[Avodah] Yeshiva is a Mikva to a Ben or Bat Niddah

[Madjsolomon at aol.com]

In response to the  thread titled ‘Yeshiva is a Mikva’, it is important to 
be clear about what the  ‘pgam’ is and how this can be removed through ‘
immersion’ in Torah study.  
The question of  marriage to a Ben or Bat Niddah is not a new one (see EH 
4:13, and the comment  of the Vilna Gaon there who explains that this is in fact 
not a spiritual  blemish but instead an indication that such a person will 
have a deficiency in  character).  
It has been  discussed extensively by the poskim (for example Mishne Halakhot 
7:211; Shevet  Halevi 3 173.6, 4:162 and 6:129.22; Iggrot Moshe EH 4 4:14 and 
23.3; Minchat  Yitzchak 7:107), and some of these opinions have been recorded 
and considered by  Rabbi Moshe Weinberger in his ‘Jewish Outreach: Halakhic 
perspectives’ pgs.  112-116). There he refers to the ruling referred to on 
Avodah of Rav Moshe  Feinstein (source quoted above) and examines the argument 
offered that ‘she most  probably had gone swimming in a lake or ocean and in 
doing so became permitted  to her husband before the child was conceived’.  
However, in addition  to the above sources, important contributions to this 
discussion have been made  by Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch (see for example Teshuvot 
VeHanhagot 2:627 and 3:389).  In the first source we see Rabbi Sternbuch 
struggle with this issue, recognising  that fear of Heaven and learning of Torah are 
of great significance. In fact, he  adds that through the study of Torah one 
attains Zechut Atzmit. However, in many  ways his arguments here are 
inconclusive. Yet in the second source cited,  although discussing marrying someone 
whose parents profane Shabbat in public, he  goes further emphasising the role of 
Yichus Atzmit and the effect attendance at  (Yeshiva and) Sem can have in 
transforming such an individual to becoming a ‘Bat  Talmid Chacham’. 
The question whether  Rabbi Sternbuch applies different rules to these two 
cases interested me, so  following a letter I wrote to him I called him up to 
investigate this matter. He  responded by noting that his arguments in the 
second source apply equally to the  first case.  
For a more explicit  source that Torah study not only creates a new lineage 
and identity for a Ben or  Bat Niddah but in fact removes the pgam completely, 
see Rabbi Shlomo Aviner’s  Sheilat Shlomo 6:115, citing Chief Rabbi Unterman 
who states that ‘at times the  power of Torah is so great that someone who 
studies Torah is able to remove this  pgam from their soul’.  
Johnny Solomon  (London)



   
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