The Purification Process of Niddah: Difference between revisions

# Even if a woman stops seeing blood after 2 or 3 days she shouldn’t perform the hefsek tahara until the 4th day according to Sephardim or 5th day according to Ashkenazim.<Ref>S”A and Rama 196:11. Badei Hashulchan 196:160 says that she shouldn’t do her hefsek tahara on a day earlier than she can begin her shiva nekiyim the night afterwards unless there is a need. </ref>

# The bedika for hesfek tahara should be performed after mincha ketana (2.5 halachic hours before sunset)<ref>Taharat Habayit 13:1. Badei Hashulchan 196:17 cites a machloket Raah and Bet Yosef whether the gemara was referring to mincha gedola or ketana. Aruch Hashulchan 196:19 advises doing it within a half hour or hour before sunset.</ref> and initially it should be performed as close to sunset as possible. <ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 196:1</ref>  If it was performed earlier than mincha ketana initially it should be redone after mincha ketana<Ref>Badei Hashulchan 196:15</ref>, however, after the fact, the hefsek is valid.<ref>Rama 196:1, Taharat Habayit 13:1</ref>

# If she is going to daven maariv before sunset or if the majority of the community is going to daven maariv before sunset she should do the hefsek tahara before that time.<ref>Rama 196:1 quoting the Trumat HaDeshen writes that once she davens maariv or the community does it is considered nighttime and she can no longer do a bedika. The Rama also cites the Maharil who argues that for purposes of niddah the night is determined by sunset and not maariv or tosefet shabbat. Badei Hashulchan 196:31 writes that initially one should be strict for the Bach to check before accepting Shabbat and again afterwards right before sunset.</ref> After the fact she could do a bedika afterwards until sunset.<ref>Rama 196:1, Badei Hashulchan 196:32, Orot Hatahara 10:25</ref>

## When the community accepts early Shabbat and the bedika is done prior to that point, some say that the moch dachuk should also be inserted before that time<ref>Badei Hashulchan 196:31</ref>, while others hold that it is sufficient to insert it before sunset. <ref>Orot Hatahara 10:25</ref>

# A woman who wants to perform more bedikot than are necessary whether she is in her shiva nekiyim or is tahor is praiseworthy.<ref>Mishna Niddah 13a, Shulchan Aruch YD 196:9</ref>  However, if she has a bruise in that area and might bleed, she should not perform extra bedikot. Additionally, she should not perform extra bedikot before and after tashmish as described elsewhere. <Ref>Badei Hashulchan 196:132-3, Taharat Habayit v. 2 p. 370</ref>

# Ashkenazim are strict about how to treat a ketem (stain) during the first three days of shiva nekiyim, whereas in the last 4 days sometimes a ketem is tahor because we assume that it came from something else. However, a ketem that’s a k’gris or smaller is tahor even in the first three days of shiva nekiyim.<ref>Rama 196:10</ref> If a woman has a bruise in that area that is actively bleeding and stained during the first three days of shiva nekiyim needs to consult a posek.<ref>Rama 196:10 is lenient, but the Shach argues. Badei Hashulchan 196:146 is strict unless this bruise will bleed for a long time.</ref> Sephardim treat the ketem the same during the first 3 days as the last 4 days.<ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 196:10, Taharat Habayit v. 2 p. 372)</ref>

==Sources==

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[[Category:Niddah]]