I got my period at night. When do I start the five days?

22 December, 2002

Question:

I got my period on Monday night. Can I count Monday as day one of the five days, or must I start with Tuesday?

Answer:

We count the five days (and the seven days), according to the Jewish calendar. Thus, anything after sunset counts as the next day. Monday night after sunset is halachically considered Tuesday, so Tuesday is day one of the five-day minimumum. Your seven clean days can begin no earlier than Sunday.

You can attempt a hefsek taharah on Shabbat afternoon, before sunset. If you stop bleeding before that, you could try an earlier hefsek as a back-up.

Please don’t hesistate to get back to us with any further questions.

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