Articles
Here you will find articles published by Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz—some appearing exclusively on this site, and others in various venues: reflective journals, scholarly books, the press, and new media.
Sukkot falls on October 7—calendars collide. In Riverdale I shared a dvar Torah holding mixed emotions and the urgent longing for the hostages’ return.
Dvar Torah for Parashat Eikev 5785: On life alongside rupture, the connection between physical break and spiritual tear, and living with memory.
How do we find words when words are kidnapped? Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz on yearning for clarity amid fog, choosing to let light grow from within
Dvar Torah on Parashat Tazria 5784: On feminist reading of "purity and impurity", women's testimonies in niddah laws, and religious feminism.
Parshat Vayishlach calls us to stand alongside Dinah and every trauma survivor, acknowledging our responsibility to protect and support them.
The non-formal status of the Upsherin ceremony—a traditional Jewish ritual of a boy’s first haircut, held when he turns three—allows those who wish to do so to develop its elements into a symbolic expression of the child’s unique life transition.
We wanted to celebrate our daughters’ entry into the “age of education” – the age from which the halakhah requires a child’s parents to begin educating him or her in mitzvot – and create a meaningful, significant ceremony comparable to the traditional ḥalakeh (or upsherin) ceremony – the Kabbalist-Hasidic custom of giving little boys there first haircut at age three, accompanied by a celebration – we had held for our eldest son. We began this tradition when one of our daughters turned three and continued it for her sister when she too reached three years of age. We hope that sharing the ceremony we created will help other parents who wish to celebrate their daughters’ transition into the age of education.
The laws of purity for postpartum women are in some ways similar to the regular laws of niddah, but not completely so. The purity laws concerning a woman who has given birth are set forth in the Bible, but applied halakhic rulings are very different.
There is a fog of uncertainty around the issue of marital relations during daylight or with any lighting at all. In truth, there is quite a wide range of positions on the matter: halakhic rulings and practices that vary from stringency to leniency. In this article, we will discuss various aspects of the topic, the reasons presented, and the options available to couples facing questions regarding their marital life.
Transitioning from the state of niddah to purity requires immersion in the mikveh. At the same time, some women wish to immerse for reasons not required by halakhah, such as personal moments or unique events. This article presents a variety of voluntary immersion occasions and offers an invitation to transform one’s immersion into a personal celebration.
A birthday is a reason to celebrate, but it is also an opportunity for introspection and personal growth. We can adopt unique customs, create rituals, and choose the mindset with which we wish to approach this festive day.
Desire and passion play an integral role in our lives. For religious couples, these concepts must be viewed in the context of halakhic obligations—the obligation to fulfill desire, on the one hand, and the obligation to restrain it, on the other. Various halakhic discussions address the desire for a physical relationship that is at once fulfilling and accords with the demands of halakhah.
Until recent years, brides were required to present proof of baptism in a Mikveh as part of the marriage registration process at the rabbinate. Until this requirement was removed. What is the background and reasons for this significant change?
When your children get engaged, your role as parents changes and reshapes itself. Whether you are pleased with their choice or have reservations or fears that they are making a mistake, a candid conversation between parents and their children before the wedding is one of the things your engaged children need, even if they do not ask for it.
The subject of relationships and intimacy is one that, even today, is still characterized by norms of silence and embarrassment. What is needed is not a one-time conversation or succinct instruction but rather, conversations and general practice that will contribute to ensuring that the home is a haven to return to whenever a need or difficulty arises.
The timing of mikveh night is considered fixed and, seemingly, should not be postponed. However, various situations can make it difficult to immerse at the appointed time, such as time management, planning, transportation, social and professional commitments, and so on. During the COVID-19 pandemic, immersion also entailed additional concerns, among them special guidelines, mandatory isolation, and a general lockdown. In this article, I explore the issue of immersing at the appointed time versus the possibility of postponing immersion and offer practical suggestions.
Just as we place great importance on words of intimacy and affection between spouses, we should also value the words that are meant to signify the separation between them during the days of niddah. Here are some suggestions for reflection on our choice of words that may assist in communicating the distancing message.
Dealing with technical questions such as the frequency of intercourse may sound harsh, but focusing on halachic details opens a conversation about marital responsibilities.
The Gemara in Tractate Nedarim presents what appear to be two contradictory messages about desired and appropriate sexual behavior. The rabbis discuss, in this sugya, what is permitted, desired and pleasurable between partners during sexual intercourse.
When a woman turns to a female halakhic teacher (morat halakha) or advisor (yoetzet halakha), the responder fulfills two “roles” that were, in the past, separate from one another: she serves as both a halakhic authority and a woman. The combination of these roles in one figure brings to our world a new reality that did not exist in the distant past. In this article we will discuss the unique contributions, challenges and opportunities of women who respond to questions in the realm of niddah.
How do we learn how to behave in our sex lives, which are caught between the hidden and the revealed? A look at a Talmudic Aggadah illuminates the question of the delicate boundaries of “knowing.”
The nature of eros is to arise not necessarily when we want or plan it to. It can appear in a variety of unideal moments; the following is a suggestion to feel the internal commitment to the commandment of onah, when it reveals itself and seeks to quench its thirst and know its place.
Premarital preparatory sessions not only teach halakhah but also provide tools for a successful relationship. When only the bride accumulates important knowledge before the wedding, leaving the groom behind, this can create a disparity between the partners. However, attending joint preparatory sessions may also create a need for separate meetings. Discussing the various options can help couples consider what the best choice for them is: preparatory meetings for the bride and the groom or joint sessions, either fully or partially.
The mikveh attendant should show extreme sensitivity toward the woman who is immersing, enabling her to fulfill the mitzvah according to her customs and practices so that she can return to her home and marital life in purity, tranquility, and fulfillment. Being a mikveh attendant in a private mikveh can create a singular reality.
Why has studying the laws of niddah become the most urgent task for an engaged couple? Is that subject truly the sole significant statement that Jewish halakhic thought has to offer regarding the physical connection between a couple? It would be better for premarital guidance to begin with what is permitted—the mitzvah of marital relations—and only then take up the subject of what is prohibited.
People enter marital life with expectations, fears, assumptions, and other matters that should be openly discussed both before and during marriage.
Why is a newly married person particularly vulnerable? How can couples learn to communicate with open hearts while maintaining a healthy space and ensuring that no harm is done?
Can a woman immerse in natural water sources? If so, what solutions are available to common concerns that arise in this regard?
The decision of what Mikve means to each woman, is no less important than the actual tevilla itself.
People have always turned to experts to answer their questions and relieve their pain. What is the role of autonomy in intimate matters, and where do we draw the line between healthy consultation and over-consultation?
The choice of how to refer to the use of contraceptives affects how we approach the topic. Behind the call for changing the discourse is a desire to choose contraceptives in a thoughtful, autonomous manner, based on knowledge.
“Immersing in Tranquility” is an online space created to discuss the mikveh experience, to learn and talk about halakhah, sexuality, feminism, and immersion itself.
Getting used to the laws of niddah is a lengthy process that unfolds differently for each couple. The intersection of halakhah, the body, and shared life presents a significant challenge for many couples and should therefore be addressed.
Some people easily transition from prohibition to permission and eagerly anticipate renewed touch and closeness after going to the mikveh; others need time and a measured, thoughtful progression. Distance does not easily yield to intimacy in an instant.
The Gemara attributes the continuity of Jewish tradition to the transmission of knowledge and skills from father to son. But what about the mother and her daughter? Nowadays, brides commonly receive guidance from a certified bridal instructor rather than directly from their mother. Is this truly the ideal approach, or is there a better alternative?
Single people, even those who wish to marry but have not yet found a spouse, can still lead rich and meaningful lives. Bachelorhood does not entail solitude and loneliness. Rather, unmarried people can experience all the characteristics, emotions, and desires of independent individuals.
The desire to remain in a state of purity leads women to impose unnecessary restrictions on themselves and, at the same time, to neglect their bodies. How can one strike a balance between different needs and desires without being overly stringent on the one hand and without denying the body on the other?
The religious public has begun to put the conversation about sexuality on the table. How did this happen, where can we see change, and what are the costs of this new discourse?
The laws of niddah are taught by women and stem from the woman’s body, but they directly impact the lives of both partners.
In recent decades, many men and women who have grown up in the religious world aspire to study together as couples. Many couples enjoy studying in a havruta, where learning Torah together becomes a meaningful and formative experience. In this article, I make several suggestions to help fulfill the yearning for a study partner and overcome existing obstacles. The experience of Torah study, which, thank God, has flourished in recent years without gender distinctions, is a significant and formative experience for many men and women. This gave rise to the dream of a relationship that includes shared learning time, a harmonious and pleasant time where the couple sits together in an embrace or close proximity, engaging in learning where they complement each other, in an environment of appreciation and love. He interprets and she adds, she deciphers and he finds another contextual connection. The tranquility, pleasantness, and ideal atmosphere paint this fantasy in soft and romantic hues.
I wonder about us as a society. I wonder about the civic language that exists but has not yet sufficiently settled within our religious life
One thinks that a vacuum is formed. They say that you’ll live with the understanding that bachelorhood is a corridor to the next stage, to marriage. Then you find yourself there for a long time.
Since our first conversation we weaved a dream: to give our future children and ourselves natural births, at home.
Revelation, for Rosenzweig, does not merely enable a person exposure to that which was hitherto concealed from him.