Q&A: Autonomy in Jewish Law
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Autonomy in Jewish Law
Question
In our kollel, during a discussion of the laws of niddah, the following question came up: if a woman has acquired the status of a niddah in the eyes of her neighbors because they saw her wearing niddah clothing, but she herself knows that she is ritually pure (in a case where there is no plausible explanation), may she hide the story from her husband?
Answer
It seems obvious to me that she may. Presumptions are meant to deal with situations of doubt. If you are not in doubt, there is no reason to follow a presumption. And certainly there is no reason to create doubts in other people’s minds when there is no real doubt.