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

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

Missed sh’kiah by a few minutes

6 October, 2016
Question:

I almost forgot to do my hefsek taharah this evening, and remembered at 16:59, I live in Modiin and from where I checked shekiah was at 16:53. Is there any way my hefsek can still be counted so I don't need to wait an extra day?


Answer:

Usually, a hefsek taharah performed after sh'kiah only counts for the next day (for example a hefsek taharah on Wednesday evening after sh'kiah would be valid for Thursday but not for Wednesday).  In cases in which the timing is very close, such as yours, there may be room for leniency when there is a major extenuating factor, such as fertility or shalom bayit issues.

Additionally, if a bedikah is performed on the morning before a planned hefsek taharah, it usually can count after the fact as a hefsek taharah for that day.  In some cases, using a tampon or something similar might also have halachic weight.

In fact, we recommend that women perform a bedikah on the morning before a planned hefsek taharah, in order to have a fall back option in situations such as these.

Please write back to us with any follow up questions.

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