Siman 184, Seif 1:
1. Most women have vestos (a set time for their menstrual cycle) at fixed times, such as every 20 days or every 30 days. Any woman who has a vesses kavua may engage in sexual relations at any time other then the anticipated of her vesses and do not require any self-examination prior to intercourse. (she also should not be strict about checking herself both before and after intercourse, so that her husband will not be afraid). However, at all other times, it is praiseworthy for a woman to perform self-examinations.
A few definitions are in order:
Vesses (pl. vestos) - a woman's menstrual cycle(s) or the onset of her menstruation.
Vesses Kavua - a menstrual cycle that repeats on a regular basis.
Vesses She-aino Kavua - an irregular menstrual cycle.
Introduction
The Shulchan Aruch goes through the halachos
of niddah chronologically. After telling us in Siman 183 about the basic fact of menstrual flows imparting
impurity and providing us with some general background, in Siman184 he continues and starts with the earliest point at which a
couple needs to consider niddah
issues. Most of the balance of this Siman
focuses on defining exactly when is meant by "the anticipated time of
her vesses".
Self Examintion
The Shulchan Aruch implies here that a woman who does not have
a vesses kavua in fact does in fact to perform a self-examination prior
to intercourse. The Toras HaShlamim[1]
understands
the Shulchan Aruch as not only implying that she needs to do a bedika
after intercourse, but that she has the option of performing one even prior to intercourse,
but is not required to do so. While
there is a view in halacha that a woman with a Vesses SheAino Kavua
needs to perform a bedika prior to intercourse[2], the mainstream view is that a woman does
not to perform such an examination in most circumstances.[3] The manner of self-examinations is covered in
later Simanim.
The view of the Rambam, while ultimately disregarded by Halacha, does create some problems among the Poskim, since his view is not readily overlooked. All sources agree that this view is applicable in a time when dealing with taharos. However, this strictness is not applicable to us, who do not handle taharos. And in fact, the HaGahos Maimonis (20) suggests that the law of the Rambam is in fact only when the issue of taharos is relevant. However, the Ra’avad, is that while it is true that the position of the Rambam would be applicable if we dealt with taharos, which have stricter rules than those related to intercourse, but does not understand why the Rambam, who ordinarily deals in practical halacha, should choose to make an unqualified statement that would seem to apply to all situations that clearly is not.
The Toras HaShlamim cited above also notes that the disagreement between the Shulchan Aruch and the Rama extends to 2 issues – the Rama holds that a woman does not make a bedika either before or after intercourse at all. We find a view[4] that actually forbids a woman from cleaning herself after intercourse and permits the man to use only a cloth on which one would not recognize blood. However, we don’t see this brought anywhere else; in fact, many places refer to people cleaning themselves after intercourse without any hesitation about the possibility of finding blood on the cloths. It seems that the when the primary purpose of a wiping is for a purpose other than a bedikah but is for some other purpose, we don’t concern ourselves with the possibility of blood on the cloth.
Conclusion
The primary point of this Seif is to present with the basic idea that
intercourse is permitted at all times that she is pure, except for
“near the time of vesses”.
While it is true that a woman who performs is praiseworthy, other than
the circumstances of Siman 186:2, there is never a general requirement
for self-examinations during the time that she expects herself to be in a state
of ritual purity.
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