“According to Jewish thought, a husband and wife were originally one soul before birth, split into two halves when the older of the two was conceived. When they reunite in marriage, their bond is unique because it represents the recreation of a single entity, of one soul.

”The mikvah and laws of family purity elevate intimacy in marriage to the highest level of holiness. “How can immersing in something as plain as water have such a profound effect?"

“Water is the most spiritual of all the physical elements. The opening passages of Genesis (1-2:22) describe the creation of many impressive things including the earth and mankind. And yet, though water is referred to (The breath of G-d hovered above the face of the waters Genesis 1:2), there is no mention of its creation. Our sages learn from this that water pre-existed our account of creation, and pre-existed the earth itself.”

“A mikvah, containing waters untouched by human hands because they either fell as rain directly into the mikvah, or were fed into it via an underground spring, is the closest thing we have to a piece of heaven on earth. It gives us the opportunity to reunite with our spiritual source.“

“When a woman goes to the mikvah, before she returns” to build her home and family, she “asks for the blessings of the Creator of the universe. She asks G-d to come back home with her, to join her in her sacred activities, and foremost of these, to join her in her marriage.” Mikvah holds the highest potential for strengthening the bond between husband and wife and thus is the key to bringing sanctity to the marriage and the home.

All quotes are taken from an article, “Love, Marriage and Mikvah,” by Faige Twerski. To see the full article and others, please go online to The Taharas Hamishpacha Organization’s website Mikvah.org. Please do not reprint or distribute without permission from Mikvah.org.