Why Mikvah?
Why did the Jews at Masada, besieged by the Romans and with precious, few supplies, build and maintain two Mikvahs?
Why did our great grandmothers in Eastern Europe break through the ice of the frozen rivers in order to immerse in its waters?
Why, according to Jewish law, does building a mikvah take precedence over building a house of worship?
Jews are a holy people because life is holy to us. Mikvah represents the ultimate celebration of life and of the power given by G‑d, exclusively to women, to create life. By immersing in the spiritually cleansing waters of the Mikvah, the woman is able to nourish, nurture, experience and renew her sense of intimacy.
Through Mikvah we admit a third partner – G‑d – into our marriages, our homes, and our lives, bestowing a blessing on all our loved ones and introducing a dimention of eternity into our relationship. On a practical level, many couples who observe the laws of Mikvah insist that it helps keep their marriage fresh and exciting. The Jewish family, as well as the Jewish people owe their stunning success and their remarkable longevity in large part to this most vital Mitzvah.
The Mei Shifra Mikvah is being built in compliance with the highest Halachik and aesthetic standards.
What is a mikva?
A mikva is a pool of water drawn from a natural source of water. The mikva is constructed and maintained in compliance with specific laws found in the Torah.
Who Uses the Mikva?
A bride before her wedding.
Married women.
Men - in the mornings before davening and before holidays.
Any convert as a last step in converting to Judaism.
Dishes and utensils before being used in the kitchen.
Briefly, what do the laws of mikva entail?
The laws of mikva require that with the onset of menstruation, physical intimacy between husband and wife cease until a full seven days elapse without menstrual flow. The evening when the wife will go to the mikva, she must first cleanse herself physically before entering the mikva water. At the mikva building there is a special private room to prepare for the immersion. All toiletry items required are supplied. Then, in the strictest privacy, the wife immerses in the mikva, and returns renewed, as a bride on her wedding day, to being physically intimate with her husband.
What’s so special about mikva?
By fulfilling the laws of mikva, a marvelous domestic miracle occurs-the honeymoon lasts throughout he greatest part of one’s life. The Torah regards the physical intimacy of husband and wife as a great spiritual expression. Life is sacred. Since the union has the potential for creating another human being, a special holiness is thereby inherent. The laws of mikva elevate human sexuality to a high spiritual realm with dignity and grace.
Why mikva for today’s Jewish woman?
Mikva is from the Torah, which is G‑d –given. The laws relating to mikva are eternal; for all ages, under all circumstances of life. Modern women are striving for their right to be recognized in their totality. By abstaining from physical intimacy for a period of time each month, the women experience a new sense of inner strength, self-respect and autonomy. Many couples who observe the laws of Mikvah insist that it helps keep their marriage fresh and exciting.
Why use a mikva when I have a modern bath at home?
The waters of the mikva have a direct source to natural rainwater, unlike a regular home bathtub. A mikva is built according to Torah law about 200 gallons of water (the water height is about 4 feet). The bath does not fulfil these requirements. The totality of a Jew includes both physical and spiritual dimensions. Immersion in a mikva is NOT for physical cleanliness since one must be perfectly clean before entering the mikva. A special blessing is pronounced before entering the mikva, emphasizing the holy nature of this precept.
Through the mitzva of mikva, the couple spiritually elevates their marriage.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MIKVA
CONTACT MRS. DINIE MANGEL AT 856-874-1500
