She must immerse her entire body, and all her hair at one time. She must, therefore, be extremely careful while immersing, that there be nothing on her that would interpose [between the water and her body.] For even the slightest particle, at times is considered a chatsitsah (an interposition), and renders her immersion invalid. Not only must the water reach the external part of her body, but even the internal parts of the body, which the water does not penetrate, must nevertheless be fit for the penetration of water. For example, although it is not necessary that the water enter her mouth, nevertheless, if there is an intervening particle between her teeth, her immersion is invalid, as will be explained, God willing. Every woman must know this rule: All parts of her body must be clean, and fit for the water to reach them during immersion.

When mucous is outside the eye, it is a chatsitsah (interposition) even if it is moist. Mucous inside the eye, it is not a chatsitsah, if it is moist but if it is dry, and has begun to turn green, it is considered a chatsitsah.¹ maintain this does not apply to the laws of family purity, rather to laws of purity pertaining to sacrifices, food etc. (which at present are not possible to implement). The Shach 198:13 says if she cannot repeat her immersion, she may rely on this majority opinion and is permitted to her husband.

footnotes: ¹ Most poskim

The dried blood on a wound is considered a chatsitsah, but the matter (pus etc.) that is inside the wound, is not considered a chatsitsah. Discharged matter is not a chatsitsah when wet,² 198:9). but when dry, it is a chatsitsah. Therefore, a woman who has scabs, must rub them in water until they soften. Even if it is painful to remove the crust of a wound, or if she has blisters, she must either remove them, or soften them well in water.

footnotes: ² The first three days it is considered wet (Shulchan Aruch

The plaster on a wound is considered a chatsitsah. Sometimes plasters are applied to last for three or four months, and then fall off. During this time they cannot be removed without tearing the skin, and even if the woman says she is used to them and does not mind them, nevertheless, they are considered a chatsitsah. A woman had a wound which opened, and gauze made of worn linen clothing was inserted into the hole (of the wound) underneath the bandage. Even if the bandage is removed and the gauze is not visible because it is deep inside, it is, nevertheless considered a chatsitsah. (Teshuva Ma'ahava)

Filth on the body that resulted from perspiration, is considered a (chatsitsah) when dry. When a persons hands are soiled with mud, dough or perspiration, and he rubs them together, crumb-like particles are formed, and they are considered a chatsitsah.

Ink, milk, honey, fig juice, berry juice, carob resin, juice of the fruit of the sycamore (which is a type of fig), are considered a chatsitsah when dry, but are not a chatsitsah when moist. All other juices, even when moist are a chatsitsah. Also blood, even when moist,³ 21a.) is a chatsitsah.

footnotes: ³ Only if it has begun to congeal so that if you touch it, it sticks to you and draws like a string. (Rashi, Maseches Menachos

The coloring used by women to color their faces, hands, and hair on their heads, is not considered a chatsitsah. Also, a woman whose occupation is dyeing clothes, or similar work, and as a result her hands are colored, and all other women engaged in this occupation, usually do not mind this, it is not considered a chatsitsah.

Concerning dirt under the nails, there are a number of factors involved. It is already the established custom to cut the nails of the hands and the feet before the ritual immersion. She must be careful to burn them afterward, for if her husband should step on them, or if another man should step on them it is dangerous. (When she immerses) on Shabbos or Yom Tov, and has forgotten to cut them beforehand, some authorities permit her to have them cut⁴ 198:21 forbids this and says she should immerse without having them cut, but should clean under them. Biur Halacha 340: 1 rules like Magein Avrohom, Nekudos Hakessef, and Shevus Yaakov Vol. 2 Responsa 8 that if need be she may have a non-Jewess cut them even with a clipper. The Chacham Tzvi does not permit having them cut with a tool. Toe nails should just be cleaned, rather than cut by a non-Jewess on Shabbos. (Biur Halachah) (on Shabbos) by a non-Jewess. If she has a swelling over the nail, and is thus unable to cut it or to clean underneath it, and the swelling is so large that the dirt underneath it is not visible, it is not a chatsitsah. If a woman forgot to cut her nails and performed the ritual immersion, and became aware of it before having marital relations with her husband, she must have another immersion. If she did not become aware of it until after having marital relations with her husband, she should consult a Rav.

footnotes: ⁴ Taz

She should be careful to remove her earrings and rings before the ritual immersion.

She must clean her teeth before immersing because it is common that remnants of food are found between the teeth. If she immersed herself and then found something between them or adhering to them, her immersion is invalid. Some women are accustomed not to eat meat the day they are to go to the mikvah, because meat gets between the teeth more so than other foods, and it is to be feared that even after cleaning some of it may remain; this is an excellent custom. On Shabbos and Yom Tov when we do eat meat, she must be careful to clean them very well. Every woman must be careful not to eat any food⁵ Vol. 3 Responsa 118 permits her to drink, in opposition to the Mekor Chaim. between the chafifah and the immersion. During the entire day of her immersion, she should not knead dough, or make wax candles, so that nothing will cling to her. But on Friday if it is her custom to knead the dough herself, in honor of Shabbos, she should not refrain from doing so; however, she must be careful to wash her hands thoroughly afterward.

footnotes: ⁵ The Zerah Emess

A woman who has an artificial tooth, should consult a competent poseik concerning how to perform the immersion.⁶ if it is removable (for cleaning purposes, etc., it is a chatsitsah. (see Avnei Nezer Responsa 258, Shoel V’maishiv Tinyana Vol. 3 Responsa 108, Igros Moshe Responsa 92.) A woman who has a lead filling⁷. See footnote 6. Some poskim permit immersion while having temporary fillings, for there is a set time in which they must be left in. Also even after their removal, the tooth is covered again by the new filling. See Igros Moshe Responsa 97. Some are stringent about this and require that the temporary filling be scheduled to remain in place at least for thirty days from the time of her immersion. in her dental cavities, and also a woman who is ruptured and wears a ring in her womb, should consult a competent poseik.

footnotes: ⁶ As a general rule, if it is a permanent tooth it is not a chatsitsah; ⁷ Today’s fillings are not a chatsitsah

Another woman should not hold her during the immersion, because the water will not penetrate to the place within her grasp. In case of emergency, the woman who must hold her should first dip her own hands into the mikvah,⁸ 120. Even if she wet her hands in the mikvah, and took her hands out of the mikvah and grasped her friend’s arm outside the mikvah, it does not help, and is considered a chatsitsah— Levush and Sidrei Taharah. However, the Gra says all water is valid, and even if she grasps her outside the mikvah, and even if she grasps her tightly, it is still valid. Taz says it need not be mikvah water, but he maintains it does not help if she holds her with a tight grip. and afterward hold her. She should not hold her tightly with a strong grip, but with a moderate grip⁹) that people usually use.

footnotes: ⁸ Wetting the hands in other water does not help. Ramah ⁹ This is done only in case of emergency, for we are not all experts to differentiate between an average grip and a strong one. (see Sidrei Taharah

Whenever possible she should not immerse in a place where there is mud on the bottom because it might be a chatsitsah. In case of emergency, it is the custom to be lenient as the mud generally found in water is not very thick. But the mud found at the edge of a river which clings to the feet is considered a chatsitsah. Therefore, she must be careful when going to immerse herself in the river to wash her feet well from the mud that stuck to her, from the edge of the river. If she wants to set something in the river under her feet upon which to stand during the immersion, she must consult a competent poseik, for there are many things upon which it is forbidden to stand during immersion.

She should not stand erect during immersion, because certain parts of her body are concealed by this posture; nor should she bend over so much that her hidden parts will be pressed together. But she must bend slightly, until the hidden places of her lower limbs are exposed as they are when she kneads dough, when she spreads her legs slightly in order to stand firm and knead briskly. Also, the space under her breasts should appear as it appears when she nurses a baby. She does not have to separate her thighs to any great extent, nor to extend her arms from her body too much, but they should be like they are when she walks. If she bends over too much, or stands up too erect, her immersion is invalid,¹⁰. However, the Sidrei Taharah, Chochmas Adam, Aruch Hashulchan etc. are lenient in this event. Therefore, if she already spent the night at home, she need not go back to repeat her immersion. because folds will have been formed in her body, and the water will not penetrate there. Therefore, it is necessary to watch that the water level be higher than three tefachim above her navel, for in such a manner, she will be able to immerse properly. In case of emergency, when the water level is not so high, she should slowly sit herself down in the water until it reaches her neck, and then immerse herself in a way that initially the part of her body still out of the water will not form any folds. The folds that form afterwards on her body while in the water do not matter, because the water has already penetrated there. If the water level is very low, then in an emergency, she may immerse herself in a prostrate position like a fish provided that her entire body and hair are submerged in the water at the same time.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Ra’avad

She does not need to open her mouth to let the water in, nor should she close it too tightly. If she closed it tightly her immersion is invalid. Rather she should close her lips together in a natural way. If she put strands of her hair into her mouth when immersing, her immersion is invalid, because the water did not reach her hair.

She should not close her eyes tightly because folds will be formed under them, nor should she open them too much because folds will be formed above them, but she should keep them lightly closed.

She must remove the mucus from around the nose as well as from inside, but whatever is higher up in the nose, is not considered a chatsitsah. Similarly, she must remove the wax from the ears. Some authorities say that she should pass water before immersing, if she needs to. She must also check if she needs to ease herself from stool or water, so she will not need to restrain herself and render that area impenetrable to water. If she did not do so, it does not invalidate the immersion.

She should not immerse herself with dust on her feet. If she did immerse herself and the dust was that thin that the water washed it away, the immersion is valid.

Ordinary lice and fleas do not cling to the body. Therefore the water penetrates and they are not considered a chatsitsah. But the kind of lice that cling to the skin, and bite the skin where there is hair, and cling tightly to the skin, must be removed by means of hot water, or scraped off with the fingernail. If she is unable to remove them they do not constitute a chatsitsah. The small lice that cling to the hair, must be removed because they do constitute a chatsitsah.

If a woman has elf-locks, called in Ashkenaz "moertzep," or "moer locken," and in Polish-Russian, "kaaltanis," and it is dangerous to cut them, they do not constitute a (chatsitsah.) Even if there are some threads entangled in them, which cannot be removed, if they are not visible from the outside, they do not constitute a chatsitsah.