Q. A recently married relative of mine wanted to know if he and his wife can shoot each other with Nerf guns when she is a niddah (my kids gave them that as a wedding present). I know in Rav Eider's book in section V B 4 he brings a machlokes between Rav Moshe and the Be'er Moshe about ping pong. And I recall hearing Rabbi Sobolofsky give a shiur on YUtorah where he considered maybe ping pong would be OK because you're not actually passing one to the other - your intention is to hit it away from the person (in the end he may have sided with Rav Moshe anyway about tzchok and kalus rosh). With Nerf guns your intention is to aim towards the person, but you're not really passing to them, rather shooting at them. So I guess there are two issues - is it passing? And/or is it kalus rosh? Is kalus rosh context dependent like Rav Eider has in note 38, when she is bmatzav choleh ruach it is OK, because he does not intend for tzchok but to help remove her ruach?
Thanks.
A. Indeed, Beer Moshe (1: 50: 5) after describing in detail the workings of ping-pong, permits playing it during the niddus period, while Hilchos Niddah (2 p. 137) quotes (mipi hashmuah) that Rav Moshe Feinstein’s zt’l opinion was to be stringent not only in playing ping pong but also in handball and tennis. Similarly, Chut Hashoni (Y.D. 195: 1: 4) permits for a husband and wife during the period of niddus, to engage in games similar to chess, Chanuka dreidl or the like. However, he warns to abstain from any other games or activities that may cause levity and light-heartedness.
Pischei Niddah (2: 28: A: n.4) mentions that; “one should avoid playing these games, unless one feels that playing that diversion would have a beneficial effect.”
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that Nerf guns are more frivolous an activity than the other games mentioned above, which at least qualify as a sport. He suggests that one should rather avoid this particular activity and find another less giddy, to help perk-up and elevate the spirits of a spouse.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.
Important Numbers
