A Mikvah Tour
One of the most beautiful jewels in Judaism’s crown has often been the topic of one of its biggest misconceptions: the mikvah. A mikvah is a small, private pool designated for three main uses: first, it is a key part of the conversion process, as the person wishing to convert to Judaism must immerse in a mikvah; second, some Jewish men, particularly in Chassidic communities, immerse daily before beginning morning prayers; and third, married Jewish women use the mikvah monthly as part of a cycle of spiritual renewal that mirrors their physiological cycle. Cynicism and misunderstanding may label this third category of mikvah usage as an outdated, irrelevant, and misogynistic ritual, but with a little thought and insight, perhaps mikvah can be seen for its intended purpose — a monthly opportunity for growth and connection.
While the practice of many mitzvot has waxed and waned over time, mikvah has not. In fact, in every generation since Mount Sinai, Jewish women have used the mikvah. Even during the (ongoing!) pandemic, as communal prayer was put on hold, Shabbat and holiday meals were scaled down, and schools went online, the mikvah never closed. With a nod to the importance of family life and Jewish continuity, our community leaders figured out how to safely keep our mikvaot (plural for mikvah) open, and as a result, regular mikvah usage by Jewish women each month has been continual.
If you’ve never had the incredible experience of visiting a mikvah, allow me to share some of what you can expect at our very own Cincinnati community mikvah in Amberley Village. Enter the building and you’ll find yourself in a warm, calming atmosphere. You’ll see a reception area in the front and, continuing down a hallway, you’ll find private preparation rooms, each containing a bath and shower. Each preparation room also has a second door that opens into another hallway, through which the small room housing the actual mikvah can be accessed.
To the undiscerning eye, a mikvah may be mistaken for a very small in-ground swimming pool. However, in order for this “pool” to have the status of a mikvah in Jewish law, a number of criteria must be met. Most notably, it must be connected via a pipe to another pool — a bor in Hebrew — into which fresh rainwater flows.
Many modern-day mikvaot can resemble luxury spa complexes — but there is absolutely no physical transformation that takes place upon immersing in a mikvah. The mikvah’s effects are purely spiritual. That there’s no connection at all to the physical concepts of “clean” and “dirty” is evidenced by the fact that by the time a Jewish woman enters the mikvah, she will have already spent a nice amount of time bathing, showering, and removing dirt or any other type of intervening substance from her skin and hair, yet when she enters the mikvah she is still spiritually “unclean.” It is only once she emerges from the mikvah waters that she has undergone spiritual transformation.
When discussing concepts related to spirituality, it is important to define our terms. Spirituality, we learn, is something that is perceived outside of the five physical senses; it’s not something that you can touch, taste, smell, see, or hear. Rather, spirituality is accessed via our souls. When you immerse in a mikvah, you experience a metaphysical change, and you come out recharged and energized, cleared of particular blockages in your relationships with G-d and with other people.
Here in Cincinnati, we are blessed with a beautiful community mikvah that is available to any Jewish woman who wishes to come and immerse in its waters. If this sounds intriguing, I invite you to be in touch to arrange an informational session and a mikvah tour, after which you can experience this special mitzvah for yourself.