FREQUENT ASPIRATIONAL QUESTIONS
Some of the inquiries made by Jews yearning to do more
Mikva is the foundation of yiddishkeit, the river of klal yisroel’s purity that has been flowing from generation to generation under close guard. Halachically, any established community is obligated to build their mikva first, before building a shul or writing a sefer torah. In fact, a community may even sell a sefer torah to help pay for their mikva. With some of our communities 4-5 hours away from the nearest mikva, each one really needs their own.
Each case is different, and we offer nearly a dozen services. Some communities need a mikva but know very little, in which case we bring together rabbanim and architects to plan, fund and build the mikva. Other communities present us with ready plans and we ‘just’ need to offer technical, financial and halachic support. Some communities call us once things have gone wrong during the construction phase, at which point we step in to correct the issues and ensure the mikva is built properly so it lasts for decades. Building a mikva is always a
complex undertaking, and we help in any way possible to complete each one the right way.
A mikva must be a pool of rainwater that has never been held in any container and has never been touched by human hand. The water must be delivered be nature in its purest form: as rain from the sky or as a spring from a natural well. Whenever we’re involved in a mikva, we review the plans before construction, remain onsite throughout the pouring phase, and follow up later to ensure the water delivery and all other systems work without issue.
As long as Jews are spread all over the world, the demand for mikva can be found everywhere.
There’s a remarkable reawakening of yiddishkeit throughout the world, with hundreds of thousands of Jews yearning to learn more about their heritage and taharas yisroel. While Judacia and kosher food can be shipped globally, a mikva must be built onsite.
Depending on what’s involved, the costs can range from $150,000 to $350,000 and beyond. Items like property purchase and architectural planning can add significant expense, and we never skimp on any of the hiddurim and comforts that make each mikva perfect.
There are huge implications on both the halachic and technical fronts; the right consultant must have both halachic authority and profound expertise in all technical aspects. A mikva’s floor and walls must be poured of seamless concrete, and if the mikva collapses during pouring, it has to be demolished, excavated, and redone from scratch. Concrete also has a tendency to leak, and the smallest leak renders a mikva unkosher.
Mikva Tahra has the necessary expertise to preempt such complications, building a bor within a bor, ensuring the correct concrete mix, monitoring temperatures and vibration during pouring, and more.
Our duty to support a Jew’s desire to upkeep family purity is not a matter of numbers. That’s why we focus on the viability of the community and on the absolute certainty that the new mikva will be used multiple times each month. If the community is established and we can verify that the mikva will be in good hands, we support their cause.
Mikvah.org is a wonderful resource for all matters of family purity. You can also visit our own Resources page for more insight.
Any form of involvement helps us help them. To take part, please call us at 718-840-3833 or visit our Donate page.