THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Meaning and Sanctity of the Mikva Explained By RABBI JACK GOLDMAN (Editor's note: Cong. Bais Chabad will offi- cially dedicate its new mikva 2:30 p.m. June 19.) When Orthodox rabbis begin to explain the nature 11•111 ■1■ • AL KLINE "See me for a heimishe deal" 0 ,87h (ADILLAC PEUGEOT 6161 Woodward Detroit, MI 48202 Just south of the GM and Fisher Bldg. 875-0300 of a new mikva, going into detail concerning its con- duits, "retention of rain water," and the halakhi- cally sanctioned "third pool of water" which comes with the blessings of none less thin the revered Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the non- Orthodox and uninitiated must think this is some kind of rabbinical preoccupation with religious plumbing. Actually, the mikva per- tains to a very sensitive area of Jewish Law which is one of the cornerstones of Judaism and a key focal point of Jewish family life. So significant is the mikva that sages of the Talmud pronounce that a God- fearing Jew may live in a city in which there is no Torah scroll, but he may not live in a city in which there is no mikva! The use of the mikva is related to what is called "Taharat Hamishpakha," Jewish family purity. In the eyes of the Torah, sexual love between a husband and his wife represents the lof- tiest plane of the human ex- - perience. It is through the conjugal relationship that a man and his betrothed join JAFFEE GOLDENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY "We Believe In Getting Who You Pay For" Southfield At 13 Mile 646-8484 With the Almighty in the creation of new life. The act of marriage is called - "Kiddushin," which means Holiness; the sexual relationship is hallowed only when it is sanctified by matrimony. Thus, pre-marital or extra-marital sex are banned by the laws of Jewish morality al- together. Even in the marital rela- tionship, however, great concern is expressed by the Torah that the sexual rela- tionship always retain its purity, its aura of sacred- ness, that it should never become something com- monplace or profane. There- fore did the Torah decree the laws pertaining to the mikva. The mikva is a ritual bath (sometimes • called ritualarium), used primar- ily by married women. In order that the sexual experience should always be cherished as something special and sacred, the Torah decreed that a Jewish husband may be with his wife up to the moment when she sees the first signs of menstrual blood. She then informs her husband that she is ritually impure (nida), and they affect a period of separation for the duration of her menstrual period. During that time, husband and wife engage in no physical contact, they do not sleep in thesame bed, or hand objects to one another; all communication and all expression of love and affec- tion must be verbal. The period of separa- tion lasts until thereis no more menstrual blood and an additional seven days are counted in which there has been no blood. During this inter- val (approximately two weeks out of every month) husband and wife must learn to admire, re- spect and communicate with each other on the most intimate levels, without physical contact. This period of sexual abstention has been hailed by the world's leading authorities in psychology, medicine and sociology as one of the most formidable ele- ments in Jewish law de- signed to strengthen the bonds of marriage. While the wife is a nida, she and her husband receive a Torah-directed' motiva- tion to develop a deeply- rooted friendship, to define and delineate the essence of the love that ties them to- gether. This is what causes a Jewish marriage to last a -lifetime. When the seventh day is over, on the eve of the eighth day, the wife goes to the mikva. There, she im- merses herself in the purified waters and she re- cites her blessing where, inter alia, she prays for the coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the Tem- ple of Jerusalem, and then she returns home, to her husband. In the intervening 14 or so days, psychologically and physiologically, both she and her husband have been renewed and refreshed, and they re-form their marital ties in sanctity and purity.- Every time a new mikva is built, it is an occasion for joy and happiness in the entire Jewish community. It is a sign of spiritual growth and moral stamina. Gebrge Ohrehstem Jewelers j t,(I. anuotuices -oui. Competitive 'Pricing Policy at all times 20-40% off Suggested price, most items Remember, for top quality fine jewelry, your best buy is always at Ohrenstein's. George Ohrenstein Jewelers Ltd. 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