First, Identify the Type of Case
In the laws of family purity, a discovered stain is called a ketem; the plural is ketamim. Shulchan Aruch discusses them in a separate chapter as a matter of rabbinic enactment. Stains are subject to conditions that cannot automatically be applied to observed bleeding or an internal check. The first useful step is to describe precisely what happened. [1]
When asking a question, basic facts matter: whether the stain was found on underwear, on the body, on another object, or on a checking cloth; when it was noticed; and whether a check had been performed beforehand. The words “a small stain” convey an impression but leave unclear the circumstances on which a halachic ruling may depend.
Color, Size, and Surface
Shulchan Aruch distinguishes between prohibited and permitted shades. A question about color therefore requires precision; general words such as “dark” may not be enough. For certain stains, whether the size exceeds a gris—a defined halachic measure—is taken into account. This criterion applies to the relevant cases of ketamim and is not a universal rule for every trace of blood. [2] [3]
The surface and the color of the fabric also matter. Yoreh De'ah 190:10 separately discusses colored clothing and an object that is not susceptible to ritual impurity. These conditions explain why seemingly similar findings may receive different answers. It is better to include the practical assessment of a particular material in the question rather than replace it with a guess about its properties. [4]
Internal Checks Follow Different Rules
A trace on a cloth that was inspected beforehand and used for an internal check is subject to stricter rules: Shulchan Aruch considers even a small amount of blood that prohibits intimacy. The rule concerning the size of a gris therefore cannot be used to declare such a result permissible on your own. First, the color, the origin of the trace, and the circumstances of the check must be assessed. [5]
If another source of blood is suspected, this is also important information. Shulchan Aruch discusses cases in which a stain can be attributed to an external cause or a wound, with differing conditions. The question “Where could the trace have come from?” helps with the assessment, but the mere possibility of another explanation does not replace a ruling. [6]
How to Prepare a Clear Question
It is helpful to keep the object or checking cloth and record the date and stage: before the hefsek, during the clean days, or after immersion. Indicate which checks have already been performed. If the shade is uncertain, ask the rabbi answering the question how to show the sample; a detailed verbal description does not always convey the actual color.
It is especially important to specify which clean day it is: Rema separately discusses certain stains during the first three days of the count. The need to ask a question means that details are needed for an answer. It does not in itself constitute a ruling to invalidate the count or permit intimacy. [7]
Halachic Sources
- Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 190:1 — the basis of the laws of ketamim
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 188:1–2 — assessing shades
- Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 190:5–6 — stain size and distinctions between cases
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 190:10 — colored fabric and surface properties
- Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 190:33; Taz on this subsection — a trace on a checking cloth
- Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De'ah 190:11, 18 — a possible alternative source of a stain
- Rema, Yoreh De'ah 196:10 — the particular rules of the first three clean days