Will Die During Childbirth?

One of the more difficult passages to understand is the one in the mishnah in Shabbat 31b -There are three trangressions for which women die during childbirth: Not being careful about niddah (the laws concerning conduct during the menstrual period, taking challah [from dough], and the lighting of candles [Friday night].

Does it literally mean a woman will die during childbirth if she does not fulfill these? Can't be! There are many women who do not fulfill these (who even transgress), yet who live long lives, long past their childbearing years. And there are those who fulfill these in upstanding fashion, yet who die at a young age! How is this possible?

Clearly the mishnah is not meant to be taken literally. What then?

The answer lies in this lesson from the Medrash Tanchuma:

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת נח סימן א
(א) ילמדנו רבינו על כמה עבירות נשים מתות בשעת לדתן, כך שנו רבותינו על שלשה וכו' ושלשתן מן התורה, נדה דכתיב (ויקרא טו) ואשה כי יזוב, חלה (במדבר טו) ראשית עריסותיכם, הדלקת הנר דכתיב (ישעיה נח) וקראת לשבת עונג זו הדלקת הנר בשבת, וא"ת לישב בחשך אין זה עונג שאין יורדי גיהנם נדונין אלא בחשך שנאמר (איוב י) ארץ עיפת' כמו אופל, ומה ראו נשים להצטוות על שלש מצות האלו, אמר הקב"ה אדה"ר תחלת בריותי היה ונצטווה על עץ הדעת וכתיב בחוה (בראשית ג) ותרא האשה וגו' ותתן גם לאישה עמה ויאכל וגרמה לו מיתה ושפכה את דמו, וכתיב בתורה (שם /בראשית/ ט) שופך דם האדם באדם דמו ישפך תשפוך דמה ותשמור נדתה כדי שיתכפר לה על דם האדם ששפכה, מצות חלה מנין היא טמאה חלתו של עולם דא"ר יוסי בן דוסמקא (נ"א קצרתא) כשם שהאשה מקשקשת עיסתה במים ואח"כ היא מגבהת חלתה כך עשה הקב"ה לאדם הראשון דכתיב (שם /בראשית/ ב) ואד יעלה מן הארץ והשקה ואח"כ וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם עפר וגו', הדלקת הנר מנין היא כבתה נרו של אדם דכתיב (משלי כ) נר אלהים נשמת אדם לפיכך תשמור הדלקת הנר.

The midrash quotes the sources of the three commandments - Leviticus 15, Numbers 15, and Isaiah 58. Then it explains that these three commandments were specifically given to women on account of the actions of the first woman ever, Chava (Eve). In Genesis 3 she violated the one commandments she and her husband had been given: not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Since she did and caused her husband too as well, she brought mortality to the world (this midrash follows the teaching that Adam was supposed to live forever, and eating the forbidden fruit brought about that he would die one day). As the verse in Genesis 9 says that one who spills "Adam"'s blood (either a person, or literally "Adam") will have their own blood spilled, the midrash argues this is the source for the concept of menstruation (in which blood flows) and the need to monitor activities and behavior during this period.

The commandment of Challah comes from the fact that she brought tumah (spiritual impurity) to the first person (chalato shel olam - the "challah" of the world). Not only that, but he is compared to dough. In the Garden of Eden, there was all this mist moistening the world and then God fashioned Man out of dust of the earth. Just as a woman kneads her dough, God kneaded man. So woman has to make sure to remove the "challah" to make tribute to this "fixing."

Candles are because "The candle of God is the soul of the human being." Since she snuffed out the soul of the human being, she must make up for it by lighting candles and rekindling souls.

The Mishnah, therefore, is not saying a woman will die for transgressing any of the three. It is explaining that the idea of labor pains, which could cause death, stems from the original sins of Chava.

While it might not be fair to suggest all women carry the burden of Chava's sin, it does follow that the specific trangressions in question are all part of a categorical response to Chava, and that the notion of "dying in childbirth" refer to the idea that childbirth is a difficult experience unique to the female experience, which stems (at least according to the Torah) from the original punishment handed to Chava upon her exit from the Garden of Eden. It should have been an easy, natural, process. Instead it could be tremendously painful - and the danger of death during labor is always lurking in the shadows. Even though it is, thankfully, increasingly uncommon in our modern medical system.

Perhaps these three stand as a reminder to women of the tremendous power they have, and the tremendous influence they yield and can hold over their husbands. Married women certainly do have the wherewithal to determine, in many ways, whether husbands will sin or not.

Perhaps it is incumbent upon women to yield their power for good, to fulfill their unique commandments, and to make sure, in the process, that their earth-originating husbands not give in to temptation, and are as protected from sinning as their wives can help them be.