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Rivkah Slonim, Liz Rosenberg

Within many Jewish homes, the mikvah is a fact of life closely associated with human sexuality. But because of the modesty inherent in a religious lifestyle, mikvah is rarely, if ever, the theme of public discourses or the subject of editorials. Indeed, the topic of mikvah is rarely discussed among friends or between mothers and daughters before marriage has taken place; and so it is that one of the most central and profound rites in Judaism has been lost to many. The laws of niddah (the menstruant woman) serve to elevate sexual relations from an act of self-gratification to the mitzvah of serving God. By observing the laws of niddah and mikvah, both husband and wife acknowledge that their union, month after month, is not sinful in any way, but is a sacred and joyous act symbolic of their devotion to God. For centuries, Jews have recognized the importance of the laws of purity to a...

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