Back Mikwe GSW Micve AN ميكفاه Arabic Mikve Breton Micvé Catalan Mikve Czech Mikvé Danish Mikwe German Mikveo Esperanto Mikve Spanish
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A mikveh or mikvah (Hebrew: מִקְוֶה / מקווה, Modern: mīqve, Tiberian: mīqwe, pl. mikva'ot, mikvot, or (Ashkenazic) mikves,[1][2] lit., "a collection") is a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism[3] to achieve ritual purity.
In Orthodox Judaism, these regulations are steadfastly adhered to; consequently, the mikveh is central to an Orthodox Jewish community. Conservative Judaism also formally holds to the regulations. The existence of a mikveh is considered so important that, according to halacha, a Jewish community is required to construct a kosher mikveh even before building a synagogue, and must go to the extreme of selling Torah scrolls, or even a synagogue if necessary, to provide funding for its construction.[4][5]
Mikveh has its counterpart in Christianity, called baptism, due to the huge Jewish influence to the latter, though Christian baptism is one of the main requirements for conversion to Christianity, while the Jewish mikveh focuses mainly on ritual purity.[6]
- ^ Sivan, Reuven; Edward A Levenston (1975). The New Bantam-Megiddo Hebrew & English dictionary. Toronto; New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-26387-0.
- ^ Lauden, Edna (2006). Multi Dictionary. Tel Aviv: Ad Publications. p. 397. ISBN 965-390-003-X.
- ^ "Concerning Ritual Purity and Cleanliness".
- ^ Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Meshiv Dabar, 1:45
- ^ Rabbi Shneur Zalman Lesches. "understanding Mikvah" (PDF).
- ^ ISRAEL, ONE FOR (2016-06-02). "The Jewish Roots of Baptism - ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry". Retrieved 2025-07-22.