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nah, which at the time when the Torah was given would die within
twelve months. Therefore even nowadays when nature has changed
and these animals are able to live for twelve months, they remain
terefos.

We shall quote the Chazon Ish’s comments on this topic (Yoreh
De’ah 5:3): “…for the truth is that Hakadosh baruch Hu apparently
created cures even for terefos, as it says in maseches Bava Basra (74b)
regarding the segulah of a particular gemstone which was able to re-
vive the dead and in Pesachim, (56a) about the “Book of Cures” with
Chizkiyahu Hamelech concealed [Rashi explains that the cures men-
tioned therein healed instantaneously]. However, these cures were
not revealed in every generation and in every place and some of them
were revealed and subsequently forgotten. Everything was arranged
and ordered by the Creator, blessed be He, from the beginning of
creation. It was left to the Sages to determine the terefos according
to the Divine inspiration with which they were imbued …. and
those diseases which at that time were “agents of the angel of death”,
which Hakadosh baruch Hu had not enabled His creations to cure,
are the terefos which the Torah forbids, both at that time and in the
time of future generations, for Hakadosh baruch Hu entrusted the
Torah’s laws to the Sages of those generations. It is further possible
that our times have changed not only in regard to the discovery of
medicinal substances and their properties but even in regard to living
organisms, such as the change in regard to the diminished amount of
[circulating] blood – for whereas earlier generations were forced to
resort to bloodletting, it has become dangerous for later generations.
The same is true of changes in climate and other natural phenomena,
as Tosfos write in Avodah Zarah (24b, s.v. parah), of premature births
and also in regard to the statement in Niddah (31a), ‘This one is born
in his position during intercourse and this one is born in her position
during intercourse’ as well as many other examples.”

It seems that Shmuel’s statement too – “Any [emission of ] semen
that is not felt by the entire body does not confer impurity. Why?
Because the Torah refers to ‘shichvas zera (seed of intercourse),’ only
when it is fit to fertilize” – does not mean that the impurity is contin-

Semen from a Paraplegic 2 31