To enter the ark,
alone and in silence,
to acquiesceÂ
to the shouts for compassion,
while raising the eyes
toward the tzohar,*
the light that has
never before been seen,
in the month of Cheshvan,
as chesed and curiosity
bathes us inÂ
its illuminating mikvahThe ritual bath. The waters of the mikveh symbolically purify – they are seen as waters of rebirth. A convert immerses in the mikveh as part of conversion. Many Orthodox married women go to the mikveh following their period and before resuming sexual relations. Couples go to the mikveh before being married. Many, including some men, immerse before Yom Kippur; some go every Friday before Shabbat..
We are living
as if in an experiment:
What are the essential elements
ensuring that weÂ
will notÂ
be washed
away?
*Tzohar refers to a window in Noah’s Ark that it’s suggested let in a special light.
