Mikvaot

Mikvahs, a specific type of bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism, can be found throughout the land of Israel. The word "mikvah", as used in the Torah, literally means a "collection" , a collection of water.

Ancient mikvahs dating from the period of the Second Temple were found during the archeological excavations of the Western Wall tunnels. A large number of mikvahs were built in Jerusalem at that time for thousands of pilgrims who arrived in Jerusalem on special occasions to take part in religious ceremonies at the Jerusalem Temple.

Today's main uses of mikvahs nowadays are by Jewish women to achieve ritual purity after menstruation or childbirth; by Jewish men to achieve ritual purity; as part of a traditional procedure for conversion to Judaism; for utensils used for food.

In Orthodox Jewish Traditions these regulations are strictly observed, and they formally hold in Conservative Judaism as well. The existence of a mikvah is onsidered so important in Orthodox Judaism, that an Orthodox community is required to construct a mikvah before building a synagogue, and must go to the extreme of selling Torah scrolls or even a synagogue if necessary, to provide funding for the construction. Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism regard the regulations about ritual purity as anachronistic to some degree, and consequently do not put much importance on the existence of a mikvah.

Some mikvahs are surrounded by mysteries and legends. For instance, the oldest functioning mikvah in Jerusalem, Batei Rahn mikva, is said to help women who cannot conceive. It is believed that a prominent Kabbalistic rabbi placed a blessing over this mikvah that every woman who immerses here will be blessed with children. Until now many women from Israel and from all the world come to this Jerusalem mikvah.