| A woman during pregnancy and lactation 14. After the third month of pregnancy (i.e. from the beginning of the fourth month) until twenty four months after childbirth, a woman need not anticipate based on her previous periods, whether regular of irregular. If she did experience bleeding during this time, she must take it into consideration only as an irregular period in regard to subsequent anticipation. It must be noted, however, that even during pregnancy and the subsequent twenty-four months, if she experienced bleeding, she is a Nidah, and she must comply with the laws' of waiting, donning the white, counting the clean days, and the Tviloh, as at other times.
15. After the pregnancy and the twenty -four months after childbirth, she must again expect the regular period she had before her pregnancy, at the first occasion. For example, she must expect her regular Monthly Period on the first occurrence of the established day. In the case of a Regular Interval Period, after the menses appears once, she must expect the next menses according to her accustomed interval. Note.- The first paragraph of Chapter I and all of Chapter 8 deal only with separation after the arrival of the menses. Laws dealing with separation before the menses are discussed in Chapter 9. Glossary Shaaloh A question of Jewish law and its practical application, which must be referred only to a competent Orthodox Rabbi. Tvilah or Tviloh - Immersion in a kosher Mikvah according to the rules herein delineated. Erev Shobbos - The day before the Sabbath, i.e. Friday. Erev Yom Tov - The day before the festival. Kores Excision, cutting off. See Introduction. Mikvah or Mikvoh - A small pool of water constructed and filled according to the precise requirements of Jewish law. It must be under the supervision of a competent Orthodox Rabbinical authority to ensure that it remains in proper condition. Most large cities have Mikvahs built to accommodate the modern woman. They are meticulously clean, attractive, pleasant, and comfortable. The preparation rooms, too, are equipped with the latest accommodations. Nidah, (Nidus) - The impure state to which a woman is rendered by the onset of menstruation. She remains in this state until she has performed Tviloh according to the proper procedure. As long as a woman is a Nidah, she must separate from her husband (see Chapter 8). In addition to menstruation, other situations may render her a Nidah. In order to have a complete and thorough understanding of the term "Nidah", one must be familiar with the rules described in this booklet. Calculating the Three Major Rules A Summary Until a woman has established a regular period, she must always calculate her next expected period, taking into consideration all three major rules: the Monthly Rule, the Interval Rule, and the Median Rule. Once a regular period has been established, i.e. the period came three times in succession at equal times, she must anticipate subsequent periods taking into consideration only that rule according to which the period has been established, and no other rule, as will be explained further. The Monthly Rule: On the same day of the Hebrew month on which her period started, she expects the arrival of her next period in the coming month. For example, if her latest period arrived on Nissan 12, she anticipates her next period on lyar 12. If her period actually came on that day, and again on Sivan 12, she has established a regular period based on the Monthly Rule.
The Interval Rule: An interval Is the number of elapsed days between two periods. She must anticipate the arrival of her next period after the same number of days have elapsed as have elapsed between the start of her previous period and the start of her most recent period. If the period actually came on the date anticipated and then again after the same interval, she has established a regular period based on the Interval Rule, because there were 3 equal intervals between her 4 periods. For example: 12 Nissan - (31) - 12 lyar, 12 lyar - (31) - 13 Sivan, 13 Sivan - (31) - 13 Tammuz. She has established a regular Interval Period of 31 days and must anticipate 14 Av.
The Median Rule: This rule applies only to a woman who does not have a regular period (see Rule 3). If she did not menstruate until the thirtieth day from the start of her last period (including both the day of the start of the period and the thirtieth day), then, according to the Median Rule, she must anticipate her period on the thirtieth day (according to some authorities, she must also anticipate the thirty-first day). For example, if she had a period on a Monday, then the thirtieth day is four weeks later, on Tuesday (and the thirty-first day is on Wednesday).
Rule 1: On the day she expects her period, she must expect it (and examine herself) at the same part of the day - night or day - that her last period started. (However, the separation must start at the beginning of the preceding day or night, respectively.) Likewise, a regular period can be established only if all periods started by day or all started at night. Regarding the Interval Rule, however, the period is established, in certain respects (to determine stricter rulings of a regular period) even if some of the periods started during the day and some at night, as long as the number of days of the intervals are equal.
Rule 2: If a woman has not established a regular period, and had her period on a certain day (of the month and after a certain interval), if the next period did not come on the same day of the month or it arrived after a longer interval, then that period which was 'not repeated is disregarded and she need not expect it again. Furthermore, even if a period did repeat itself a second time, but the third time she had a period on another day of the month, or after a longer interval, then too, the previous periods are disregarded. Moreover, even if after the change she again had the period as previously, this is considered a new date, which will also be disregarded upon a single change, as we have just explained. Rule 3: If she had established a regular period and then there was a change, she must still anticipate the previously established regular period and, in addition, an irregular period based on her most recent (changed) period. This additional period is calculated according to the Monthly Rule and the Interval Rule, but not the Median Rule. If she had three consecutive unequal changes, then her regular period is temporarily disregarded, and she need not anticipate it. She must now anticipate only according to the changes, based on the Monthly Rule, the Interval Rule, as well as the Median Rule.
However, if her previously established period returns even once, she again anticipates only her established period and no other, and, as before, it cannot be disregarded unless it changes three times. If she had, however, three consecutive equal changes, thus establishing a new regular period, she must then' anticipate only this new period, and her previous regular period is completely nullified. If the old regular period subsequently returns once or twice, it is only an irregular period (which is disregarded upon a single change, as above). Rule 4: A period is nullified only if the expected day of the period passed and the period did not arrive (in the case of a regular period - three times, see Rule 3). (For this reason, she must observe the expected day - even on such a day that she is already prohibited to her husband - to notice if there is no bleeding). Therefore, if she has bleeding the next time before the anticipated date(s), then, regarding the Monthly Rule, she must still observe the original date, because the bleeding that came in-between does not change the anticipated date. In addition, according to the Monthly rule, she must also anticipate a period in the following month based on the day of the month her current bleeding started (see also Rule 3). As for the Interval Rule, if the period arrived earlier (in the case of a regular Interval Period, even if it arrived later), she must count the number of days of the previous interval and of the new interval from this last period only. Regarding the Median Rule, she does not have to anticipate her period according to the original calculation (since the period arrived before thirty days), but she must calculate it from her most recent period.
A woman, for whom the arrival of the period is connected with certain physical symptoms, for example: a heaviness in the head or the limbs, or a repeated succession of sneezes, etc., she must separate and examine herself at the onset of the particular symptom - no matter when. It is proper to note when the symptom starts and its duration. Also, if even once, a new symptom was connected with the arrival of her period, or a symptom established regularity for a particular day, she should consult a competent Rabbi for directions in regard to the separation. CAUTION The aforementioned rules give a summarized insight to the methods of figuring the days of separation, and should serve as a guide to the more common situations. It should not be taken as the complete set of laws, for the rules governing these computations are very lengthy and complicated. Moreover, there are other types of periods not mentioned here. Therefore, if you are not thoroughly familiar with these laws or if you have any doubts, a competent Rabbi should be consulted. He will help you make use of this chart properly (see sample on page 84). |