יורה דעה קצ״טYoreh De'ah 199

Se’if 1א׳

צְרִיכָה לְהָדִיחַ בֵּית הַשֶּׁחִי וּבֵית הַסְתָרִים שֶׁלָּהּ בְּמַיִם, וְלֹא בִּשְׁאָר מַשְׁקִין (מהרי"ק שֹׁרֶשׁ קנ"ט), וְלִסְרֹק שְׂעַר רֹאשָׁהּ יָפֶה בְּמַסְרֵק שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶינָה שַׂעֲרוֹתֶיהָ נִדְבָּקוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ; וְכֵן צְרִיכָה הָאִשָּׁה לְעַיֵּן בְּעַצְמָהּ וּבִבְשָׂרָהּ וּבוֹדֶקֶת כָּל גּוּפָהּ סָמוּךְ לִטְבִילָתָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא עָלֶיהָ שׁוּם דְּבַר מִאוּס שֶׁחוֹצֵץ; וְתָחֹף כָּל גּוּפָהּ, וְתִשְׁטֹף בְּמַיִם חַמִּין בִּשְׁעַת חֲפִיפַת גּוּפָהּ וּשְׂעָרָהּ.

She must rinse her armpits and her concealed places (bet ha-setarim — the hidden places that touching from without cannot reach) with water, and not with the rest of the liquids (Maharik, shoresh 159), and comb the hair of her head well with a comb, that her hairs should not be stuck one to another; and likewise the woman must look into herself and into her flesh, and she examines her whole body close to her immersion, that there be not upon her any loathsome thing that interposes; and she shall wash her whole body, and bathe in hot water at the time of the washing of her body and her hair.

Se’if 2ב׳

חֲפִיפָה שֶׁבִּמְקוֹם שֵׂעָר לֹא תִּהְיֶה בְּמַיִם קָרִים, לְפִי שֶׁמְּסַבְּכִין אֶת הַשֵּׂעָר, אֶלָּא בְּמַיִם חַמִּין; וּמִיהוּ אֲפִלּוּ בְּחַמֵּי חַמָּה סָגֵי. וְלֹא תָּחֹף בְּנֶתֶר הַנִּקְרָא בְּעַרְבִי: טפל (רַמְבַּ"ם בְּפי' הַמִּשְׁנָה פ"ב דְּכֵלִים) וּבְלַעַ"ז: גריד" א (ריב"ש), לְפִי שֶׁמְּחַתֵּךְ הַשֵּׂעָר וְחוֹזֵר וּמִסְתַּבֵּךְ, וְלֹא בְּאָהָל, לְפִי שֶׁמְּסַבֵּךְ הַשֵּׂעָר, וְלֹא בְּכָל דְּבָרִים הַמְסַבְּכִים הַשֵּׂעָר. הַגָּה: וְכָל זֶה לְכַתְּחִלָּה, אֲבָל אִם חָפְפָה בְּנֶתֶר וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, וְרָאֲתָה בְּעַצְמָהּ שֶׁאֵין שְׂעָרוֹת שֶׁלָּהּ קְשׁוּרִין וּמְסֻבָּכִין, שָׁרֵי (מהרי"ק שֹׁרֶשׁ קנ"ט). וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁצִּוּוּ אוֹתָהּ הָרוֹפְאִים שֶׁלֹּא תָּחֹף רֹאשָׁהּ בְּמַיִם, רַק בְּיַיִן, יֵשׁ לִשְׁאֹל לָרוֹפְאִים אִם הַיַּיִן מְסַבֵּךְ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת, וְאִם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְסַבֵּךְ יֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶן; וְאִם אֵין הָרוֹפְאִים בְּקִיאִין בַּדָּבָר, יֵשׁ לָאִשָּׁה לְנַסּוֹת לְעַצְמָהּ תְּחִלָּה אִם הַיַּיִן אֵינוֹ מְסַבֵּךְ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת, (גַּם זֶה שָׁם).

The washing that is in the place of hair shall not be with cold water, because it tangles the hair, but with hot water; however, even the hot water of the sun suffices. And she shall not wash with natron, which is called in Arabic tafal (the Rambam in his commentary on the Mishnah, chapter 2 of Kelim) and grida in the vernacular (the Rivash), because it cuts the hair and it goes back and becomes tangled; nor with aloe, because it tangles the hair; nor with any of the things that tangle the hair. Hagah [Rema]: And all this is at the outset; but if she washed with natron and the like, and saw for herself that her hairs are not knotted and tangled, it is permitted (Maharik, shoresh 159). And a woman whom the physicians have commanded not to wash her head with water but only with wine — one should ask the physicians whether the wine tangles the hairs; and if they say that it does not tangle, there is ground to rely upon them; and if the physicians are not expert in the matter, the woman should test it for herself first, whether the wine does not tangle the hairs (this too there).

Se’if 3ג׳

חֲפִיפָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת לְכַתְּחִלָּה סָמוּךְ לִטְבִילָתָהּ. וְהַמִּנְהָג הַכָּשֵׁר שֶׁתַּתְחִיל לָחֹף מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם וְעוֹסֶקֶת בַּחֲפִיפָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְשַׁךְ, וְאָז תִּטְבֹּל. וְכֵן מִנְהָג כָּשֵׁר שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁחָפְפָה, תִּשָּׂא עִמָּהּ מַסְרֵק לְבֵית הַטְּבִילָה וְתִסְרֹק שָׁם. הַגָּה: וּבִשְׁעַת הַדְּחַק שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לָחֹף בַּיּוֹם, אוֹ שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהּ לָחֹף בַּיּוֹם וּצְרִיכָה לָחֹף בַּלַּיְלָה, יְכוֹלָה לַעֲשׂוֹת (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הַפּוֹסְקִים וּבְשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ"ם פ"ב דְּמִקְוָאוֹת). וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא תְּמַהֵר לְבֵיתָהּ וְתָחֹף כָּרָאוּי.

The washing must at the outset be close to her immersion. And the fit practice is that she begin to wash while it is still day, and occupies herself with the washing until it grows dark, and then she immerses. And likewise it is a fit practice that, even though she washed, she should take a comb with her to the immersion pool and comb there. Hagah [Rema]: And in a time of pressing need, where she must wash by day, or where it is impossible for her to wash by day and she must wash at night, she may do so (Beit Yosef in the name of the poskim and in the name of the Rambam, chapter 2 of the Laws of Mikvaot) — provided only that she does not hurry back to her house, and that she washes as is fitting.