intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash. Mikdash Mikva'ot - Reactions Y.E. (formerly from Syracuse and currently from Har Nof) writes, "It would seem that any discussion of Mikva'ot in the Beit HaMikdash must also take into consideration the certain existence of other bathrooms aside from the single one mentioned in the Mishna under the Beit HaMokeid (the hostel for Kohanim located on the northern side of the Azara, Midot 1:7,8). One bathroom was clearly not adequate for the masses of Kohanim. And it almost defies the imagination to consider how these basic human needs were met for the vast numbers of Israelites who needed bathroom facilities when they visited Ezrat Nashim (Women's Court) and Ezrat Yisrael(the Court of the Israelites)." An excellent question! "In addition, a discussion of the Mikva'ot in the Beit HaMikdash must take also into account the existence and use of the extensive system of Mikva'ot on Har HaBayit (for the use of the Olei Regel before they entered Mikdash grounds. C.S.). Many can still be seen today. There were Mikva'ot in the homes of the Kohanim who lived in the "Upper City" (today the Jewish Quarter), and some have been found in the excavations under Yeshivat HaKotel. These Mikva'ot are more compelling examples of the centrality of Mikva'ot (and ritual purity) to normative Jewish life than those built by a fringe group on Massada whose philosophy was at variance with our rabbinic Torah She'be'al Peh and was not accepted by the wider Jewish society." (This very well may be, but the Massada Mikva'ot discovered in 1963 were the first Mikdash era Mikva'ot to be discovered and therefore generated a great deal of excitement. Excavations in the Old City began only after the Six Day War in 1967. Since then, literally scores of ancient Mikva'ot have been found, many of them on the environs of Har HaBayit. C.S.) Y.E. concludes, "I wonder what kind of water pipes were used in the Beit HaMikdash, and of what material they were made. Perhaps they did not use pipes at all, only conduits. Wouldn't today's water pipes be a "carrier" of Tum'a (ritual impurity) and therefore not be allowed in the Beit HaMikdash?" Reuven from Ra'anana writes, "Does the word Tehorim in the Pasuk in Yechezkel translate as "clean" or "pure"? (36:25, "Vezarakti Aleichem Mayim Tehorim Utehartem…") Technically, it is not the Mikveh water that purifies. The act of immersion in a Kosher Mikveh is (part of) a process that purifies. There is an obvious difference.Mikveh waters have no "power" unto themselves and surely no Kedusha (sanctity). It is incorrect to give the impression that there is something inherently unique in these waters other than their symbolic nature. Mikveh water is not physically/chemically different from any other water." In answering Reuven, I quote the Rambam who anticipated questions of this nature. He writes, "It is obvious that the laws of ritual impurity and ritual purity are scriptural decrees. They do not speak to man's intellect; rather they are inexplicable divine ordinances. immersion as a means of removing impurity is an inexplicable divine decree because ritual impurity is not mud or filth, which melt away in water. Proper performance of these Biblical decrees depends on the special intention of the heart. Therefore the Sages said that if a person immersed and did not have that special intention, it is as if he never immersed at all (Hagiga 19a) …if he immersed and had special intention he becomes ritually pure even though there is no physical bodily change; he immersed with the intention of purifying his soul from spiritual impurities such as wicked thoughts and evil philosophies. He had taken it upon himself to abandon these doctrines and bring his soul to purity" (Sefer Tahara, Hilchot Mikva'ot11:12). In other words, immersion is not only a physical experience, it must also be a spiritual experience. The ritual ablution in the Mikveh is invalid if the person immersing is not physically clean. The immersing person's body must be free of any material which might prevent the purifying water of the Mikveh from reaching all parts of his body and for this reason, an additional facility for washing is therefore usually provide din the vicinity of the Mikveh. In the days of the Mikdash, many of the Olei Regel unquestionably immersed in the scores of Mikva'ot, the remains of which, still dot the area south of Har HaBayit. Danny K. from Beit El (referring to TT #641) writes, "While the modern Hebrew word for gonorrhea is indeed "Zivah", I don't think that this disease is the condition referred to by the Mishna (or the Torah - C.S.). As far as I know, gonorrhea was imported to Europe from the New World by the Spanish explorers in the Middle Ages. Like Tzara'at, Zivah seems to be a spiritual condition." (Usually mistranslated "leprosy", traditionally Tzara'at - a physical skin disorder, Vayikra 13,14 - is seen as a Divine chastisement visited upon an Israelite because of certain spiritual transgressions, slander etc. See TT #616, 617, & 618 C.S.) Upon receipt of Danny's cogent email, I checked out three English translations of Vayikra 15:2, "…Ish Ish Ki Yihyeh Zav Mibesaro…". The Soncino (JPS version) reads, "…when any man hath an issue from his flesh…". The ArtScroll rendition reads, "…any man who will have a discharge from his flesh…". The English translation of R' S. R.Hirsch has it, "…when any man has a running issue from his body…". None of these translations mention gonorrhea! And in fact, I found a fascinating Vayikra Rabba (18:1) which supports Danny's contention that Zivah, like Tzara'at, is not an ordinary medical condition. The Vayikra Rabba postulates that Zivah is an extraordinary punishment from On High for specific spiritual deficiencies and sins. The Vayikra Rabba reads, "'Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the evil days come…' (Kohelet 12:1). ("The evil days") refer to old age. If a man sins in his youth, he is stricken with Tzara'at and Zivah…". The Midrash compares Tzara'atwith Zivah which means that according to the Midrash, Zivah falls into the same category as Tzara'at, i.e., a sin-caused chastisement from On High. The Torah Shleima, commenting on this Midrash, applies to these young transgressors a vivid Pasuk in Havakuk 1:7, "…their law and their majesty proceed from themselves". Because of their unbridled arrogance, instead of observing Torah law, they create their own law and as a result, "they are punished with Zivut (Zivah) and Tzara'at." Danny K. also comments, "Proper pronunciation would require the spelling 'MIKVEH', and not 'MIKVAH'." While Mikvah is an acceptable alternative popular pronunciation (perhaps based on Yeshiyahu 22:11) and in fact, is frequently used in popular works, nevertheless, indisputably, the more correct term in English for a "ritual immersion pool" is indeed Mikveh. Note the Segol under the Vav in Mikveh in Mikva'ot 1:7 in the Mishnayot of Sh. Blackman, Ch. Albeck, and P. Kahati. Similarly, Mikveh is the form preferred by Jastro, Alkalai, Ben Yehuda, etc - and in the future, Catriel. Mikol Melamdai Hiskalti…. Thank you. Catriel is in the process of writing a book: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
Parshat Vayeitzei Homepage]
|
