Editing Snow (section)

== Snow in Halacha and Chabad Teachings ==
Snow is mentioned in Tehillim as a source for contemplating the greatness of Hashem Yisborach: "Fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy wind fulfilling His word."

The halachic approach to snow varies. In the laws of tumah and tahara, snow is considered neither a liquid nor a food. In the laws of mikvah, snow has the status of water, and one could theoretically immerse in it if not for the issue that it lacks the name "mikvah" when frozen and doesn't have the form of water. However, it can be melted to make a mikvah, and we have testimonies from our Rebbeim about this.

One such testimony comes from a complex question brought before the Tzemach Tzedek regarding a mikvah where concerns arose about its kashrus. There was a possibility it had the status of "mikvah shehimshichuha bekulah," meaning most of its waters were created through hamshachah (making drawn water kosher by flowing it on the ground three tefachim before entering the mikvah). Some hold this invalidates the mikvah unless most of its waters are kosher water, with only a minority being drawn water that underwent hamshachah. The question arose how to make a new mikvah in a place without rain, or in a covered location where rain cannot fall directly without using vessels that would make it drawn water.