Jastrow: חַיָּה II

חַיָּה II f. (חָיָה) 1) [recovering,] lying-in woman, woman in confinement. Yoma VIII, 1 הח׳ תנעול וכ׳ a woman after confinement may wear shoes (on the Day of Atonement). Ber. 54ᵇ חולה ח׳ וכ׳ a sick person, a lying-in &c.; a. fr.—Pl. חַיּוֹת. Y. Kil. IX, 32ᵇ bot.; Gen. R. s. 96, end אי לכם ח׳ וכ׳ woe to you, lying-in women in Palestine; a. fr. —2) [physician,] midwife. Tosef. B. Bath. VII, 2 נאמנת ח׳ וכ׳ the midwife is an admissible witness as to which (of twins) was the first-born; Y. Kidd. IV, 69ᵈ bot.; Y. B. Bath. III, beg. 13ᵈ הח׳ בשעה וכ׳ the midwife (is an admissible witness) only as long as she is seated by the obstetric chair (not after she left the mother). Y. Yeb. XVI, end, 16ᵃ עשו אותו כח׳ וכ׳ they place him in the same category as a midwife whose testimony is valid on the spot; a. e.—Pl. as ab. Cant. R. to IV, 5 מרים … חַיּוֹתֵיהֶן וכ׳ Miriam … were the midwives of Israel; a. fr.