The Making of a Mikvah
Rabbi Aryeh Citron
Parsha Halacha
This e-mail is sponsored by Benny & Luna Keren in honor of the birth and Brit of their grandson; Dovid Schlomo Melech Goldglantz. May they and the entire family have much nachat from him, may he grow to Torah Chuppah and Masim Tovim and may there be only smachot in the family and in Klal Yisrael.
The Making of a Mikvah
One of the most important foundations of the Jewish family is the mitzvah of Mikvah. The Mikvah is a natural pool of water designed according to the specifications of Halacha (Jewish Law). If a Jew is ritually impure, he or she may purify themselves by immersion in a mikvah. The Chinuch writes that the Mikvah represents the primordial, water-filled, state of the world even the dry land was created.[1] When a person immerses in a mikvah they should imagine as if they are going back to a time before they were even created. They then emerge as a new and reinvigorated person having left behind any negative behaviors or attitudes that they had beforehand.
Many of the laws regarding the building of a mikvah are derived from a verse in this week’s Torah portion: אַךְ מַעְיָן וּבוֹר מִקְוֵה מַיִם יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר But a spring or a cistern, a gathering of water remains clean.[2]
This verse teaches us the following laws:
· The water of a Mikvah cannot be contained in a vessel, but must rather be directed to the mikvah directly from a natural source.[3]
· The Mikvah itself must be in the ground or part of a building attached to the ground. It cannot be in a portable container.[4]
· Although the water of a spring may be flowing when one immerses in them, the water of a rainwater mikvah must be stationary and not flowing.[5]
· If a body of water that is not kosher as a mikvah (e.g. the water was brought there by regular pipes) is attached to a mikvah pool, that body is also considered a kosher Mikvah.[6] This process is called “Hashaka”.
In addition, another verse teaches us that:
· The minimum amount of water in a mikvah is 40 sa’ah[7] because this is the amount needed to cover the average person all at once.[8]
Defining a Kosher Mikvah
Based on the above laws, we can derive that the following natural bodies of water are considered kosher mikva’ot (plural of Mikvah):
· The Ocean
o According to the Mishna[9], the ocean is kosher as a Mikvah even though the water in it may be flowing.
o In practice, it is not advisable for a woman to immerse in the ocean as a mikvah because of reasons of modesty as well as several other considerations.[10]
· A River that flows from a Spring
o This river is considered a kosher Mikvah even if the water is flowing.[11]
· A Lake whose waters reached it by natural methods
o If the water was pumped there or if they went through the turbines of a hydroelectric power plant, it may no longer be a kosher Mikvah.[12]
o If the water flows out of the lake as well, see below.
The following bodies of water may not be kosher Mikva’ot:
· A river that is comprised of rainwater (or melting snow). Although the waters of the river are natural, they can only be a kosher mikvah is they are diverted into a stationary pool. As long as they are flowing, one cannot use them for immersion. [13]
o There are various opinions regarding rivers whose source is both spring water and rain water. In practice, one should refrain from using these as a Mikvah if at all possible.[14]
Making a Mikvah
When designing a Mikvah it is now the custom to include the following[15]:
A) Bor Mei Geshomim
The rain water is diverted to this area. This pool is not used for the actual immersion. It is connected to the immersion pool via a hole known as the Hashakah hole.[16]
The water in this pool should be changed every so often as there are opinions that say that when the majority of the rain water is replaced by regular water, the mikvah becomes invalid.[17]
B) Bor HaTevilah
This is the pool that is used for actual immersion. It can be made with regular city water and may contain a heater and have a filtering system. Care must be taken to ensure that the filter is turned off while the women actually immerse in the mikvah.[18]
C) Bor Zeriah
This pool is made of rain water. When the immersion pool is filled up, the water goes through this pool in order that it be considered “mikvah water”.[19]
D) Otzar Mei Geshomim
It is advisable for a Mikvah to also have a reservoir of rainwater so that when the rainwater must be changed in the Rainwater Pool, it can be done without the delay of actually waiting for rain to fall.
Bor Tacahat Bor
The Rebbe Rashab (Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe) designed a mikvah in which the Bor Mei Geshomim be underneath the Bor Tevillah (immersion pool). This is known as Bor Tachat Bor (a pool underneath a pool). He did this in order to minimize the exchange of water between the pools. (Since the immersion pool is usually heated and is on top, the exchange of water is minimal.)
In many mikva’ot, the rainwater pool is on the side of the immersion pool. This is known as bor betzad bor.
Who needs a Mikvah?
A Mikvah is needed for the following immersions:
· A married women who is in a state of Niddah must immerse in a Mikvah (after counting seven clean days) before resuming relations with her husband.[20]
· Also, a kallah must immerse in a mikvah before her wedding night regardless of her age. [21]
o The mikvah used for these immersions should be one that is made to conform with the highest standards of Halacha (Jewish law).[22] This is because of the seriousness of the prohibition of Niddah[23] as well as the spiritual impact that this immersion has on the children born to the couple.[24]
o It is essential that a women’s mikvah be under the supervision of a rabbi that is an expert in these laws. He must ensure that the rain water is changed in a timely and proper manner, that there are no leaks in the mikvah and that the filtering system does not operate when the women immerse.
o The Lubavitcher Rebbe advised to use a mikvah that was not made according to Chabad custom (bor betzad bor, see above) that was under Rabbinic supervision rather than a Chabad style Mikvah (bor tachat bor, see above) that was not being supervised at that time.
• A convert must immerse in a high standard kosher mikvah as part of his or her conversion process.[25]
•It is customary to immerse in a mikvah before Yom Kippur as a sign of Teshuvah (repentance).[26]
Many men have a custom to immerse in a mikvah in order to spiritually prepare themselves for Shabbat and Yom Tov (Jewish Holidays).
•Some men are particular to immerse in a Mikvah before praying in the morning. This is particularly important (although not Halachicly required) if a man had a seminal discharge.[27]
o For the purpose of the immersions of men listed above, a body of water is considered a mikvah even if it was made with regular city water. The water may not be contained in an above ground pool or Jacuzzi that is not connected to the ground.[28] Nor should the water be flowing. Some say that for the purpose, a filter is not considered “flowing”. [29]
• Metal and glass utensils that are purchased from a non-Jew must be immersed in a mikvah before being used by a Jew.[30]
o This immersion must take place in a mikvah that is kosher according to the standards listed above.
o A swimming pool is not acceptable for this purpose. Similarly, a flowing river whose source is rainwater is not a valid mikvah as explained above.
o The ocean is a kosher mikvah for this purpose. (Care should be taken not to put anything down within reach of the waves.)
o Any mikvah that is kosher for women’s immersions is by definition also acceptable for this purpose. A mikvah that is acceptable for men’s immersions may or may not be acceptable for immersing utensils. In any case it may be against the policy of a particular mikvah to allow the immersion of utensils in the pool used by people. Often a separate mikvah is built for this purpose.
o Part of the tahara process (preparing a body for burial) includes immersion in a mikvah. Usually a mikvah is built to be used exclusively for this purpose.
Helpful web links for Mikvah information
http://www.mikvah.org/directory (world wide Mikvah directory)
http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/1541/jewish/The-Mikvah.htm (symbolism of Mikvah and more)
[1] Mitzvah 173
[2] Levit. 11, 36
[3] This is derived from the word מַעְיָן – spring. I.e. The water in a mikvah must be in their natural state just as is the water in a spring (Torat Kohanim on the verse).
[4] As above, just as a spring flows on the ground, so too every must be Mikvah in or attached to the ground (Torat Kohanim).
[5] This is derived from the word: אַךְ מַעְיָן- ”But a spring.” I.e. only a spring may be flowing but not a regular Mikvah (ibid).
[6] The words יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר (shall be pure) teach us that when connected to a kosher mikvah, other waters can be considered “pure” (ibid).
[7] This equals either 180 or 198 gallons. Because of the stringency of this mitzvah, the custom is to be strict and use at least 264 gallons. See Shiurei Torah by Rabbi Avraham Chaim Na’eh, pg. 87a. See also Mikveh Mayim by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Katz, vol. 3, chapter 3.
[8] Based on Levit. 15, 16, see Pesachim 109a
[9] Mikva’ot, 5, 4, the opinion of Rabbi Yossi
[10] Y.D. 198, 33 and 34
[11] Y.D. 201, 2
[12] See : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjTh7A4jnbc&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQ2Va1iICA&feature=related as to how these turbines work
[13] See Y.D. ibid
[14] See Rama on ibid
[15] See “Understanding Mikvah” by Rabbi Schneur Zalman Lesches
[16] See Y.D. 201, 52
[17] Rambam and Ravad, quoted in Shach 63 on Y.D. ibid
[18] See Rama on Y.D. ibid, 50
[19] See “Mikveh Mayim”, vol. 1, pg. 27
[20] See Y.D. 197, 1
[21] See Y.D. 192
[22] See Shach in ibid 57 and in many places
[23] See Levit. 20, 18
[24] See Y.D. 196, Taz, 11
[25] See Y.D. 268
[26] See O.C. 606
[27] See O.C. 88
[28] Shulchan Aruch HaRav O.C. 88
[29] See Rama Y.D. 201, 50
[30] Y.D. 120