During the week, you should ideally perform your
hefsek taharah a few minutes before sunset and immediately insert your
moch dachuk until after nightfall. In your example, you should try to begin your
hefsek taharah by 6:12 and keep your
moch dachuk inserted until 6:57.
In some communities, the
custom is to leave the
moch dachuk in for shorter periods after sunset. We suggest that you check with your local rabbi about this. Concerns about irritation from the
moch dachuk can also provide grounds for leaving the&
moch in for shorter amounts of time.
An alternative is to perform a
hefsek taharah earlier in the day and then perform a
bedikah just prior to sunset, without removing the cloth – the
bedikah cloth remains inside and serves as a
moch dachuk.
When planning a&
hefsek taharah close to sunset, it can be helpful to perform a
bedikah earlier in the day as a back up. (Please see our article on
timing of hefsek taharah for more information.)
Please note that insertion of the
moch is an ideal, but its omission does not usually affect the validity of the
hefsek taharah (see our article on the
moch dachuk for more information). Additionally, if a woman has chronic problems with the
moch dachuk, she may be given permission to omit it.
For a discussion of timing on Friday night, please see our
posted question on that topic.