| Chapter 5 LAWS REGARDING TVILOH
Mikvah What is meant by Tviloh in the Mikvah? A Mikvah - ritual bath - is a pool filled with water. The construction of the pool, the source and quantity of the water, as well as the manner of filling the pool, must meet all the requirements of our sacred Jewish law. All this must be done under the supervision of a competent Rabbinical authority. Also, the Mikvah must be constantly, under Rabbinical supervision and be inspected regularly.
Caution Jewish Women! Be aware that even if a woman has immersed or bathed in a hundred different baths that, according to Torah law, are not kosher Mikvahs, the immersion is worthless, and until she immerses in a proper (kosher) Mikvah, she is still a Nidah. Our Divine Torah condemns her intercourse as incest, and she commits the most terrible crime against her husband, herself, and her innocent children. The elderly woman It should also be pointed out here that, although a woman has reached menopause, if she has not as yet immersed in a Mikvah after her last menses, she remains in her Nidah state, and each time she has intercourse with her husband, she commits a sin punishable by 'Kores' (see the Introduction) until she performs the Tviloh in a kosher Mikvah as outlined in Chapters 2 through 5. Once she performs the immersion in a kosher Mikvah, she becomes clean and remains so for the rest of her life, unless she experiences bleeding or staining again (which is unusual). The time of Tviloh 1. Tviloh is performed after the bath and the other preparations are completed (Chapter 4, pars. 2-5), and after night has arrived. The earliest time for Tviloh is determined by the Rabbi responsible for the Mikvah, and 'is approximately the time of the termination of Shabbos that week.
The manner of Tviloh 2. While completely, undressed, the woman must thoroughly examine, observe, and touch her entire body to check whether any foreign substance or loose hair is stuck to her body, for it must be removed even if it is very tiny. It is advisable that, in addition to her own inspection, she should be thoroughly examined by the Mikvah matron assigned these duties by the local Rabbinate. Special care should be taken to see that her feet are not muddy or silty and that no dirt is between her toes when she enters the Mikvah. The woman then steps into the Mikvah in the presence of the matron, who is required to be present to supervise the immersion, and she immerses herself in such a manner that her entire body, including all her hair, is under water at the very same time. Even the very end of a single hair above the surface (or a single hair in her mouth) invalidates the Tviloh , and she remains a Nidah until she immerses properly. She must keep her body in such a position that will allow the water to come in direct contact 'with every part of her body. She should neither bend over too much nor squat too low, for thus she forms folds and wrinkles which prevent the water from reaching some parts of her body. It is, however, necessary for her to bend her knees slightly and bend slightly forward.
Her legs should not be held tightly together, neither should her arms touch her body. The fingers of her hands must be open. The eyes and lips should be shut gently, not tightly.
The water in the Mikvah should be at least high enough to reach the solar plexus (approximately in the middle of the chest) while standing. She must stand on the floor of the Mikvah, not on anything else. If necessary, she should consult a Rabbi. 3. Since it is impossible for the woman who is immersing to see whether every part of her body is underwater at the same time, it is imperative that another G-d-fearing woman be present to supervise the Tviloh conscientiously (as mentioned above). Her presence will also provide the added advantage that she will be the first one the woman meets when stepping out of the Mikvah. 4. Since the matron cannot properly supervise more than one woman at a time, it is very proper to follow the custom that only one woman at a time steps down into the Mikvah for Tviloh.
The Brachah (Blessing) 5. After she has immersed as prescribed, and while still standing in the water, she should fold her arms across her body, below her breasts and not look into the water while saying the following brachah in Hebrew: "Boruch Atoh Ado-noy Elo-heinu Melech Ha'olam Asher Kiddeshonu B'mitzvosov V'tzivonu Al HaTviloh.”
/vkhcyv kg ubumu uh,umnc ubase rat okugv lkn ubheukt ‘v v,t lurc The translation of the blessing is as follows: "Blessed are You, 0 L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us regarding the Tviloh."' After reciting the brachah, it is highly proper to immerse again in the manner prescribed above. 6. If she forgot to say the brachah, the Tviloh is nevertheless valid.
If the help of another woman is needed for immersion 7. When a woman immerses, she must do so completely by herself. She may not hold onto anything or anyone, nor should anyone hold onto her. If she is unable to perform the immersion without the aid of another woman, her helper should first dip her own hands into the Mikvah water, and not remove them from the Mikvah until the woman is finished with her Tviloh. The helper should hold onto the immersing woman from beneath the surface of the water. She should not grasp her tightly, just loosely, so that the water may reach even where she is touching. If the helper removed her hands from the Mikvah before the Tviloh, she should again place them into the Mikvah and there hold onto the immersing woman, as above.
If Shaalos (questions) come about after the Tviloh 7a. If she finds anything on her body or between her teeth after the Tviloh, or she notices that one of her nails was not cut, etc., or if she failed to make the preparations as heretofore prescribed, a Rabbi must be consulted regarding the validity of the Tviloh and the bathing. Also, if she erred, G-d forbid, in counting her days, and before the seven clean days were completed, she immersed, and also if she had marital relations, her Tviloh was invalid and she remains a Nidah. They must consult a competent Rabbi as soon as possible, concerning how many days she must wait before performing Tviloh again.
If the Tviloh would have been on Yom Kippur or Tisho B’Av 8. If the Tviloh night would have been on the eve of Yom Kippur or Tisha B'Av, the Tviloh is postponed to the next night. Tviloh is also forbidden during the seven days of mourning (Shiva), since, even if she is clean, marital relations are prohibited during these times.
9. Otherwise, the Tviloh must not be postponed from the end of the seven clean days if her husband is in the city. The husband, too, must not travel away from home on the day of his wife's Tviloh unless the trip is very urgent. 10. Even if the Tviloh was postponed because of the reasons mentioned in pars. 8 and 9, or because of sickness or the like, the Tviloh must, nevertheless, take place only at night. It is understood that she may immerse only if, after examination, she is found to be clean all these days.
When is the Tviloh permitted in the daytime 11. If she cannot perform the Tviloh at night, for example, if she lives in a remote village where there is no kosher Mikvah, she must wait until the eighth day. In such an exceptional case she is permitted to perform the Tviloh (on the eighth day) in the daytime. It must be noted, that if the Tviloh is performed in the daytime, the bathing and other aforementioned preparations must immediately precede the Tviloh - and she may not enter her home until night. (in such a case, it is proper to consult a Rabbi.)
12. Tviloh may not be performed in rivers or lakes. In case of emergency, however, she must consult a highly competent Rabbi. 13. Upon returning from the Tviloh, she must tell her husband explicitly, or in some manner make him understand that she performed Tviloh. She is then permitted to him.
Prohibition of birth control 14. The natural and lofty religious-moral purpose of intercourse is to raise a family. Anything done to prevent conception or terminate pregnancy is a grave, mortal sin, tantamount to murdering all those children destined to be born from him. Who has the ability to rectify such a sin.... If conception presents a danger to the mother's life, a highly competent Rabbi must be consulted. |