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Daytime immersion in lake

25 October, 2017
Question:

My husband is taking a work related trip to another country without kosher mikvah. I will be with him there for 4 days. The mikveh night for me would be while traveling. Is it possible to toivel in the lake on the next day during the daytime hours because it would be dangerous to toivel at night?


Answer:

An immersion between sunset and nightfall (at the end of the 7th day) or between dawn and sunrise (of the 8th day) is permissible if a night immersion would be dangerous, and may be your best option. If you are unable to immerse at those times, it is permissible to immerse during the daytime (of the 8th day or later) when safety is a concern.

When immersing during the daytime, you may not have relations prior to nightfall. In this scenario it is preferable not to see your husband between immersion and nightfall.

If no halachically observant Jewish woman is available to act as “mikveh attendant,” then you could immerse with a loose hair net (cutting the elastic so that it is not tight against the head), or immerse in a loose shirt or robe with your husband supervising the immersion (both halachically and as a safety precaution).

Please see our posted question on the halachic status of a lake as a mikveh, and our article on immersion in natural bodies of water, for further guidelines.

B’Hatzlacha!

This response was updated on 12 May, 2024.

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