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

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

Found thread after mikveh

7 January, 2021

Question:

When getting dressed after the mikva, I noticed a brown thread on my arm that seemed the same colour as my towel. I only put the towel over me after tevilla. Nothing to worry about, is there?

Am I the only one who works hard to prepare but then afterward feels so frustrated that these things happpen?

If it was on me for some unbeknown reason it surely would have floated off in the mikva.

I’m undergoing ivf so am extra stressed.

Thank you


Answer:

Based on your description, that you saw what looked like a brown thread from the towel after tevilah, there is no cause for halachic concern.

There are many women like you, who find themselves frustrated and worried by concerns that they have found something that invalidated their immersion. In many cases there is no halachic cause for concern, since common sense explanations such as you provide can be relied on. Additionally, the halachot regarding preparation for mikveh already build in a number of stringencies, so that a woman who makes a real effort to prepare for immersion will generally have one that is valid.

All that being said, if you find these concerns recurring month after month, you might benefit from speaking with a counselor who can help you learn to cope with them. It is understandable that IVF has created real stress for you. That is something else with which a professional may be able to help. Referrals to religious therapists can be found at nefesh.org or www.gethelpisrael.com.

For halachic guidance on matters related to halacha and fertility treatments, we invite you to a schedule a free consultation with a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counselor, details here.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

2024: For more extensive discussion, please see our our article on OCD and Niddah, and our brochure “What are you feeling?!” on mikveh stress.


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