Explore Harmony in nature and marriage at Neshama Sheli: articles and reading collections about Jewish life. Discover the section and related topics for furthe…
We have reached the stage when menstruation begins again. The lining of the uterus and the unfertilized egg break down and are expelled from the body to make way for new creation. A woman enters the…
Immediately after immersion, the next phase begins, ending with the onset of the next menstrual period. This is the time when the uterine lining built up during the “seven clean days” “lives.” At thi…
The “seven clean days” have come to an end. A new stage begins. Now that the processes of creation in a woman’s body are largely complete, she immerses herself in the waters of the mikveh—natural wat…
The subject of this chapter is the seven-day period after menstruation ends. During this period, many important changes take place in a woman's body; in particular, an egg matures and the uterine lin…
When we feel unwell or need a medical examination for some reason, we see a doctor, even if we have some basic medical knowledge. Sometimes this means overcoming embarrassment, as when visiting a gyn…
Pregnancy is a time when something wondrous happens to a woman: a new life develops within her. A woman is granted the honor of offering “hospitality” to a holy soul that will join the people of Isra…
The Torah says: “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army, nor shall any [military duty] be imposed upon him; he shall be free at home for one year and shall bring joy to the wi…
Intimacy is forbidden to a married couple while the woman is a niddah, on the basis of the words of the Torah, which we have quoted more than once above: “And you shall not approach a woman during he…
Waiting, hoping, anticipating—this is one of the most characteristic states of the human psyche. People are made in such a way that they cannot appreciate the full value of something until they have…
Introduction SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN and WINTER follow one another outside our windows every year in the same unchanging sequence. Each season has its own merits and distinctive features. Together the…