Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

Bowling during niddah

8 November, 2015
Question:

Can a couple go bowling during the days of issur?


Answer:

The limits on behavior known as harchakot are designed to minimize the chances that a couple will slip and have relations while the wife is in niddah.  During niddah, even our non-physical expressions of togetherness need to be weighed against any physical response they might elicit.  

In Shulhan Aruch Yoreh Deah 195:1, we learn that a husband should not "play" or be "light headed," meaning frivolous or flirtatious, with his wife while she is in niddah.  What exactly constitutes playing or light-headed frivolity is subject to different interpretations. Some rabbis permit playing games together.  Others are stringent.  Still others permit such games only when there is a 'need' for it.  

Your conduct here depends on whether or not bowling leads either of you to excessive frivolity, to explicit thinking about intimacy, or to touch.  If it does not, then you may go bowling during niddah.   

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. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional.

For further questions or comments: 

The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha Site 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 benefited from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.

Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under yoatzot.org.

Accessibility Toolbar