“Holy Water” and the Mikveh
Question
Many religions of the world suggest use of holy water – like for purifying something or for healing. In christianity the christians collect their holy water from river Jordan, in hinduism hindus collect holy water from the river Ganges.
From where do Jews collect their holy water and for which purpose do they use it?
Answers
In Judaism there is a concept called “the waters of the mikve”.
A Mikve is a pool of water that is comprised from a natural source of water (for example, rain water) – the water does not need to have come from a specific place such as a particular lake or river.
The Mikve needs to be a certain minimal size and there are separate Mikves for men and women.
The function of the Mikve is to purify the person using it and the person needs to immerse themselves entirely in the water for it to be effective.
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