the waiting period is not interrupted merely by the marriage contract, because this contract is invalid—indeed, void by the consensus of the scholars. Since it is void, it has no effect. But if the second man has intercourse with her, then it does have an effect, because she may have conceived a child by him. For this reason, the waiting period from the first husband is interrupted.

His statement, “If he then separates from her, she continues her waiting period from the first husband, then begins a new waiting period for the second”: this is somewhat repetitive of what preceded, but he repeats it in order to build upon it in what follows:

“And if she bears a child attributable to either of them, her waiting period from that man ends with it, after which she observes the waiting period for the other.”

The basic case is that of a woman who marries while observing her waiting period, and the second husband has intercourse with her. We say: they are to be separated, and she completes the waiting period from the first husband; then she begins a new waiting period for the second. But if she bears a child certainly attributable to one of them, then her waiting period is for that man, after which she completes the waiting period for the other. Thus, if, after marrying the second husband and his having intercourse with her, she gives birth to a child less than six months later, and the child survives, it unquestionably belongs to the first husband, since a child cannot survive if born before six months. Accordingly, it unquestionably belongs to the first husband, and she begins a new waiting period for the second.

But if she bears a child more than four years after her separation from the first husband, it belongs to the second, on the basis that the duration of pregnancy does not exceed four years. She then completes the waiting period from the first husband.

His statement, “after which she observes the waiting period for the other”: do not suppose that this means she begins a new waiting period. Rather, if we rule that the child belongs to the first husband, she begins a new waiting period for the second,