MENOPAUSE Solomon B. Freehof
QUESTION: What are the Biblical and Rabbinical references on menopause?(Rabbi S.E.W. on behalf of Dr. M. G.)
ANSWER: There is, of course, the Biblical reference to Sarah (Genesis 18: 11):“There had ceased to be with Sarah the way of women.” Unfortunately, none of the midrashic references to this verse make any comments which deal with this physiological condition. Incidentally, none of the modern Talmudic medical books seems to deal with this condition(Preuss, Greenwald, et cetera).
There is, however, some mention of this in the legal literature. The first reference is in the Mishnah (Niddah 1: 5) where the question is asked: What is an old woman? The answer given is: Every woman with whom three regular periods have passed“near her older years.” This last phrase refers to the fact that the
Mishnah deals also with a young girl who may miss three periods because she has not yet become regular.
The Talmud (Niddah 9a), discussing this Mishnah , gives a sort of“social” definition of the words,“near her older years.” One rabbi says,“All whom her friends consider old.” The other rabbis say,“All whom people call‘mother’ and she is not embarrassed at it.” The Tosfos(ad loc.) objects to this on the ground that the definition should not depend upon how she feels(i.e., that she should not resent being generally called“mother”). Therefore, quoting the Jerushalmi, the Tosfos says that it means every woman who should be called old(and misses three periods).
These definitions of menopause arc of importance with regard to the laws of uncleanness(Niddah), and so on. Hence they are codified in two references in the Shulhan Arukh. In Yoreh Deah