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Orange on hefsek

18 January, 2016
Question:

I was out of my house the whole day today. I used a white undershirt to do my hefsek taharah. I wet the cloth and did not wring it out very well, but used different parts of the shirt to clean myself out and then do the hefsek. I could not get a completely clear wipe, it was orangeish. I called a rabbi and he said it does not have to be clear from any colors, but since he can't see the cloth (I don't have it) I have to make the decision. Furthermore, the lighting was poor in the bathroom I was in. I have not had any blood on my pantyliner since I did the hefsek taharah but I am nervous that perhaps the color wasn't ok. How do I decide what to do?


Answer:

The hefsek taharah indeed does not need to be completely clear to be considered acceptable; however, orangey colors are generally problematic. While the lighting in the bathroom may have affected your perception of the color of the stain, since you no longer have the cloth to be evaluated, and this is an internal bedikah (which is treated more strictly than a stain found externally), you should assume that it was not valid and you need to perform a new hefsek taharah. If you got an acceptable bedikah after this attempted hefsek taharah, it can be counted as your new hefsek taharah.

For the future, when faced with a questionable stain, you should bring it to a rabbi for evaluation. Even if the stain is on an undershirt you should bring it it, or if you are uncomfortable, you can cut out the stained part of the undershirt to bring for evaluation.

Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.

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