A SHORT CONCEPTION

The Gemora (Kesuvos 39a) stated that perhaps one can say that a girl became pregnant while she was a na’arah and gave birth while still a na’arah; this cannot be the case, for Shmuel said: There are only six months between the time a girl becomes a na’arah until she becomes a bogeres.

The Acharonim ask from this Gemora on a teshuva written by the R”I Mintz, which is quoted in the Rama (E”H; 4; 14). He states: A woman who became pregnant from her husband towards the end of the month of Sivan, and she gave birth in the beginning of Kislev, even though there are only five months in between (Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei and Cheshvan), we are not suspicious that she became pregnant beforehand because there are a total of seven months from conception to the birth and that is sufficient; the child is regarded as a seven-month baby.

If so, it should be possible for a na’arah to conceive and give birth before she becomes a bogeres? She can give birth in five months and two days!

The Chelkas Mechokeik answers that according to the R”I Mintz, a girl is not considered a na’arah for a complete six months, but rather, she would become a bogeres after four months and two days; as long as she became a na’arah at the end of one month – four months and two days later, she becomes a bogeres.