Mere words cannot describe the added dimension of happiness which the concept of taharah – observing the Torah laws of family purity – lends to the Jewish marriage. It must be experienced to be understood and appreciated fully.

At first glance, some of its practices may seem strange or archaic in the eyes of today's Western society. Indeed, this is an aspect of Torah Judaism which is so foreign to the modern mindset, so atypical of the way of life to which we have become accustomed, that it is usually misunderstood altogether. Too often, it is misconstrued to be a meaningless ritual or cult. 

Two factors have led to this misunderstanding. The first is the aura of mystic powers which some religious cults attribute to water, since the mikveh – a pool of water which is still in its “natural state” (see a fuller explanation of this term in Chapter Five) – plays a central role in family purity. For lack of accurate information about the Jewish practice of family purity, this aura of the esoteric is often extended to include family purity, despite the fact that this attitude warps the truth. Another reason is the accelerated – and, sometimes, overpowering – pace of today's lifestyle, which leaves us no time to think, much less introspect or reflect on matters. It follows that if the reader is to gain an insight into the beauty to be found beneath the waters of the mikveh, he must first filter out the misconceptions about Jewish family life absorbed in the past. 

We invite the reader read on, as we plunge beneath the surface of the waters and investigate the meaning of the mikveh. Together we hope to gain a glimpse of the profound contribution which the institution of mikveh can make to a couple's life in the realms of the physical, emotional, and spiritual bond which unites them.

A word of caution: The chapters of this booklet are arranged in logical order. We strongly urge the reader to approach them in the order that they are presented so as to reap the maximum benefit.

I wish to thank my friends whose suggestions and insights improved this work considerably:  M. Zaloshinski, S. Friedman, Y. Slovik, P. Rosenzweig, and A. Golan. May Heaven bless them all.

Peninit Hazan