Rabbi Goldstein Daily Halacha shulchanaruchharav.com
Tekufa - Drinking drawn water, and other foods and beverages, by and after the Tekufa
Oct 7, 2026 · 7 min · 5 segments
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Rabbi Goldstein Daily Halacha shulchanaruchharav.com
Oct 7, 2026 · 7 min · 5 segments
…
As for the reason behind this kind of strange custom, so the Darkei Moshe writes in the name of the Abudraham, has a lengthy discussion of many pages on this subject, that the reason behind why we don't drink water by the time of the tekufah is because there is a drop of blood that falls into the water between the tekufahs.
The Abudraham explains this as follows.
"When the season of Nisan, spring, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the water of the Nile which turn into blood.
When the season of Tammuz, summer, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the heating of the rock by Moshe which caused the rock to bleed, and in turn for there to be blood by the waters of the world.
When the season of Tishrei begins, there is dangerous blood in the water which comes from the attempted slaughter that Avraham performed to Yitzchak, for which a drop of blood fell and became mixed into the waters.
When the season of Teves, which is winter, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the slaughtering of the daughter of Yiftach, which caused blood to be mixed into all the wa- waters of the world." So the Abudraham associates this minhag, not drinking the water of the tekufah, due to a danger of having blood in the water which can be lethal.
There's a summer angel, a winter angel, an autumn angel, and a spring angel, and the period between the seasons is empty of these guarding angels, meaning there's a slight period where there's no angel guarding because they're switching, and hence the world is left open to damage from evil winds which can penetrate through the crack that is formed between the seasons.
Says the Lechem Apudim that it's for this reason that we wear tzitzis on four corners and would sprinkle the blood by the altar on four corners in order to, so to say, block this crack that's open between the seasons from receiving the evil forces.
In the third explanation, the Abudraham writes that it's because the Satan places a drop of poison in the water between the seasons.
Now, while this custom is recorded in all the Rishonim and Acharonim and Shulchan Aruch, there are Poskim who negate it and state that this whole thing of not drinking the water by the change of seasons is a mere nichush, superstition, that was actually made up by the sages in order to instill fear of Heaven into the plain folk and in essence has no truth behind it at all.
And therefore they rule that you're allowed to drink from the tekufah if you want to, if you're not superstitious and scared.
So writes the Taz in chapter 116 in the name of the Darkei Moshe in the name Abudraham and the Even Ezrah.
Others write a similar concept that this was in fact made up by the elderly woman and is literally a Baba Meisa, and therefore it's better to be ignored by those who are servants of God who trust in Hashem.
As for the reason behind this kind of strange custom, so the Darkei Moshe writes in the name of the Abudraham, has a lengthy discussion of many pages on this subject, that the reason behind why we don't drink water by the time of the tekufah is because there is a drop of blood that falls into the water between the tekufahs.
The Abudraham explains this as follows.
"When the season of Nisan, spring, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the water of the Nile which turn into blood.
When the season of Tammuz, summer, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the heating of the rock by Moshe which caused the rock to bleed, and in turn for there to be blood by the waters of the world.
When the season of Tishrei begins, there is dangerous blood in the water which comes from the attempted slaughter that Avraham performed to Yitzchak, for which a drop of blood fell and became mixed into the waters.
When the season of Teves, which is winter, begins, there is a dangerous blood in the water which results from the slaughtering of the daughter of Yiftach, which caused blood to be mixed into all the wa- waters of the world." So the Abudraham associates this minhag, not drinking the water of the tekufah, due to a danger of having blood in the water which can be lethal.
There's a summer angel, a winter angel, an autumn angel, and a spring angel, and the period between the seasons is empty of these guarding angels, meaning there's a slight period where there's no angel guarding because they're switching, and hence the world is left open to damage from evil winds which can penetrate through the crack that is formed between the seasons.
Says the Lechem Apudim that it's for this reason that we wear tzitzis on four corners and would sprinkle the blood by the altar on four corners in order to, so to say, block this crack that's open between the seasons from receiving the evil forces.
In the third explanation, the Abudraham writes that it's because the Satan places a drop of poison in the water between the seasons.
Now, while this custom is recorded in all the Rishonim and Acharonim and Shulchan Aruch, there are Poskim who negate it and state that this whole thing of not drinking the water by the change of seasons is a mere nichush, superstition, that was actually made up by the sages in order to instill fear of Heaven into the plain folk and in essence has no truth behind it at all.
And therefore they rule that you're allowed to drink from the tekufah if you want to, if you're not superstitious and scared.
So writes the Taz in chapter 116 in the name of the Darkei Moshe in the name Abudraham and the Even Ezrah.
Others write a similar concept that this was in fact made up by the elderly woman and is literally a Baba Meisa, and therefore it's better to be ignored by those who are servants of God who trust in Hashem.
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