Cast

I broke my right leg and have a cast that is understandably medically necessary but will eventually be removed. I shower with the cast covered. Is immersion possible?

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

There may be times when immersion with a cast can be permitted if the cast will be on for a long time. Each situation needs an individual psak to determine the correct course of action. It would be best to discuss this with a rabbi who knows you personally. If you do not have access to such a rabbi and wish us to arrange a psak for you, please get back to us with more details:

How long does the cast need to be in place?

How long will you be niddah if you cannot immerse because of the cast (when in your cycle did you break your leg - were you already niddah, or were you tehorah at the time)?

Do you have a physician who might be willing to remove and replace the cast, and at what cost?

Is it a plain plaster cast that will be ruined by water, or a fiberglass cast?

Are there any factors that make it particularly hard to be niddah for a prolonged period at present?

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases.

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The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefitted from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.