Hilchos Niddah Siman 199, Seifim 1-2

Siman 199, Seifim 1-2

1.      She needs to wash her armpits and hidden places with water, not with any other liquid and to comb her hair with a comb so that there will not be any of her hair stuck together. The woman needs to examine herself and inspect her entire body near the time of her immersion to insure that no dirt that acts as a barrier. She should scrub her entire body and use hot water.

2.      When she scrubs her hair, she may not use cold water since it entangles her hair, but rather she should do it with hot water. Water warmed by the sun is adequate. She should not wash with sawdust, which is called “tefel” in Arabic and “grida” in the vernacular since it cuts the hair and will tangle it up. She should also not use sand or anything similar that also mixes with the hair. All of this is primary law, but if she did use sawdust or something similar and she herself sees that her hairs are not tied or tangled together it is permitted. If she is ordered by doctors not to shampoo her hair with water but rather with wine, we ask the doctors if the wine will entangle her hair. If they do not know, the woman herself should perform a test to if the wine does not tangle her hair.

What's Going On – Preparations for Immersion

Although not clear from the language of the Shulchan Aruch, there are several different types of preparation that each has specific laws. In general, according to most poskim, the various procedures are as follows:

·        Checking her body for barriers (“iyun”) – this is a Torah level law
·        Scrubbing her hair – this requirement was introduced by Ezra

·        Washing her hidden parts– instituted by the Rabbis, and some say this was also introduced by Ezra

·        Combing her hair – according to all, instituted by the Rabbis

·        Showering or bathing

We have already seen that from Torah law, the only time something is considered a barrier is if it covers over half the body and the woman is concerned about it. Therefore, the requirement for iyun seems odd – she can certainly tell whether her body is more than half covered with something without a lengthy inspection. One explanation is that although it is true that the Torah has a high threshold for disqualification, it would nevertheless prefer that there be no barriers whatsoever.[1] This idea separates the existence of a barrier from a woman’s responsibility to examine herself anyway. [2] Therefore, a woman’s immersion would be invalidated if she failed to perform iyun or is uncertain whether she did or not.

Rav Wozner has concluded that in those places that have very hard water (that can leave mineral deposits), one can use it if there is no other water readily available.[3] Anyone who lives, as I do, in a hard water area, would need to seek out softened water (or have a water softener installed) for the scrubbing. For the same reason, he rules that one may not wash in the Dead Sea and should not immerse there, since she may close her eyes tightly because of the salt water.[4] After the fact, however, he would consider the immersion valid.

The comb that one uses should be a fine-toothed one to help insure that there are no hairs stuck together.[5]

There is conflicting halacha about a woman who is uncertain about whether she combed her hair. One view[6] states that although the situation is one of rabbinic doubt for which we normally rule leniently, in this case there is some basis to require her to re-immerse. However, based on a Taz about salting meat[7] he rules leniently. If the woman did not use a comb, but only her fingers, there is a view that invalidates the immersion[8] while another rules leniently.[9] It is possible that the lenient view is only in a case where she is uncertain about whether she used a comb and that this view would require re-immersion if she knew with certainty that she had not.

Yet another view holds that even if she knows that she did not use a comb, if she already had relations with her husband, the immersion is valid. If she hasn’t, then she should re-immerse.[10]

The halacha does not require that one use soap, but it is certainly desirable.[11] One needs to make certain that all of the soap is rinsed off, as well as any shampoo. One may use soap with fragrance.[12]

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[2] Perhaps this is something akin to the eglah arufah – the case of a body found in the field between two cities. The Talmud in the last chapter of Sotah requires that measurements to the various towns be made even if it is perfectly clear which town is the closest.