Hovaya Al Yedei Tahara (Creation Through Purity): Difference between revisions
Created page with "One of the fundamental rules regarding mikvaos is "Hovaya Al Yedei Tahara" (creation through purity), which is a Torah commandment derived from the verse "But a spring or a cistern, a gathering of water, shall be pure." Our Sages interpreted the words "shall be pure" to mean that the creation of the mikvah must be done through pure means - meaning through items that cannot receive tumah (ritual impurity). == Practical Implications == This halacha has many practical impl..." |
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== The Rebbe's Instructions == | == The Rebbe's Instructions == | ||
The Rebbe addresses this issue with particular stringency: | [[The Rebbe]] addresses this issue with particular stringency: | ||
"Regarding what was written about the mikvah - although one word is unclear in the writing, it appears to refer to water leaving and being blocked by an iron stopper that blocks a hole in the mikvah floor. I was shocked to read this, and perhaps this is not the correct interpretation. There has already been outcry against the allowance of initially making it with intent to establish it... Surely you have a copy of the letter from the Rebbe Rashab who refused to allow even rubber (kautchuk) to block the hole due to those who hold it can receive tumah, and advised making stoppers in several places from simple wooden vessels made extremely smooth. Since it's difficult to precisely fit and seal between wood and stone, the solution is to make part of the floor corner from wood with a hole in it sealed by a wooden stopper, as wood-to-wood sealing is easier. But what's even better, and has been practiced everywhere within my reach, is not to have any hole in the floor at all, and to remove the water using a pump (nasos), preferably using a pump called siphon, as is known to those who deal with such matters." | "Regarding what was written about the mikvah - although one word is unclear in the writing, it appears to refer to water leaving and being blocked by an iron stopper that blocks a hole in the mikvah floor. I was shocked to read this, and perhaps this is not the correct interpretation. There has already been outcry against the allowance of initially making it with intent to establish it... Surely you have a copy of the letter from the Rebbe Rashab who refused to allow even rubber (kautchuk) to block the hole due to those who hold it can receive tumah, and advised making stoppers in several places from simple wooden vessels made extremely smooth. Since it's difficult to precisely fit and seal between wood and stone, the solution is to make part of the floor corner from wood with a hole in it sealed by a wooden stopper, as wood-to-wood sealing is easier. But what's even better, and has been practiced everywhere within my reach, is not to have any hole in the floor at all, and to remove the water using a pump (nasos), preferably using a pump called siphon, as is known to those who deal with such matters." | ||