וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִשָּׁה֙ כִּ֣י תַזְרִ֔יעַ וְיָלְדָ֖ה זָכָ֑ר וְטָֽמְאָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים כִּימֵ֛י נִדַּ֥ת דְּוֺתָ֖הּ תִּטְמָֽא׃

Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be impure seven days; like the days, the duration, of her menstrual [ niddat ] suffering, the pain that comes with her blood of menstruation, so she who gives birth to a male child shall be impure. Some commentaries associate niddat with nadad , wander, and nidui , excommunication, her separation during her sickness.

וּבַיּ֖וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֑י יִמּ֖וֹל בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ׃

Since the text is dealing with a woman who has given birth to a male child, it adds in passing the halakha that was already stated in the book of Genesis (17:12), which applies after the seven days mentioned here: On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים יוֹם֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים תֵּשֵׁ֖ב בִּדְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֑ה בְּכָל־קֹ֣דֶשׁ לֹֽא־תִגָּ֗ע וְאֶל־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תָבֹ֔א עַד־מְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֥י טָהֳרָֽהּ׃

After the seven days of impurity, for thirty days and three days she shall abide in the blood of purity. Although it is possible that she might continue to bleed even after the first week, this blood is considered blood of purity. In other words, for the next thirty-three days, until a total of forty days have passed since the birth, she is no longer governed by the halakhot that distance a menstruating woman or a woman who gave birth from her husband. Nevertheless, she shall not touch any consecrated item, and she shall not enter the sanctuary until the completion of the days of her purity. Only after forty days will she become fully purified from the impurity connected to childbirth.

וְאִם־נְקֵבָ֣ה תֵלֵ֔ד וְטָמְאָ֥ה שְׁבֻעַ֖יִם כְּנִדָּתָ֑הּ וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים תֵּשֵׁ֖ב עַל־דְּמֵ֥י טָהֳרָֽה׃

If she bears a female child, then she shall be impure two weeks as during her menstruation, when she must separate herself from her husband and from any items they wish to preserve in a state of ritual purity. And sixty days and six days she shall abide in the blood of purity. The days of impurity and purity that follow the birth of a female are double the amount of days that come after the birth of a male.

וּבִמְלֹ֣את ׀ יְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֮ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

With the completion of the days of her purity, the end of the forty-day period for a son or the eighty-day period for a daughter, in order to purify herself fully, she or an agent on her behalf shall bring to the Temple a lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to the priest.

וְהִקְרִיב֞וֹ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וְטָהֲרָ֖ה מִמְּקֹ֣ר דָּמֶ֑יהָ זֹ֤את תּוֹרַת֙ הַיֹּלֶ֔דֶת לַזָּכָ֖ר א֥וֹ לַנְּקֵבָֽה׃

He, the priest, shall offer it, the pair of offerings, before the Lord, in accordance with the rites of a burnt offering and a sin offering, and he shall thereby atone for her; and she shall be purified from the source of her blood. Only then is she purified from her bleeding, which after an ordinary birth would have ceased much earlier. This is the law of the woman after childbirth of a male child or of a female child.

וְאִם־לֹ֨א תִמְצָ֣א יָדָהּ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְלָקְחָ֣ה שְׁתֵּֽי־תֹרִ֗ים א֤וֹ שְׁנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹנָ֔ה אֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶחָ֣ד לְחַטָּ֑את וְכִפֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֛יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטָהֵֽרָה׃ (פ)

A burnt offering is generally a voluntary offering, and as stated earlier, there are several types: a large bull, a smaller lamb, or a bird (see chap. 1). A woman who has given birth does not bring her burnt offering voluntarily; rather, it is an obligation following childbirth. Therefore, the Torah provides allowances for a poor woman in this situation: If her means do not suffice for buying a lamb for her burnt offering, she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, referred to by the Sages as a nest of birds, one bird as a burnt offering in place of the lamb, and one as a sin offering, which all such women must bring (see verse 6); and the priest shall atone for her by sacrificing them, and she shall be purified for all purposes. At this stage she is permitted to enter the Temple and partake of consecrated foods.