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A Closer Look
at the Ritual Impurity of a Woman Due to Menstruation (Niddah)
The Torah’s teaching that says, "Do not draw close to a woman
when she is a niddah; relations are forbidden [at that time]"
Leviticus 17:18 is the cornerstone of Jewish Law dealing with
ritual purity and niddah.
In Jewish Law, on the day a woman begins her menstrual period,
during this period the woman is said to be in a state of
impurity (niddah). This state of impurity begins when blood
comes from her womb, whether it is a stain on her clothing or
not. In very simple terms, a woman is in the stage of niddah
when blood comes from her womb, be it a regular menstrual flow
or a just stain on her clothing from blood that comes from her
womb. However, if the woman is uncertain if the blood comes
either from a wound or her womb then it is mandatory that she
consults her Rabbi for clarification.
Men and women should not look at niddah in a disapproving
manner because the state of impurity is a viewpoint in the
Jewish religion that represents the time when a woman's body
is undergoing a biological renewal: discarding unused and old
ovarian linings in order to get her body ready to produce
fresh ova in fulfillment of God’s commandment of procreation.
The period of the state of niddah is a minimum of twelve days
and a maximum of thirteen within which a wife cannot have
sexual relations with her husband. Technically, a woman
remains in a state of niddah until she undergoes the ritual
purification (taharah) as set forth in Jewish Law. The ritual
purification process is divided into two periods – the first
five days of menstruation and the final seven (sometimes
eight) days after which the women must properly observe the
ritual bath (mikvah).
Jewish Law prescribes that any woman who does not go through
the purification ritual cannot be considered pure regardless
if she does not have any menstrual discharge for ten years!
The proper performance of the purification ritual is a must in
order to attain the stage of ritual purity after the period of
niddah.
During the state of niddah, a man and wife are forbidden to
have any form of physical intimacy. The sacrifice on the part
of both husband and wife is prescribed in Jewish Law in the
Torah verse that states "Do not draw close." Traditionally,
this is tied in with marital relations, and the view is that
any act that could lead a person to marital relations is
forbidden. A husband and wife are very accustomed to being
physically intimate with each other, and therefore they must
take great care during the time the woman is niddah.
While a woman is a niddah, she and her husband must relate
completely on a non-physical level. Traditionally, they do not
hug or kiss each other (or do more).
During this period, the wife is encouraged to wear white
underwear and use white bed linens in order to ensure that the
observance of the law is as prescribed primarily through the
visual inspection of the clothing and bed linens.
During this period of the Seven White Days and there are no
more stains, the woman must observe mikvah, making sure that
there is nothing between any part of her body and the water.
She is not allowed to wear any type of clothing or even
jewelry in order to observe the rule properly. The woman makes
sure that she cleans and cuts all finger and toe nails,
brushes her teeth, and cleans her ears and every cavity of her
body. All makeup, jewelry and clothing are completely removed
during the performance of the mikvah ritual.
On her return from performing mikvah, she can then inform her
husband that she is now in the state of purity (taharah). The
resumption of their marital relations is then permitted. For
the Jews, the best night to conceive a child is mikvah night.
Source:
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