Lexicon

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(Original Index)

Mikvah

Mikvah or mikveh (Hebrew name; plural “mikva'ot” or “mikvot”) is a specially constructed pool of water used for total immersion in a purification ceremony within Judaism. Its main uses 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.

A Mikvah is central to an Orthodox Jewish community. A Jewish community is traditionally required to build a Mikvah (for women) before they build a synagogue, and to sell a Torah scroll to build one if need be.