taharat hamishpachah - · pdf file · 2012-04-09iyar 5771 / may 2011 taharat...

Iyar 5771 / May 2011

TaharatHaMishpachah

Overview of the Laws of Family Purity

Ohr Chadash Al Zion Torah Studies

By Avigdor ben Avraham

The Tent of Sarah

Chayeh Sarah, Bereishit 24:67 “And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother…”

אהלהה שרה המו

HaOhelah Sarah imo

Literally means = “into the tent – Sarah his mother”….implies Rivkah was like Sarah

How so? Five characteristics denoted by extra “hey”.

2Iyar 5771 / May 2011 TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAH

Sarah’s Five Attributes

Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 24:67 -

1. Her tent had openings on four sides– Speaks to hospitality and generosity

2. Blessing in her dough – Material blessings / prosperous

3. Her lamp remained lit from Shabbat to Shabbat– She was a righteous woman

4. She prepared / maintained all food in a state of purity– She was pious and holy before HaShem

5. A cloud stood over Sarah’s tent– The Divine Presence / Shechinah rested over her home

– Sarah kept a pure home (i.e. taharat hamishpachah)


Why Practice Family Purity?

Premise: Practicing family purity –

- Brings taharah (purity), and

- Kedushah (holiness) to the entire

- Mishpachah (family) and thereby….

Invites the annanei kavod (clouds of glory) of His presence into our homes!

This is a Temple concept.

Kislev 5771 / December 2010 4TAHARAT HAMISHPACHA

Family Purity: Key Concepts

• Kiddushin

• Torah perspective on sex and intimacy

• Richuk v’Kiruv -- separate and close

5TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAHIyar 5771 / May 2011

Kiddushin

Kiddushin = marriage = family / home

• Derived from kedushah meaning holiness

• Holy institution depicting HaShem’srelationship to Israel

– Is.54:6, Is.62:5, Ex.19, Shir haShirim, Rev.21:9

• Requires man and woman working in concert – Gen. 3:18,24 1Cor.7

Goal: To sanctify the Name through our marriages.


Intimacy: A Torah Perspective

Mitzvah Onah – the act of intimacy

• Created by G-d --- He is not blushing

• Viewed as a most holy mitzvah when done properly

• Can accomplish something no other act can…bring a new soul into the world– Man, woman and HaShem

• Picture of completeness / wholeness Shalom– Man cleaves to his wife and they become echad (Gen.2:24)

• Easily distorted and perverted– Act of giving vs. taking– Kedushah vs. kadeshah


Kedushah vs. Kadeshah

Holiness vs. Harlotry

שהוקדשה קד

“Vav” is the difference.

Teaching: Sex with no connection to HaShem is a form of harlotry.


Richuk v’Kiruv

Concept: Separate and close

• Lunar cycle:– Moon wanes (i.e. separates) from sun– Moon waxes (i.e. draws close) to sun

• Midrash:- Depicts relationship of husband and wife- Depicts relationship of Hashem & Israel

• Remez:– Why were certain forms of tumah put outside the

camp?– Being separate is for the purpose of drawing close


Focus on Niddah

Iyar 5771 / May 2011 10TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAH

Family Purity focuses on the many laws (hilchot) of the “menstrual woman”.

נדה Niddah means “removed” or “separated” from the root nadad.• Used 40 times in Tanach• Most often translated as “menstrual impurity”

Other uses:• Waters for impurity – Num.19 • Taking your brother’s wife is abhorrent – Lev.20:21• Uncleanness in the Temple – 2Ch.29:5• The Land and Jerusalem are unclean – Ezra 9:11,

Lam.1:17• Items used in idolatry are abhorrent – Ez.7:19,

Zec.13:1

The Torah Prohibition

Negative commandment no. 347 – Prohibition against intimacy with a niddah

Vayikra 18:19 “You shall not approach a woman in her time of unclean separation to uncover her nakedness.”

....has significant consequence:

Vayikra 20:18 “A man who shall lie with a woman in her affliction and has uncovered her nakedness, he will have bared her source and she has bared the source of her blood; the two of them shall be cut off from the midst of their people.”


What Does the Torah Say?

Vayikra 15:19-24• Discharge must be blood (v.19)

• She continues in her state of niddah for seven days (v.19)

• Anything she touches becomes tamei until evening (i.e. people, clothes, bedding, etc.) (v.20-23)

• Tamei objects must be washed with water (mikveh) (v.21-23)

• A man who lies with her becomes niddah for seven days (v.24)

• No specific requirement stated regarding mikveh


The Zavah זוב /

Vayikra 15:25-29• Applies to discharge after normal menses (v.25)

• Renders people and objects unclean like Niddah(v.25-27)

• Counts seven clean days after bleeding stops (v.28) –shiva neki’im

• On 8th day she must take two doves to Kohen for a sin and elevation offering (v.30)

• No specific requirement stated for mikveh


Why a Sacrifice?

• Not required for a Niddah – Ramban says because it was a natural flow

• Required for a Zavah (Gedolah) – because it was an abnormal flow– Possibly from illness or other maladies

• Why a chatat offering? Possible explanations:– Malady the result of her own actions

– Reminder of women’s role in fallen nature of mankind

– Connection to death (via sin)

• Why an olah offering?– Hashem healed the malady (Ramban)


Hilchot: Onset of Niddah

Niddah status begins at first sign of uterine blood:

• May include bleeding from medical exams

• Cuts, abrasions, etc. due to injury don’t render niddah

Methods of detection:

• Kesem – a bloodstain renders niddah under specific conditions (size, color and type)

• Bedikah - self-inspection using a white cloth

• Hargashah – sensation of vaginal flow

• By her own admission

• Yoledet – childbirth (vaginal delivery only)

• Kallah – a bride upon consummation of the union


Hilchot: Establishing a Veset

Veset is the time of her anticipated menses:• Must refrain from intercourse

• Bedikah required on the day of veset

She must establish a veset kavua for purposes of determing onat prishah (times of separation):

• Same Hebrew date each month

• Same interval between months

• 30th day since last cycle

She should establish calendar for tracking her cycles

• Modern apps make this easy and convenient


Example: Counting a Veset

17

Assume she begins bleeding on the 5th of Iyar which is 27 days from her previous cycle:

Her veset days on which relations are prohibited are:

– 5th of Sivan – same date of following month

– 2nd of Sivan – 27 days later using same interval

– 5th of Sivan – 30 days for average woman

Iyar 5771 / May 2011 TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAH

Hilchot: Harchakot

Harchakot -- Prohibited Activities

As it is written, “you shall not approach (karav) a woman…” Lev.18:19– Karav means to draw close, not specific to marital relations

Refrain from:

– Any physical contact – intimate or casual– Dressing / undressing– Eating together– Sitting together– Sharing the same bed / making a bed

Basic concept: Avoid any behavior that could lead to transgression of the Torah command


Hilchot: Taharah Process

Current halacha assumes zavah status• Requires seven “clean” days after bleeding stops – shiva

neki’im

• Minimum waiting period before shiva neki’im begins – 5 days Ashkenazi / 4 days Sephardic

Required bedikot (self-exams):• At the later of 1) bleeding stops or 2) min. days

completed she performs a hafsek taharah– Used to confirm bleeding has stopped, ready to begin shiva

neki’im

• Begin counting shiva neki’im the day after successful hafsek taharah– Performs two bedikot daily (morning & evening) during the

seven days to ensure bleeding has not restarted


Hilchot: Taharah Process

20

After seven clean days, she prepares herself to go to the mikveh– Evening of the 7th day / beginning of day 8

– Purification not complete until after a kosher mikveh

– Mikveh is a very important, detailed process –subject of part 2

Couple is required to have relations that night unless mutually agreed to defer– Why do Orthodox communities have such a small

divorce rate?

– 11-14 days of separation make the reunion and permitted days more special

– Keeps sexual relationship renewed and strong

Iyar 5771 / May 2011 TAHARAT HAMISHPACHAH

Marriage Implications

Every home must determine how best to incorporate the halacha

Man is dependent on wife for not transgressing this command

Up to 14 days of separation means couple have to develop alternative methods for displaying love and affection:- Forces more and different kinds of communication- Requires creativity- Focus on other non-physical aspects of the relationship

Permitted times will fall during her most fertile days – G-d is a genius!- Implications for birth control and family planning

Wedding Planning – kallah needs to know her cycle– Special halacha for instances where she is niddah for wedding or

marriage week


Community Implications

We need a mikveh!– Mikveh built before the shul

Why do Orthodox men not hug other women?

Why do Orthodox shuls separate men and women?

Customary for women in state of niddah to not enter a synagogue – with some exceptions

All girls 12 or older are presumed niddah

Creates a greater sensitivity to tamei and tahor


How is Mashiach Revealed?

Midrashic thought on the “great mystery” (Eph.5:32):

• 7000 year plan of redemption for olam hazeh, then comes olam habah– Impurity entered via Adam & Chava (Rom.5:12)

– 7000 years parallels the shiva neki’im

• His bride (Israel) does not complete her purification until she enters olam habah (i.e. 8th day)– During this time of separation the bride is preparing herself via

a taharah process• Halachic requirement of bedikot pictures this introspection and

process of sanctification (Lev.11:44, 1Thes.4:7, Heb.12:14)

• Mikveh with the “water of the Word” (Eph.5:26)

• Bridegroom (chattan) waits in anticipation

• Ultimate union of chattan and kallah occurs on 8th day• No longer any possibility of impurity (Is.59:20-21, 27:9, Rom.11:26)

• Union is perfected for eternity (Rev.21:3-4)


Resource List

Kitzur Shulcan Aruch, R. Yoseph Caro, Metsudah Publications

A Woman’s Guide to the Laws of Niddah, Rabbi Binyomin Frost, Artscroll

A Lifetime Companion to the Laws of Jewish Family Life, Deena R. Zimmerman, Urim Publications

Mishnah: Tractate Niddah, Artscroll

Mishnah: Tractate Mikvaot, Artscroll

Ramban Commentary on Vayikra, Artscroll

Waters of Eden, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Orthodox Union

Sefer HaMitzvot, Rambam, Soncino Press

Nishmat: Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Studies for Women, Jerusalem, Israel www.yoatzot.org


http://www.yoatzot.org/

taharat hamishpachah - · pdf file · 2012-04-09iyar 5771 / may 2011 taharat...

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