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

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Delay between shivah neki’im and mikveh

20 March, 2012
Question:

If there is a delay between the end of the seven nekiim and going to the mikvah, is there ever a case where one would need to do another bedika?

For example, with a kallah before her wedding – if day seven ends thursday night, she can put on dark underwear and go to mikvah on Sunday night with no more bedikot – correct? But what if it is more than three days later? And is the halacha different for a kallah and a married woman?

Thank you.


Answer:

Although there is some halachic debate on this matter, the consensus is that once the seven clean days have been fully observed, no further bedikot are required prior to immersion and colored undergarments may be worn. 

A kallah, however, may not go a full week before her wedding without performing any bedikah, regardless of when she immersed during that week.  This halacha relates to a special concern with a kallah, that the excitement of the upcoming wedding might lead to unexpected uterine bleeding.

Please note that there is a separate halacha permitting up to four days between a kallah's immersion and her wedding.  Whether she is required to perform bedikot between immersion and the wedding in such a case is also debated; here we also follow the lenient opinions. 

We usually suggest that, when possible, a kallah delay performing her hefsek taharah until nine or ten days before the wedding. This avoids a long break between the clean days and immersion or between immersion and the wedding, but still leaves a little extra time in case of difficulty.

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