Mikvah - Ritual Water Immersion
By Joelle Chilcott - for my son Josh, who will be baptized shortly...
Biblical Background:
The term ‘mikvah’ in Hebrew literally means any ‘gathering of waters’, but is specifically used in Jewish law for the waters or bath for the ritual immersion. The building of the mikvah was so important in ancient times it was said to take precedence over the construction of a synagogue. Immersion was also so significant that it occurred before the high Priest conducted the service on the Day of Atonement at the Temple; before the regular priests participated in the Temple service; before each person entered the Temple complex; before a scribe wrote the name of G-d.
The Mishnah attributes to Ezra a decree that each male should immerse himself before praying or studying. There were several Jewish groups in ancient days that observed ritual immersion every day to assure readiness for the coming of the Messiah. The Church Fathers mentioned one of these groups called Hemerobaptists which means “daily bathers” in Greek. Among those performed regular immersion were the Essenes and others that the Talmud calls ‘tovelei shaharit’ or “dawn bathers.”
On the third day of creation we see the source of the word mikvah for the first time in Genesis 1:10 when the Lord says, “...to the gathering (mikvah) of waters, He called seas.” Because of this reference in Genesis the ocean is still a legitimate mikvah. The word for ‘hope’ is also ‘mikvah’ as used in Jeremiah 17:13 ... O Lord, the hope (Mikvah) of Israel ... just as the immersion pool cleans the unclean, so the Holy one Blessed be he, clean Israel.
There are many examples in Scripture which speak of a ritual washing in order to be declared clean and pure. Below is a partial list of some of the required times to immerse in a mikvah and put on clean clothes.
- After touching the carcass of an unclean animal (Leviticus 11:24-25),
- After touching the carcass of an animal that died of itself (Leviticus 11:39-40),
- (women) 40 days after birth of a boy, 80 days after birth of a girl (Leviticus 12:2-5),
- After being healed from certain diseases (Leviticus 13:6, 34, 14:8),
- 7 days after a women’s cycle (Leviticus 15:8),
- (or for anyone who comes in contact with a woman during her cycle, and even if one comes in contact with articles that have been used or sat upon by such a person)
- After involvement in the mitzvah (blessing) of sex (within a marriage of course) (Leviticus 15:18),
- (men) After a seminal emission during sleep (Leviticus 15:16),
- Before entering marriage (Leviticus 15:19),
- (a man) After letting the scapegoat go for Yom HaKippurim (Leviticus 16:26),.
- (a priest) After burning the red heifer (Numbers 19:7),
- 3 days & 7 days after touching a slain man, a man’s bone, or a grave (Numbers 19:16),
- After touching a dead body - as when burying a relative,
- Conversion.
Even utensils were (and are still) submerged in a mikvah as seen in Numbers 31:21-23
Water immersion therefore was not a new concept for the Jews when John was ‘baptizing’ people in the river. Over the past two thousand years, baptism has taken on many different meanings and styles. But as we have seen with many other things, virtually everything goes back to Jewish roots.
Much of the confusion dividing mikvah and baptism comes from the word itself, baptism. Baptidzo is actually the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew ‘tevilah’ - totally immerse. Tevilah marks a change of status from being tamay to tahor = ritually unclean (impure or unfit for the presence of God) to ritually clean, since anytime a person is to come into the presence of G-d, they must come tahor (pure).
Traditional Jewish Observance:
The practice of the mikvah is still followed by orthodox Jews to this day, however there are some notable changes from the ancient practice since the destruction of the temple in 70C.E. The sacrificial system was gone and the priests had to place to serve. Rabbinic Judaism was forced to adjust biblical teaching in order to accommodate the new reality. Their conclusion, after much debate, was to substitute prescribed prayers and righteous works for the biblical requirement of sacrifice. Hence, the cleansing for the priests and the related healings were no longer practical.
However, modern Judaism maintained the need for mikvah in some situations such as:
- by women to achieve ritual purity after menstruation or child birth
- by men in spiritual preparation for the shabbat or for one of the holy days
- the immersion of gentiles who wish to convert to Judaism.
- in preperation for marriage
The Mikvah itself:
The bible says little about the actual construction of a mikvah. However, what the Bibles leaves undefined, the rabbis discuss, deliberate and conclude in great detail. One main agreement is that the mikvah must contain ‘living water’, which is either rain water, or water from a natural spring or stream. Living water has always been understood and connected to the Spirit of G-d.
Zech 12:10... and I will pour out on the house of David....
Isaiah 44:3 ... and I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground... pour out my spirit upon offspring...
The Prophet Ezekiel also speaks of new spiritual life through the cleansing waters:
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.” (Ezekiel 36:25)
To have a 'kosher' mikvah, there must be enough of this water for the full immersion of an average sized man (approx 120 gallons). Additional water from piped sources may be used if this minimum requirement has been met. The concept of immersion in rabbinic literature is reffered to as a ‘new birth’. When a convert entered the mikvah, the water itself was referred to as the womb of the world and as the convert came out of the water, it was considered a new birth, seperating him from the pagan world. The rabbis discussions also included many other tedious details such as location, construction etc... All of these discussions can be found in the Mishna: Tractate Mikvaot.
The immersion itself:
When one immerses themselves in the mikvah, it is important that every part of the body be under the water. (a loose garment may be worn for modesty reasons), however it must be witnessed by at least one member of the same sex.
The following blessings are recited after the person immerses himself or herself one time:
Blessed are thou, O Lord our G-d, King of the universe who has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us concerning the ritual immersion.
In the case of a new convert to Rabbinic Judaism, and extra blessing is added:
Blessed are thou, O Lord our G-d, King of the universe who has kept us in life, sustained us and brought us to this time.
The fact that the Hebrew blessings are said after the act of immersion of the convert is unusual. Normally a blessing is said before any act of obedience. However, the convert cannot technically recite the blessing until after his immersion, because he is not yet considered a Jew.
In Conclusion
Immersion in the mikvah is very important when a Gentile converts to Judaism. When Gentile converts go down into the waters of the mikvah, they leave behind their pagan ways - symbolically dying to their old life - and come up out of the water as a newborn child with an entire new identity. They are in essence reborn.
Born Again - a Jewish Term
The term ‘born again’ originated in Judaism. It referred to a Gentile who had undergone a formal conversion to Judaism (as stated above). The Talmud (oral law) states, “When he comes up after his immersion, he is deemed an Israelite in all respects.” (Yevamot 47b).
Rabbi Yose says in the Talmud, “One who has become a proselyte is like a child newly born.” (Yevamot 48b)
Understanding that the term born again referred to conversion to Judaism sheds light on the conversation between Yeshua and the sage Nicodemus in the book of John.
Nicodemus wondered, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” (John 3:4) From his Jewish perspective, he essentially queried, “How can I convert to Judaism if I am already a Jew?”
Yeshua answered, “A man must be born of water and spirit.” (John 3:5)
He was explaining to Nicodemus that we cannot rely on our ‘Jewishness’ (or any other heritage) to enter the kingdom of heaven. A conversion of the heart is necessary for salvation.
Judaism regards the mikvah as a symbolic expression of re-birth. The mikvah represents the mother’s womb, which is called in Hebrew ‘rechem’. This comes from the same root as the Hebrew word for mercy (rahamah).
Immersing fully into the waters of the mikvah is like re-entering the womb, the place of mercy; of God’s creative power. Emerging from the mikvah is like being born again.
Immersion in a mikvah also represents death and resurrection. A person under water enters a death-like state, like a person descending into a grave. When he comes back out of the water, he comes back to life as a new creation.
When we are immersed (baptized), we also become a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Paul understood this death and rebirth imagery of the immersion and compared it to the death and resurrection of Yeshua:
“Don’t you know that all of us who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism (immersion) into death in order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4)
1 Peter 3:21 says that “the waters of immersion is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.”
John immersed people in the Jordan River. His message was that of turning and repenting. This is the message of Teshuvah!
Teshuvah is a familiar message during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). During these Feasts of the Lord, Israel is to assess her spiritual condition and turn back to God. The chronology in the gospels reveals that John’s arrival took place in the fall, which is the time for these feasts.
The mikvah would have been a sign of inward cleansing in spiritual preparation for the Holy Days. Yeshua himself entered the waters of mikvah at this time.
One of the most important teachings in Judaism is that of repentance. According to both Scripture and rabbinic literature, no matter how great the sin, if a person repents and forsakes the sin before G-d he can be forgiven. As we see in the case of John, Jesus, and all New Testament writers, repentance was always involved. The Talmud states, “nothing can stand before repentance” (Yebamos 47b). According to Dr. David Flusser, the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as the New Testament teach that water can purify the body only if the soul has first been purified through repentance and righteousness.
It is evident from Yeshua’s final instructions that tevilah or mikvah would be part of making all the Gentile nations into Talmidim (disciples) of the Jewish Messiah.
He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
A convert could repent and have a part in the life to come without immersion, but the emphasis seems to be pointing to the taking on of a new “believer” status illustrated as a “new birth” by immersion.
May you experience great joy as you are cleansed and transformed by the power of His Holy Spirit through tevilah in the mikvah.
