I heard that tomorrow morning (Friday the 20th of March 2026, at 10.45 AM), is the beginning of the Tekufah of Nisan, the equinox known as the beginning of Spring. I heard that one should not drink any water then. Is that correct? Why?
A. On question 4061 we wrote: As we know there are four seasons of the year recognized by our Talmudical Sages and named Tekufos. According to Rav Shmuel, each tekufah marks the beginning of a period of 91 days 7˝ hours. The first of the four tekufos is Tekufas Nisan, known as the vernal equinox, (when the sun enters the Aries constellation); this is the beginning of spring, when day and night are equal.
The reason behind this custom is because there is a drop of blood that falls into the water between the Tekufos. [Darkei Moshe 455 in name of Abudarham Shaar Hatekufos] The Abudarham explains as flows: When the season of Nissan [i.e. spring] begins there is dangerous blood in the water which results from the water of the Nile which turned into blood.
It applies only at the four beginning of the Tekufos every year as mentioned above. Rema in Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 116: 5) quoting Avudraham, Mordechai and others, mentions the above as a most accepted tradition one should comply with.
Yet, the practice of not drinking water when the Tekufa begins, is not that commonly kept. Taz (ibid. 4) quotes Even Ezra that it is only a Nichush or superstitious custom. As mentioned on the answer above, it is only four times a year for one hour.
Usually those four beginnings are quoted in the Shul calendars. The beginning of the Tekufos also makes a difference in regard to changes on the Tefilos when we pray for rain.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that one should keep the traditions of his family.
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