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

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

Internal washing and toilet paper during clean days

14 April, 2005

Question:

I have two questions:

1. Can I clean myself internally prior to bedikot during the seven clean days, just as I do prior to the hefsek tahara? I will often have some brown staining on the bedikah cloths for several days after my period ends, which invalidates the seven day counting.

2. I understand that while one is tehorah, one is not "supposed" to look at tissues etc. What is the status, though, during the seven clean days?


Answer:

1. Prior to the hefsek taharah, it is customary for a woman to clean herself internally, so that no residual blood should interfere with beginning her clean days. In contrast, during the seven clean days, we are trying to confirm that a woman has not resumed bleeding. Therefore, a practice clearly meant to remove blood, such as douching or deliberate internal washing, should be avoided (unless one has a specific ruling for a particular case). Once, when daily bathing was not the norm, it was even recommended not to wash oneself at all during the clean days. Nowadays, people generally bathe or shower frequently, and it is acceptable to bathe during the seven clean days as usual. We recommend waiting roughly twenty minutes after washing before doing a bedikah, both so that it reflects what is really happening, and so as to allow the natural lubricants to return to prevent injury with a dry bedikah.

Brown stains do not always invalidate the seven clean days, even when found on a bedikah cloth. If the color is not red or pink, but brown, be sure to show the bedikah to a halachic authority to determine whether it is okay.

2. The problem with looking at toilet paper is connected to the rabbinic debate about the status of toilet paper, and to the problem of a stain found after urination, where there may have been a hargashah. (Please see the articles on Stains and Toilet Paper for a more detailed explanation.) You should therefore avoid looking at toilet paper during the seven clean days as well, to avoid getting into this halachic dilemma. There is no reason to anticipate a stain on toilet paper.


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