Delayed hefsek - and then forgot

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Delayed hefsek – and then forgot

June 27, 2019

Question

I pushed off doing the hefsek taharah for over a day since I will be out of the country next Monday & Tuesday. I have been clean two days already and was supposed to do it before shkiah tonight (Wednesday). I somehow forgot and realized at about 9:10, more than an hour after shkiah…I quickly checked and did a hefsek and was still clean. Am I able to start counting tomorrow and go to mikveh next Wednesday night, since I have already been clean two days? Or do I need to push mikveh off another extra day, to Thursday night?

Answer

The hefsek taharah is required prior to beginning the clean days, even if a woman is sure she has ceased bleeding.
Unfortunately, based on what you write, it sounds as though you did lose the day. If you performed some sort of bedikah or otherwise checked yourself internally prior to making the hefsek taharah, please get back to us with details.
In the future, to avoid situations like these, we recommend making a hefsek taharah on time, completing the clean days, and then delaying immersion as necessary.
Please write back with any further questions.

Taharat HaMishpacha

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