16,374
edits
Preparing for the Mikveh: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
→Preparing for the Mikveh
| Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
# A woman shouldn't wash her hair before going to the mikveh with cold water or a type of cleaning agent that would make her hair tangled or fall out.<ref>Gemara Niddah 66b, Shulchan Aruch YD 199:2</ref> The minhag is for a woman to use shampoo or the like and then afterwards to just use hot water and comb the hair. Even though we're not sure that the shampoo or the like are acceptable for this washing, the washing in hot water without any shampoo and combing suffices.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:24 explains that it is possible that some of our soaps or shampoos have ingredients from the types of cleaning agents that the gemara says not to use. Nonetheless, it is acceptable since afterwards the practice is to wash the hair with hot water and comb it which itself is a sufficient washing of the hair before tevilah. Taharat Habayit v. 3 p. 243 also writes that the minhag is to use shampoo and conditioner without jell and then wash the hair with hot water.</ref> | # A woman shouldn't wash her hair before going to the mikveh with cold water or a type of cleaning agent that would make her hair tangled or fall out.<ref>Gemara Niddah 66b, Shulchan Aruch YD 199:2</ref> The minhag is for a woman to use shampoo or the like and then afterwards to just use hot water and comb the hair. Even though we're not sure that the shampoo or the like are acceptable for this washing, the washing in hot water without any shampoo and combing suffices.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:24 explains that it is possible that some of our soaps or shampoos have ingredients from the types of cleaning agents that the gemara says not to use. Nonetheless, it is acceptable since afterwards the practice is to wash the hair with hot water and comb it which itself is a sufficient washing of the hair before tevilah. Taharat Habayit v. 3 p. 243 also writes that the minhag is to use shampoo and conditioner without jell and then wash the hair with hot water.</ref> | ||
# The practice is for the woman to take a hot bath to accomplish this cleaning, though if a women couldn't take a bath but could take a shower that is sufficient.<Ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:17</ref> | # The practice is for the woman to take a hot bath to accomplish this cleaning, though if a women couldn't take a bath but could take a shower that is sufficient.<Ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:17</ref> | ||
===The day of the Mikveh=== | |||
# The minhag is that the day before the mikveh the woman shouldn’t knead so that they don’t get stuck under her nails.or elsewhere. | |||
# The minhag is that on the day before a woman does to the mikveh she doesn’t eat meat.<ref>The Rosh (Mikvaot no. 35) cites the minhag not to eat meat the day before she goes to mikveh in order to prevent a piece of meat getting stuck between the teeth and being a chatzitza. THe Rabbenu Yerucham (Netiv 26:5 cited by Bet Yosef 198:24) also records the minhag. Shulchan Aruch YD 198:24 records the minhag.</ref> | |||
## On Shabbat and Yom Tov the minhag is to eat meat even the day before going to the mikveh.,ref>Taz 198:25</ref> | |||
## After the fact if a woman ate meat the day before going to the mikveh she may still go to the mikveh.<Ref>Taz 198:25</ref> | |||
===Timing=== | ===Timing=== | ||
# Initially a woman should do her washing immediately<ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:38 writes that initially she should do the preparations at night right before tevilah as close as possible. However, after the fact if she couldn't go to the mikveh a few hours later that night she doesn't need to the preparations again. Taharat Habayit (v. 3 p. 246) quotes some who say that within 3 hours is sufficiently close. </ref> prior to going to the mikveh. A proper minhag is that a woman start her washing for the mikveh at the end of the day and continue into the night until she goes to the mikveh. <ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 199:3. | # Initially a woman should do her washing immediately<ref>Badei Hashulchan 199:38 writes that initially she should do the preparations at night right before tevilah as close as possible. However, after the fact if she couldn't go to the mikveh a few hours later that night she doesn't need to the preparations again. Taharat Habayit (v. 3 p. 246) quotes some who say that within 3 hours is sufficiently close. </ref> prior to going to the mikveh. A proper minhag is that a woman start her washing for the mikveh at the end of the day and continue into the night until she goes to the mikveh. <ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 199:3. | ||
