Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of ...

), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirement of immersion in a ''

mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purifi ...

'' (ritual bath). In the

Book of Leviticus The book of Leviticus (, from grc, Λευιτικόν, ; he, וַיִּקְרָא, , "And He called") is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and of the Old Testament, also known as the Third Book of Moses. Scholars generally agree ...

, the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

prohibits sexual intercourse with a ''niddah''. The prohibition has been maintained in traditional Jewish law and by the

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...

. It has largely been rejected by adherents of

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

and other liberal branches. In

rabbinic Judaism Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonia ...

, additional stringencies and prohibitions have accumulated over time, increasing the scope of various aspects of niddah, including: duration (12-day minimum for Ashkenazim, and 11 days for Sephardim); expanding to prohibition against sex to include: sleeping in adjoining beds, any physical contact, and even passing objects to spouse; and requiring a detailed

ritual purification Ritual purification is the ritual prescribed by a religion by which a person is considered to be free of ''uncleanliness'', especially prior to the worship of a deity, and ritual purity is a state of ritual cleanliness. Ritual purification may ...

process. Since the late 19th century, with the influence of German Modern Orthodoxy, the laws concerning ''niddah'' are also referred to as ''Taharat haMishpacha'' (, Hebrew for ''family purity''), an apologetic euphemism coined to de-emphasize the "impurity" of the woman (a concept criticized by the Reform movement) and to exhort the masses by warning that niddah can have consequences on the purity of offspring.

Etymology and usage

''Niddah'' has the general meaning of “expulsion” and “elimination”, coming from the root ndd, "to make distant" (the Aramaic Bible translations use the root rhq, "to be distant"), reflecting the physical separation of women during their menstrual periods, who were “discharged” and “excluded” from society by being banished to and quarantined in separate quarters. Later in the biblical corpus, this meaning was extended to include concepts of sin and impurity, which may be related to ancient attitudes towards menstruation. Literally, the feminine noun ''niddah'' means ''moved'' (i.e. ''separated''), and generally refers to separation due to ritual impurity.Jacobs, Joseph and Judah David Eisenstein (1906).
Red Heifer
, ''Jewish Encyclopedia''. Medieval Biblical commentator Abraham ibn Ezra writes that the word ''niddah'' is related to the term ''menadechem'' (), meaning ''those that cast you out''.

Hebrew Bible

The noun ''niddah'' occurs 25 times in the

Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...

of the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' red heifer ceremony () and use the phrase ''mei niddah'', "waters of separation". includes a single exhortation of

Hezekiah Hezekiah (; hbo, , Ḥīzqīyyahū), or Ezekias); grc, Ἐζεκίας 'Ezekías; la, Ezechias; also transliterated as or ; meaning "Yahweh, Yah shall strengthen" (born , sole ruler ), was the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Kingdom of Jud ...

to the Levites, to carry forth the ''niddah'' (translated: "filthiness"), possibly idols of his father Ahaz, out of the

temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...

. Usage in Ezekiel follows that of Leviticus. Finally, the Book of Zechariah concludes with an eschatological reference to washing Jerusalem: "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin (''ḥaṭ’at'') and for uncleanness (''niddah'')" ().

Rabbinic injunctions

The copious laws of ''niddah'' contained in the Jewish rabbinic writings are almost entirely made-up of "fences" ( he, סייגים), or safeguards, built around the

. The general rule which applies is that a woman is clean from the standpoint of the Torah until she feels uterine blood discharge from its source within her body. However, the rabbis have declared a woman to be unclean although she has not felt any discharge of blood, but has merely seen either a red or black blood stain on her body, or on her white garment or sheet, and which blood stain is larger in diameter than a

fava bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Var ...

(about 20 mm), in which case she must separate herself from her husband until she can complete seven clean days and can be purified in a ritual bath (

).Teherani (2019), p. 6 (chapter 2) A blood stain that is a dark brown color leaning towards the color of coffee and the color of chestnuts defiles a woman and renders her ''niddah'', on the condition that she feels its discharge. However, if she saw the same color while checking herself with an inspection cloth, but had not felt any discharge of blood, she is clean.Teherani (2019), p. 24 (chapter 3) Conversely, a vaginal discharge that is white in color, or either light yellow, green or blueish in color, do not render the woman ''niddah''. There are, yet, many other conditions that need to be met, by rabbinic ordinances, in order to render uncleanness to a blood stain.

The daughters of Israel have behaved stringently with themselves, insofar that even if they should see a drop of blood as a mustard grain, they would wait over it seven days of cleanness

Although the Written Law () explicitly enjoins women to count seven days of cleanness (see ''infra'') when they have seen irregular blood sightings (the irregularity occurring only from the eighth day of the start of her regular period and ending with the conclusion of the eighteenth day), the Sages of Israel have required all women who have experienced even their regular and natural purgation to count seven days of cleanness before they can be purified.

Application of the Torah

The Leviticus description of ''niddah'' is essentially composed of two parts: the ritual purity ('' tumah and taharah'') aspect ''and'' the prohibition of sexual intercourse aspect.

Ritual purity aspect

The Biblical regulations of Leviticus specify that a menstruating woman must "separate" for seven days (). Any object she sits on or lies upon during this period is becomes a "carrier of tumah" (''

midras uncleanness ''Midras'' uncleanness ( he, טומאת מדרס) is one of the forms of ritual impurity in Judaism which can be transmitted by either an object or person. The term may be translated as ''pressure uncleanness''. A ''midras'' (lit. "trampled on ...

''). One who comes into contact with her ''midras,'' or her, during this period becomes ritually impure () In addition, a man who has sexual relations with her is rendered ritually impure for seven days—as opposed to one day of impurity for coming into contact with her or her ''midras'' (). While the purity laws still exist in theory, in modern times there is generally no practical consequence to becoming impure (as, e.g., the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...

cannot be visited), so the laws have no practical expression. Some later rabbinic authorities encouraged (but did not require) avoiding the ''midras'' of the ''niddah'', as a remembrance for diasporic Jews so as to not forget the purity laws. This encouragement was only for the biblically prescribed seven-day period, not for the latter days that were added as part of certain rabbinical stringencies. The Lubavitcher rabbi

Menachem Mendel Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...

discouraged abstaining from the ''midras'' of a ''niddah'' in modern times.

Sexual relations

Leviticus further prohibits sexual intercourse with a woman who is in her ''niddah'' state. "And to a woman in her (state of) ''niddah'' impurity you should not come close (with intent to) reveal her nudity" (). The Torah concludes by imposing the punishment of '' kareth'' on both individuals (man and woman) if the prohibition is violated () This ''issur'' (prohibition) component of physical relations with the ''niddah'' is considered in full effect and mandatory for all children of Israel.

Practical laws

Terms and definitions

* ''Niddah'', a woman who had become impure as a result of menstruation. *

Zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal blood discharges not during the usually anticipated menstrual cycle, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. The equivalent impurity ...

, a woman who had become impure by a bloody uterine emission, deemed abnormal, in the sense that the emission had occurred during the timeframe of the 8th - 18th day, counting from the start of her last menstruation * ''

Mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purifi ...

'', a ritual bath for immersion after the ''niddah'' period has ended. * ''Vestot'', days during which the woman is likely to see her menstrual flow ** ''Onah Benonit'', the 30th day after the beginning of previous menstruation ** ''Veset HaChodesh'', the same day of the Jewish month on which began the previous menstruation ** ''Veset HaFlagah'', the days (or half-days, per Chabad minhag) between menstruation * ''Bedikah'', cloth with which to check whether menstrual blood has finished * ''Ben niddah'' (male) or ''bat niddah'' (female), a person conceived when their mother was ''niddah''

Start of menstruation

According to rabbinical law, a woman becomes a ''niddah'' when she is aware that

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...

has come from her womb, whether it is due to menstruation,

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births glob ...

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and or ...

, or other reasons. If menstruation began before she sees evidence of it, the rabbinic regulations regard her as not being ''niddah'' until she notices. Until this point, the regulations do not come into force. It is not necessary for the woman to witness the flow of blood itself; it is sufficient for her to notice a stain that has indications of having originated in her womb; bloodstains alone are inadequate without such evidence, for example, if she finds a stain just after cutting her finger, she does not become a ''niddah'', as the blood is not obviously uterine. If she notices a bloodstain of uncertain origin, for example on her underclothing, there are a series of complicated criteria used by rabbinical law to determine whether she is ''niddah'' or not; the woman herself is not expected to know these criteria, and must seek the assistance of a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

Duration of ''niddah'' status

According to the Torah, the ''niddah'' period is 7 days; however, in Ashkenazi communities, the Rabbis added a stringency increasing the minimum duration period to 12 days. (See section "Seven days of cleanness" for differences in custom). The Biblical definition of ''niddah'' is any blood emission occurring within seven days from the beginning of the menstrual period. After this seven-day period, the woman may immerse in the

immediately (if she has stopped menstruating). Any blood found after these seven days is considered abnormal (''zavah'') blood and is subject to more stringent requirements, depending on the duration of said abnormal blood flow. In the days of the

Amoraim ''Amoraim'' (Aramaic: plural or , singular ''Amora'' or ''Amoray''; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachi ...

, because of possible confusion in determining when menstruation began and ended and hence whether blood was normal menstrual (''niddah'') or abnormal (''zavah'') blood, it became the accepted practice and practical halacha, that all women treat any emission as a continued abnormal flow (''zavah gedolah''—זבה גדולה), which requires counting seven abnormal-discharge-free days from the end of menstruation. This lengthening of the ''niddah'' period is known as Rabbi Zeira's stringency. All Orthodox and some

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

authorities rule that these "seven clean days" must be observed.

Practices during ''niddah''

In the Orthodox Jewish community, women may test whether menstruation has ceased; this ritual is known as the '' hefsek taharah''. The woman takes a bath or shower near sunset, wraps a special

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

around her finger, and swipes the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

l circumference. If the cloth shows only discharges that are white, yellow, or clear, then menstruation is considered to have ceased. If discharge is red or pink, it indicates that menstruation continues. If it is any other color, like brown, it is subject to further inquiry, often involving consultation with a rabbi. The ritual requires that the cloth used to perform this test is first checked carefully to ensure that it is clean of any marks, colored threads, or specks; the cloth itself can be any clean white cloth, although there are small cloths designed for this ritual, known as '' bedikah cloths'' (meaning ''checking''). In the Orthodox Jewish community, further rituals are practiced toward assurance regarding the cessation of the menstrual flow. After the ''hefsek taharah'', some women insert a cloth (or, in modern times, a tampon), consequently known as a ''moch dachuk'', for between 18 minutes and an hour, to ensure that there is absolutely no blood; this must be done carefully, as it could otherwise irritate the

mucous membrane A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It i ...

, causing bleeding unrelated to menstruation. If there is any fear of irritation causing bleeding, a rabbi may waive this practice. The "bedikah" is repeated each morning and evening of the seven days after the end of menstruation. Another tradition is the wearing of white underwear and use of white bedding during this period; conversely, the rest of the time, when not counting the "seven clean days", some women who suffer from spotting deliberately use coloured underwear and colored toilet paper, since it is only when blood is seen on white material that it has any legal status in Jewish law. When not during their seven "clean" days, all women are advised to wear colored undergarments, for this reason. It is furthermore strongly recommended that women make an effort to refrain from looking at the toilet paper after wiping to avoid possible resultant questions.

Physical contact during ''niddah''

As with most forbidden relationships in Judaism, all physical contact in an affectionate or lustful manner is rabbinically forbidden when a woman is in her ''niddah'' status. Such contact is forbidden whether or not the man and woman are husband and wife. In the case of husband and wife, however, the sages added on extra restrictions, including touch that is not in an affectionate or lustful manner, passing of objects even without touching, and sleeping in the same bed; these restrictions are to avoid the risk of leading to sexual contact. These laws are termed ''harchakot'', meaning "the laws of separation," and imply the prohibitive rules regulating the passing of objects from hand to hand, as well as to taking distinctive measures used to remind them of their separation, such as placing some object at the dinner table which is not ordinarily placed there.Knohl (2014), pp. 163–173 (chapter 7) The laws of separation (''harchakot'') are derived from a biblical command: "You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness so long as she is separated for her enstrualuncleanness" (). Some have suggested that by physically distancing oneself from his spouse there is an enhanced need for relationships to develop in non-physical ways, such as emotional and spiritual connections. Some Conservative poseks are considerably more lenient in reference to the ''harchakot'' than Medieval or contemporary Orthodox authorities. In a responsum written in the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, Miriam Berkowitz ruled that the "''harchakot'' are to be observed as much as possible, but left up to the discretion of each couple". In another responsum for the committee, Susan Grossman stated that touching that would be appropriate between siblings is permissible.

Seven days of cleanness

When blood from a menstruant (''niddah'') has ceased altogether, shortly before sunset she performs on herself a "cessation of uncleanness", known by its Hebrew

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

''hefseq be-ṭaharah'' ( = lit. "cessation of purification"), during which time she checks herself to verify that all uterine bleeding has indeed stopped. This is done by bathing, and, afterwards, inserting a clean piece of white cotton or linen cloth within her vagina and examining it after swiping the area inside, followed by leaving in that place a snugly fitting cotton wad for the duration of about 20 minutes (preferably during the evening twilight). When there are no signs of blood, the woman begins counting seven days of cleanness on the following day, during which seven days she is still prohibited to have any physical contact with her husband. During each of the seven days, the woman checks herself once in the morning and once in the evening, by using a soft and white, absorbent cotton cloth. In Sephardic Jewish tradition, a woman who has had no physical contact with her husband within the 72 hr. period (3 days) prior to the start of her menstruation, she is permitted to immediately conduct the ''hefseq be-ṭaharah'' (see ''supra'') after all uterine bleeding has stopped, and, on the following day, she begins to count seven days of cleanness, which culminate in an immersion. Differences in custom, however, exist between the Ashkenazim and the

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

Jewish communities as to when to begin the counting of seven days of cleanness if she cohabited with her husband within those 72 hours (three days) prior to her seeing blood. *Ashkenazim: According to the halachic ruling of

Moses Isserles ). He is not to be confused with Meir Abulafia, known as "Ramah" ( he, רמ״ה, italic=no, links=no), nor with Menahem Azariah da Fano, known as "Rema MiPano" ( he, רמ״ע מפאנו, italic=no, links=no). Rabbi Moses Isserles ( he, משה � ...

, in all cases, whether a woman cohabited with her husband within the past 72 hours or did not cohabit with her husband, whether the woman saw blood for only 2 or 3 days, or merely a blood stain, she does not begin to count seven days of cleanness until 5 days have passed from the time that she ceased seeing blood, and only then does she proceed to count seven days of cleanness.Badiḥi (2011), p. 165 (''responsum'' no. 41). For example, if she ceased to see blood on a Sunday, she can begin her ''hefseq be-ṭaharah'' (see ''supra'') on a Thursday, and then on a Friday to start her first day of seven days of cleanness. These days are not to be interrupted by any blood sighting in-between, and after concluding these seven clean days, she immerses herself in a ritual bath (''

'') on that coming night.Knohl (2014), pp. 104–105 At this time she is no longer a menstruant, but is deemed clean, and she is permitted unto her husband. *Sephardic Jews: For Jews that largely hail from

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

(including

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

), they will usually follow the practice of the Shulhan Arukh, which is to wait 4 days from the time the couple last cohabited together (i.e. last time in which they engaged in sexual intercourse) before she begins to count seven days of cleanness. This will allow for the discharge of semen from her body that is suspected of having been mixed with the blood of her menstruation. For example, if the couple last cohabited on a Saturday, and she then saw blood on a Sunday, she can begin her ''hefseq be-ṭaharah'' (see ''supra'') on a Tuesday (on the condition that all blood has stopped), and then on a Wednesday to start her first day of seven days of cleanness. These days are not to be interrupted by any blood sighting in-between, and after concluding these seven clean days, she immerses herself in a ritual bath (''

'') on that coming night. At this time she is no longer a menstruant, but is deemed clean, and she is permitted unto her husband. For the Sephardic Jewish community, waiting four days before beginning to count seven days of cleanness only refers to when there were conjugal affairs between a man and his wife, leading up to her menstrual period. If, however, there was no sexual intercourse between the couple in the days leading up to her menstrual cycle, and, subsequently, there was no fear of her body discharging of her husband's copulative seed that had been mixed with her menstrual blood, there is no need for her to wait four days, but she may presently begin her ''hefseq be-ṭaharah'' (see ''supra''), followed by counting seven days of cleanness. Another factor used to determine when to begin the counting of seven clean days (among Sephardic Jews) is that, had the woman merely found on her an unclean blood stain (where there was no sensation of any active blood flow), after concluding that all such sightings have stopped, she can begin to count seven days of cleanness after two days have passed since the last time she cohabited with her husband. However, among Ashkenazim, even if a woman merely saw an unclean blood stain, when the blood has ceased to appear, she waits 5 days before beginning to count her seven days of cleanness.

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

mentions a former custom where the menstruants of some Jewish communities would wait a standard 7 days before beginning to count seven days of cleanness, even if the woman had seen blood for only one or two days. This custom, though widely practised in the 20th century among the

Jews of Yemen Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim (from ''Yehudei Teman''; ar, اليهود اليمنيون) are those Jews who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. Between June 1949 and September 1950, t ...

, Ratsabi (1992), p. 46 Djerba, parts of

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

, as also with a few families in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

, was later rejected and abandoned by many, as Maimonides calls it an errant practice.

(1974), ''Hil. Issurei Bi'ah'' 11:14

Niddah and fertility

Because the night that the woman ritually traditionally immerses is about 12 days after menstruation began, it often coincides with a woman's ovulation, and thus improves the chances of successful conception if sexual relations occur on that night. However, for certain women, this period extends far past the date of ovulation, and in combination with the ban on sexual relations during the ''niddah'' state, effectively results in the woman being unable to conceive, a situation sometimes called "halachic infertility". In the case of this effective infertility, rabbis try on a case-by-case basis to relax halakhic strictures in order to facilitate conception. There have been some calls within Orthodox Judaism for the custom to be modified so that the time between the end of menstruation and the end of ''niddah'' is shorter for these women. Another suggestion is to take hormone tablets to lengthen the ovulation cycle.

Checking by bedikah

The ''bedikah'' cloth or "checking cloth", called an ''eid'' witness"in Hebrew, is a clean piece of white cloth used in the process of purifying a ''niddah''. It is used by observant Jewish women to determine whether they have finished

. The cloth is inserted into the

, and if no blood is found, the woman may start counting the seven blood-free days. On each of these days, she performs this examination in the morning and in the later afternoon before sunset. If no blood is found, she may go to the ''

'' on the eighth evening after nightfall, and then engage in intercourse with her husband. Such cloths are about two by four inches, and are available at local Judaica stores, the local mikveh, stores in Orthodox neighborhoods in Israel, or may be cut from clean all-white soft cotton or linen fabric. This practice is also occasionally used by Jewish men to check if he has gotten blood on himself from his wife after intercourse to determine whether she menstruated during intercourse.

Immersion in water

After a woman has counted seven days of cleanness (see ''supra''), she is then required to immerse in a ritual bath (''

'') that has been constructed in accordance with the Jewish laws of ritual purity. After concluding her seven days of cleanness, she is not allowed to immerse during the daytime, even on the eighth or ninth days, because of a rule introduced on account of her daughter's immersion ( he, סרך בתה) and which was enacted for the sake of conformity, so that the daughter will not see her mother immerse during the daytime and wrongly presume that it was her mother's seventh day of counting, and think that it was alright to immerse on the seventh day before nightfall, without realizing that her mother had already concluded her seven clean days. This enactment, therefore, was to prevent an occasion for miscalculation and stumbling. Even if a woman has no daughter, this rule of immersing only in the night still applies, as the

Sages A sage ( grc, σοφός, ''sophos''), in classical philosophy, is someone who has attained wisdom. The term has also been used interchangeably with a 'good person' ( grc, ἀγαθός, ''agathos''), and a 'virtuous person' ( grc, σπουδα� ...

did not make any distinction, but have prohibited all women from immersing themselves during daylight hours of the eighth day, or of any day. Under extenuating circumstances, however, the rabbis have also permitted to immerse in the day, after fully completing seven days of cleanness. There are differing customs about how many immersions are performed at each visit to a ''mikveh''. It is the custom of many in the Orthodox community to immerse at least twice. Accordingly, they would immerse, recite the blessing, then immerse again. The other opinion states that like other commandments, here too the blessing should be recited before performing the commandment. Immediate preparation for a ''mikveh'' includes a bath or shower wherein every part of the body (including the ears and underneath the nails) is thoroughly washed; plus other routine hygiene practices which include trimming fingernails and toenails, brushing and flossing the teeth, and combing the hair. Prior to every immersion, the woman is required to inspect herself to make sure that there is nothing clinging to her skin and hair that would obstruct the water from making contact with it during her actual immersion, or what is known as ''ḥaṣīṣah'' = "interposing objects" (e.g. clay, dough, paint, gum resin, etc.). At the ''mikveh'' itself, a female attendant is present to make certain that the woman immerses herself fully, including her hairs. Though that is the attendant's foremost duty, she may also help by checking a woman's back or answer questions regarding proper ritual protocol.

Refrainment from relations on days that menstruation is expected to begin

The classical regulations also forbid sexual relations on the day that a woman expects to start menstruating. Generally speaking, there are three days that fall under this regulation, known as the ''veset'', namely the same day of the month, (according to the

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel ...

), as her previous menstruation began; the day exactly 30 days after the previous menstruation started; and the day that is of equal distance from the day of her previous menstruation as the menstruation before the last. For instance: If the interval between her last two periods was 28 days - the couple must refrain from sexual relations on the 28th day. According to most Orthodox authorities, this is measured from the beginning of the former period to the beginning of the latter. Yet some authorities, espeically in Chabbad circles, rule that this is measured from the end of the preceding menstruation to the beginning of the following one. If the woman is not actually menstruating during a ''veset'' day, then there are certain circumstances wherein sexual activity is permitted according to most authorities, for example, if a woman's husband is about to travel, and will return only after menstruation has begun.

Newlyweds

According to all Orthodox authorities, the first time a virgin has intercourse, she also becomes ''niddah'' as a result of her "dam betulim" (Hebrew: "hymenal blood flow"). This is observed even if no blood was discovered. However, a bride counts only four days before performing a ''hefsek taharah'' (Hebrew: lit. pause of purity), instead of the usual five. The ''hefsek taharah'' simply entails a woman checking herself to make sure that all uterine bleeding has stopped, by inserting a piece of inspection cloth within her vagina and having it come out clean, in order to begin on the following day her seven days of cleanness. Some Conservative authorities rule that a woman is not a ''niddah'' in such a case unless uterine bleeding is observed.

Privacy of the niddah process

Out of ''

tzniut ''Tzniut'' ( he, צניעות , , ; " modesty" or " privacy"; ) describes both the character trait of modesty and discretion, as well as a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. The concept is most important within Orthodox Judaism. ...

'' (Hebrew for "modesty"), many Orthodox Jews and some Conservative Jews follow a custom of keeping their times of ''niddah'' secret from the general public.

Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...

authorities teach that the laws of family purity are normative and still in force, including the requirement to refrain from sexual relations during ''niddah'', yet there is a difference of opinions over how much other strictures need to be observed, such as whether there should be complete prohibition on any touching during ''niddah'' and whether women are required to count seven "clean" days before immersing in the ''mikveh''. In December 2006, the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards passed three responsa discussing the extent of Biblical requirements and continuing applicability of rabbinic prohibitions concerning niddah for Conservative Jews. Each responsum advocated different standards of observance;Miriam Berkowitz
Mikveh and the Sanctity of Family Relations
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly, December 6, 2006] three responsa were passed as majority opinions - one by Susan GrossmanSusan Grossman
Mikveh and the Sanctity of Being Created Human
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly, December 6, 2006] and one by Avram Reisner,Reisner (2006). the third responsum, by Miriam Berkowitz.Miriam Berkowitz
Reshaping the Laws of Family Purity for the Modern World
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly, December 6, 2006] The majority of orthodox rabbis contend that the seven days of cleanness still apply to all menstruant women today, even though it is only a rabbinic injunction. According to two lesser opinions representing the movement of Conservative Judaism, one by Grossman and the other by Reisner, whose views are not shared by orthodox Jewish circles, the "seven clean days" need not be observed today and women may immerse and resume sexual relations after seven days from the beginning of menstruation, or after its cessation, if it lasts longer than seven days. Grossman and Berkowitz ruled that women may rely on their own discretion about when menstruation has ended, and need not routinely engage in ''bedikah'' as described above. Despite the official stance, the practices related to family purity have often not been widely followed by Conservative Jews. However, in an issue of the ''United Synagogue Review'' that focused on issues of ''mikvah'' and ''niddah'' (published in conjunction with the passing of the responsa mentioned above, in Fall/Winter 2006), Rabbi Myron S. Geller, a member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, wrote about an upswing in the observance of the laws of family purity within the Conservative Jewish community:Archive of United Synagogue Review
text on Interfaithfamily.co
Sanctifying Waters: The Mikvah and Conservative Judaism
retrieved 12-30-2011 Conservative Judaism has largely ignored this practice in the past, but recently has begun to reevaluate its silence in this area and to consider the spiritual implications of mikvah immersion for human sexuality and for women.

Reform Judaism

and other liberal denominations have largely rejected many of the rituals and prohibitions associated with menstruation, particularly the use of a ''mikveh''.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * (first edition: 2003) *, s.v. Hil. ''Issurei Bi'ah'' * *, ''Hil. Niddah'' and ''Miqwa'ot'' * Reisner, Avram (2006)
Observing Niddah in Our Day
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly * * * (reprinted in 1974 by Eshkol publishers, Jerusalem ) * *

External links

Medieval Responsa Literature on ''Niddah'': Perspectives of Notions of ''Tumah''
by Haviva Ner-David.
Yoatzot.org
"The Women's Health and Halacha Website" * Evyatar Marienberg
"Traditional Jewish Sexual Practices and Their Possible Impact on Jewish Fertility and Demography,"
Harvard Theological Review 106:3 (2013), pp. 243–286 * Evyatar Marienberg
“What is Niddah? Menstruation in Judaism”
Polin: Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw, November 23, 2017 {{Women in Judaism Jewish marital law Jewish ritual purity law Mishnah Talmud Menstrual cycle Judaism and sexuality Sex segregation and Judaism Jewish life cycle Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law