"Jewish Women...Dirrty?" - Jew in the City, Episode 5

[Music] dear Jew in the city my friend just told me that Orthodox people consider women dirty when it's their time of the month and that's just so horrible I mean it's a natural bodily occurrence how could they make it into something so negative I have to say I find it really offensive that women could be viewed that way within my own religion I mean am I missing something here sincerely Stephanie from Boston Stephanie if you'll excuse me for a moment I have to cleanse myself of my dirtiness just joking no one thinks we're dirty what your friend was referring to but got seriously wrong is a Mitzvah or commandment from the Torah that ISS that during a woman's monthly cycle plus 7 days after her cycle is completed a married couple refrains from all physical contact with one another now I know it sounds and your friend thought it was sexist but couples that practice this myth School tell you it's one of the most amazing aspects about Judaism that incredibly enhances and maintains the spark within a marriage why because people always want what they can't have when a couple gets married and can suddenly be together whenever they want once the honeymoon period wears off many couples lose their initial spark some even start to look for excitement outside of marriage not very good so the Torah has this ingenious system of continually renewing the couple's interest in one another now while this Mitzvah has gotten reputation of being sexist is actually very Pro women because it puts control of intimacy into the woman's hands the couple refrains from all physical contact according to the wife's internal clock and only resumes contact once she has immersed into a Mikvah or ritual bath now back to the whole dirty thing this Mikvah although it's a pool of water has nothing to do with physical cleanliness it's a spiritual immersion a chance for rebirth renewal and there's no soap involved we've been programmed by Society to believe that the greatest excitement comes from no rules or regulations but if you think about it it's only when you combine Freedom along with restraint that true desire can be created sincerely yours to in the [Music] city