Mikveh/Mikvah is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion to achieve spiritual purity. Mikveh spelled hey/yod/qoph/mem (מִקְוֶה) in Hebrew has a hidden message that states: “Through Water ones status is changed by the Right arm of YAHUAH (YAHUSHA) and revived/restored.” The very PALEO of the work MIKVEH tells us Hebrews YAHUAHs ultimate plan through water immersion; to be revived/restored by YAHUSHA.” HalleluYAH!!

Although the Mikveh can be used by both men and women, it has always held special significance for Hebrew women. The scriptures reveal that ritual purity was intimately connected with the Land of Israel and Temple practices. Ritual impurity result from contact with the dead, loss of menstrual blood (niddah), loss of semen through nocturnal emission, or leprosy. Immersion in the waters of the mikveh provided a means of transforming an individual (male or female) from a state of ritual impurity to a state of purity. The mikvah offers the individual, the community and the nation of Israel the remarkable gift of purity and holiness.

The Mikvah should never be considered simply a bath, it is indeed a SPIRITUAL act of purification. Of note, one author wrote that “Immersion in the mikvah has offered a gateway to purity ever since the creation of man. The Midrash relates that after being banished from Eden, Adam sat in a river that flowed from the garden.

This was an integral part of his teshuvah (repentance) process, of his attempt at return to his original perfection.” Although this is not written spelled out within Torah, the allegory speaks of a process that we observe in Hebraic culture to be revived and restored to a state of purity through YAHUSHA. Some scriptural references for Mikveh are:

❖ Before the revelation at Sinai, all Hebrew were commanded to immerse themselves in preparation for coming face to face with YAHUAH.

❖ In the desert, the famed “well of Miriam” served as a mikvah.

❖ And Aaron and his sons’ induction into the priesthood was marked by immersion in the mikvah.

❖ In Temple times, the priests as well as each Hebrew who desired entry into the House of YAHUAH had first to be immersed in a mikvah. Again, we must remember the function of mikvah is not to enhance physical hygiene.

The concept of mikvah is rooted in the spiritual. In many ways, mikvah is the threshold separating the unholy from the holy, but it is even more; immersion in a mikvah signals a change in status—more correctly, an elevation in status. Its unparalleled function lies in its power of transformation, its ability to effect metamorphosis. The mikvah personifies both the womb and the grave; the portals to life and afterlife. In both, the person is stripped of all power and prowess. In both, there is a mode of total reliance, complete abdication of control.

Immersion in the mikvah can be understood as a symbolic act of self-rejection, the conscious suspension of the self as an autonomous force. In so doing, the immersing Hebrew signals a desire to achieve oneness with the source of all life, to return to a primeval unity with YAHUAH. Immersion indicates the abandonment of one form of existence to embrace one infinitely higher. Immersion in the mikvah is described not only in terms of purification, revitalization and rejuvenation, but also, and perhaps primarily, as RE-BIRTH.

In preparation for MIKVEH, there must be a time of reflection and admission. Because mikveh is spiritual, the impurity described is NOT focused on the outward appearance. Impurity is a spiritual state of being, the absence of purity is the absence of light. The mikvah, following the requisite preparation, has the power to change the status of the woman. The concept of purity and impurity as mandated by the Torah and applied within our Hebraic life is unique; it has no parallel or equivalent in this postmodern age. Perhaps that is why it is difficult for the contemporary mind to relate to the notion and view it as relevant. The single greatest gift granted by YAHUAH to humankind is teshuvah—the possibility of return-to start anew and wash away the past.

Teshuvah allows man to rise above the limitations imposed by time and makes it possible to affect our life retroactively. A single immersion in the mikvah late in life may appear insignificant to some and unnecessary act, yet coupled with dedication and awe, it is a monumental feat; it brings purity and its regenerative power not only to the present and future, but even to one’s past.