Niddah
The Niddah is the main command of a group of Jewish religious laws called that is to say, the laws of
The principle is that a married woman is considered ritually (and not morally or physically) impure period of its rules and that means a temporary physical separation of the couple.
In practice, couples who observe this commandment to refrain from physical relationships and much less sex during menstruation. And this for 7 days added to a period of 4 / 5 days minimum corresponding to the last trace of blood. Couples should also sleep separately during this period. At the end of the period, the woman must go to the mikvah (ritual bath) to resume the marital lifestyle.
"Niddah is also the name of a tractate of Talmud which is exclusively devoted to this subject. It takes as reference the text of the Torah and specifically the verses of Leviticus (15:19-30, 18:19, 20:18). The complexity of the subject is such that Jewish women often consult rabbinical authorities on the subject. Also, many Jewish women have assimilated the principles of niddah and teach courses to young brides.
This command is the subject of debate. Number (s) see it as archaic or sexist. For others, it can have a positive meaning for women: religious attention paid to the female body, "reunion" of the sexual couple made more intense by the separation. The majority of liberals and feminists have renewed Jewish rituals related to the mikvah.
Traditionally, rabbis will attach great importance to such an extent that a Jewish community should raise the construction of the mikvah before any other priority.
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