1,643. Intimate Tasks When a Niddah

Hilchos Ishus 21:8

All the tasks that a wife performs for her husband are also performed when she is a niddah except for pouring his drinks, making his bed, and washing his face, hands and feet. This is a preventive measure based on the intimate nature of these tasks, out of concern that the husband may be tempted by thoughts of marital intimacy. When a wife is a niddah, she should make her husband’s bed not in his presence. Similarly, she should pour his drink but not place it in his hand as she normally would; rather, she should place it on the ground, a utensil or a table, and he can take it from there.

Hilchos Ishus 21:9

If a woman breaks utensils in the course of performing household chores, she is not liable. This represents a rabbinic enactment because, if a woman were held responsible, there would never be peace in the home. It would cause a woman to be overly cautious and she would neglect many chores, leading to discord between the husband and the wife.