R
rwoehmke
Guest
An article in the September 16, 2007 issue of the Minneapolis Star Tribune would support the efficacy of NFP for Couple Happiness.
An excerpt:
startribune.com/614/story/1422928.html
”Even small children don’t know where Mommy goes," said Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, director of Jewish Arts and Humanities at the Sabes Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis. "It’s the most personal part of a woman’s life, and one of the most secretive, undisclosed practices.“It” is mikvah, an ancient Jewish ritual involving full immersion in “living” water. For women of childbearing age, the tradition has a special meaning: a monthly sacred bath seven days after the end of each menstrual period to sanctify her return to a sexual relationship with her husband. Before entering the water, she removes her clothes, jewelry, even nail polish. Then, witnessed by an attendant, she submerges completely and offers a prayer. For mikvah-observant couples, it’s not a choice but a requirement, under ancient Jewish laws governing "family purity."While it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with it, believers say the tradition – and the 12 days of abstinence from physical contact that precede it – enhances marital harmony, passion and mutual respect.
An excerpt:
startribune.com/614/story/1422928.html
”Even small children don’t know where Mommy goes," said Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, director of Jewish Arts and Humanities at the Sabes Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis. "It’s the most personal part of a woman’s life, and one of the most secretive, undisclosed practices.“It” is mikvah, an ancient Jewish ritual involving full immersion in “living” water. For women of childbearing age, the tradition has a special meaning: a monthly sacred bath seven days after the end of each menstrual period to sanctify her return to a sexual relationship with her husband. Before entering the water, she removes her clothes, jewelry, even nail polish. Then, witnessed by an attendant, she submerges completely and offers a prayer. For mikvah-observant couples, it’s not a choice but a requirement, under ancient Jewish laws governing "family purity."While it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with it, believers say the tradition – and the 12 days of abstinence from physical contact that precede it – enhances marital harmony, passion and mutual respect.