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Many (I would assume most?) women shave most all parts of their body before going to the mikveh (arm pits, legs, many take care of the hairs on their face to look nicer or to remove them altogether.) In regards to pubic hair however are there any sources that say a woman must remove this hair? Or are there any minhagim (customs) that mandate a woman must remove this hair before going to the mikveh. Or perhaps there is another reason for removing this hair altogether that is not only related to the reasons of beauty, personal hygiene, etc. I'm speaking of reasons either according to halacha, minhag, perhaps Kabballah, etc.

I've heard that the Sephardim are quite careful to remove these hairs. Is it a reason according to halacha or minhag? I've heard as well that it is possibly it a practice al pi kabballah.

I'm looking for authoritative sources or reasons behind this in either case if such a practice exists.

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  • why is it always kabboloh? maybe the women are doing it for sanitary reasons?
    – MoriDowidhYa3aqov
    Commented Jun 10, 2013 at 22:52
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    @MoriDoweedhYaAgob, the same shampoo or soap that works on other parts of the body works there too.
    – Monica Cellio
    Commented Jun 10, 2013 at 22:58
  • @MonicaCellio im not a woman but i am not sure it is always bout shampoo.
    – MoriDowidhYa3aqov
    Commented Jun 11, 2013 at 1:15
  • the gemarah states that it was common practice for women to shave their pubic hair, though I am not clear if that was done for going to the mikvah or just in general.
    – not-allowed to change my name
    Commented Jun 11, 2013 at 1:53
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    I have heard that if a woman typically shaves a place, she should shave it for mikvah; if she typically trims a place, she should trim it for mikvah.
    – Charles Koppelman
    Commented Jun 11, 2013 at 4:01

2 Answers 2

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Gittin 6b, (original text), regards leaving this area ungroomed as a danger to the man, listing it as one of the reasons for the estrangement between the concubine at Gibeah and her husband. Sanhedrin 21a, (original text), gives more detail, explaining that there is potential for a man's organ to become entangled in this hair and mutilated.

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    How does this answer the question?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 23, 2014 at 3:47
  • @DoubleAA "Or perhaps there is another reason for removing this hair altogether that is not only related to the reasons of beauty, personal hygiene, etc. I'm speaking of reasons either according to halacha, minhag, perhaps Kabballah, etc."
    – Baby Seal
    Commented Apr 23, 2014 at 4:05
  • Is there any indication that the hair was/ought be removed because of this danger? Is that removal a halacha or minhag or kabbalistic practice?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 23, 2014 at 21:10
  • @DoubleAA the danger speaks for itself, though i edited in more context. And it's an etc.
    – Baby Seal
    Commented Apr 23, 2014 at 21:30
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This was discussed a while back in TorahMusings. Someone commented that their mikvah in Israel that had a sign indicating it was expected in the Yemenite community.

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