If a woman is a niddah and she is not well and there are no females friends or relatives to attend to her. Is a male relative preferable to the husband to attend to her?
Answer:
If touching the lady in question is involved, it is preferable for a male relative to tend to her than for her husband.
The reason for this is that whereas for other men, a touch that is not considered “derech chibah” is permitted (under circumstances of need), for a husband there are special stringencies (harchakos) during the niddah period, and it is therefore better that other men should do it.
Sources: See Shulchan Aruch 195:17, and Shach, concerning taking a lady’s pulse, and see also Beis Yosef.
If the husband is ill, even though we are more lenient to have the wife take care of him, would you say it is preferable to have a female relative instead of the wife to take of him.
If a husband is ill and requires care, it is better that a female relative takes care of him. The best is of course a male relative/nurse.
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