Hasidism: Mikvah

The Menstruation Cycle and The Mikvah In accordance with Halacha, the mikvah is essentially a gateway to purification. The mikvah is used by both men and women. The duration of this essay will focus upon the uses for the mikvah ranging from emotional and physical cleansing before, during, and after menstruation for women. The word mikvah literally means “pool” or “gathering” of water. Since it is a vessel of purification, there are strict guidelines concerning how the mikvah is built. Firstly, the mikvah is built straight into the ground. It is forbidden for water to enter the mikvah if it comes into contact with anything deemed as unclean. Thus, human beings are not allowed to come in contact with the water before it enters the mikvah. Finally, the mikvah must have at least 200 gallons of water (Kaplan 51). In the article written by Rivkah Slonim it is said that, “ The free flow, or "kissing," of waters between the two pools makes the waters of the immersion pool an extension of the natural rainwater, thus conferring upon the immersion pool the legal status of a mikvah” (Slonim). Orthodox women have very firm views when it comes to cleansing themselves after menstruation. If a mikvah is not built correctly, by default, it will not be used because there is a very strict belief concerning the use of a body of water to purify oneself. The Mikvah is thought of in a physical sense but also thought of in a spiritual sense. Its said that, “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”(Kaplan 14). This is saying how that when a man goes into the mikvah he is impure and needs to be reborn into a purer self. The mikvah is said to cleanse the soul during the immersion to make the soul of the person pure again and gives the men a new status of purity. In Waters of Eden, Kaplan uses two