[Avodah] Henna parties

[saul mashbaum]

RISober concisely summarized many of the laws of chatzita, based in YD 198:17 and other seifim, and stated:
>Acrylic nails or nail  polish is a minority of her body about which she is
> not makpedet - in fact, the polish or acrylic is
> decorative and she wants it to remain in place [ are not a chatzitza]

RAMiller asked
>If so, then why is it that women *do* remove their acrylic nails and 
>nail polish prior to tevilah? I recall once hearing that this is 
>*not* halacha, only a minhag of the women. The phrase "das yehudis" 
>might have been applied to this.

AIUI, what RAM heard is correct. RIS alluded to this when she summarized:
>>
L'chat'chila, we try to remove all foreign substances before tevilah. Bediavad - when a woman has a need or desire not to remove some foreign object (e.g., a medical, cosmetic, or unremovable item) a specific individual she'elah should always be asked, especially if the alternative is delaying mikveh or chas v'shalom dropping mikveh observance altogether.
 >>

Tvila is an area of halacha in which the gap between ikkar-hadin and the common practice is very large.
For example, Rav Menashe Klein has a very intersting tshuva in Shu"t Mishne Halachot VI:155, in which he discusses
false eyelashes regarding tvila. He comes to the conclusion that since they are designed not to be removed,                               and the woman wants them to be in place, they are not a chatzitza. This is me-ikkar hadin. He then notes that
in practice for various reasons we are inclined to be stringent in these laws, far beyond the demands of the halacha.

Thus we have the situation, referred to by RIS, where the posek being asked a shayla has to carefully consider the level of
halachic  committment of the woman asking the question when formulating his answer. Althi\ough often the most accurate   
answer is " It's ok meikkar hadin, but our practice is to avoid it", many women prefer a less nuanced answer. 
"Just tell me what to do" many women are inclined to say. In cases like this, many rabbonim will give a meikil psak if they think 
a machmir one will negatively affect the woman's observance of tvilla. OTOH, a woman who is in general meticulous in
halachic observance will surely be instructed to follow common practice. 

As RTK pointed out in her Avodah posting on the subject, mikva ladies are made aware of ikkar hadin, and apparently are insructed to use some judgement in instructing the tovlot how to conduct themselves, based on the level of their halachic committment. Presumably this applies to yoatzot halacha as well (mikva ladies were obviously the first yoatzot). I well imagine most women who take kallah classes are instucted *only* in the common, stringent, l'chatchilla, practice, and are not made aware of ikkar hadin regarding chatzitza; RTK indicates was the case by herself, until she learned to be a mikva lady.  Although someting may be said for this teaching strategy, I think most kallot nowadays are sophisicated enough to be taught both, and instructed to follow the accepted practice. 


Saul Mashbaum