| Tevilah |
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| Written by RSGB Assembly of Rabbis under the Charimanship of Rabbi Dr Reuven Silverman | |
| Thursday, 01 February 2001 | |
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Tevilah is the act of immersion in a Mikveh (ritual bath) and is an essential part of the process of conversion to Judaism.
THE USE OF THE MIKVEH FOR CONVERSION The Tradition Tevilah is the act of immersion in a mikveh (ritual bath) and is an essential part of the process of conversion to Judaism. Joining the Jewish people is a physical as well as an emotional, intellectual and spiritual act of identification. A child born to a Jewish mother automatically attains Jewish status by the physical event of birth, as does the child of a convert to Judaism, but the alternative to being born a Jew is the religious process of gerut (conversion). To mark the physical aspect of entry into the covenant of Israel by this process, males undergo berit milah (circumcision) as well as tevilah (immersion), and females undergo tevilah. These procedures were laid down in the Babylonian Talmud (Yevamot 47a and 47b), together with the requirements of questioning the ger or gioret (male or female convert) by a Beit Din as to motivation and of instruction in the mitzvot (commandments). They were subsequently confirmed in the codes of Jewish law. The Reform Position All Reform synagogues in other European countries and in Israel require tevilah for conversion, as do Conservative synagogues and Orthodoxy worldwide. Our sister congregations on the Continent have always taken the immersion of converts for granted and regard it as having great spiritual significance and emotional impact. It is not known when or why British Reform dropped the requirement, which existed in the nineteenth and early twentieth century Reform synagogues - the pre-war Manchester Reform Synagogue, for example, had its own mikveh on site. Subsequently, until 1980, British Reform followed the American Reform and British Liberal Movements in abandoning tevilah. Its re-introduction resulted from a broad consensus in the Assembly of Rabbis that the procedure for conversion (as well as divorce) should, wherever possible, be in conformity with traditional practice. It is a basic principle of British Reform Judaism that we follow tradition unless there are religious or ethical reasons for departing from its practice. This applies particularly to matters of status, where adherence to the forms of tradition is felt to be of special importance. Since there are a number of religious and psychological reasons which confirm tevilah as a very helpful ceremony, and no religious or ethical counter-indications which the Assembly considers valid, the case for re-instituting the ceremony was overwhelming. The Assembly's proposals were the subject of extensive discussion and consultation within the Movement, and became obligatory in 1980. Those converted before tevilah was re-introduced are considered by us to be fully Jewish. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that their status may not be accepted by those other non-Orthodox movements which require mikveh and if, on these or other grounds, anyone wishes to attend the mikveh, he or she may of course do so voluntarily. Mikveh for Conversion Originally immersion for converts was required as a way of renouncing their heathen background, which rendered them ritually unclean. The terms 'clean' or 'unclean', 'pure' or 'impure', belong to the technical ritual terminology of the Temple cult, and have nothing to do with our understanding of physical cleanliness. The idea behind tevilah for the purpose of conversion, as Reform Jews understand it, is not one of cleanliness or purity, but a rite of passage marking the beginning of a new religious life. Other Purposes of Mikveh Traditionally the mikveh is used for several widely different purposes including its use by men and women to remove ritual impurity and also for the immersion of new metal and glass utensils. A niddah (menstruant) is required to visit a mikveh in order to remove ritual impurity. This applies to all women prior to marriage, including post-menopausal women and those who have had a hysterectomy, in order to prepare them for contact with their husbands. In Orthodox circles a convert (like all brides) would be expected to visit the mikveh before marriage, or after menstruation, even if she had only recently done so for the purposes of conversion. Hence it can be seen that this is distinctly different from its use in conversion. It is important to note that men too are required to undergo immersion after an emission of semen, and in addition some Orthodox men immerse themselves before Shabbat and holy days. At the present time, mikveh for purposes other than conversion has been set aside by the majority of Progressive Jews as being dissonant with our religious thinking. Mikveh and Baptism The Christian ceremony of baptism was derived from the Jewish initiation ritual, as practised by the Pharisees and the Essenes in the first century C.E. It was given a completely different meaning by the Church since, by undergoing immersion, the Christian initiate was symbolically sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus and gaining rebirth into immortal life (Romans 6:1-4). In Judaism, however, the convert is entering into the covenant of Israel. The Procedure A mikveh resembles a small swimming bath built to stringent halachic requirements and contains rain water and warm supply water so that the resultant mixture is at body temperature. It is both clean and hygienic and complete privacy is preserved. The proselyte, having removed all clothing, rings and any other items which might prevent the water reaching every part of the body, washes himself or herself in the normal way, enters the mikveh and is immersed completely in it. Appropriate blessings are then recited, as follows:- Blessed are You, our living God, Sovereign of the universe, whose commandments make us holy and who commands us concerning immersion. Blessed are You, our living God, Sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive and supported us and brought us to this season. The Spiritual Value of Tevilah Immersion in water is a requirement of halachah (Rabbinic law) for conversion which we see as a significant experience. It leaves the ger or gioret with a feeling of entering into Judaism body, mind and soul. Water is a symbol of the life forces of the universe and the mikveh, being a pool of natural water, affirms that God is the Source of Life to whom we turn for continued life for ourselves and our descendants after us. In the context of conversion the image of the womb would also seem to be a fitting one. Just as we emerge from the `waters' of the womb into life, so the convert emerges from the waters of the mikveh into a new life as a Jew. There is a mikveh at the Sternberg Centre. For details of opening times and fees, please contact the Beit Din. This is leaflet number 7 in the series “JUDAISM IN OUR TIME” Trackback(0)
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