg to differ with one point. Most Orthodox Jews *do* go to the mikvah regularly. Huge segments of the Orthodox population go to the mikvah *daily*. And the rest, at least once a month, if not more, and before Shabbos (the Sabbath) and holidays. As a matter of fact, regular use of the mikvah is one of those things that distinguishes Orthodox Jews from the rest of the Jews.

Conservative and Reform, not so much.

[umsami]

I saw that too and wondered.

Maybe, the Duggars take 7 days (from Lev.12.2) ...and then add 33 days (Lev 12.4) to get 40? And for girls... um 66 (lev 12.5) + 14 (Lev 12.5) = 80. But I don't get where it says to add...and I thought the whole 33/66 thing related to the time of the Temple...but then again, I'm only Muslim.

In Islam, women don't have sex for at least 40 days after childbirth... nor do they fast or are required to do the daily prayers.

[anj_rn]

Originally Posted by merpk

I beg to differ with one point. Most Orthodox Jews *do* go to the mikvah regularly. Huge segments of the Orthodox population go to the mikvah *daily*. And the rest, at least once a month, if not more, and before Shabbos (the Sabbath) and holidays. As a matter of fact, regular use of the mikvah is one of those things that distinguishes Orthodox Jews from the rest of the Jews.

Conservative and Reform, not so much.

You are right my brain was thinking conservative & reform do not go to the mikvah (I think there are only 2-3 reform synagogues with mikvahs in th US), but my fingers typed orthodox.

This is what happens with two kids in your lap and you forget to proof. Thanks for catching it.

[blessedwithboys]

i read that article too and Michelle made a point to say that they dont abstain bc they believe the bible commands them to, i think she even specifically mentioned that as christians, they arent under mosaic law. (thats from memory, i already put the mag in the recycling bin.)

what she said, iirc, was that they use the ancient concept of a certain # of days of "uncleanness" as a symbolic gesture as a marriage strengthening aid. not to mention, the poor woman probably needs a rest! LOL

so, OP, she wasnt implying that she thinks Lev directs her to abstain for 40/80 or whatever days, just that they used those #'s as a guide to create their own tradition. maybe compare it to what camila alves said recently in interviews about 40 days of seclusion w/her new dd...

[CherryBomb]

Originally Posted by blessedwithboys

i read that article too and Michelle made a point to say that they dont abstain bc they believe the bible commands them to, i think she even specifically mentioned that as christians, they arent under mosaic law. (thats from memory, i already put the mag in the recycling bin.)

what she said, iirc, was that they use the ancient concept of a certain # of days of "uncleanness" as a symbolic gesture as a marriage strengthening aid. not to mention, the poor woman probably needs a rest! LOL

so, OP, she wasnt implying that she thinks Lev directs her to abstain for 40/80 or whatever days, just that they used those #'s as a guide to create their own tradition. maybe compare it to what camila alves said recently in interviews about 40 days of seclusion w/her new dd...

Yeah, that.

[TzippityDoulah]

this is just one more WILD idea people attribute to Duggars, which when closely reinspected is realized that ISN'T what they said to begin with lol


we should start a new thread called "things peoople *think* the duggars said"...

my first would be that Michelle stops BFing at 3 months so she can have another baby right away. gimme a break! she herself said she has serious nursing woes and her milk generally dries up by a certain time no matter what she does etc... but people would rather think she's crazy -- it's fun to think people are crazy.

(I'm not a huge duggar fan - but it's a good clean show where everyone is dressed modestly and I like that a lot)

[Phantaja]

I'm sorry. I must've overlooked that. I was just wondering what it meant.

[Kidzaplenty]

[EllieA]

check out this article on why the abstinence.  It is based on scientific facts we now know. http://www.numbers1317.org/file_19_statute_08.html