Niddah 6:11 - 6:12

תינוקת שהביאה שתי שערות – after [reaching] twelve years of age and one day.

וחולצת או מתיבמת – even though that it teaches [in the Mishnah] that she is obligated in all of the commandments that are stated in the Torah, it was necessary to teach, [either] she performs Halitzah or engages in levirate marriage, for you might have thought that [only] "איש"/a man – is written in the portion (Deuteronomy 25:7): “But if the man/איש does not want [to marry his brother’s widow,” therefore a male who is a minor does not perform Halitzah, but a woman, who is not written in the portion other than as (Deuteronomy 25:7): “his brother’s widow/יבמתו” – whether she is an adult or whether a child, performs Halitzah or engages in levirate marriage. It comes to teach us that if she produces/brings forth two [pubic] hairs, it is so, but if not, it is not so. What is the reason? That we make an analogy between a woman to a man.

וכן תינוק שהביא שתי שערות – after thirteen years and one day. And we establish twelve years for a female and thirteen for a male, is not a definitive sign, but rather an estimation/mark.

וראוי להיות בן סורר ומורה משיביא שתי שערות עד שיקיף זקן התחתון – but prior to his bringing forth two [pubic] hairs, he is not liable for punishment. But after he has grown an encircling beard, he is worthy of giving birth (i.e., engaging in sexual intercourse for purposes of reproduction) and the All-Merciful stated (Deuteronomy 21:18): “If a man has [a wayward and defiant] son/בן,” but not one worthy of being a father.

התחתון ולא העליון – meaning to say, which encircling beard did they mention, with the one of the bottom, but not the one of the top (i.e., the beard of the face).

עד שירבה השחור (until the dark [hair] predominates) – that this place becomes darkened from man hairs. And the legal decision is, that the daughter may [express] refusal until she is twelve years of age and one day. But after this time, if she brought forth signs [of her young womanhood], she is not able to refuse. But if she did not bring forth signs, she can continue to refuse and even until she is twenty-years of age and she will demonstrate signs in her of being a sexually undeveloped woman. But these words [apply] when he did not come upon her [sexually] when she was twelve-years and one-day old, but if he came upon her after this time, she is not able to refuse any longer. But even though signs of [her womanhood] had not appeared in her, we are concerned that perhaps she brought forth the two [pubic] hairs and they fell off.

שתי שערות האמורות בפרה – for we hold (Tractate Parah, Chapter 2, Mishnah 5) that two black hairs invalidate her (i.e., the Red Heifer).

ובנגעים – a white hair, for we hold in the Torah of the Priests (The Midrash Halakha of Sifra) (see also Tractate Negaim, Chapter 4, Mishnah 4) that the minimum limitation [of the word] שער/hair is [at least] two.

האמורות בכל מקום – regarding a young male child and a young female child.

לקרוץ (to cut, make an incision) - to hold a bit.

שיהו ניטלות בזוג – of scissors, this is the greater measure. And the Halakha is according to all of them for stringency, and when it is cut with a fingernail, it is the smallest measure of all of them, but she does not complain, lest she is an adult woman, but regarding Halitzah, she does not engage in it, until there is the greatest measure of all of them (see Talmud Niddah 52b).