We are in mortal danger where there is no fear of God, declared our forefather Abraham, (Bereishit 25:11). Peace is promised to us, on the condition that all our people will observe Torah laws, (Vayikra 25). It is incumbent on each one of us to endeavor that all our people will keep the Torah laws, as written: “When all our sons will observe Torah, there will be a great peace (Yeshayau 54:13). An easy and effective way to reach fear of Heaven and observance of Torah laws is through men’s mikvah immersion, with the intention to connect with prayers of the heart to God. The first to immerse was Adam, the first human being. This was the first thing he did, on his first Sunday of his life on earth—he immersed in the Shiloach spring mikvah (500 meters from the western wall) for two reasons: 1. In order to repent and ask forgiveness for his sin. 2. Since “sin defiles therefore repentance requires purifying immersion” (Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 20, Or Zarua 1:20) What was proper and good to Adam is certainly also good and proper for everyone. Since immersion leads to: 1. Complete isolation from the disturbing environment. 2. Cessation of the activity of the five senses, which always preoccupy us, and may interfere with the concentration of thought. 3. Stopping of breathing, when we are at the gate between life and death, and in the face of death every man instinctively communicates to the Creator, in awe and fear and prays in his heart to God and asks of Him not only life, but also help to solve life problems. Since there is no man without problems, as it is God Who creates the problems for every human being, at any time, according to his situation, in order to motivate repentance (Tehillim 90:3). Therefore, every man rises from the mikvah with the hope (tikvah) of a new and more glamorous page for his life.
This hope brings happiness and leads man to sense gratitude to God and to remember with greater strength that God, too, has demands of us, and that we must first fulfill His requirements in order that Hashem will fulfill our requests with mercy and compassion. At this point we are on the glorious road to repentance.
Therefore, after immersion, every man thinks differently, prays and lives differently, and the life of the entire community becomes more serious—one of learning and observing all Torah laws—and the mitzvah of Jewish purity is strictly and properly observed as required, which leads to the feeling of security, peacefulness and happiness!
Other obligations and customs of men’s mikvah immersion: 1. Eve of Yom Kippur, “immersion for the sake of repentance” שו”ע או”ח, מג”א) .2) Groom on the day of his wedding, also a custom to fast until the chuppah, a prayer to “Binyan Adey-Ad.” 3. Before the brit milah, the father, the mohel and the sandak. 4. Before the mitzvot which require bodily activities: a) shofar blowing, b) Chanukah candle lighting, c) kosher slaughtering, d) scribe before writing Torah, tefillin and mezuzot; some immerse also before writing each of the names of “Shem-Hashem”, e) There are those who also immerse before personal prayer for special problems and requests. It is also customary to at least wash the hands (netilat yadayim) before each of the prayers, and therefore in all synagogues there is a sink and a tumbler for netilat yadayim near the entrance.
Assimilation and Intermarriage
In the desert journey, in the Shitim, before our people entered the land of Israel, 25% made contact with the daughters of Moav. Immediately, an epidemic broke out: 24,000 people died on the first day and all the other sinners died during the two months until the people of Israel crossed the Jordan. God declared that without Pinchas, who stopped the issue, He thought to annihilate the entire Jewish people (Bamidbar 25:11). Today, unfortunately, many Jewish communities around the world are being wiped off of the Jewish horizon due to assimilation and intermarriage. In the last 10 years, in the USA our people have lost about 2 million brothers. In Eretz Yisrael too, there is assimilation, since most of our people do not vote for parties whose main agenda is the observance of Torah laws.
The Talmud states that until the final redemption it is important for Jews to live around the world: (Pesachim 87, Rashi). Therefore it is clear that the state of assimilation and ntermarriage around the world is a problem of every yid, even to all the yidden who are living in Israel, since we are all in the same boat. (Current rate of intermarriage, as reported at international rabbinical conference, 10 years ago: USA 75%, Europe 85%, Sweden 95%, Bulgaria 98%). It is incumbent on each one of us to see to it that all the Jews of the world keep Torah laws! (For proof that it is possible to reach such results, see the articles “Mikvah in the White House” and “Mikvah in an Unknown Island” and “The 5 encounters between Isaac and Ishmael, and the encounter of the Jews with the Arabs.” We have letters describing the many practical results from places around the world, as you can see in the article “Results.” It is therefore the duty of each and every one not to be satisfied by reading this page, but also to act with the necessary seriousness; as anyone can! And also to donate in order to spread the subject in different languages around the world.
To receive our book “The Guide to the Rescue of our Jewish People” (containing about 80 articles, including signatures and recommendations of the great rabbinical leadership of our generation in Israel and the Diaspora), and for contributions to cover costs of translating and distributing this material in Israel and around the world:
USA: IRS Tax-deductible donations: #11-3380463,”Survival-Mikva-Tikva”, Imanuel Ravad, 1360 44th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
Direct bank deposits: Signature Bank, 6321 New Utrecht. Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219, Survival/Mikva Tikva. Account #026013576 – 1503052217.
Israel: 20 Shmaya Street, Bnei Brak 5132703.
For more information, contact [email protected] or 972-3-9074787, or visit www.mikvatikva.org or www.hatsalatamenu.org.
By Imanuel Ravad
