Mikveh for Monthly Use: Niddah

Traditionally, the rhythm of sexual relations in a marriage was determined by the Jewish laws of purity and impurity (tahara and tumah). A woman abstained from sexual relations with her husband during her menstrual period and for a fixed time (usually a week) thereafter. At the conclusion of this period, she immersed herself in a mikveh, a ritual bath, and resumed sexual relations with her husband.

In the 1970’s, as Jewish feminists began to grapple with Jewish tradition, mikveh seemed to be among the least redeemable of traditional rituals. Surprisingly, this has proved not to be the case. Some modern women have found ways to meaningfully integrate the practice of mikveh into their married lives or other relationships, while others have found creative uses for the mikveh to mark other significant occasions – ordination as a rabbi, divorce, healing from illness, etc.

This section of ritualwell has rituals and articles dealing with mikveh in the context of sexual relations. Look in the other relevant sections (conversion, healing) to find uses for mikveh in those contexts, or do a keyword search for mikveh.

Photo by Rabbi Roni Handler

Healing Well

Shared by Ariel Neshama Lee | Prayer

A healing prayer to be said when immersing in the mikveh [more]

Found In: Mikveh for Monthly Use: Niddah, Healing & Hard Times

Tags: mikveh

Rising from the Ritual Bath

By Rabbi Jill Hammer | Article

An article explaining the traditional uses of mikveh and modern perspectives on it, including a review of contemporary literature on the subject [more]