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

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Why hefsek?

13 September, 2004
Question:

Hi, Please forgive me i just became a baal tshuva and am not too sure of the importance of doing the hefsek tahara, I keep 12-13 days depending on my cycle and I know that in the 9th day of my cycle I am clean fully without spotting. Why do I have to check if I dont spot on my clothing?


Answer:

No need to apologize – the site is meant for women to be able to ask such questions.

A woman becomes niddah if there is bleeding from the uterus into the vagina, even if it never exits the body. Therefore, the internal hefsek taharah examination, which confirms that bleeding has ceased, is mandatory. It is not sufficient to just rely on a lack of spots on clothing.

After the hefsek taharah, you need to count seven clean days during which at least a minimum number of bedikot must be performed. Please read more about the hefsek and bedikot (how to do, when to do, etc.) on the site and get back to us if you have additional 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.
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