Ketamim

From Halachipedia

On a Torah level a woman is only tameh if she has a hargasha when she sees blood.[1] There is a major dispute as to what this includes and even further dispute nowadays when these signs aren't usually observed today.[2] Nonetheless, all poskim agree that today woman do become tameh on a Torah level even though she isn't sure that she had a hargasha at all.[3] Either way, the rabbis declared that any time a woman sees blood from her body she is tameh.[4] Additionally, if she sees the blood after it came out and is found as a stain it will also make her tameh.[5] In the halachot of niddah a stain is called a ketem and the plural is ketamim.

What is a Hargasha?

  1. The most accepted definition of a hargasha is that if a woman feels that her mekor (usually defined as the uterus) opened that is a hargasha and when blood comes out that will make her tameh.[6]
  2. Alternatively, another definition of hargasha given by the poskim is feeling something liquid moving and exiting the body.[7]
    1. Many contemporary poskim hold that this hargasha is only if she feels an internal flow through the uterine opening and not a vaginal flow.[8] Others say that even if a woman feels a vaginal flow (from the vagina outside) that is also a hargasha. However, feeling an external dampness is certainly not a hargasha.[9]
  3. Lastly, some poskim hold that if the woman feels her body trembling that is considered a hargasha.[10]
  4. There are also a few occurrences which chazal state could be confused with a hargasha. Therefore, if blood is found at one of these times according to many poskim there is a concern that there was a hargasha even if she didn't feel one. These examples include: going to the bathroom, doing an internal bedika, and having tashmish.[11]

If there is a Hargasha without any Blood

  1. If a woman felt her mekor open and didn't find any blood she is nonetheless tameh.[12] if she's not sure if she had such a hargasha she's tahor.[13] If she checks immediately and doesn't find any blood there is a dispute if she is tahor.[14]
  2. If a woman felt a liquid exiting her body or a trembling of her body and didn't find any blood she is not tameh.[15]

Hargasha Nowadays

  1. Most woman today do not feel the hargasha described by earlier poskim.[16] All the poskim conclude that nonetheless woman today are tameh on a Biblical level for a few reasons.[17]
  2. Some poskim hold that feeling an ache or the like prior to having a period, which is common, is a type of hargasha.[18]
  3. Some poskim hold that today we do have the same types of hargasha though we just don't realize it.[19]
  4. Some poskim hold that if she knew that the blood came from her body she is a Niddah on a Biblical level.[20]
  5. Some poskim hold that every woman is automatically tameh on a Biblical level. If she usually has a hargasha and one time doesn't then she's not tameh on a Biblical level, however, since woman today never have a hargasha they are automatically tameh on a Biblical level.[21]
  6. Some poskim hold that today the hargasha is defined by a normal type of seeing blood for a period, which is usually a normal amount of blood. However, if a woman is on a Mirena IUD she might still be a niddah on a Biblical level even if she only sees a drop each month since for her that is the normal way of her period.[22]

Leniencies of Ketamim

  1. If a ketem is smaller than a garis it is tahor.[23]
  2. If a ketem is found on something that doesn't contract tumah it is tahor.[24]
  3. If a ketem is found on something colored it is tahor.[25]

Sources

  1. ↑ Shmuel in Gemara Niddah 57b. See also Mishna Niddah 58b.
  2. ↑ The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 70
  3. ↑ The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 74 fnt. 15 and Appendix A. See Pitchei Teshuva 190:1.
  4. ↑ Shach 190:1
  5. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 190:1
  6. ↑ Trumat Hadeshen 246, Shulchan Aruch YD 190:1, Taharat Habayit v. 1 p. 334
  7. ↑ Nodeh Beyehuda YD 1:55 holds that feeling a liquid exiting the body is a type of hargasha while the Chatom Sofer 1:145 argues that it isn't a type of hargasha. Sidrei Tahara 190:1 cites this as a dispute between the Shev Yakov who hold it wasn't a type of hargasha and Maharshach who hold it was. Rav Ovadia Yosef in Taharat Habayit v. 1 p. 14 holds that this isn't a type of hargasha.
  8. ↑ The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 76 citing Shaarei Tahara p. 8 quoting Rav Elyashiv and others. Chavot Daat 190:1 suggests this in understanding the concept of a hargasha of a flow.
  9. ↑ The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 76 citing Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe 4:17:7
  10. ↑ Pitchei Teshuva 183:1 based on Rambam Isurei Biyah 5:17
  11. ↑ Niddah 57b, Pitchei Teshuva 183:1 citing the Chavot Daat 190 and Sidrei Tahara
  12. ↑ Trumat Hadeshen 246, Shulchan Aruch YD 190:1
  13. ↑ Nodeh Beyehuda YD 2:118, Taharat Habayit v. 1 p. 334
  14. ↑ Pitchei Teshuva 190:5 quotes the Kereti Upeleti as holding that she is tahor and the Chavot Daat as holding that she is tameh.
  15. ↑ Chacham Adam 113:1 (cited by Pitchei Teshuva 190:3) writes that if a woman trembles and checks and doesn't find any blood she doesn't need to be concerned that she is tameh. Sidrei Tahara 190:3 adds that even for the hargasha of feeling a liquid exit the body it is possible that one can assume it was mey raglayim since that's more common than blood. Therefore, Taharat Habayit v. 1 p. 334 rules that the stringency of the trumat hadeshen that automatically a hargasha renders a woman tameh doesn't apply to the body trembling or feeling a liquid exit the body.
  16. ↑ Shev Yakov 40, Teshurat Shay 457, The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 70
  17. ↑ The Laws of Niddah v. 1 p. 74 fnt. 15
  18. ↑ Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe YD 4:17:12, Maharam Shik YD 177, 184 based on Rambam Isurei Biyah 8:2
  19. ↑ Aruch Hashulchan YD 190:61, Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe 4:17:12. The Laws of Niddah v. 1 Appendix A cites Chatom Sofer 177 as agreeing with this approach.
  20. ↑ Sidrei Tahara 190:93 in understanding Rashi and Tosfot. See also Maharam Lublin (responsa 2).
  21. ↑ Rav Elyashiv in Kovetz Teshuva 1:84
  22. ↑ Rabbi Mordechai Willig (Niddah Shiur 83) on YUTorah.org
  23. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 190:5
  24. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 190:10
  25. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 190:10
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