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13 votes
Accepted

Hormonal manipulation: Taharas hamishpacha vs. the woman's health

If I understand correctly, your argument goes something like this: A.) The Halacha is to always wait (>=5) + 7. B.) Doing so on a natural routine can be inconvenient, e.g. for vacations. C.) ...
Shalom's user avatar
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12 votes

Menstruating on Wedding Day

Practically speaking, the wedding goes ahead as planned, with minor differences at the ceremony: The groom is careful not to touch the bride when putting the ring on her finger. The groom does not ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
11 votes

Nature of restrictions on passing during niddah

The Talmud records the following story: Shabbat 13a-13b תני דבי אליהו מעשה בתלמיד א' ששנה הרבה וקרא הרבה ושימש תלמידי חכמים הרבה ומת בחצי ימיו והיתה אשתו נוטלת תפיליו ומחזרתם בבתי כנסיות ובבתי ...
Alex's user avatar
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11 votes
Accepted

If your wife requests intimacy in a niddah state, may you refuse?

Pesachim 72b discusses a woman who desires intimacy from her husband, and it is approaching the expected time of her period. והאמר רבא חייב אדם לשמח אשתו בדבר מצוה סמוך לווסתה The Gemara asks further:...
robev's user avatar
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11 votes
Accepted

Why is it that you are not allowed to be intimate with your wife during niddah, but you are allowed to eat food prepared by a niddah?

You have correctly identified the flawed premises in your argument. Premise 2 is technically incorrect. One who is intimate with a niddah has the status of an av hatum'ah (source of impurity) on a ...
Joel K's user avatar
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10 votes
Accepted

Wearing special clothes in public while in niddah- isn't this a lack of tznius?

R. Moshe Feinstein has a responsum (Igrot Moshe Y.D. 2:77) with the following question from R. Avraham Chaim Levin: הנה במקום שיש אחרים רואין אם יש דיני הרחקות באשתו נדה שמסתפק כתר"ה דאולי יש ...
Alex's user avatar
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8 votes

Menstruating on Wedding Day

She has a chuppas niddah. It was a dispute among the Rishonim as to what extent chuppas niddah is effective, but common practice is that they go ahead with the wedding as normal (Shach Yoreh De'ah 192:...
Y     e     z's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Is a woman technically a niddah after childbirth?

Nowadays a woman becomes a Niddah during childbirth, as we pasken (or: have taken upon as a Halacha) that most vaginal discharges cause Niddah. Some very specific colors are except, but it needs ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

Newlyweds: Only four days before Hefsek Tahara?

This opinion is cited in the Taz YD 193 sk 4 and 196 sk 5. The idea is roughly that for hymenal bleeding, which only effects a Niddah Derabanan, there is no need to be stringent to add a 5th day. ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 97.4k
8 votes

Sudden Menstruation and Sex

Accidental violation of the prohibition of Niddah warrants a Korban Chattat like most Karet prohibitions (Kereitot 1:1-2). The same applies if after intercourse blood is discovered to have been ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 97.4k
8 votes

Removing Niddah status without a mikvah

Shulchan Arukh (YD 201:1) writes: אין האשה עולה מטומאתה ברחיצה במרחץ ואפילו עלו עליה כל מימות שבעולם עדיין היא בטומאתה וחייבים עליה כרת עד שתטבול כל גופה בבת אחת במי מקוה או מעיין שיש בהם מ' ...
Double AA's user avatar
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8 votes

Birkas Kohanim when wife is a niddah

This is cited by Raavad in his commentary to Tamid (end, s.v. He'chelu): ובספר מקצועות מצאתי כתוב היכא דאיכא נדה בביתא דכהן אסור אסור ליה למסיק לדוכן כל אימת דאיתא בנדתה דחייש דלמא נגע במידי דנגעה ...
Oliver's user avatar
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8 votes

If your wife requests intimacy in a niddah state, may you refuse?

A stronger proof might be from Kesubos 72a, which lists, among infractions of דת משה (Torah law) that are grounds for divorce and forfeiture of the kesubah, משמשתו נדה, she engages in relations with ...
Meir's user avatar
  • 7,781
7 votes
Accepted

Nidda learning Torah

The Tosefta (Berachot 2:12) explictily states that they can: הזבין והזבות והנדות והיולדות מותרין לקרות בתורה בנביאים ובכתובים ולשנות במשנה במדרש בהלכות ובאגדות In the version of the Tosefta ...
Alex's user avatar
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7 votes
Accepted

Mikvah during UK COVID-19 Lockdown

This is the guidance issued by the United Synagogue. The observance of Taharat Hamishpacha (the laws of family purity) is a fundamental mitzvah. Mikvaot remain open for women. Best-practice ...
Daniel Ross's user avatar
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6 votes

Shomer Negiyah- negated by Mikvah?

The issue of touching a woman when sexual intercourse is forbidden is addressed in Shulchan Aruch Yore Deah 195, sayf 17; Shach Sayf Katan 20; Gemara Shabbos 13; and the main discussion is in Sefer ...
kouty's user avatar
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6 votes

Full Niddah separation after be'ilat mitzvah?

The Shulchan Aruch in סימן סג - בעילת מצוה וברכתו clearly says we do not Pasken like that. א: מֻתָּר לִבְעֹל בְּתוּלָה בְּשַׁבָּת. הַבּוֹעֵל אֶת הַבְּתוּלָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּעַל בְּעִילַת מִצְוָה ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
6 votes

If a woman has only had 1 partner since her last period (i.e not three months) is that sufficient to determine the father?

There is a wealth of material in this issue in the mamzerus responsa beginning from around the period of the Noda B'Yehuda. Basically, the Talmud states clearly that a woman may continue to have her ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Is the Ramban's observation of "red drops similar to blood developing on a mirror " recorded by anyone else?

Ramban is his discourse "Torat Hashem Temima" (here citing Galen too in the footnote, or Kitvei Ramban ed. Chavel, p. 167) repeated this idea in the name of Aristotle. The source for Aristotle's ...
Oliver's user avatar
  • 11.9k
6 votes

can a nida apply eyedrops to her husband?

Rav Elyashiv (קובץ תשובות חלק ג' סע' קל"ח) paskens that it is permitted.
פרי זהב's user avatar
6 votes

How much blood makes a niddah?

Any small amount of uterine blood at all that leaves the uterus is enough. There is no minimum. (See Gemara Niddah 40a; Yoreh Deah 183:1, with Shach:3) "...even if she only saw a drop of blood the ...
David Kenner's user avatar
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6 votes

What was Chazal's understanding of the cause and purpose of menstruation?

Niddah 9a תניא נמי הכי דם נעכר ונעשה חלב דברי ר"מ רבי יוסי אומר אבריה מתפרקין ואין נפשה חוזרת עליה עד עשרים וארבע חדש א"ר אלעאי מאי טעמא דר"מ דכתיב מי יתן טהור מטמא לא אחד So it was ...
Alex's user avatar
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6 votes

Is it permissible to use the "Tahor" bedikah app?

First, some background information: Tahor is an application connecting women with rabbanim to answer questions on bedika cloths. The application uses various techniques to ensure proper color and size ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 48.2k
6 votes

Why dunk three times in a mikva?

The Sefer Chasidim (siman 294) brings a source for this practice. Namely, that "tahor" is found three times in a passuk in Tanach that relates to the mitzvah of immersion. The p'sukim are: 1)...
alicht's user avatar
  • 12k
5 votes
Accepted

Do permanently unmarried women need to go to the mikvah?

There is a Tannaic dispute whether or not going to mikveh at the earliest time possible is an independent mitzvah (טבילה בזמנה מצוה או לאו מצוה) (see e.g. Yoma 8a). According to this opinion, a woman ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
5 votes

How to deal with the command of Vayikra/Leviticus 15:19

Yes, indeed, even an infant becomes impure. The mishna in Taharos 3:8 says תינוק הנמצא בצד העיסה ובצק בידו רבי מאיר מטהר וחכמים מטמאין שדרכו של תינוק לטפח A child/infant found next to dough, and ...
Y     e     z's user avatar
5 votes

Can women pray when on their period?

In general, the state of being a menstruant does not place limitations on religious obligations. My understanding was in line with this statement: " When she is niddah a woman must continue to do all ...
rosends's user avatar
  • 37.8k
5 votes

Do any movements forgo the seven clean days?

The law in Leviticus says: For normal periods , she's impure 7 days and can then go to mikvah. The period could end of Day 5 and she'd still be impure for all 7. For flows "many days more than ...
Shalom's user avatar
  • 131k
5 votes

How does one recover from Karet?

Answers for if it was by accident (or if did not know the law) Shulchan aruch yd 185.4 יִתְעַנֶּה מ' יוֹם, וְאֵינָן צְרִיכִין לִהְיוֹת רְצוּפִים, רַק כָּל שָׁבוּעַ שְׁנֵי יָמִים, כְּגוֹן שֵׁנִי ...
hazoriz's user avatar
  • 7,466
5 votes

Is the Ramban's observation of "red drops similar to blood developing on a mirror " recorded by anyone else?

In Pliny the Elder's Natural History, he records such something similar: "Her very look, even, will dim the brightness of mirrors, blunt the edge of steel, and take away the polish from ivory. A ...
josh waxman's user avatar
  • 20.4k

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