Why practice niddah?

So far my posts have only mentioned niddah practice somewhat briefly, and have mainly talked about the negative aspects of traditional practice, particularly in regards to halachic infertility. Today I want to take a break from the criticisms and instead focus on why I think niddah could still be a meaningful practice for those of us who don’t find the traditional Orthodox interpretation particularly enticing at first glance.

I’m going to start with a seemingly unrelated question – why “observe” Shabbat? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of blessed memory wrote his book The Sabbath as a sort of manifesto to answer this question. This book is a classic that lives on the bookshelves in many Jewish homes, and I recommend giving it a full read if you have an afternoon free. Rabbi Heschel posits that by observing Shabbat we create a “palace in time” and get a glimpse of the world to come. Some observe Shabbat by following all the guidelines set by “traditional” interpretation. Some observe it by simply ceasing from their normal day-to-day job. Some observe it by turning off all technology, social media, etc. In any case, people find a lot of value in setting aside a day for “rest”, whatever that “rest” may be.

Furthermore, in The Sabbath, Rabbi Heschel speaks of how rather than being a religion that relies on the physical space we occupy, he sees Judaism as a religion focused on time. Shabbat in particular is set aside as sanctified time.

New in the teaching of Judaism was that the idea of holiness was gradually shifted from space to time, from the realm of nature to the realm of history, from things to events.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “The Sabbath”, 1951

We mark holiness in our tradition by sanctifying periods of time. We mark the transitions between periods of time to reemphasize this to ourselves. We light candles, say kiddush, and bless our meals to welcome in Shabbat. We mark the transition from Shabbat to the rest of the week by performing Havdallah – lighting a braided candle, blessing the wine, and smelling sweet spices. And to mark transitions in life, including a monthly observance of niddah, we go to the mikveh, and fully immerse ourselves in water.

So what could be the point of marking the time of being in niddah status? Some find the practice to be very spiritual. In a period of time where physical contact and physical intimacy is forbidden, we may be able to focus on the emotional connection and emotional intimacy in our relationships. We may decide to focus on self reflection or self care. We may explore individual interests and hobbies. And we may use this time to observe how being in different portions of the menstrual cycle affects both our mental and physical states.

Maybe we can reframe niddah as an “impure” status, and leaving niddah as transitioning back into being “pure”. This certainly was not the intention of our ancestors, but a reimagining may allow us to find new meaning in the practice. Maybe instead, we transition back and forth between two states of holiness. We can frame the weeks of being in niddah status as being a time of sacred individualism, and the weeks out of being in niddah as a time to focus on sacred partnership. And hopefully through that, we can become more reflective our own selves, and with any partners we invite into our space.