The MIKVEH

(Ritual Bath)

"Let the waters be gathered..." Bereshis (Genesis) 1:6

MIKVEH for conversion to Judaism?

Jewish chalocha (rulings, law) require that the potential convert be instructed about how to live as a Jew, and undergo kabbalas ol mitzvos (agreement to do the commandments), mila (circumcision for men),* and tevilah (immersion in a mikvah [ritual bath of water]), and that the procedure be supervised by a Beis Din [court] of three men. Note that the members of the Beis Din must be acceptable witnesses. According to Orthodox Jewish law, a witness must scrupulously observe all the laws, particularly Shabbat. From an Orthodox standpoint, therefore, any Jew who does not follow Orthodox standards of practice-rabbi or not-would not be qualified to sit on a Beis Din.

ACTS Ch. 2 mentions this act of tevilah in a mikveh for entrance into the community of Klal Yisroel (corperate Yisroel) of those who came to believe that Yeshua is Moshiach. (The Greek word is Baptismo).

MIKVEH for (Kelim) eating and cooking utensils as well?



Kelim (Utensils) pots and pans, absorb the taste or flavor of food which is cooked in them. Since the biblical laws of kashrus regard the taste or flavor of food as the food itself, utensils that have been used for forbidden food must be "reconditioned" before they may be used in a Jewish household. The popular term for this reconditioning process is koshering. Its Hebrew equivalent is hag'alath kelim, or hekhsher kelim. (The word hag'alah derives from a root which means "to expel", referring to the forbidden food substance which has been absorbed into the walls of the vessel.) A Mikveh for utensils can be found in the back of any housewares store in a Jewish neighborhood.
The borucha (blessing) for this immersion can be found in standard bentchers and siddur'im (prayer books).

The explicit Biblical source for the laws of koshering is found in

Bamidbar (Numbers) 31:21-23:

and...

In tractate

~Avodah Zarah 75b~ of Talmud Bavli

states: Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabba bar Abbuha: New utensils [which belonged to a non-Jew, but were never used by him] must be immersed in a mikvah, since old ones are regarded as new when they are made white hot, yet they require immersion."

MIKVEH for family purity?


Taharas haMishpocha (family purity). When a man's wife becomes niddah (menstruant) a man cannot have marital relations with his wife who was niddah until she indicates that her flow has stopped, when it has she must do the act of tevilah in a mikveh. Until she has done so they are forbidden to even hold hands lest he himself become impure.

On a woman's Wedding Night she must also do the act of tevilah in a mikveh before she goes under the chuppah and seals the ceremony of marriage. There are also Laws and customs surrounding the birth of a child concerning tevilah in a mikveh

Surveys have shown that marriages that observe Taharas haMishpocha have the lowest divorse rate of any couples in the world. Another thing, I am told is that couples when abstaining from martial relations have an interesting thing happen... "The couples have intimate conversations with each other". One of the biggest complaint I hear from wives to their husbands is this... "You never listen to me". Hashem (G~d) knew what he was doing when he set up these mitzvos (commandments)in The Torah. It is not suprising that the word "Torah" means "instruction", or "teaching".

One problem I would like to address here is this... If I ever do visit other Messianic Congregations I am usually greeted by women extending their hand to shake mine, then I have to politly explain that it is not proper for me to shake their hand. (Shomer negiah) This is a very ...Um, may I say "ToUcHy" situation?????

I am carefull as to not bring blood to her face (embarrasment) which is said in Talmud as to be equal to shedding blood of a human being.

Rabbi Shaul also writes (I'll add where this is written later when I look it up) "Men, do not touch a woman, lest you fall into sexual temptation". Placing this back in the contextof who, why and when this was written... Shaul was a Rabbi trained by R. Gamliel and would know that Jewish chalocha forbids people of opposite genders to touch before they marry each other.

There is a very good book on Modesty which I highly reccomend, although it takes a VERY VERY strict approach on matters, it is called

"Modesty: An adornment for life" (A book on T'snuis and conduct) By: Rabbi Eliyahu Falk (A Feldheim book). Feldheim Publishers also offer a workbook to accompany this book.



Men and women in the Jewish community who are not married to each other (with the exception of etremely liberal Synagogues) do not touch each other out of modesty and purity reasons. Shomer Negiah.

For this subject of Taharas haMishpocha I would like to reccomend the following books

(1.) "Family Purity - A Guide to Marital Fulfillment" by: Rabbi Yerucham Fishel halevy Jacobs, who is a Chabad Lubavitcher Rabbi.

Or for something Exhaustive yet clear, I reccomend

(2.) "The Laws Of Niddah" A comprehensive exposition of their underlying concepts and applications. by: Rabbi Binyomin Forst (An Artscroll book)



MIKVEH for men?


Orthodox men (with the exception of some Modern Orthodox) will do tevilah in a mikveh on Friday afternoon before Shabbos begins, this is taken from Beis haMikdosh (Temple) times when everyone would do tevilah in the mikveh before going up to The Beis haMikdosh (The Temple).

Some Terms to Know:

Mikveh translates as "ritual bath"

Mayim Chaiyim translates as "living waters"

Taharas haMishpocha translates as "family purity"

Tevilah translates as "immersion"

T'snuis translates as "Modesty"

Hilchos Tevilah translates as "Laws of Immersion"


© Copyright 1999 by T.O.M.J. Beis


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