Niddah Archives | Rosh Yeshiva Responds

3 05, 2026

Does Poletet Shichvat Zera Apply to Artificial Insemination?

May 3rd, 2026|Niddah, Sex, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

What would you say about a couple who have to do artificial insemination (such as IUI) while the woman is in niddah? Would poletet shivchat zera apply such that they would have to delay mikvah by four days?

ANSWER

Thank you for your question; it’s a really good one. My immediate intuition was that poletet should not apply here, for a few reasons.

By way of introduction, the concept of poletet shichvat zera is the basis for the common practice of waiting a minimum of four or five days before beginning the shivah

Abortion in Halakha: A Study Guide

7 02, 2019

Abortion in Halakha: A Study Guide

February 7th, 2019|Lifecycles, Marriage and Family, Niddah, Non-Jews and Other Religions, Science and Medical Ethics, Sex|

Guided Questions for Chavruta Learning

Sources 1-7 were covered in the previous sheet. Look at sources 8-12. Do they indicate that a fetus has the legal status / protections of a human life or not? Which ones indicate yes, which ones indicate no? If one were to claim that it was a life, how would she reconcile all the sources? How would one do so if she were to claim that it was not a life? Is there a middle position? How would you articulate it: quasi, potential, or something else? What halakhic category would destroying such a

19 04, 2018

May a Husband Give His Wife Supportive Touch During Childbirth? – Part 1

April 19th, 2018|Marriage and Family, Niddah|

QUESTION:

I am nine months pregnant, and my husband and I have been doing Lamaze classes to prepare for the birth of our baby. Part of the Lamaze method includes pressure massage and massage of the abdomen. I have been told, though, that it is forbidden by halakhah for my husband to do this because I will be in niddah at that time. Some people have even told me that I can’t hold my husband’s hand during childbirth for this reason. Is this true?

ANSWER:

It is wonderful to hear that you are expecting a baby! B’sha’ah tovah u’mutzlachat!

Your question is one that

Halakhic Status of a Deaf Person Who Cannot Speak Intelligibly: Part 2 – Poskim

6 09, 2016

Halakhic Status of a Deaf Person Who Cannot Speak Intelligibly: Part 2 – Poskim

September 6th, 2016|Disabilities|

In the previous lecture we saw that there were opinions of Tanaaim and Amoraim in the Talmud that would have allowed for a reassessment of a deaf person’s status, but that halakha rejected these opinions and rules categorically that a deaf person is not a person of legal standing. In this lecture, we will see how some poskim did reassess this status when it became clear that deaf people were fully intelligent and fully capable.

Some historical background:

It was commonly accepted that deaf people could not be educated; when

Join our WhatsApp group

Topics