Chapter One
BIRTH
For the first three months the embryo dwells in the lower
compartment; the next three months in the middle com-
partment; and the final three months in the upper compart-
ment. For the first three days, one should pray to God that
the infant won’t decompose; from three to forty days he
should pray that it will be a male; from forty days to three
months, he should pray that it not be a sandal;^1 and from
three months to six months, he should pray that it not be still-
born; and from six to nine months he should pray that the
baby will be born safely. And can a man bring the baby out
safely? No, rather the Holy One, blessed be He creates for
the infant doors and hinges and brings him out safely.
—Midrash Yez·irat haValadThe Midrash’s description of the creation of the fetus was a popular one in
the Middle Ages. It outlines the stages of pregnancy and birth and provides ex-
planations of the process. But the story of parents and children begins long be-
fore men and women become fathers and mothers. This chapter will focus on
the conceptual and practical aspects of birth in the medieval Jewish commu-
nities of Ashkenaz. Most research on birth has concentrated on the history of
ideas on procreation, with little attention devoted to the more practical and
day-to-day aspects of birth.^2 The most common issues concerning birth, as dis-
cussed in previous research, are outlined in the Midrash that opens this chap-
ter. The Midrash designates three persons: God, who is responsible for the cre-
ation of the embryo; the father, who prays for the baby throughout the
pregnancy; and the baby itself. A fourth figure in this Midrash, though never
mentioned by name, is the mother, who carries the baby in her womb and gives
birth to him. While this chapter will discuss all four persons, I will devote most
of my attention to the mother, who has received the least consideration to date.
The chapter will be divided into three interrelated parts. The first deals with
medieval Jewish understandings of the biological experience of birth, as well as
religious understandings and beliefs concerning birth. I will then discuss how
these beliefs and understandings were expressed in the context of fertility and in-
fertility. Finally, I will examine the extant evidence on birth practices in medieval
society. The distinctions between these three sets of issues are somewhat artifi-