what is niddah

Niddah is a term used in traditional Judaism to describe a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood, most commonly during menstruation, or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirement of immersion in a mikveh (ritual bath) . The word "niddah" means "moved" or "separated," and generally refers to separation due to ritual impurity. The laws of niddah are also known as taharat mishpacha, which refers to family purity laws governing the separation of husband and wife during and for 10 days following the womans menstruation. The niddah period begins with the onset of menstruation and is completed with the woman's immersion in a mikvah, a ritual pool of water. According to Jewish law, a woman becomes a niddah, a menstruating woman, if she is experiencing the full flow of her period, or any time she sees red blood emerging from her body or on white underwear that she is wearing, unless she has good reason to believe that the bleeding is not uterine in origin. Most couples who are interested in observing the laws of niddah take classes or private lessons to learn all of the details.