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This question follows from: What are “the tokens of virginity”?

Are there any Jewish groups then and now that check for a woman's virginity say by laying out a garment when marriage is first consummated? [cf. Deut 22:17].

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    I've never heard of any. Even in that verse it's only if the husband comes to court to claim she wasn't a virgin.
    – Double AA
    Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 6:39
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    @DoubleAA, that claim would have to be after the consummation; the laying out of the garment would thus be done at every marriage's consummation. (Like you, though, I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe some non-tshb'a"p groups?)
    – msh210
    Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 7:05
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    Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation about hymens in Judaism has been moved to chat.
    – Double AA
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 20:06
  • I know that in the Bukharain community today, it is common for women who are not virgins to have their hymens surgically reconstructed before marriage. It may be because some form of verification by the chosson/husband and/or by the community does indeed take place. I do not know how this squares with her halachic requirement to tell her chosson that she is not a virgin.
    – SAH
    Commented May 26, 2016 at 8:27

1 Answer 1

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From what I understand in parts of Judea originally (see source below) the friend of the groom and the friend of the bride together checked the sheet.

No bleeding does not mean not a virgin unless we double checked she was not virgin even if she was never with a man but was hit with a stick (i.e. is missing her Hyman for a different reason. If she was hit with a stick her kesuba is the same an a non-virgin).
The virginity check only helps the husband to lower the amount of the kesuba, or to nullify the wedding, if she admits that she was with another man.
If I remember correctly in the Talmud it stated the possibility that the blood is blocked by semen

Now (from what I see) usually only the husband checks (if he wants to), and we trust him (she can curse anyone that is lying regarding her (see end of previous link). Since he pays for the meal he would not want to ruin his wife (Helkas Mechokek 2 and Bais Shmuel 2) .

(If the custom is in that place (even now) that they have 2 witnesses, then if he did not have them, he is not trusted.)

Ketubot 12a.
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See http://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Even_HaEzer.68.1?with=all

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    @DoubleAA Even if they did not, (I did not say they did) this still answers the question
    – hazoriz
    Commented Jan 12, 2016 at 23:39
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    @FMS I was wrong it does but only after it is double checked see edits above (I will delete by privius comment)
    – hazoriz
    Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 0:10
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    @FMS I do not get your first point, regarding 100/ 200 see the first 2 laws here in short it is a Rabbinic enactment to protect the woman (to make it harder for the husband do divorce her) since originally a husband can devorce his wife for free, they decried that in case of a divorce or death of the husband the wife or her inheritors get money from the husband if she was a virgin (had her Hyman) she should get 200 silver coins (enough to live for a year) if she was not a virgin even if it was only becouse of a stick she would only get 1
    – hazoriz
    Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 0:36
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    @FMS this is automatic when you click a verse on sefaria, or when you share a reference to a verse through a link
    – mbloch
    Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 5:23
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    @mbloch People here are so welcoming and helpful compared to sister site C.SE where it can be rough. Thank you mods and all here for your positive spirit here.
    – FMS
    Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 5:59

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