If her husband is in town, it is the duty of a woman to immerse herself at the proper time, in order not to delay the mitzvah of propogation even for one night; for Joshua was punished for causing Yisrael to delay the mitzvah of propogation for one night. A woman who delays her immersion in order to torment her husband, will be severely punished, God forbid.

She is forbidden to immerse¹ 63. herself on the seventh (clean) day before the stars appear (nightfall). Even if she immerses close to nightfall, and will be unable to return home before dark, it is also forbidden. Even if she was delayed and did not immerse herself on the night following the seventh day, but is immersing herself afterwards, she is also forbidden to immerse in the daytime. In such a case, too, she should be strict and not immerse even shortly before dark,² 197:3. Chochmas Adam says she should not leave the house to go to the mikvah at a time when she would arrive there before nightfall. and not return home until dark. She should immerse herself only at night. Brides who immerse before the chupah, may immerse themselves on the eighth day or thereafter, during the daytime. In case of emergency, even if the bride must immerse on the seventh day, she may also immerse during the daytime, even in the morning after sunrise. But they should not make the chupah until the stars appear. If the bride immerses after the chupah, even though it is the first immersion of her married life, she is subject to the same laws as apply to any other woman.

footnotes: ¹ Maseches Eruvin ² Shulchan Aruch

In case of emergency, as when she is afraid to immerse at night on account of the cold or some other fear, or if the mikvah is outside the city, and the gates of the city are locked at night, she is allowed to immerse on the eighth day during the daytime. But on the seventh day, she is not allowed to immerse in the daytime even in the event of an emergency.³ 197:5 says she need not repeat her immersion after nightfall. Shach—Maharam rule that she must repeat it. She is permitted to immerse in the daytime on the eighth day in case of an emergency, only if she makes the chafifah then, immediately before the immersion. But if the eighth day is Shabbos or Yom Tov, in which case she would have to make the chafifa a day before her immersion, and then do the immersion in the daytime, such practice is forbidden, for two concessions may not be made in one case. (The concessions being, immersion in the daytime and a long interval between chafifa and immersion).

footnotes: ³ If she immerses on the seventh day before nightfall. Shulchan Aruch

She should not stand on anything during the immersion. If the water of the mikvah is deep, and she must stand on a step, she must consult a poseik.

She must not immerse in a place where people might see her, for this might cause her to immerse hastily, and thus she may not immerse properly. If she has already performed the immersion, and she is positive she immersed properly, her immersion is valid.

When she immerses herself, she must have in attendance⁴, this is a de’oraisa. Rabbi Akiva Eiger Responsa 114 is undecided if this is a de’oraisa or de’rabonon. a Jewish woman, older than twelve years and one day, to see that none of her hair remains floating on the water.⁵ If there is no woman available, her husband may stand by her to see to it that she immerses properly.⁶)

footnotes: ⁴ According to the Sidrei Taharah ⁵ This would totally invalidate her immersion. ⁶ If she would prefer, she may loosely wrap her hair in woolen strings or use a loose hair net. (Bach, Ra’avad

She is permitted to immerse on Friday night if it is the proper time for her immersion, and she was unable to immerse before this,⁷ 131. Or if she had immersed before, and found dirt under her nails etc, for which she must repeat the immersion—Shach—Maharah Lublin. Or if she was slightly ill—Levushei Sarad, or if this water was too cold for her. (Imrei Binah, Chapter 9) and provided her husband is in town. But if her husband is out of town, or if she was able to immerse before, she is forbidden to immerse on Friday night.⁸ 197:2). Bach and Taz rule that it is a halachah. Sidrei Taharah says if she postponed her day of immersion for no reason, she may not immerse on Shabbos. Chachmas Adam, Aruch Hashulchan, Taharas Yisroel etc. maintain that the prevailing custom is that she may go to the (mikvah) on Friday night, even if there is no reason why she could not have gone before. If it is after she had given birth, there are many intricate laws regarding if she is permitted to immerse on Friday night or not, so she should consult a poseik. A woman whose date of immersion was before Friday night, but she failed to immerse because her husband was out of town, and he arrived on Friday, in some communities they are strict and do not allow such an immersion on Friday night. In a community without an established custom one should not be strict about this. In communities where the custom is to be strict about Friday night immersions, she may not immerse even⁹ should be done by day; and if she immerses motzei Shabbos she has to make her chafifah erev Shabbos. The chafifah must be close to the time of immersion if possible; therefore, if she is able to immerse close to the chafifah, she may not postpone it for a time when she will not be able to perform the immersion shortly after the chafifah. This is consistent with the view that does not allow her to immerse on Shabbos night, if she was able to do so before. at the conclusion of Shabbos.¹⁰. (see footnote 8) A widow who got married (while menstrually unclean), is forbidden to immerse for her first time on Friday night since he is forbidden to have initial marital relations with her on Shabbos.¹¹ 148:4. (However) on the conclusion of Shabbos, some authorities are lenient and permit her to immerse.

footnotes: ⁷ Or if accidently she was delayed—Nodah Beyehudah Tinyana ⁸ This is a custom (Ramah ⁹ Because according to Rashi, the chafifah ¹⁰ The prevailing custom is that all women may immerse on motzei Shabbos ¹¹ See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

After immersing properly, while she is still standing in the water, she should recite the berachah: Asher kideshanu bemitzvosav vetzivanu al hatevillah. ("Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning immersion.") She should be strict,¹² who says that women, too, should abide by the concept of separating the heart from the nakedness (the Taz and Shach). Shulchan Aruch maintain that this does not apply to women. and before reciting the berachah, she should cover her lower limbs with a cloth, or at least hold her arms together on her body, to serve as a separation from her lower limbs. She should not look into the water while reciting the berachah. If she immerses in a place where she is able to make the water opaque by stirring it with her feet, it is best to do so before reciting the berachah. Some women are accustomed after reciting the berachah to immerse one more time, and this is a proper custom. If she does so, she must take care that the second immersion also be done properly.

footnotes: ¹² This is according to Bach

After she has properly immersed in the mikvah she is permitted to enter the bath-house to warm herself, even if it is a steam bath. But according to some Poskim it is forbidden to wash again in a tub,¹³.) and this is the prevailing custom. As far as pouring hot water on herself to warm her body, she may be lenient. But in a community where custom forbids this too, she may not be lenient.

footnotes: ¹³ So that people will not think that the bath purifies her, rather than the (mikvah

A woman should be modest about her immersion, and conceal the date of her immersion. She should not go to the (mikvah) when people are about. [She should arrange it] so that people will not notice her. Concerning a woman who does not act modestly, it is said, "Cursed be he who lies with any kind of animal."¹⁴ 27:21. She should also take care when leaving the (mikvah) that her friend should meet her and touch her, so that she not be met first by an unclean thing such as a dog, a donkey, a pig, a horse, a metzorah, or similar things, or by a person, ignorant in Torah, and not God-fearing or a non-Jew. If any of these meet her (first), if she is God-fearing, she will return and immerse again. If one meets a woman leaving the (mikvah) after her immersion, he may expect some mishap, God forbid. To prevent this he should recite these two verses: "He pours contempt upon nobles and causes them to wander, in the wasteland, where there is no path"¹⁵ 107:40. and, "He pours contempt upon nobles and he loosens the belt of the mighty."¹⁶ 12:21.

footnotes: ¹⁴ Deuteronomy ¹⁵ Psalms ¹⁶ Job

With regard to heating the water of the mikvah, some authorities forbid it and some authorities permit it. The prevailing custom in many communities is to permit it, but where no such custom prevails, one should not be lax about it. In a place where it is customary to permit immersion on Friday night, care must be taken that the water should not be hot, but lukewarm.¹⁷ 86:1.

footnotes: ¹⁷ See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

With regard to immersion in rivers, according to many great halachic authorities, of blessed memory, the immersion in a river is valid only when it is so small that it is certain that the river did not increase due to rainwater or melted snow, because rainwater and melted snow purify only when they are gathered together and standing as a mikvah. But when they are flowing on the ground they do not purify. Only spring waters purify [even] when flowing on the ground. However, in an emergency, as when there is no mikvah, it is customary to be lenient, and to rely on the poskim who rule according to the poseik who says even when we see that the river was increased from the rain water, nevertheless, the major increase is from its source under the ground. For in time of rain, the air is full of moisture, and the sources of the springs increase and becomes stronger. Consequently, the water in the river is always mostly from underground springs, and the rainwater is nullified within it, and therefore it purifies even though it contains water that flowed on the ground. However, in a place where there is a mikvah,¹⁸ Responsa 202, Sharei Taharah and Peri Hadaseh say she must go to another city where there is a mikvah, even if it means immersing on the eighth day. far be it from anyone to be lenient about it. Even where there is no mikvah, if possible, it is best to be strict and if the river increased from rain water, she should postpone her immersion two or three days, until it resumes its normal level. It is best, if possible, not to immerse in the place where the river was widened, but rather in the place where it flows continuously; for in that case there is somewhat more ground for leniency.

footnotes: ¹⁸ The Chassam Sofer

With regard to a river which is formed entirely by rain and at times completely dries up, although during the rainfall some other streams empty into it, nevertheless, since occasionally it dries up completely, there are no grounds to permit immersion in it while the water is flowing on the ground, until the water gathers and remains standing.

The laws regarding mikvah are very numerous. Wherever a mikvah is being made, it should be constructed only under the supervision of a very renowned poseik, great in Torah and in fear of God. When any change occurs (in the mikvah), whether a minor or major (change), a competent poseik should be consulted immediately. Also, when it becomes necessary to draw the water in order to clean it, a poseik should be consulted about the proper way to do it.