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Preparing for the Mikveh: Difference between revisions
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# In cases where it is impossible to go to the mikveh during the night such as because of danger, a woman may go to the mikveh during the day on the eighth day of her Shiva Nekiyim but not her seventh day.<ref>Gemara Niddah 67b, Shulchan Aruch 197:4</ref> | # In cases where it is impossible to go to the mikveh during the night such as because of danger, a woman may go to the mikveh during the day on the eighth day of her Shiva Nekiyim but not her seventh day.<ref>Gemara Niddah 67b, Shulchan Aruch 197:4</ref> | ||
# After the fact, even though it is forbidden, if nonetheless a woman went to the mikveh during the day on the seventh or eighth day it is effective. Some say that it isn't effective if she went on the seventh by day.<Ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 197:5</ref> Even in such a case she should not tell her husband that she went to the mikveh and either way it is forbidden for them to be together until the night.<ref>Rama YD 197:5, Badei Hashulchan 197:67</ref> | # After the fact, even though it is forbidden, if nonetheless a woman went to the mikveh during the day on the seventh or eighth day it is effective. Some say that it isn't effective if she went on the seventh by day.<Ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 197:5</ref> Even in such a case she should not tell her husband that she went to the mikveh and either way it is forbidden for them to be together until the night.<ref>Rama YD 197:5, Badei Hashulchan 197:67</ref> | ||
==Preparing for the Mikveh== | |||
# Before going to the mikveh a woman must wash her armpit and concealed areas with water and comb her hair so that the hairs aren't stuck together. Additionally, a woman should wash her whole body and hair in hot water.<ref>The gemara Bava Kama 72a records that Ezra Hasofer established ten institutions and one of them was that a woman should wash herself before going to the mikveh. Tosfot Niddah 66b s.v. im cites a dispute between Rabbenu Tam and Rabbenu Shemarya in the name of Rashi about what this institution included. Rabbenu Shemarya held that it included washing the entire body, while Rabbenu Tam held it only included the hair. Tosfot concludes that one should be strict for Rabbenu Shemarya and also such is the practice. The Rosh (Mikvaot no. 37) holds like Rabbenu Tam but says it is a proper practice to wash the entire body. The Rambam (Mikvaot 2:16) also holds that the institution was to wash one's hair before going to the mikveh. The Shach 199:2 concludes that the agreement of the poskim was like Rabbenu Tam nonetheless the proper practice is to wash the entire body.</ref> | |||
# Besides the washing a woman must check herself to be sure that she doesn't have any chasisa on herself before going to the mikveh.<ref>The gemara Bava Kama 72a explains that the idea that a women has to check herself before going to the mikveh is a biblical obligation. The [http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=9381&st=&pgnum=401 Rashba (Torat Habayit 31a)], Ran (Shavuot 6a s.v. masrich), and Ramban (cited by Tur 199:1) write explicitly that the obligation to check oneself for a chasisa before going to the mikveh (iyun) is biblical. Shach 199:2 agrees. However, the Bet Yosef 199:6 s.v. lechen suggests that the Tur held checking was only a rabbinic obligation. See the [http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=412&st=&pgnum=181 Shaarei Tzion 30] who suggests that this might also be the opinion of a number of rishonim, though he admits that his approach isn't supported by much evidence.</ref> | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category: Women]] | [[Category: Women]] | ||
