From "The Guide to the Rescue of our Jewish
People" Security, Peacefulness and Happiness!
by Rabbi Imanuel Ravad
19 Elul 5780 (8 September 2020)
The Jewish people are in mortal danger, where there is no
fear of G-d, as declared our Forefather Abraham (Bereshit 25:11).
Peace is promised to us, on the condition that all our
people will observe Torah laws (Vaikra 25).
It is incumbent on each one of us to endeavor that all our
people will keep the Torah laws, as written: "When all our sons will
observe Torah, there will be a great peace (Yeshayau 54:13).
In order that we should not forget this most important issue
the all day every day and take it more seriously to our hearts and mind, our
rabbis put it as the last verse of our morning prayer every morning.
An easy and effective way to reach fear of heaven and
observance of Torah laws is through men's Mikva Immersion, with the intension
to connect with prayers of the heart to G-d! The first to Immerse was Adam the
first human-being! This was the first thing he did, on his first Sunday of his
life on earth! - he immersed in the Shiloach spring (500 meters from the
western wall), For two reasons: 1.
In order to repent and ask forgiveness for his sin.
2. Since "sin
defiles therefore repentance requires purifying immersion" (Pirkei DeRabbi
Eliezer 20, Or Zarua 1:20).
What was proper and good to Adam, is certainly also good and
proper for everyone! Since Immersion leads to:
1. Complete isolation from the disturbing environment.
2. Cessation of the activity of the five senses, which
always preoccupy us and may interfere with the concentration of thought.
3. Stopping of breathing, when we are at the gate between
life and death and in the face of death every man instinctively communicates to
the Creator, in awe and fear and prays in his heart to G-d and asks of Him not
only life, but also help to solve life problems.
Since there is no man without problems, as it is G-d Who
creates the problems for every human-being, at any time, according to his
situation, in order to motivate repentance (Tehilim 90:3).
Therefore, every man rises from the mikva with the
"HOPE" (tikva) of a new and more glamorous page for his life.
This "HOPE" brings happiness and leads man to
sense gratitude to G-d and to remember with greater strength that G-d too has
demands of us and that we must first fulfill His requirements in order that
Hashem will fulfill our requests with mercy and compassion.
At this point we are on the glorious road to repentance.
Therefore, after immersion, every man thinks differently,
prays and lives differently and the life of the entire community becomes more
serious – one of learning and observing all Torah laws – and the Mitzva of
Jewish purity is strictly and properly observed as required – which leads to
the feeling of Security, Peacefulness and Happiness! "Ashreichem
Yisrael"! (you are fortunate Yisrael) proclaimed Rabbi Akiva, who lived
during the destruction of the "Mikdash".
As long as the "Mikdash" existed, G-d cleaned our
sins like snow! As written: "I will throw upon you purifying water and you
will be pure…" (Yechezkel 36:25) - and now that the Mikdash is ruined, we
should not despair since we still have: "mikva trough which Hashem is
purifying us" (Yirmiah 17:13, Yoma 85:).
Therefore, although now-a-days men have no Torah obligation
to mikva immersion, nevertheless due to the positive results, it is of great
importance! Since the subject is not sensitive, it is easy to speak about and
to convince men to immerse; and when men immerse the entire holiness of the
life of the family gets the proper observance.
It is preferable to build the men's mikva in the synagogue
compound, in order to allow a direct ascent from the prayer of the heart to G-d
in the mikva - to the fervor of prayer in the synagogue, without having to pass
through the distracting street-views.
The opening words of the Torah - "Bereishit Bara"
is a theme of faith in the Creator of the world and the word "Mikva"
appears in the tenth verse.
Our sages understood that the oral Torah too, must begin:
1. On the subject of
faith, since faith is the one that gives the urge and power to observe Torah
laws, as well as the issue of Cohanim (men) mikva immersion since it
strengthens faith from inner feelings.
The Jew declares his faith in the Creator of the world by
the verse "Hear, O Israel" [-Shma Yisrael] - "The L-rd our
G-d" - "One"! And we must declare this faith at least twice
daily, evening and morning and before public reading of the Torah.
The opening sentence of the Talmud is a question of time:
"From when the evening's declaration of faith is said” and instead of
quoting a time, the Rabbis answer: "from the rising of the evening
stars" - the Talmud brings the issue of Cohanim’s (priests) mikva
immersion before eating "sacred food".
Since Mikva immersion is strengthening the faith from inner
feeling which gives the impulse and power to keep the Torah Laws! Before the
"Sinai Revelation", all our people had to mikva immerse.
Among other reasons – in order that the revelation will be
with faith in Hashem and mikva immersion is strengthening this faith! During
the journey in the desert, men who did not Mikva immerse, the clouds of honor
threw them out of the camp and only from them Amalek managed to kill (Shmot 17:
8, Devorim 25:17, pirkey D'rabi Eliezer 44).
The people of Israel left Egypt with 600,000 men, plus
women, the elders and childrens, It is a large number of millions of people.
The Israel camp was spread over a large area of 12 miles
long, how did the water for drinking, bathing and mikva immersing got
everywhere? It is stated in the Midrash that in each new parking, each tribe
president made with his stick a line from the miraculous well of Miriam to the
tribe, these lines became rivers and lakes that were also used as water
transportation by boats.
As written: "who turns a rock to rivers and lakes"
(Tehilim 74:15, 78:16, M.R. Chukat Chap. 19).
Anyone, even in a state of purity, is not permitted to enter
the Mikdash without Mikva immersion, immediately before entering! One of the
reasons might be in order to remind us: "before whom do we stand? – in the
house of G-d" (Yoma 30).
"Repent a day before your death ..." (Avot 2: 10)
and since no one knows the day of his death, we must repent every day and since
repentance needs mikva immersion (and for other reasons) there are those who
immerse daily before morning prayer.
The Rambam (Maimonides) declared that he never missed his
mikva immersion! (Rabbeinu Yonah, Brachot 13, Ri"f).
In most synagogues of the Hasidim and others, those who did
not immerse before the Morning Prayer cannot serve as a cantor and / or can't
be called to the reading of the Torah and/or other honors.
Most Admorim and great rabbis usually do not shake hands
with those who did not immerse in the mikva that day.
It is interesting that many of them are able to recognize,
from the facial radiance of a person, whether he has been immersed in the mikva
today or not.
Important for everyone and most important for educators to
read the Commentary "Maor Vashamesh" on Vayikra 21: Other obligations
and customs of men's mikva immersion:
1. Yom Kippur eve, "immersions for the sake of
repentance" (שו"ע
או"ח, מג"א).
2.
Groom on the day of his wedding, also a custom to fast until the
"Chupa", a prayer to "Binyan Adey-Ad".
3. Before the Brit-Mila - circumcision, the father, the
Mohel and the Sandak.
4. Before the mitzvot which required bodily activities:
A. Shofar blowing
B. Chanuka candle lighting.
C. Kosher slaughtering.
D. Scribe before writing Torah, Tefilin and Mezuzot.
Some immerse also before writing each of the name of
"Shem-Hashem".
E. There are those
who also immerse before personal prayer for special problems and requests.
It is also customary, at least to wash the hands
(Netilat-Yadayim) before each of the prayers and therefore in all synagogues
there is a water faucet and a tumbler for Netilat-Yadayim near the entrance.
Unfortunately today we are the only country in the world
threatened with total annihilation, by a country with which we share no border.
They have no particular reason to destroy us, as 70 years
ago they were actually a very important ally of the State of Israel.
At the Passover Seder we declare yearly: "In every
generation, people rise to destroy us and Hashem rescues us from them!"
However the price of our rescue can be high or low, depending on the repentance
of all our people.
An example of differences in the price of rescue: 2300 years
passed between Haman – the Wicked and the German oppressor, both of whom tried
to destroy the entire Jewish people around the world.
However Thanks to Mordechai the Righteous, when our entire
nation repented and no one was Harmed, as it is written: "Observed and
accepted upon themselves" (Megilat Esther 9:27).
On the other hand - the price of rescue from the German
oppressor cost us with the Holocaust That was unparalleled in human history and
destroyed a third of our people! Since the establishment of the state we went
through 7 wars.
Statistically the price of the wars and the killings during
72 years is about one person killed per day, G-d forbid.
We are still the only country in the world today that
threatened with annihilation, G-d forbid.
"The Whip of the Arab Oil": Rivers and oil lakes
are underground and they burst out where the Creator decides.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, almost
everywhere there are Arabs, there is oil, which gives the Arabs the wealth and
power to fight against the State of Israel (before the establishment of the
state, most Arab countries were poor and failing).
Today the "Arab Oil" serves as a "Whip of
Hashem" who clearly hints us that we must repent and bring our whole
nation back to repentance.
Assimilation and Intermarriage: In the desert journey, in
the Shittim, before our people entered the land of Israel, 25% made contact
with the daughters of Moav.
Immediately an epidemic broke out, 24,000 people died on the
first day and all the other sinners died during two months, until our people
crossed the Jordan and G-d declared that without Pinchas who stopped the issue,
G-d thought to annihilate the entire Jewish People, G-d forbid (Bamidbar 25:11).
Unfortunately today Many Jewish communities around the world
are being wiped off of the Jewish horizon due to assimilation and intermarriage.
In the last 10 years, in the USA our people have lost about
2 million brothers.
In Eretz Israel too, there is assimilation, since most of
our people do not vote for parties whose main agenda is the observance of Torah
laws.
The Talmud states that until the final redemption it is
important for Jews to live around the world (Pesachim 87, Rashi).
Therefore it is clear that the state of assimilation and
intermarriage around the world is a problem of every Yid, even to all the
Yidden who are living in Israel, since we are all in the same boat (Current
rate of intermarriage, as reported at recent international rabbinical
conferences: USA 75%, Europe 85%, Sweden 95%, Bulgaria 98%).
It is incumbent on each one of us to see to it that all the
Jews of the world keep Torah laws! We have letters describing the many
practical results from places around the world, as you can see in the article
of "Results".
It is therefore the duty of each and every one not to be
satisfied by reading this page, but also to act with the necessary seriousness;
as anyone can! Lately the "Corona" plague is threatening everyone
with sickness and death.
Today it is clear to all that Hashem demands from each of us
to repent and bring our entire nation to repentance.
In this merit may Hashem wipe off this plague from our
people and from the entire world.
To educate more than 10,000,000 brothers, costs millions and
cannot be achieved with symbolic Dollar donations.
It is appropriate for each one to consider that in order to
achieve real and serious results, each one must endeavor to donate or raise
each year an amount at least equal to his family's yearly mikva expenses.
Every donation will be sincerely acknowledged and gratefully
blessed.
To receive our book "The Guide to the Rescue of our
Jewish People" (containing about 80 articles, including signatures and
recommendations of the great Rabbinical leadership of our generation in Israel
and the Diaspora) and for contributions to cover costs of translating and
distributing this material in Israel and around the world: USA: IRS
Tax-deductible donations: #11-3380463,"Survival-Mikva-Tikva" Imanuel
Ravad USA: 1360 – 44th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
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our Jewish people.
Wishing you "Shana Tova", "Ktiva Vachatima
Tova" Respectfully, Imanuel Ravad
