Halachah · Modern

A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Part One; The Study Guide, Chapter 4; The Cessation of the Niddah Status; Mikveh/מדריך להלכות טהרת המשפחה·חלק א·פרק ד

1Need for mikveh immersion

2Finishing menses and counting seven clean days are necessary for the cessation of the niddah status, but not sufficient.

גאֵין הַנִּדָה וְהַזָּבָה וְהַיּוֹלֶדת עוֹלוֹת מִטּוּמְאָתָן בְּלֹא טְבִילָה, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁנִים חַיָּיב כָּרֵת הַבָּא עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן טָבְלוּ כָּרָאוּי בַּמִּקְוֶה הָרָאוּי. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצז:א)

4Even if years have gone by since her last menses, a woman retains the status of niddah with all its attendant prohibitions until she immerses properly in a proper mikveh.

5When does one immerse in the mikveh

ואֲסוּרָה לִטְבּוֹל בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי; וַאֲפִילּוּ אִם מַמְתֶּנֶת מִלִּטְבּוֹל עַד יוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי אוֹ תְּשִׁיעִי, אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לִטְבּוֹל בַּיוֹם מִשׁוּם סֶרֶך בִּתָּהּ. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצז:ג)

7As mentioned above (p. 24), by biblical law a niddah could immerse on the night following the completion of seven days from the onset of bleeding (i.e., the beginning of the eighth day). A zavah could immerse during the daylight hours of the seventh day of the blood free-days, although she could not resume marital relations until nightfall. However, the rabbis decreed that the zavah must also wait for nightfall before immersing, so as not to lead to temptation. Thus, today a woman must postpone her mikveh immersion until after nightfall – when the stars come out – about the same time that Shabbat is over that week.¹ The rabbis further decreed that even if for some reason she immersed on a later date than needed, she should still wait until nightfall. The reason is מִשׁוּם סֶרֶך בִּתָּהּ (“because of the conduct of her daughter”) meaning that her daughter might see her², in the days when ritual purity for foods was practiced, everyone used to be aware of a woman’s niddah status. In fact, women then wore special clothes when they were menstruating. Today, Ashkenazim are particular about not revealing when a woman goes to the mikveh, based on the Rema at the end of YD 198:יֵשׁ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ שֶׁיֵּש לְאִשָּׁה לִהְיוֹת צְנוּעָה בְּלֵיל טְבִילָתָהּ; וְכֵן נַהֲגוּ הַנָּשִׁים לְהַסְתִּיר לֵיל טְבִילָתָן שֶׁלֹּא לֵילֵךְ בִּמְהוּמָה אוֹ בִּפְנֵי הַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁוּ בָּהֶן בְּנֵי אָדָם.Many Sephardim, however, are not particular about this. immerse during daylight on the eighth (or later) day and mistakenly conclude that daytime immersion is permissible on the seventh day as well.

חהֵיכָא דְּאִיכָּא אוֹנֶס– כְּגוֹן שֶׁיְּרֵאָה לִטְבּוֹל בַּלַּיְלָה מֵחֲמַת צִינָה אוֹ פַחַד גַּנָּבִים וּכְיוֹצֵא בוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁסּוֹגְרִין שַׁעֲרֵי הָעִיר – יְכוֹלָה לִטְבּוֹל בַּשְּׁמִינִי מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם; אֲבָל בַּשְּׁבִיעִי לֹא תִטְבּוֹל מִבְּעוֹד יֹום, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיכָּא אוֹנֶס. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצז:ד)

9In pressing circumstances (e.g., the mikveh being located in an area that is unsafe at night), it may be permitted to immerse during the daylight hours of the EIGHTH day, but a rabbi should be consulted for this determination. A bride prior to her wedding may immerse during daylight hours.

10Preparation for mikveh – why

יאצְרִיכָה שֶׁתִּטְבּוֹל כָּל גּוּפָהּ בְּפַעַם אַחַת; לְפִיכָךְ, צָרִיך שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה עָלֶיהָ שׁוּם דָּבָר הַחוֹצֵץ. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצח:א)

יב

12For immersion in the mikveh, the entire body has to be submerged under the water at the same time. This is derived from the juxtaposition of verses speaking of immersing in the mikveh and of the setting of the sun.

יגנֶפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תִּגַּע בּוֹ וְטָמְאָה עַד הַעָרֶב וְלֹא יֹאכַל מִן הַקֳדָשִׁים כִּי אִם רָחַץ בְּשָׂרוֹ בַּמָּיִם. וּבָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְטָהֵר וְאַחַר יֹאכַל מִן הַקֳדָשִׁים כִּי לַחְמוֹ הוּא. (ויקרא כב:ו–ז)

יד

14Just as the sun sets completely, so the entire body needs to be immersed completely. Thus, if there is any barrier between the body and the water, one cannot just re-immerse the part of the body on which the barrier had been, but one must re-immerse the entire body. Such a barrier is known as a chatzitzah.

טודַּאֲמַר רַבִּי יִצְחַק: דְּבַר תּוֹרָה, רוּבּוֹ וּמַקְפִּיד עָלָיו – חוֹצֵץ, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ מַקְפִּיד עָלָיו – אֵינוֹ חוֹצֵץ. וְגָזְרוּ עַל רוּבּוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַקְפִּיד מִשּׁוּם רוּבּוֹ הַמַּקְפִּיד, וְעַל מִיעוּטוֹ הַמַּקְפִּיד מִשּׁוּם רוּבּוֹ הַמַּקְפִּיד. וְלִיגְזוֹר נַמִי עַל מִיעוּטוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַקְפִּיד מִשּׁוּם מִיעוּטוֹ הַמַּקְפִּיד, אִי נַמִי מִשּׁוּם רוּבּוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַקְפִּיד! הִיא גּוּפָהּ גְּזֵירָה, וְאֲנַן נֵיקוֹם וְנִיגְזוֹר גְּזֵירָה לִגְזֵירָה? (תלמוד בבלי, עירובין ד:)

טז

16Under biblical law, in order to be considered a chatzitzah and invalidate the immersion, the barrier would have to cover most of the body (rov), and the person would have to mind the presence of this substance (makpid). In order to safeguard this important commandment, however, the rabbis decreed that even a barrier covering most of the body which she does not mind, or one which she does mind even if it covers only a small part of the body, is considered a barrier that invalidates immersion.

יזוַאֲפִילּוּ כָּל שֶׁהוּא – אִם דֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לִפְעָמִים לְהַקְפִּיד עָלָיו – חוֹצֵץ. אֲפִילּוּ אִם אֵינָהּ מַקְפֶּדֶת עָלָיו עַתָּה, אוֹ אֲפִילוּ אֵינָהּ מַקְפֶּדֶת עָלָיו לְעוֹלָם – כֵּיוָן שֶׁדֶּרֶך רוֹב בְּנֵי אָדָם לְהַקְפִּיד עָלָיו – חוֹצֵץ. וְאִם הוּא חוֹפֶה רוֹב הַגּוּף, אֲפִילּוּ אֵין דֶּרֶך בְּנֵי אָדָם לְהַקְפִּיד בְּכָךְ – חוֹצֵץ. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצח:א)

יחוּלְכַתְּחִלָּה לֹא תִּטְבּוֹל אֲפִילוּ בִדְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָם חוֹצְצִין, גְּזֵרָה אָטוּ דְבָרִים הַחוֹצְצִים. (רמא; שם)

יט

19The halacha at present is that a barrier of any size is significant if it is of a kind that most people would mind having there, even if the woman who is about to immerse does not mind its presence (now or ever). Therefore, every attempt is made to remove even small amounts of foreign material. If there are special circumstances, other principles come into play in determining whether the item is, in fact, a barrier. Some examples are:

201. She wants the item there for cosmetic purposes (e.g., hair color).

כא

212. Removal would be dangerous.

כב

223. The item performs a medical role (e.g., stitches).

כג

234. It is permanently attached to her body.

כד

24Therefore, a rabbinical authority should be consulted about such items and one should assume neither that they are not a problem, nor that they are a problem and thus delay immersing in the mikveh.

כה

25Preparation for mikveh – how

כולְעוֹלָם יְלַמֵּד אָדָם בְּתוֹך בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁתְּהֵא אִשָּׁה מְדִיחָה קְמָטֶיהָ וְכָל בֵּית סְתָרֶיהָ בְּמַיִם וְשֶׁתְּהֵא חוֹפֶפֶת שְׂעַר רֹאשָׁהּ וְשֶׁתְּהֵא סוֹרֶקֶת יָפֶה בְמַסְרֵק שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ נִדְבָּקִין זֶה בְזֶה, שֶׁזוֹ הִיא מִתַּקָּנַת עֶזְרָא שֶׁתְּהֵא אִשָּׁה חוֹפֶפֶת בִּשְׁעַת טְבִילָה... וְנָהֲגוּ בְנוֹת ישְׂרָאֵל לִרְחוֹץ וְלָחוּף כָּל גּוּפָן בְּמַיִם וּמִנְהָג כָּשֵׁר הוּא... דִּין תּוֹרָה שֶׁתְּהֵא הַטּוֹבֶלֶת מְעַיֶּינֶת בְּעַצְמָהּ סָמוּךְ לִטְבִילָה וּבּוֹדֶקֶת כָּל גּוּפָהּ שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ בָּהּ דָּבָר שֶׁחוֹצֵץ בִּטְבִילָה. וְעֶזְרָא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ תִקְּנוּ שֶׁתְּהֵא חוֹפֶפֶת בְּכָל מְקוֹם שֵׂעָר שֶׁבָּהּ בְּמַיִם חַמִּין וְסוֹרֶקֶת אוֹתָן אוֹ מְפַסְפֶּסֶת אוֹתָן בְּיָדֶיהָ יָפֶה יָפֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּתִּיר שְׂעָרוֹתֶיהָ אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם קֶשֶׁר. (טור; יורה דעה, קצט)

כז

27Ensuring that there are no barriers is a two-part process. Part one is cleansing to remove any possible barrier, and part two is checking to insure that all barriers have in fact been removed.

כח

28Cleansing

כט

29The cleansing consists of a number of steps:

301. Removing obvious foreign material, e.g., clothing, rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry, contact lenses, which themselves are barriers.³, according to most opinions.

לא

312. Washing hair with warm water.⁴ This is known as chafifah, and is one of ten enactments (takanot) of Ezra.⁵ 82a Hair that is naturally attached is not a chatzitzah.⁶ Therefore, one is not required to shave, cut, or wax one’s hair as part of preparation for mikveh.⁷, it is important to allow time to remove the cut hairs or wax, which are a barrier. However, since there is an opinion that something about to be removed is considered a chatzitzah, if a woman is about to cut her hair it should be done before immersion rather than after.

לב

32Knots in the hair are a form of chatzitzah and must be removed. Hair on the head is thoroughly combed with a comb, while for other hair such as in the genital or under- arm areas, separating the strands with fingers is sufficient.⁸ 199:11

לג

333. Washing the entire body with water.⁸. Preferably, this is done with warm water (as there is a minority opinion that the takanah of Ezra applies to the entire body and not just to hair). However, if there is a shortage of warm water, the body can be washed in cold water and the warm water saved for washing the hair. While the general custom is to bathe, a shower is acceptable as long as one is careful to wash the entire body.

לד

344. Certain parts of the body require special attention. This includes the armpits, under the breasts and other crevices known as beit hastarim – hidden places. Some internal parts such as the mouth are also included in this category. While the water does not have to actually reach these areas, they need to be clean enough that water could reach them.⁹ Therefore, teeth must be cleaned, well-brushed and flossed.¹⁰ are the folds of the body. Beit hastarim are places that open directly to the outside, such as the mouth. There is some disagreement among the commentators about what fits into each category.

לה

355. Using the bathroom before immersion is recommended. Nevertheless, if she forgot to do so, this does not invalidate the immersion.

לו

366. The custom is to cut nails short, as dirt beneath nails is a form of chatzitzah. However, nails themselves are not a chatzitzah, and thus if she has a professional or emotional need for her nails to be long this is OK, as long as they are well-cleaned.¹¹ are quite particular about this custom. If a woman plans to leave her nails clean but long she should discuss this in advance with the mikveh attendant to prevent any unpleasantness.

לז

377. Makeup should be removed. If she has permanent makeup, hair dye or a well-maintained manicure that she is reluctant to remove, she should consult an authority.

לח

388. Bandages should be removed. In the case of items that cannot be removed for medical reasons, she should consult a rabbi.

לט

39Inspection

40Checking one’s body for barriers is known as iyun and is considered a biblical commandment.¹² YD 189 All parts of the body that she can see should be visually inspected. All other parts should be felt to assure that there is no foreign material. Chafifah is also a form of inspection. For a practical checklist for mikveh preparation, see Appendix E (pp.209–211).

מא

41While it is not a halachic requirement,¹⁴ the time when a woman is preparing for the mikveh is a perfect time to do a breast self-exam.¹³. Others argue that this will make women nervous and if they find a lump it will ruin their evening with their husband. If women feel that this would make them nervous, it is possible to do it at another time – day one of one’s period is the time that is generally recommended. However, in my experience, it is a rare occasion for a woman to have the uninterrupted time to focus on her body the way she can while preparing for the mikveh. That is why I still feel that this practice of doing it at the mikveh should be encouraged. Mikveh use is generally at a consistent time of the menstrual cycle,¹⁴ using women, midcycle is easy to remember and often more convenient. she is undressed and inspecting her body anyway and a mirror is usually available.¹⁵ This is also an ideal time to do self-screening for skin cancer.¹⁶

מב

42Preparation for mikveh – when

מג

43Iyun needs to be done just prior to immersing. Concerning the timing of chafifah, there is a disagreement that appears first in the Talmud.¹⁷ 66b–67a According to one opinion, it is best to do it at night, directly before immersing in the mikveh. According to the other, it is best to do it earlier during the day, since if a woman waits until nighttime, she may be in a rush to get finished and not prepare properly. The custom (under ideal circumstances) is to follow both opinions by starting during the day and continuing into the night. However, if circumstances (work, young children, availability of water) preclude one option, the other is acceptable.

מד

44There are times when for halachic reasons one option is precluded. Since washing hair is not permitted on Shabbat or Yom Tov, if a woman plans to go to the mikveh Friday night, she has to prepare during the day. If she plans to go to the mikveh Saturday night, on the other hand, she cannot wash her hair Shabbat morning, and Friday is too far before the time of immersion. Here it appears that the proper time would be Saturday night. However, it is best to do some preparation on Friday¹⁸ preparation as well. and repeat it on Saturday night. In all circumstances, inspection must be done just prior to immersing.

מה

45Preparation for mikveh – where

מו

46Preparation for the mikveh can be done at home or at the mikveh, whichever is more convenient. Most modern mikvaot have preparation rooms with showers and/or bathtubs. In America, they generally are supplied with all the equipment one would need (soap, shampoo, towels, etc). In Israel, a woman is expected to bring the supplies she needs from home, but they are often available for rent/purchase if needed.¹⁹, to aid in its upkeep. On Shabbat and holidays no payment is asked for, but one should pay at a later time.

מזוְכֵן מִנְהָג כָּשֵׁר שֶׁאַף עַל פִי שֶׁחָפְפָה, תִּשָּׂא עִמָּהּ מַסְרֵק לְבֵית הַטְּבִילָה וְתִסְרוֹק שָׁם. (שלחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצט:ג)

מח

48If she prepared at home, she should comb through her hair again at the mikveh, and wet her body and hair with a quick shower.²⁰: Do you want a shower (i.e., Did you prepare at home) or a bath (i.e., Do you plan to prepare here)? This is to help assure that her hair will not float on top of the water and that all parts of her body will be in contact with the mikveh waters.

מט

49Immersing in the mikveh – when

נאִם בַּעְלָהּ בָּעִיר, מִצְוָה לִטְבּוֹל בִּזְמַנָּהּ שֶׁלֹּא לְבַטֵּל מִפִּרְיָה וְרִבְיָה אֲפִילּוּ לַיְלָה אַחַת. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצז:ב)

נא

51If both husband and wife are in town, it is best to go to the mikveh on the first permissible night so as not to delay the mitzvot of onah (marital relations) and pru urevu (procreation).

נבוּמוּתֶּרֶת לִטְבּוֹל לֵיל שַׁבָּת... וְדַוְקָא אִם בַּעֲלָהּ בָּעִיר, אֲבָל בְּלָאו הָכִי [(אִם) לֹא כָּךְ] אָסוּר. (רמא; שם)

נג

53This halachic preference to immerse on time overrides concerns about using the mikveh on Shabbat.²¹ Therefore, one does immerse on Friday night, if the couple is together.²² If either member of the couple is out of town, the wife does not immerse on Shabbat (Friday night) or Yom Tov. If one member of the couple is away on a weekday night, there are differences of opinion whether it is preferable to immerse on schedule²³ Vol 2 number 33. or to wait for the spouse to return.²⁴. It is based on kabbalistic sources.

נד

54Special considerations for Friday night or Yom Tov

נה

55Many elements of preparations for immersion are prohibited or restricted on Shabbat and Yom Tov. Therefore, a woman who plans to immerse in the mikveh on Friday night or the night of Yom Tov should complete her preparations at home before she lights candles. This includes bathing, washing and combing hair, and cutting nails.

נו

56Since she prepared at home, she needs to re-wet her body at the mikveh. During the week, she would do this by taking a quick shower. However, bathing on Shabbat is normally forbidden, particularly in warm water. Furthermore, using most baths and showers will automatically lead to heating of more hot water, which is forbidden on Shabbat. Therefore, rather than taking a cold shower, many women immerse once in the mikveh waters (which are heated prior to Shabbat) to wet themselves before the halachically significant immersion. Some mikvaot, however, are equipped with showers designed for use on Shabbat. One should clarify the proper procedure with the mikveh attendant before entering the preparation room. An additional consideration when using the mikveh on Shabbat is that one needs to be careful not to squeeze water out of one’s hair or towel.

נז

57On Shabbat and Yom Tov, just as on any other day, a woman needs to visually inspect herself for before immersing. If she finds a problem, she should ask the mikveh attendant how to proceed. Due to the laws of Shabbat and Yom Tov, the procedures may be different than on a weekday.

נח

58Immersing in the mikveh – how

נט

59Immersing in the mikveh generally involves walking down stairs into the water.²⁵ are available with lifts, or she can be carried by other women.

סאֲמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: הָאִשָּׁה לֹא תִּטְבּוֹל אֶלָּא דֶרֶךְ גְּדִילָתָהּ. כְּדִתְנַן: ...אִשָּׁה נִרְאֵית כְּאוֹרֶגֶת וּכִמֵנִיקָה אֶת בְּנָהּ. (תלמוד בבלי, נדה סז.)

סא

61The ideal position for immersion is “as if she is weaving or nursing her child” – slightly crouched, hands extended, fingers slightly apart, eyes and mouth closed gently, in such a way that all of her body and her hair are under the water. However, if it is difficult for her to assume this position, she should wet all parts of her body with the water of the mikveh and immerse in any way that her whole body is submerged.²⁶, and the immersion will be valid even if a particular fold is not exposed.

סבצָרִיךְ לַעֲמוֹד עַל גַבָּהּ יְהוּדִית גְּדוֹלָה יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְיוֹם אֶחָד בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִיא טוֹבֶלֶת, שֶׁתִּרְאֶה שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר מִשְּׂעַר רֹאשָׁהּ צָף עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, קצח:מ)

סג

63It is required that an adult (above age 12) Jewish woman supervise the immersing process. The main role prescribed in halacha for the mikveh attendant is to ensure that all hair is under the water. (It is also a good safety measure for preventing drowning.) The standard procedure at the mikveh is to stand unclothed before the mikveh attendant for final inspection prior to immersion, especially of hard to see places such as the back. However, the ultimate responsibility for iyun (checking) rests with the woman herself. Therefore, if the woman is careful and checks in a mirror, rechecking by another woman is not strictly required and there are halachically acceptable alternatives for those who feel uncomfortable with the usual procedure. For example, a woman who does not want her unclad body inpected by another can put on a robe and have the attendant check only her hands and feet. If even this arrangement is not acceptable to the woman, or if there is no Jewish female available to be the attendant, there are additional arrangements that can be made with rabbinic consultation.

סד

64Blessing on immersion

סהכְּשֶׁפּוֹשֶׁטֶת מַלְבּוּשֶׁיהָ, כְּשֶעוֹמֶדֶת בַּחֲלוּקָהּ, תְּבָרֵךְ: "אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל הַטְּבִילָה", וְתִפְשׁוֹט חֲלוּקָהּ וְתִּטְבּוֹל; וְאִם לֹא בֵרְכָה אָז, תְּבָרֵךְ לְאַחַר שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס עַד צַוָּארָהּ בַּמַיִם; וְאִם הֵם צְלוּלִים, עוֹכַרְתָּן בְּרַגְלֶיהָ וּמְבָרֶכֶת. (שולחן ערוך; יורה דעה, ר)

סווְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁלֹּא תְּבָרֵךְ עַד אַחַר הַטְּבִילָה; וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִים שֶׁלְּאַחַר הַטְּבִילָה – בְּעוֹדָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת תּוֹךְ הַמַּים – מְכַסֵּית עַצְמָהּ בְּבִגְדָהּ אוֹ בַחֲלוּקָהּ, וּמְבָרֶכֶת. (רמא; שם)

סז

67The blessing that is said is:

סח...אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל הַטְּבִילָה.

68“…Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us on immersion.”