The Check That Establishes the Starting Point
Hefsek taharah is a check that establishes the end of bleeding that prohibits marital intimacy, before the count of seven clean days begins. The Tur emphasizes that the count begins after the appropriate check, rather than retroactively from the presumed end of bleeding. Thus, the phrases “there has been no blood for a long time” and “a hefsek was performed” describe different facts. [1]
It is helpful to give the hefsek its own line in your personal records. Record the date, time, and result that was deemed acceptable. This will help you clearly distinguish the initial check from the checks during the count itself and reconstruct the sequence if a question arises later.
When It Is Performed
The usual procedure is to perform a hefsek toward evening, before sunset, on a day when preparation for the count may begin. Shulchan Aruch discusses the timing of this check; Rema separately considers the circumstances in which an earlier check can be accepted. Results obtained earlier and cases in which the evening time was missed require assessment of the specific circumstances. [2]
In practice, it is easier to check the local sunset time in advance and allow enough time to prepare calmly. When traveling, what matters is the location where the woman actually is. A phone reminder is useful as an organizational aid; the validity of the check itself depends on its circumstances.
The Waiting Period and Family Custom
The permissible day for a hefsek also depends on the rules for waiting before the seven clean days. Shulchan Aruch discusses the waiting period associated with prior marital relations; Rema records the custom accepted in his communities of waiting five days, including the day bleeding began, and only then proceeding to the count. [3]
This question should be considered in light of your minhag and specific circumstances. You should not determine your own date solely from a familiar number of days you heard from a friend. It is especially important to clarify the procedure when first studying these laws or when your previous circumstances have changed.
The Check and the Moch Dachuk
The check is performed with a clean, soft, white cloth intended for this purpose. Shulchan Aruch distinguishes an internal check from simply wiping externally. Alongside this, it describes a moch dachuk—a separate checking cloth left in place for a prescribed period at the end of the day. Its details and significance depend on the case under consideration. [2] [4]
The procedure itself should be learned with a knowledgeable female instructor in the laws of family purity. If difficulties arise, a precise question to a rabbi is more helpful than independently replacing the check with some other action.
Which Day Is the First
The day of the hefsek is not included in the seven clean days: the following day is counted as the first. For example, after a valid hefsek before sunset on Monday, Tuesday will be the first clean day. The subsequent checks remain a separate obligation; a successful hefsek does not replace the first day's check. The Shach specifically explains this distinction. [1] [5]
Halachic Sources
- Tur, Yoreh De'ah 196 — the hefsek and beginning the count on the following day
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 196:1–2 — the timing of the hefsek and the moch dachuk
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 196:11 — waiting before the count and Rema's custom
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 196:6 — the checking cloth and type of check
- Shach, Yoreh De'ah 196, comment 8 on Shulchan Aruch 196:4 — the hefsek as distinct from the checks during the clean days