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JULY 1996 EDITION
by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Reprinted with permission from "The Waters From Eden"
 He took my friend to the clothing closet. Before opening the door,
almost instinctively, he looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure that
no unwelcome eyes were watching. Satisfied that it was safe, Yaakov opened
the closet, moved aside a number of boxes, and carefully lifted up a false
floor. Under the floorboards there was a staircase, leading to a small
pool. "This is the city's Mikvah," he proudly announced, "over forty
families make use of it."
Yaakov then told my friend of the dangers involved in building that
Mikvah. No religious facilities could be built without express government
permission. Otherwise it was subject to the direst penalties. Besides, the
house was government property, and if caught, he would face a long prison
sentence for "defacing" it.
Gradually--almost cautiously--he began to tell how the Mikvah was
built. All the work had to be done in the utmost secrecy. No one, even his
closest friends and neighbors could know what he was doing. Only a small
amount of digging could be done under the house each day, so that the dirt
could be disposed of without arousing suspicion. Small quantities of
cement--"for making minor repairs"--were purchased, until there was enough
to line the Mikvah. A similar subterfuge had to be used to obtain pipes
for the plumbing. In addition, the rigorous requirements of Jewish Law had
to be satisfied. This is difficult enough under any circumstances, even if
secrecy is not a paramount consideration
Not until the Mikvah was completed did Yaakov dare tell anyone about
it. At first, his closest friends shared the secret. Gradually, one by
one, other families were invited to make use of the hidden Mikvah. Most of
them did not believe it possible--but they came anyway. Before long,
Yaakov's "top secret project" had become the community Mikvah. A year
after this meeting, Yaakov and his family were finally able to emigrate to
Israel. All of his children had remained observant Jews, even though they
were born and raised in Russia.
When asked why he had undertaken all the expense and danger to build a
Mikvah, Yaakov explained, "Without it, I could not live as a Jew."
One of the most exciting, recent archeological events in Israel was the
excavation of the mountain fortress of Massadah Here was the record of
some of the last defenders of ancient Israel, who gave their lives
eighteen hundred years ago for the holy soil.
Of all the fascinating discoveries on Massadah, one of the most
important was the finding of not one, but two Mikvahs. Following the usual
practice, one was most probably for men, while the other was for women.
Here were people fighting for their lives,--pitted against the might of
the entire Roman Empire. Yet, on the mountain top of Massadah, they found
the time and resources to build two Mikvahs. As religious Jews, they knew
that they could not exist without them.
While the Massadah excavations were in progress, two experts on Mikvah,
Rabbi David Muntzberg and Rabbi Eliezer Alter, examined them. After
meticulous study, these rabbis announced that the Mikvahs had been built
according to the minutest requirements of Jewish Law,--"among the finest
of the finest, seven times seven." In the eighteen hundred years that have
passed, neither the Mikvah nor its importance has changed.
In the past few years, the issue of conversion has received much
publicity, especially in Israel. Even American news media have spoken of
the term "Giur KeHalachah"--conversion according to Jewish Law. Many
people have begun to become aware of the fact that there are specific
requirements involved in conversion to Judaism. One of these requirements
is immersion in a Mikvah.
Conversion is an unique far reaching experience. It involves a change
of identity, and the assumption of a new status, namely that of a Jew. It
follows, therefore, that the rituals involved in conversion include those
things that are most basic to Judaism.
The fact that the Mikvah is a necessary element in conversion indicates
that it is an important element of Judaism. Indeed, anyone versed in
Jewish tradition knows this to be true. The use of Mikvah is one of the
main factors that traditionally distinguishes the Jew from the non-Jew.
(1)
Many people would be surprised to learn that the Mikvah is more
important than the synagogue. This may not be obvious, since in many
communities, synagogues have expensive, imposing buildings, while the
Mikvah is small and poorly maintained. Yet, the Mikvah is more important,
Jewish Law maintains that a congregation that does not have its own Mikvah
does not even have the status of a community. (2)
This is not mere theory. In Israel, where religious authorities are
particularly meticulous, the Mikvah is the first religious facility that
is built in a new community. It is of primary importance. Synagogue
services can be held in an apartment or store. The synagogue building is
erected later, when the community is better organized and established.
VISITING A MIKVAHMany people have never seen a Mikvah, and even if you have seen a Mikvah, you might have missed many details. Therefore, at this point, it may be useful to paint an imaginary picture of a typical Mikvah. At first glance, a Mikvah looks like little more than a small swimming pool. The water is usually about chest high, large enough for three or four people to stand in comfortably. For easy access, there are stairs leading into the water of the Mikvah. If you look more closely, you will see a small hole, two or three inches in diameter, just below the water line of one wall of the pool. This hole may appear insignificant, but it is what actually gives this pool its status as a Mikvah. Just opposite this small hole, you will notice a removable cover over a "Bor" (a pit), which is the essential part of the Mikvah. This Bor is a small pool by itself, and it is filled with natural rain water. The rain water must enter the Bor in essentially a natural manner, as will be discussed in a later section. Under certain conditions, spring water or melted snow or ice can also be used. There are two other requirements for the Bor aside from containing natural rain water. First, it must contain at least forty "Sa'ah." The Sa'ah is an ancient Biblical measurement, equivalent to approximately five gallons of water, so that the Mikvah contains approximately 200 gallons of rain water. The second requirement is that the Bor must be a pit built directly into the ground. It cannot consist of any kind of vessel that can be disconnected and carried away, such as a barrel, vat or tub. Under some conditions, however, it can be built directly into the upper story of a building. The Bor itself can be used for a Mikvah, but since it is very difficult to change its water, it is most often used as a source to give another pool connected to it the status of a Mikvah. This larger pool can be filled in any convenient manner from the ordinary city water supply, and its water can be changed as often as desirable. The only requirement is that it be connected to the water of the Bor by an opening at least two inches in diameter. By connecting he two pools and allowing their waters to mingle we give the water in the larger pool the status of the water in the smaller pool. The process of inter- mingling the waters of the two pools is known as "Hashakah." This too will be discussed in more detail in a later section. Now that we have some idea of what a Mikvah looks like, we can briefly mention its uses. There are three basic areas where immersion in the Mikvah is required by Jewish Law: 1. After a woman has her monthly period, she may not be intimate with her husband until she immerses in the Mikvah. 2. Immersion in a Mikvah is an integral part of conversion to Judaism. Without immersion, conversion is not valid. This is required of men and women alike. 3. Pots, dishes and other eating utensils manufactured by a non-Jew must also be "converted" by immersion in a Mikvah before they can be used on a Jewish table. This is a special law in its own right, and does not necessarily have anything to do with Kashrus. Besides these, there are other times when it is customary to use the Mikvah. For example, it is an established custom to immerse before Yom Kippur as a sign of purity and repentence Many Chasidim immerse before the Sabbath in order to sensitize themselves to the holiness of the day. In this general context, immersion in a Mikvah is a process of spiritual purification and cleansing. In ancient times, the Mikvah had another important function in relation to various types of ritual defilement, "Tumah."
WHY MIKVAH?If we look at the commandments found in the Torah, we find that they fall into three major categories. Firstly, there are what we would call moral and ethical laws, the need for which is fairly obvious. Thus, when the Torah tells us not to steal, kill, cheat or hurt another's feelings, we do not have to look far to understand the reasons for such rules. These are moral laws, and are necessary if men are to live together in harmony. These commandments are known as "Mishpatim,"--translated literally, judgments. Any person with good judgment should find this category of laws and commandments perfectly obvious. Secondly, there are other commandments, which, while not morally necessary, fill an important need in strengthening Judaism. These are the rituals and festivals which reawaken us to important religious truths or commemorate key events in Jewish history. For example, few people would question the importance of observing Passover, which commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. Indeed, it is one of the best kept of Jewish holidays. The same is true of the Sabbath and other holidays. Similarly, commandments such as Prayer and the Mezuzah serve constantly to remind us of God's presence. Commandments in this second category are known as "Edos"-- literally, witnesses. These are the practices that bear witness to the important concepts of Judaism. The third category, is the most difficult to understand. It consists of laws and commandments for which there is no apparent reason. The best known example are the dietary laws, for which no explicit reason is given, either in the Torah or in Talmudic literature. These commandments serve to strengthen the bond between God and man, but the manner in which they do this is by no means obvious. Laws falling into this category of commandments are known as "Chukim," translated literally as decrees. These are commandments which we must obey as decrees of our God, whether or not we understand their reason. (3) One of the most important commandments falling into this last category is that of Mikvah. (4) It is obvious that this category of commandments is the most difficult to keep. The Talmud tells us that these are the laws that "the Evil Urge (Yetzer HaRa) and the nations of the world attempt to refute."(5) If we do not understand the reason for something, it is tempting to find excuses not to do it. When we try to explain our religion to non-Jews, the laws that do not have an obvious reason are the most difficult to justify. If a person is unsure of himself or is wavering in his Judaism, these laws will be the first to be abandoned. This may well explain why the use of the Mikvah has become one of the most neglected observances, and even--God forgive us--a joke in some circles. The fact that a commandment does not have an obvious reason makes its observance all the more an act of faith. It indicates that we are ready and willing to obey God's commandments, even when we cannot justify them with logic. It shows that we are placing God above our own intellect. In this spirit the Jewish people accepted the commandments The Torah relates that when Israel accepted the Torah, their initial response was (Exodus 24:7), "All that God says, we will do and we will hear, ('Na'aseh VeNishma')." Our sages stress the fact that their first statement was "we will do," and only then did they say, "we will hear." This indi- cates that when the Torah was given, we were ready to keep the commandments and "do" them, before we "heard" any reason or logic for them. (6) The Talmud illustrates this with an anecdote. A gentile saw the sage Rava engrossed in his studies. So involved was he that, although he had crushed his finger, causing it to bleed profusely, he was oblivious of the pain. The gentile remarked, "You are an impetuous people, allowing your mouth to precede your ears--and you are still not aware of what you are doing. At first you should have heard all the reasons, and then you could have decided whether or not to accept the Torah." Rava replied, ''We went into it with complete trust. Is it not written (Proverbs 11:3), "The integrity of the upright shall guide them?" (7) When we keep commandments that have no apparent reason, we demonstrate our inner security as Jews. Even though we may not be able to justify these commandments to the world, we feel secure as Jews to continue observing them. We understand what the Torah means when it says, (Deuteronomy 4:6), "Observe and keep [the commandments], for this is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations." We do not observe the commandments because logic demands it, but simply because they were given by God. The required basis is the relationship between the commandments and their Giver. This is higher than any possible human wisdom. (8) This may be one reason why a convert to Judaism must immerse in the Mikvah. The convert's first step into Judaism involves a ritual whose explanation is not apparent and obvious, and therefore, he must reaffirm the initial acceptance of the Torah, declaring, "I will do and I will hear." To abandon his gentile identity and to assume Jewish identity, he is required to participate in a ritual that is inexplicable to one who does not accept the basis of Judaism. The fact that we are required to observe certain commandments without awareness of their reason does not mean that there is no logic in their observance. The reasons involve deep concepts that are not immediately obvious. When we realize that there is a limit beyond which we cannot delve, we can begin to explain their significance. In ancient times, one of the main uses of the Mikvah was for ritual purification. There were numerous things that would render a person ritually unclean, "Tomeh". The main significance of such ritual uncleanness was that a person in that state was forbidden to enter the grounds of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Violation was punishable by the severest penalties. (9) The Torah speaks of numerous things that make a person ritually unclean, and of a number of processes of purification. One act of purification that is required in all cases, is immersion in the Mikvah. (10) The laws of ritual purity and impurity belong in the category of commandments known as "Chukim," decrees for which no reasons are given. These laws were to be taken on faith because they were given by God, as indicated by the teaching of our sages who said, "The dead body does not defile, and the water does not cleanse. Rather, God said, 'I have issued an order, and made a decree--and no man may violate My decree.'" (11) From these words we see that the Mikvah involves some degree of spiritual purification. Later on, we will define pure ("Tahor") and impure ("Tomeh") more carefully and thus gain a greater insight into these concepts. Up until this point; we have stressed the fact that there is no explicit reason given for the Mikvah and its associated laws. Nevertheless, we can strive to understand the significance of these laws. (12). However, we must realize that the reasons which will be discussed provide only an incomplete picture, and that the ultimate rationale of such commandments is beyond the grasp of human intellect. Therefore, no matter how deeply we probe, these reasons cannot serve to change or restrict these religious laws. (13) No matter how profound these reasons may be, we must realize that the Torah emanates from God, and that His commandments may involve many factors beyond the grasp of our mind and experience. With this in mind, we can begin to probe the reasoning underlying the Mikvah. On the simplest level, we usually think of water as a cleansing agent. If one is bodily unclean, it is natural to wash with water. Therefore, when we think of purification and cleansing in the spiritual sense, we would also use water as the purifying agent. It is the special status of the Mikvah that allows us to cleanse ourselves spiritually, as well as bodily. (14) If we look into the Torah more carefully, we find that the Mikvah has a deeper significance than mere purification, particularly in two special areas. The first involved the original consecration of Aaron and. his sons as priests, or "Kohanim," which took place soon after the exodus from Egypt, and was administered by Moses. Aaron and his sons then served as priests in the sanctuary ("Mishkan") built in the desert, and their descendants have retained this special status for all time. Even today, a "Kohen" is an individual whose lineage goes back directly to Aaron in an unbroken line. The Torah tells us that the first step in the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests ("Kohanim") involved immersion in a Mikvah. (15) Here, immersion did not involve "purification," but rather, a change in status--an elevation from one state to another. Aaron and his sons were originally no different than anyone else, but with this immersion they attained the new status of priests. The second area where we see the special significance of Mikvah is in the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple. This service is outlined in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. Although this special Temple ritual has not been performed for over 1900 years, its detailed retelling provides some of the most dramatic elements of our current Yom Kippur afternoon ("Mussaf") service. The most crucial part of this ancient Temple service was the entrance of the High Priest ("Kohen Gadol") into the Holy of Holies--the special chamber in the Temple where the ark containing the original stone Tablets given to Moses was kept. This was the only time of the year when any human being was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. The High Priest had to put on special white vestments before entering this most sacred room. After leaving the Holy of Holies, he would once again put on the "golden" vestments that he wore all year round. On this most sacred of days, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies two times. this, in turn, would require that he change his vestments five times, since he would begin and end in his "golden" ones. Each time before he changed, he would have to immerse himself in a Mikvah. (16) The High Priest was not impure or unclean in any way. He was rather undergoing a change in status, symbolized most dramatically by the changes of vestments When he entered the Holy of Holies, he had a very different status than before--a unique status that would allow him to enter this room. This change in status was achieved through immersion in the Mikvah. The immersion in ritual purification involves the very same concept. The water is not washing away any filth. Rather, the is changing the individual's spiritual status from that of unclean ("Tomeh") to that of clean ("Tahor"). Actually, this "purification" is a change of status rather than a "cleansing" process. The most dramatic example of this change of status is in the case of conversion. Here again, there is no question of un- cleanness or purification, but merely a change in status. (17) As in the examples mentioned earlier, this change in status comes about through immersion in the Mikvah. As the Tal- mud states, "as soon as [the convert] immerses and emerges he is like a Jew in every way." (l8) How does immersion in a Mikvah change a person? This can best be understood on the basis of another Talmudic teaching, that "a convert who embraces Judaism is like a new born child." (19) This has many important ramifications, especially with regard to the convert's (previous) non-Jewish family. In addi- tion, it provides us with an important insight into the concept of Mikvah, that emerging from the Mikvah is very much like a process of rebirth. Seen in this light, we see that the Mikvah represents the womb. (20) When an individual enters the Mikvah he is re- entering the womb, and when he emerges, he is as if born anew Thus he attains a completely new status. This is particularly true in the purification from ritual un- uncleanness. The womb is a place that is completely divorced from all concepts of uncleanness. A baby enters the world in complete purity, and there is no way in which he can be defiled while in the womb. (21) Thus when an individual enters the Mikvah, he leaves all uncleanness and "Tumah" behind, and emerges as a new, purified person. The identification of the Mikvah with the womb becomes somewhat clearer in view of the fact that the Torah describes the world's most primitive state as water. In the opening verses of the Torah, we find (Genesis 1:2), "The earth was empty and desolate, with darkness on the face of the deep, and God's spirit fluttering on the face of the water." On the second day of creation, the "upper waters" were divided from the "lower waters." Finally, on the third day, the waters were gathered into seas, so that dry land could appear. In a sense, therefore, water represents the womb of creation. When a person immerses in the Mikvah, he is placing himself in the state of the world yet unborn, subjecting himself totally to God's creative power. (22) We can see this from the etymology of the Hebrew word for water, "Mayim." According to a number of authorities, it shares the same root as the word "Mah," meaning "what." (23) When a person immerses in water, he is nullifying his ego and asking, "What am I?" Ego is the essence of permanence, while water is the essence of impermanence. When a person is ready to replace his ego with a question, then he is also ready to be reborn with its answer. Thus, when Moses and Aaron declared (Exodus 16:7), "We are what," our sages comment that this was the greatest possible expression of self nullification and subjugation to God. (24) When a person enters the Mikvah, he subjugates his ego to God in a similar manner. (25) We can also see this in a more prosaic manner. When a person immerses himself in water, he places himself in an environment where he cannot live. Were he to remain submerged for more than a few moments, he would die from lack of air. He is thus literally placing himself in a state of non-existence and non-life. Breath is the very essence of life, and, according to the Torah, a person who stops breathing is no longer considered among the living. (26) Thus, when a person submerges himself in a Mikvah, he momentarily enters the realm of the nonliving, so that when he emerges, he is like one reborn. (27) To some degree, this explains why a Mikvah cannot be made in a vessel or tub, but must be built directly in the ground, for in a sense, the Mikvah also represents the grave. When a person immerses, he is temporarily in a state of nonliving, and when he emerges, he is resurrected with a new status. (28) The representation of the Mikvah as both womb and grave is not a contradiction. Both are places of non-breathing, and are end points of the cycle of life. Indeed, it is interesting to note that the Hebrew word "Kever," which usually means a "grave," is also occasionally used for the womb. (29) Both are nodes in the cycle of birth and death, and when a person passes through one of these nodes, he attains a totally new status. In one place, our sages liken a person who immerses in the Mikvah to seeds planted in the ground. (30) Even though such seeds may be ritually unclean, "Tameh," the plants that grow from them have a new status, and are clean. (31) The seeds have been returned to their source, where they can once again begin the cycle of growth. When the new seedlings emerge from the ground, they retain no element of their previous ritually unclean state. The same is true of man. For him, the waters of the Mikvah are his womb and source, and when he emerges, he too is like a new individual. We therefore see that immersion in the Mikvah represents renewal and rebirth.
FOOTNOTES: 1. Cf. Turey Zahav (Taz), Yoreh Deah 268:8.
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