יורה דעה קצ״וYoreh De'ah 196

Se’if 1א׳

שִׁבְעָה יָמִים שֶׁהַזָּבָה סוֹפֶרֶת מַתְחִילִין מִמָּחֳרַת יוֹם שֶׁפָּסְקָה בּוֹ. וְכָךְ מִשְׁפָּטָהּ, אִם תִּרְאֶה ב' יָמִים אוֹ ג' וּפָסְקָה מִלִּרְאוֹת, בּוֹדֶקֶת בַּיּוֹם שֶׁפָּסְקָה כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּפְסֹק בְּטָהֳרָה; וּבְדִיקָה זוֹ תִּהְיֶה סָמוּךְ לְבֵין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין לְכַתְּחִלָּה; וּבְדִיעֲבַד, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא בָּדְקָה עַצְמָהּ רַק שַׁחֲרִית וּמָצְאָה עַצְמָהּ טְהוֹרָה, סָגֵי בְּכָךְ. (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַשְׁבָּ"א וּבֵית יוֹסֵף אַף לְפִי דִּבְרֵי הָרֹא"שׁ). וּלְעוֹלָם יְלַמֵּד אָדָם לְהַחְמִיר לְכַתְּחִלָּה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁתְּהֵא בּוֹדֶקֶת בְּיוֹם הֶפְסֵק טַהֲרָתָהּ בְּמוֹךְ דָּחוּק וְשֶׁיְּהֵא שָׁם כָּל בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, שֶׁזּוֹ הַבְּדִיקָה מוֹצִיאָה מִיְּדֵי סָפֵק (רַשְׁבָּ"א בְּתה"ק). הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אִם הִתְפַּלְּלוּ הַקָּהָל עַרְבִית וְעוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל, אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לִבְדֹּק אָז לִלְבֹּשׁ לְבָנִים וּלְהַתְחִיל וְלִמְנוֹת מִיּוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת, מֵאַחַר דְּהַקָּהָל כְּבָר עָשׂוּ אוֹתוֹ לַיְלָה (ת"ה), וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּמֻתָּר אֲפִלּוּ עָשׂוּ הַקָּהָל שַׁבָּת (אָגוּר בְּשֵׁם מהרי"ל) ; וְנוֹהֲגִין לְכַתְּחִלָּה לִזָהֵר, וּבְדִיעֲבַד אֵין לָחוּשׁ. וּמִקְצָת נָשִׁים נוֹהֲגוֹת שֶׁאִם פָּסְקָה קֹדֶם בָּרְכוּ וְחָזְרָה לִרְאוֹת כֶּתֶם אוֹ דָּם תּוֹךְ יְמֵי סְפִירָתָהּ, אָז מַפְסִיקִין אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר בָּרְכוּ אִם נִתְקַלְקְלָה סָמוּךְ לָעֶרֶב, וְחוֹשְׁבִים דָּבָר זֶה לְדִיעֲבַד; וְאֵין לִמְחוֹת בְּיָדָם, כִּי כֵן קִבְּלוּ מֵאֵיזֶה חָכָם שֶׁהוֹרָה לָהֶן, וְהוּא מִנְהַג וָתִיקִין.

The seven days which the Zava counts start from the day after she stops seeing blood. Likewise, the law is that if she sees blood for 2 or 3 days and subsequently stops seeing blood, she should do an internal examination on the day she stopped seeing blood in order to establish her tahara status. This internal examination should be done just prior to the onset of halachic twilight (ie. just before sunset). [And this is the way one should ideally act; but if, after the fact, even if she only did an internal examination in the morning and found no blood, that would suffice.] A person should always teach his wife to [be stringent for the ideal ruling and] do internal examination on the day she stops seeing blood using a compressed wad of cloth which should be inserted for the entire time of halachic twilight, because this type of internal examination frees us from doubt. [Gloss: There are authorities who say that if the local community has prayed the evening prayer while it is still early in the day, a woman is no longer able to do an internal examination and begin counting and wearing her white garments the following day, because of the fact that the local community has already established it as nighttime. There are also authorities who say that she would be permitted to do so even if the local community had accept the Sabbath; our practice is to ideally be stringent, but after the fact one does not have to worry about the stringent opinions. There are some women who act as follows: If she did an internal examination before the Chazzan says "Barchu" (at the evening service which the local community said while it was still daytime), but then during the course of her days of counting she saw some blood (and had to start her count over with a new internal examination) in that situation she would be able to do an internal examination even after the Chazzan says "Barchu" (at the evening service which the local community said while it was still daytime) if this blood was seen close to the onset of nighttime. This practice is not considered ideal, but one should not protest women who behave this way as they have received this ruling from a sage who ruled this way for them, and it is an old custom.]

Se’if 2ב׳

רָאֲתָה יוֹם אֶחָד בִּלְבַד וּפָסְקָה בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם, צְרִיכָה לִבְדֹּק עַצְמָהּ בְּמוֹךְ דָּחוּק וְשֶׁיְּהֵא שָׁם כָּל בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. הַגָּה: וּבְדִיעֲבַד אִם בָּדְקָה עַצְמָהּ סָמוּךְ לְבֵין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת וּמָצְאָה עַצְמָהּ טְהוֹרָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה הַמּוֹךְ אֶצְלָהּ כָּל בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, סָגִי (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַשְׁבָּ"א וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּשֵׁם רַמְבַּ"ן וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לְהָרַמְבַּ"ם וכ"מ בַּשָּׁ"ס). אֲבָל בְּדִיקַת שַׁחֲרִית לֹא מֵהָנֵי, הוֹאִיל וְלֹא רָאֲתָה רַק יוֹם אֶחָד (רַשְׁבָּ"א וְרַמְבַּ"ן בְּשֵׁם י"א וְכ"ד רַמְבַּ"ם פ"ו מהא"ב וּבְפי' מִשְׁנָה סוֹף פ"ד וּבַרְטְנוּרָה שָׁם).

If a woman saw blood for just one day, and she stopped seeing blood on that same day, she must do an internal examination with a compressed wad of cloth which should remain inserted for the entire duration of halachic twilight. [Gloss: But, after the fact, if she did a standard internal examination just before the onset of halachic twilight and found no blood, even though the wad was not inserted for the entire duration of halachic twilight, it is sufficient. However, in this case an internal examination done in the morning would not suffice because of the fact that she only saw blood for one day.]

Se’if 3ג׳

בַּיּוֹם שֶׁפָּסְקָה מִלִּרְאוֹת וּבוֹדֶקֶת עַצְמָהּ כָּאָמוּר, תִּלְבַּשׁ חָלוּק הַבָּדוּק לָהּ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֶּתֶם, וּבַלַּיְלָה תָּשִׂים סְדִינִים הַבְּדוּקִים מִכְּתָמִים, וּמִיּוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת תַּתְחִיל לִסְפֹּר שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים. הַגָּה: וּמִנְהָג כָּשֵׁר הוּא כְּשֶׁהָאִשָּׁה פּוֹסֶקֶת בְּטָהֳרָה שֶׁתִּרְחַץ וְלוֹבֶשֶׁת לְבָנִים; אָמְנָם אִם לֹא רָחֲצָה רַק פָּנֶיהָ שֶׁל מַטָּה, דַּי בְּכָךְ (מָרְדְּכַי בְּשֵׁם רוֹקֵחַ), וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין וְאֵין לְשַׁנּוֹת; אֲבָל בִּשְׁעַת הַדַּחַק, כְּגוֹן אִשָּׁה הַהוֹלֶכֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְאֵין לָהּ בְּגָדִים, תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר ז' נְקִיִּים רַק שֶׁהֶחָלוּק נָקִי וּבָדוּק מִדָּם (אָגוּר וְהַגָּהוֹת שַׁ"ד סוֹף סִימָן י"ט).

(On the day which we have been discussing, ie.) the day she stopped seeing blood and did an internal examination, she should wear a garment that has been checked and found free from stains, and at night she should make her bed with sheets which have been checked and found free from stains. On the following day she begins counting her seven blood-free days. [Gloss: It is an upright practice that before a woman does the internal examination that she wash herself and wear white garments. Even if she only washes her genital area, that is enough. This is the way our communities act and one should not depart from this practice; however, in a dire situation, such as a woman who is going on a trip and doesn't have (white) clothing, she is still able to begin counting her seven blood-free days. She should, however, do her best to wear clothing which have been checked beforehand and found free of any blood stains. (Although this last line does not follow the seeming literal translation, based on commentaries this seems to be the position of the Rama)]