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

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Not looking during clean days

3 May, 2005

Question:

Hi, I'm a kallah, doing my first set of bedikas. Do I have to look at my white underwear? Can I use pantiliners and just throw them out before looking? I don't spot, or bleed, but I do get discharge that sometimes makes me feel 'wet.' The discharge is clear, and maybe slightly brown tinged. My bedikas are clean. My hefsek tahara last night was clean. What are the rules – am I required to inspect any liners, underwear, etc, that I'm wearing? Thank you.


Answer:

Mazal tov on your upcoming marriage!

The status of pantiiners is a matter of halachic debate (see Feminine Hygiene Pads). Therefore, it would be best to ask your local rabbi for his opinion on this matter. If you do not have a rabbi to whom to turn, the position of the posek of the site is that one should not wear pantiliners during the seven clean days. If there are specific difficulties, then the answer might be different and another question should be asked.

(At other times of the month, it is fine to wear pantyliners; however, it is best to choose black ones to avoid staining problems.)

White undergarments are worn during the clean days so that discharge will be apparent. Although you are not required to exhaustively examine every undergarment, you are not supposed to deliberately look away. Any brown discharge should be shown to a rabbi.

Although showing the undergarments may seem daunting at first, if you invest time as a kallah to bringing in stains, you may be instructed as to which browns do and do not pose halachic questions.  In the future, you would be able to look at your underwear and know when your discharge could be disregarded and when it could not.


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