Mikvah Booklet 3 last changes.qxd

Mikvah Booklet 3 last changes.qxd
2/13/1950
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Mikvah Booklet 3 last changes.qxd
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ccording to Torah,
true love between a
husband and wife is more than
the sum of its parts. True
love requires strength,
forgiveness and a willingness
to share. True love is about
reaching out, becoming one
with another, and returning to
one's self, touched and reborn.
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These are the timeless Jewish wedding-day
blessings bestowed on the bride and groom.
According to Jewish tradition when we
allow the natural rhythms of our bodies to be
our guide, the blessings of our wedding day
are renewed each month.
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ur ancient wisdom
counsels an awareness
of the variations in a woman's
monthly cycle. A period is
an elemental sign that signals
a time for focus on self, space
and separation. When it is
time to return to physical
togetherness, a woman
immerses in a mikvah, a ritual
immersion pool. This marks
the transition into the joys of
intimacy.
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"When my husband and I are apart, before
I have immersed, I actually notice the
feeling of joy and excitement building. It is
hard not to think about the approaching days
of togetherness. I feel at once protected and
in control."
Rachel F.
"Preparing to go to the mikvah is a time set
apart from every distraction so I can focus
on elevating my whole self–body, mind and
emotions. It's a chance for me to be calm and
ordered, while experiencing the growing
anticipation."
Lisa S.
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ure air. Pure water.
Physical purity is key
to the health of our bodies.
Spiritual purity is key to the
health of our souls. This is a
state of being that our
tradition says can be attained
by every married Jewish
woman, no matter her age. A
natural body of water such as
the ocean, or the rainwater
that is collected in a mikvah,
are the means by which spirit
is transformed and becomes
pure.
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s we submerge in the clear mikvah
waters, we are suspended in time and
space, between past and future. Reborn, we
surface…
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"…the
mikvah
also
provides a powerful way to
get in touch with yourself as a
woman, to sanctify your
body's cycle, as a human
being who's part of a universe
that has its own cycles. Just
as we can celebrate the
waxing and the waning of the
moon, we can celebrate our
bodies, not degrade them".
Pamela Steinberg, Renewal, taken from
Total Immersion: A Mikvah Anthology
by Rivkah Slonim
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xperiencing the flow of the ritual of
mikvah connects us with an essential
part of who we are: the private, inner self; the
spark of divine within. Ultimately, by
imbuing our modern lives with our ancient
traditions, we strengthen the connection to
our life source, God.
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nderneath the buzz of
our active lives,
there's a sweet space where
our hearts live. We each have
the ability to reclaim this
beauty and joy through our
Jewish legacy of mikvah.
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Mikvah Mei Menachem in Ormond Beach, Florida
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Photo: Courtesy of Mikvah.org
Just one of many state-of-the-art Mikvahs in communities
throughout the United States and around the world.
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Resource Guide
To learn more about mikvah, or to schedule a visit to one, contact your
Orthodox synagogue, local mikvah or outreach organization.
Reading suggestions:
Total Immersion: A Mikvah Anthology by Rivkah Slonim
i
The Secret of Jewish Femininity by Tehilla Abramov
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Waters of Eden by Aryeh Kaplan
On the Web:
To explore the sacred observance of Mikvah,
or to find the mikvah nearest you,
log on to the Mikvah Directory at Mikvah.org.
Discover the guidelines for using a mikvah at Yoatzot.com.
i
For information about building a Mikvah in your town contact
Mikvah USA at 718-437-PURE (7873) or [email protected].
Concept and Text by C.R. Zwolinski
Design: Viktoriya Tselnik
Project Consultant: Rivkah Slonim
Ancient Springs; Modern Lives
is a Mikvah USA publication
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MIKVAH USA
1461 42nd Street
Brooklyn, New York 11219
718-437-PURE (7873)
[email protected]