Siman 199 — The Chafifah and the Examination of the Hidden Places (Chafifah uVedikat Beit haStarim): Preparing for the Tevilah, the Shabbat Timing, and the Bedi'avad
Wash and comb, examine the hidden places, do the חפיפה close to the טבילה, and know how to conduct it all on Shabbat or Yom Tov — to discover and understand
יורה דעה · סימן קצ״ט
בְּדִיקַת בֵּית הַסְּתָרִים וְדִינֵי חֲפִיפָה
🌱 Introductory Level · מתחילים
✦ ❖ ✦
A first approach to Siman 199, the siman of preparation for the טבילה. The previous siman described the immersion and its great rule — that nothing may interpose (חציצה); this one describes the act that prevents the חציצה: the חפיפה, that is, washing, combing and examining the body before immersing. Here one learns to rinse the hidden places (בית הסתרים) with water, to wash and comb the hair with hot water, to do this preparation close to the טבילה (סמוך), then the whole delicate timing on Shabbat and Yom Tov — where one does not combine two leniencies (תרי קולי) — and finally the cases of bedi'avad: a חפיפה that was not close, and a חציצה found after the טבילה (when do we impute, תולין?). So you don't get lost, we have grouped the 13 seifim into 5 families. These are practical (למעשה) rules, to be learned with a Rav or a balanit / moret kalla.
Subject: The chafifah and the examination of the hidden places — דיני חפיפה ובדיקת בית הסתרים Source: שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן קצ״ט
Compilation: הרב יוסף חיים סממה DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study plan
1.What is the חפיפה? Wash, comb, examine — preparing for the טבילה (§1-2)
2.The 13 seifim in 5 families: the map of the whole siman
3.Key concepts: חפיפה, בית הסתרים, סמוך לטבילה, ביאת מים, תרי קולי, תולין…
4.Sample of the seifim: 1-2 key seifim per family, vocalized text and translation
5.The Taz, the Shach, the Pitchei Teshuva: the great commentators of the siman
6.The gloss of the Rama (הגה): the custom of the day, re-washing מוצ״ש, the precautions between חפיפה and טבילה
7.The chafifah and timing table: when to wash according to the day
8.Practical cases: the חפיפה, the Shabbat timing, a חציצה found afterward, the role of the balanit
9.Synthesis and comprehension questions
1. What is the חפיפה? (§1-2)
Siman 198 described the immersion and its great rule: nothing that interposes (חציצה) may be on the body. But how does one ensure this? Through an act of preparation: the חפיפה. Siman 199 is entirely devoted to it. It describes how to prepare (wash, comb, examine), when (close to the טבילה — and the Shabbat puzzle), and what to do if the preparation was not perfect (the bedi'avad). Let us read the first seif.
Seif 1 — Rinse the hidden places, comb and examine the whole body
She must rinse her armpit and her hidden places (בית השחי ובית הסתרים) with water (מים) — and not with other liquids — and comb the hair of her head well with a comb, so that her hairs are not stuck to one another. Likewise the woman must examine herself and her flesh (לעיין בעצמה ובבשרה), and she checks her whole body close to her immersion (סמוך לטבילתה), that there be on her no repugnant thing that interposes (דבר מאוס שחוצץ). And she washes her whole body (תחוף כל גופה) and rinses with hot water (במים חמין) at the time of washing her body and her hair.
The חפיפה in three gestures. This founding seif sums up everything: (1) rinse the hidden places with water; (2) comb the hair so that none remains stuck; (3) examine the whole body closely, just before the טבילה, to remove any חציצה. The חפיפה is therefore not a mere bath: it is the wash + comb + examine that guarantees the immersion of Siman 198.
Seif 2 — Hot water, not cold; and no נתר that dries out
The חפיפה at the place of hair is not done with cold water, because it tangles the hair (מסבכין את השיער), but with hot water (מים חמין); however, even water warmed by the sun (חמי חמה) suffices. And she does not wash with נתר (called in Arabic טפל) because it "cuts" the hair, which re-tangles (מחתך השיער וחוזר ומסתבך), nor with any of the things that tangle the hair. Gloss of the Rama:all this is לכתחילה; but if she washed with נתר and sees for herself that her hairs are neither knotted nor tangled — it is permitted (שרי).
Why hot water and not נתר. The purpose of washing the hair is that it be loose and smooth, so that the mikveh water penetrates everywhere. Cold water tangles it, and נתר (an ancient drying agent) makes it brittle and knotted: they are set aside. But this is a לכתחילה: bedi'avad, if the result is good (loose hair), it suffices. Today, one uses a mild shampoo and hot water.
The חפיפה is washing (with water, with hot water for the hair) + combing + examining. Its sole purpose: to remove any חציצה so that the טבילה of Siman 198 is valid. All the rest of the siman governs the when (close to the טבילה, and the Shabbat timing) and the bedi'avad.
2. The 13 seifim, in 5 families
Thirteen seifim, which seem disparate: wash, comb, the time of day, Shabbat, the bedi'avad, the חציצה found afterward… In fact they follow a logical thread — how to do the חפיפה, when to do it, and what to do if it was not perfect. Here is the map of the whole siman in five families.
Family
Seifim
The essential
1. Washing and examining (the material of the חפיפה)
§1-2
Rinse the בית הסתרים with water; comb and examine; hair with hot water, not cold or with נתר
2. The חפיפה close to the טבילה (סמוך)
§3
לכתחילה close to the טבילה; the מנהג כשר: begin מבעוד יום; carry a comb to the mikveh
3. The timing on Shabbat and Yom Tov
§4-7
טבילה מוצ״ש, ליל שבת, Yom Tov; the תרי קולי — do not combine two leniencies (§7)
4. The bedi'avad — a chafifah not close
§8-9
Washed and examined by day, immersed another night → עלתה bedi'avad; כל הגוף vs בית הסתרים (ביאת מים)
5. A חציצה found after the טבילה — תולין
§10-13
The עונה of the חפיפה; we impute (תולין) to material touched afterward; but נתעסקה בחוצצין before → לא עלתה
One thread, three questions. The whole siman answers: how to do the חפיפה (families 1-2), when to do it when the calendar complicates everything (family 3), and what to do if it was not close, or if one discovers a חציצה afterward (families 4-5). We will illustrate each family with one or two key seifim.
3. The key concepts of this siman
To read Siman 199, one must master a small vocabulary — that of preparation for the טבילה.
חפיפה — "The preparation": the set of acts that precede the טבילה — washing, combing, examining — so that no חציצה remains. The verb is חוֹפֶפֶת / חָפְפָה ("she washes / has washed"). It is the act that makes the immersion of Siman 198 possible (§1).
בית הסתרים — "The hidden places": the folds of the body (armpits, etc.) that the mikveh water need not penetrate, but which must be clean and rinsed. They do not require ביאת מים (the actual arrival of the water) — hence a rule different from the rest of the body (§1, 9, 12).
סמוך לטבילה — "Close to the immersion": לכתחילה, the חפיפה is done just before the טבילה, so that no dirt re-deposits in the meantime. Hence the מנהג כשר: to begin preparing from the daytime (מבעוד יום) and continue until night (§3).
ביאת מים — "The arrival of the water": the requirement that the water actually touch the surface. The whole body (כל הגוף) requires it; the בית הסתרים do not. This distinction governs the bedi'avad (a defect of חפיפה is more serious on the body than in the folds) (§9, 12).
תרי קולי בהדדי — "Two leniencies together": one does not permit combining two קולות at once. At §7: one does not combine the קולא of immersing by day (סרך בתה) with the קולא of distancing the חפיפה from the טבילה (§7).
תולין — "We impute": when a חציצה is found after the טבילה, we "impute" (תולין) it to a material touched after the immersion, rather than presuming it was there during — and then there is no need to re-immerse (§11-12).
The siman's key words. The חפיפה (wash-comb-examine) must be סמוך לטבילה (close), with a rule particular to the בית הסתרים (no ביאת מים), a delicate timing on Shabbat (no תרי קולי), and the logic of תולין for the חציצה found afterward. All these appraisals are settled with a Rav or a balanit / moret kalla.
4. Sample of the seifim, family by family
Here, for each of the five families, one or two key seifim in vocalized Hebrew, with translation and explanation. Family 1 (§1-2) has already been read above; let us resume from families 2 to 5.
Family 2 — The חפיפה close to the טבילה (§3)
Seif 3 — Close to the טבילה, and the custom of the day (מבעוד יום)
The חפיפה must לכתחילה be close to her immersion (סמוך לטבילתה).And the מנהג כשר (valid custom) is that she begin to wash from the daytime (מבעוד יום), that she continues the חפיפה until nightfall, and then she immerses. Likewise a מנהג כשר: although she has washed, she carries a comb to the place of immersion and combs there (again).Gloss of the Rama:at a time of pressing need (שעת הדחק) where she must wash by day, or can only wash at night — she may do so, provided she does not hurry home and washes properly (כראוי).
"Close" and the custom of the day. The חפיפה is more effective when it is just before the טבילה (no dirt re-deposits). Since the טבילה is done at night, the custom is to begin by day and continue without haste until night — and even, once on site, to re-comb. The Rama permits the שעת הדחק (washing by day only, or at night), provided it is done properly, without rushing.
Family 3 — The timing on Shabbat and Yom Tov (§4-7)
Seif 4-6 — When to wash according to the day of the טבילה
If her immersion falls on מוצאי שבת, where it is impossible to wash by day (since it is Shabbat) — she washes the very night of her immersion (בליל טבילתה). Gloss of the Rama:nevertheless, it is a מנהג יפה (a fine custom) that she wash well ערב שבת, and that on מוצאי שבת she re-washes and combs a little.If an immersion falls on ליל שבת — she washes by day (on Friday).If the night of her immersion falls on Yom Tov where one cannot wash then — she washes ערב שבת, and ties her hair so it does not get tangled.
The puzzle of the calendar. The חפיפה requires hot water, washing and combing without haste — all acts that are difficult or forbidden on Shabbat and Yom Tov. The siman therefore governs, case by case, when to do the חפיפה: the very night (מוצ״ש), the preceding day (ליל שבת → Friday), or the eve (Yom Tov → ערב שבת, tying the hair). Each calendar configuration is a real שאלה to the Rav.
Seif 7 — One does not combine two leniencies (תרי קולי)
In a place where women are afraid to immerse at night — one does not permit washing from ערב שבת and immersing by day on Shabbat, because we do not allow two leniencies together (תרי קולי בהדדי לא מקילינן): the קולא of immersing by day (סרך בתה) and the קולא of distancing the חפיפה from the טבילה (הרחקת חפיפה מטבילה).
The principle תרי קולי בהדדי לא מקילינן: each leniency taken alone may be justified, but combining them weakens the טבילה too much. Here: immersing by day and having washed the day before — two departures at once — is not permitted. This is exactly the kind of calculation that is posed to the Rav.
Family 4 — The bedi'avad: a חפיפה not close (§8-9)
Seif 8-9 — Washed and examined, immersed another night: עלתה bedi'avad
On weekdays (and all the more on Yom Tov), if she did the חפיפה and examined herself by day, then immersed another night — the immersion counts bedi'avad (עלתה לה טבילה בדיעבד), even though the חפיפה and the examination were not close to the טבילה. But if she did no חפיפה at all — the immersion does not count, even if she examined herself. What is this about? The whole rest of the body (כל הגוף); but for the בית הסתרים, since they do not require the arrival of water (ביאת מים), if she had not examined them before, then examines them afterward and finds nothing in them — the immersion counts.
The logic of the bedi'avad. The "close to the טבילה" is a לכתחילה: after the fact, a חפיפה done by day is valid even for a טבילה of another night. What is indispensable is that there was a חפיפה. And the distinction reappears: for the body (which requires the arrival of water), one must have washed; for the בית הסתרים (which do not require it), an examination after the fact finding nothing suffices.
Family 5 — A חציצה found after the טבילה: תולין (§10-13)
Seif 10 — A חציצה found upon emerging: the עונה of the חפיפה
She did the חפיפה, examined herself and immersed; and upon her emerging (בעלייתה), an interposing thing (דבר חוצץ) is found on her: if she immersed within the same עונה (period) as the one in which she did the חפיפה — she does not need another טבילה; if not — she needs another טבילה.Gloss of the Rama:even if the חפיפה was close to the טבילה, for example washed by day toward evening and immersed at the start of the night — since this was in two עונות (day / night).
The עונה (the day/night window). If the חפיפה and the טבילה took place in the same window (the same עונה — the day, or the night), we suppose the found חציצה settled afterward, and there is no need to re-immerse. If they straddle two windows (day then night), the doubt is stronger. This is a fine appraisal — hence a שאלה to the Rav or the balanit.
Seif 11-13 — We impute (תולין); but נתעסקה בחוצצין before → לא עלתה
What is this about? The case where she did not occupy herself with that material after the טבילה; but if she occupied herself with it between the טבילה and the בדיקה — she does not need another טבילה, for I impute (תולה) [the חציצה] to the material she occupied herself with. [By contrast:] she did the חפיפה before the טבילה, and between the חפיפה and the טבילה she occupied herself with interposing things (דברים החוצצין), or handed her child a dish liable to stick to her — the immersion does not count (לא עלתה לה טבילה), even if she checked herself immediately after the טבילה and found nothing. Gloss of the Rama:however, if she had checked herself before the טבילה and saw that nothing had stuck to her — she does not need another טבילה.
The תולין and its reverse. As long as nothing suspect happened before the טבילה, we impute (תולין) the found חציצה to a later contact (the woman touched dough after emerging) → no need to re-immerse. But if, between the חפיפה and the טבילה, she occupied herself with sticky matters (or handed a dish to her child), we presume the חציצה was there during → לא עלתה. The practical lesson: touch nothing sticky between the חפיפה and the טבילה.
5. The Taz, the Shach, the Pitchei Teshuva
In Yoreh De'ah, the Shulchan Aruch is never read alone. Three great commentaries accompany this siman — the matter of the חפיפה and the Shabbat timing being full of concrete cases.
The Taz (ט״ז) — abbreviation of טורי זהב, Turei Zahav, of Rabbi David haLevi Segal (Poland, 17th century). On this siman he illuminates the חפיפה, the Shabbat timing, the bedi'avad and the תולין — clarifying, seif by seif, the conditions of "close" and of the imputation.
The Shach (ש״ך) — abbreviation of שפתי כהן, Siftei Kohen, of Rabbi Shabtai haCohen (Lithuania, 17th century). The reference analytical commentary on Yoreh De'ah; one completes it here with the works dedicated to nidda — the Sidrei Tahara and the Chochmat Adam.
The Pitchei Teshuva (פתחי תשובה) — of Rabbi Avraham Tsvi Hirsch Eisenstadt (19th century). On this siman, it gathers the responsa of the Aharonim on concrete cases — the חפיפה, the חציצה found after the טבילה, the Shabbat timing — that bridge to today's practice.
One sees the method: these commentaries do not add arbitrary rules — they apply the principles of the siman ("close," the ביאת מים, the תולין) to new situations. This is what one deepens at the Lamdan level, then at the Halacha lema'asse level with the contemporary poskim (Sidrei Tahara, Chochmat Adam, Aruch haShulchan, Taharat haBayit, Shevet haLevi, Badei haShulchan).
6. The gloss of the Rama (הגה)
The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) adds to the text of the Mehaber glosses that reflect the Ashkenazic custom and refine the practice. Here are his most notable interventions in our siman.
On seif 2 — the bedi'avad of the נתר
Gloss of the Rama: וכל זה לכתחילה, אבל אם חפפה בנתר… וראתה בעצמה שאין שערות שלה קשורים ומסובכין — שרי — "all this is לכתחילה; but if she washed with נתר and sees that her hairs are neither knotted nor tangled — it is permitted". The Rama refocuses the rule on its purpose: that the hair be loose.
On seif 4 — the fine custom of re-washing on מוצאי שבת
Gloss of the Rama: ומכל מקום מנהג יפה הוא שתרחץ היטב בערב שבת, ובמוצאי שבת תחזור ותחוף ותסרוק מעט — "nevertheless, it is a fine custom that she wash well ערב שבת, and that on מוצאי שבת she re-washes and combs a little". When the complete חפיפה cannot be done on Shabbat, the Rama proposes to split it: a good washing before, a refresh after.
On seif 6 — the precautions between חפיפה and טבילה
Gloss of the Rama (at §6): she should take care, during the days between the חפיפה and the טבילה, against any filth and that nothing sticky cling to her — even when touching dishes or handing them to her little ones, if she can guard against it; and at the time of the טבילה she examines and checks well her whole body and the hairs of her head, rinses the בית הסתרים with hot water, even on Yom Tov, and cleans well between her teeth. This is the practical counterpart of §13.
The Rama here eases the לכתחילה when needed (the נתר if the result is good, §2; the split חפיפה on Shabbat, §4) and tightens the vigilance between the חפיפה and the טבילה (§6) — exactly the tension of the siman: to be practical without letting anything interpose.
7. The chafifah and timing table
The whole siman holds in two grids: the conduct of the חפיפה (how and when) and the timing according to the day. Here is the essential.
Point
Rule
Seif
The בית הסתרים
Rinse with water (not with other liquids)
1
The hair
Hot water (not cold, not נתר); comb well
2
The time
לכתחילה close to the טבילה; custom: מבעוד יום
3
תרי קולי
One does not combine two leniencies
7
The טבילה falls…
When to do the חפיפה
Seif
מוצאי שבת
The very night (Rama: + wash well ערב שבת)
4
ליל שבת
By day (on Friday)
5
Yom Tov / מוצ״ש=Yom Tov
ערב שבת, tying the hair
6
Case of bedi'avad
Verdict
Seif
Washed by day, immersed another night
🟢 עלתה bedi'avad
8
No חפיפה at all
🔴 לא עלתה
8
בית הסתרים not examined before, nothing found after
🟢 עלתה
9
חציצה found, same עונה
🟢 no re-immersing
10
חציצה found, material touched after → תולין
🟢 no re-immersing
11-12
נתעסקה בחוצצין between חפיפה and טבילה
🔴 לא עלתה
13
The logic in one sentence: one prepares (wash, comb, examine) close to the טבילה; the calendar (Shabbat, Yom Tov) governs when; and the bedi'avad is settled by the ביאת מים, the עונה and the תולין — always, in real life, with a Rav or a balanit / moret kalla.
8. Practical cases
How do these 13 seifim take shape today? Here are the common situations — each closing on the same referral: the concrete decision belongs to the Rav, the balanit or the moret kalla.
Case 1 — The practical חפיפה
The חפיפה, concretely, is: washing (the hair with hot water, the folds and hidden places), combing the hair so that none remains stuck, removing all the חציצות (cf. Siman 198: nails, makeup, polish, jewelry, bandages…), then examining closely — all close to the טבילה. It is long and meticulous; it is learned, for the first time, under the guidance of a moret kalla or a balanit.
Case 2 — The timing on Shabbat or Yom Tov
When the טבילה falls on Friday night (ליל שבת), מוצאי שבת, or on Yom Tov, doing the complete חפיפה (hot water, combing without haste) is difficult or forbidden. The siman gives principles (wash by day, on the eve, or the very night; do not combine two קולות — the תרי קולי), but each calendar is particular. The conduct to follow is a שאלה to the Rav.
Case 3 — A חציצה found after the טבילה
What to do if, on emerging from the mikveh, one discovers a חציצה (a stuck hair, a bit of dough, etc.)? Must one re-immerse or not? It depends on the עונה (same day/night window?), and on what one touched after the טבילה (the תולין) or before (between חפיפה and טבילה → לא עלתה). These are delicate appraisals: one does not decide alone — one defers to the balanit and, for the substance, to the Rav.
Case 4 — The role of the balanit
The balanit (the mikveh attendant) closes the preparation: she checks the בדיקת בית הסתרים and the final examination, verifies that no חציצה nor floating hair remains, and accompanies the טבילה. She is the experienced eye that validates the חפיפה. For any doubt at the mikveh, one defers to the balanit — and, for questions of substance, to the Rav.
The guiding thread: Siman 199 describes the חפיפה — wash, comb, examine — that prevents the חציצה of Siman 198. It must be close to the טבילה, and its timing on Shabbat / Yom Tov is a שאלה. When a חציצה is found afterward, or when the חפיפה was not perfect, the bedi'avad is settled case by case. The concrete decision always belongs to the Rav, the balanit or the moret kalla.
9. Synthesis of Siman 199
The essence of Siman 199 in a few sentences:
Washing and examining (§1-2): rinse the בית הסתרים with water; comb and examine the whole body; wash the hair with hot water (not cold, not with נתר which tangles it).
Close to the טבילה (§3): לכתחילה סמוך לטבילה; the מנהג כשר is to begin מבעוד יום and carry a comb to the mikveh.
The timing on Shabbat / Yom Tov (§4-7): wash the very night (מוצ״ש), by day (ליל שבת), or on the eve (Yom Tov); and תרי קולי בהדדי לא מקילינן (§7).
The bedi'avad (§8-9): washed by day, immersed another night → עלתה bedi'avad; but with no חפיפה at all → לא עלתה. Distinction כל הגוף (ביאת מים) vs בית הסתרים.
חציצה found afterward (§10-13): according to the עונה; we תולין to material touched afterward; but נתעסקה בחוצצין between חפיפה and טבילה → לא עלתה.
Memory table
Point
Rule
The חפיפה
Wash + comb + examine — בית הסתרים with water, hair with hot water (§1-2)
The time
סמוך לטבילה; custom: מבעוד יום (§3)
Shabbat / Yom Tov
מוצ״ש → night; ליל שבת → day; Yom Tov → ערב שבת (§4-6)
תרי קולי
One does not combine two leniencies (§7)
Bedi'avad
Washed by day → עלתה; no חפיפה → לא עלתה; כל הגוף vs בית הסתרים (§8-9)
חציצה found afterward
עונה; תולין to later material; נתעסקה before → לא עלתה (§10-13)
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
What is the חפיפה, and what are its three gestures (§1)?
Why does one wash the hair with hot water and not with נתר (§2)?
What does it mean to do the חפיפה סמוך לטבילה, and what is the מנהג כשר (§3)?
When does one do the חפיפה if the טבילה falls on מוצאי שבת? ליל שבת? on Yom Tov (§4-6)?
Explain the principle תרי קולי בהדדי לא מקילינן at §7.
A woman did the חפיפה by day and immersed another night: does her immersion count bedi'avad (§8)?
Why does the rule differ between כל הגוף and the בית הסתרים (§9)?
A חציצה is found after the טבילה: when do we תולין, and when do we say לא עלתה (§10-13)?
To go further
If you want to go deeper into this siman:
📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: the pilpoul — the nature and measure of the חפיפה (washing, hot water, the נתר/טפל, חפיפה ≠ בדיקה), why the חפיפה close to the טבילה (אין מרחיקין), the logic of the תרי קולי (§7), the נ״מ between כל הגוף and בית הסתרים (ביאת מים), and the תולין במין שנתעסקה בו (§10-13)
✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: the comparative tables (the 5 families, the conduct of the חפיפה, the Shabbat timing, the bedi'avad), the rules of thumb and the quick memorization of the 13 seifim
⚖️ Level 4 — Daat HaRav (Chabad) & Halacha lema'asse: the Chabad mesorah (Tzemach Tzedek) and the practical psika (Taz, Shach, Sidrei Tahara, Chochmat Adam, Aruch haShulchan, Taharat haBayit, Shevet haLevi, Badei haShulchan) on the חפיפה, the בדיקת בית הסתרים and the Shabbat timing
The sources of this level can be consulted on Sefaria: