The Tzadikim teach us that not only does going to the mikveh rid us of tumah (impurity), it also purifies and refines our body and soul from all sorts of klippos, temptations, forbidden sights, and forces of evil, which are all forms of tumah. And beyond that, it brings onto us a spirit of purity and renewal in our avodas Hashem.
The essence of mikveh is that when one immerses in it, it is as if he is being born again and given the opportunity for a new and fresh start. In a sense, when one immerses underwater, it is as if he has left the world, since it is impossible to breathe or live underwater. After the state of being in a place where life is impossible, when he emerges, it is as if he was given a new lease on life.
Some people use the mikveh but walk out without feeling any sort of spiritual purity, and do not feel that they just did anything. What can be done about this?
The truth is that we attain kedushah from the mikveh regardless of whether we feel it or not. But here are some basic guidelines we can use in order to maximize what we gain from going to the mikveh.
- Act with tzniyus (modesty) in the mikveh. The key to success in this area is to be quick, particularly if there are other people around. Try to go to the mikveh when it isn’t busy, such as when it is close to Shabbos.
- Guard your eyes. It is forbidden to look at the place of the bris, and even seeing someone undressed (in other areas) is not good for us.
- Avoid talking in the mikveh, unless it is truly necessary.
The very act of going to the mikveh brings purity and kedusha, even if you do not “feel anything” or have any special intentions.
However, if you are feeling up to it, when you are under the water you can daven from your heart, silently crying out to Hashem. The tefillah of a Yid from the depth of his heart under the waters of the mikveh is exceedingly precious to Hashem!
Go beneath the surface of the water and pour your heart out to Hashem, and recognize the great value of this form of tefillah. Through this, you can go from a place of distance and smallness to a place of closeness and greatness, and leave the mikveh with a sense of renewal as if you were just born again.
Every Yid, on his own level, should try to purify himself as much as he can, on a consistent basis. Certainly, if G-d forbid one becomes tamei, he should immediately run to the mikveh, go into the water, and cry out to Hashem from the depth of his heart.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 70.