ב"ה
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day
Mikvaot - Chapter 7
Mikvaot - Chapter 7
1A mikveh is not disqualified, neither because of a change of its water’s taste, nor a change of its smell, only because its color1 changes.אאֵין הַמִּקְוֶה נִפְסָל לֹא בְּשִׁנּוּי הָרֵיחַ וְלֹא בְּשִׁנּוּי הַטַּעַם, אֶלָּא בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה בִּלְבָד.
Any substance that may not be used to constitute a mikveh initially disqualifies one, if it causes its color to change.2וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂין בּוֹ מִקְוֶה לְכַתְּחִלָּה, פּוֹסֵל אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה.
What is implied? Wine, milk, blood, or other liquids that are classified as fruit juices3 do not disqualify a mikveh if three lugim of them fall into it, because it was only said that three lugim of drawn water disqualify a mikveh. They do, however, disqualify it if they change the color of its water.4כֵּיצַד? הַיַּיִן אוֹ הֶחָלָב וְהַדָּם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן מִמֵּי כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת - אֵינָן פּוֹסְלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה בִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת לֻגִּין, שֶׁלֹּא אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין; וּפוֹסְלִין בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה.
Even when a mikveh contains 100 se’ah and a log of wine or fruit juice falls into it and changes its color, it is unacceptable.אֲפִלּוּ מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מֵאָה סְאָה, וְנָפַל לוֹ לֹג יַיִן אוֹ מֵי פֵרוֹת, וְשִׁנָּה אֶת מַרְאָיו - פָּסוּל.
Similarly, if a mikveh contains 20 se’ah or less of acceptable water and a se’ah of wine or fruit juice fell into it without changing its color, the water is acceptable as it was beforehand. The se’ah of wine or fruit juice, however, is not counted in the measure of the mikveh.וְכֵן מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים סְאָה מַיִם כְּשֵׁרִים אוֹ פָּחוֹת מִזֶּה, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ סְאָה יַיִן אוֹ מֵי פֵרוֹת, וְלֹא שִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּשֵׁרִים כְּשֶׁהָיוּ, וְאֵין הַסְּאָה שֶׁנָּפְלָה עוֹלָה לְמִדַּת הַמִּקְוֶה.
If another 20 se’ah of acceptable water were added to the original 20, it is an acceptable mikveh.וְאִם נוֹסַף עַל הָעֶשְׂרִים, עֶשְׂרִים אֲחֵרִים מַיִם כְּשֵׁרִים - הֲרֵי זֶה מִקְוֶה כָּשֵׁר.
2There are substances that cause a mikveh to be considered acceptable and do not disqualify it;5 others that disqualify it and do not cause it to be considered acceptable,6 and others that neither cause it to be acceptable nor disqualify it.7ביֵשׁ מַעֲלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין, פּוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין, לֹא מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין.
3These are the substances that cause a mikveh to be considered acceptable and do not disqualify it: snow, hail, sleet, ice,8 salt, and flowing mud.9גוְאֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין: הַשֶּׁלֶג, וְהַבָּרָד, וְהַכְּפוֹר, וְהַגְּלִיד, וְהַמֶּלַח, וְטִיט הַנָּרוֹק.
What is implied? When a mikveh contains 39 se’ah of water and a se’ah of one of these substances falls into it, the mikveh is acceptable and complete. Thus they cause a mikveh to be considered acceptable and do not disqualify it.כֵּיצַד? מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר אַחַת, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ סְאָה מֵאֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ - הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹלֶה לְמִדָּתוֹ, וַהֲרֵי הַמִּקְוֶה כָּשֵׁר וְשָׁלֵם; נִמְצְאוּ מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין.
Even if one brought 40 se’ah of snow initially and placed them in a cavity10 and crushed it there,11 the mikveh is complete and acceptable.אֲפִלּוּ הֵבִיא אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה שֶׁלֶג בַּתְּחִלָּה, וְהִנִּיחָן בָּעוּקָה, וְרִסְּקוֹ שָׁם - הֲרֵי זֶה מִקְוֶה שָׁלֵם וְכָשֵׁר.
4These are the substances that disqualify a mikveh and never cause it to be considered acceptable: drawn water, whether pure or impure, water that was used for pickling, water that was used for cooking, a mixture of water and grape dregs before they become vinegar, and beer.12דוְאֵלּוּ פּוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין: מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין בֵּין טְהוֹרִים בֵּין טְמֵאִים, וּמֵי כְבָשִׁים, וּמֵי שְׁלָקוֹת, וְהַתֶּמֶד עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱמִיץ, וְהַשֵּׁכָר.
What is implied? When a mikveh contains 40 se’ah minus the weight of a dinar13 and the weight of a dinar of one of these liquids falls into it, it is not included in the measure of a mikveh and does not complete it. If three lugim of one of these liquids falls into a mikveh, it disqualifies it.כֵּיצַד? מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר מִשְׁקַל דִּינָר, וְנָפַל מֵאֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ מִשְׁקַל דִּינָר לְתוֹכָן - אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה לְמִדַּת הַמִּקְוֶה, וְלֹא הִשְׁלִימוֹ; וְאִם נָפַל מֵאֶחָד מֵהֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין מֵהֶן, פּוֹסֵל אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה.
5These are the substances that neither disqualify a mikveh, nor cause it to be considered acceptable: other liquids, fruit juice, fish brine, fish oil, and a mixture of water and grape dregs that became vinegar.הוְאֵלּוּ לֹא פוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין: שְׁאָר הַמַּשְׁקִין, וּמֵי פֵרוֹת, וְהַצִּיר, וְהַמֻּרְיָס, וְהַתֶּמֶד מִשֶּׁהֶחֱמִיץ.
What is implied? If there was a mikveh that contained 39 se’ah and a se’ah of these liquids fell into it, it does not cause it to be acceptable. Nevertheless, the water the mikveh contains is acceptable as it was beforehand, for these liquids disqualify a mikveh only if they change its color, as explained.14כֵּיצַד? מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר אַחַת, וְנָפַל מֵאֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ סְאָה לְתוֹכָן - לֹא הֶעֱלָהוּ, וַהֲרֵי הַמַּיִם כְּשֵׁרִים כְּשֶׁהָיוּ; שֶׁאֵין אֵלּוּ פוֹסְלִין אֶלָּא בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
6There are times when the latter liquids cause a mikveh to be considered as acceptable.ווּפְעָמִים שֶׁאֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה.
What is implied? A mikveh contained 40 se’ah,15 a se’ah of these liquids fell in, and then a se’ah was removed from the mikveh’s waters. The 40 se’ah that remain still constitute an acceptable mikveh.16כֵּיצַד? מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ סְאָה מֵאֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ, וְחָזַר וְלָקַח סְאָה מִמֶּנָּה - הֲרֵי הָאַרְבָּעִים שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ מִקְוֶה כָּשֵׁר.
7When one washed baskets used to collect olives or grapes in a mikveh, causing the water’s color to change, it is acceptable.17זמִקְוֶה שֶׁהֵדִיחַ בּוֹ סַלֵּי זֵיתִים וַעֲנָבִים, וְשִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו - כָּשֵׁר.
8Water of dyes disqualify a mikveh if three lugim fall in,18 but do not disqualify it because they changed its color.19חמֵי הַצֶּבַע פּוֹסְלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין, וְאֵין פּוֹסְלִין אוֹתוֹ בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאָיו.
9When wine, black fluid from olives,20 or other fruit juices fall into a mikveh and change the color of its water,21 disqualifying it, how can it be rectified? If the mikveh contains less than 40 se’ah, one should wait until rain descends22 and changes its color back to water’s natural color.23טמִקְוֶה שֶׁנָּפַל [לְתוֹכוֹ] יַיִן אוֹ מֹהַל אוֹ שְׁאָר מֵי פֵרוֹת, וְשִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו וְנִפְסַל, כֵּיצַד תַּקָּנָתוֹ? יַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים, וְיַחְזְרוּ מַרְאָיו לְמַרְאֵה מַיִם.
If the mikveh contains 40 se’ah of acceptable water,24 one may fill buckets and pour water into it until its color reverts to water’s natural color.וְאִם הָיָה בַּמִּקְוֶה אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה מַיִם כְּשֵׁרִים - מְמַלֵּא וְשׁוֹאֵב לְתוֹכָן, עַד שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ מַרְאָיו לְמַרְאֵה מַיִם.
If wine, the black fluid from olives, or the like falls into a mikveh and changes the color of some of its water, if it does not have 40 se’ah of water whose color has not changed, one should not immerse in it.25נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ יַיִן אוֹ מֹהַל וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהּ, וְנִשְׁתַּנָּה מַרְאֵה מִקְצָתוֹ - אִם אֵין בָּהּ מַרְאֵה מַיִם שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנָּה כְּדֵי אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִטְבֹּל בּוֹ.
Even if it contains 40 se’ah, if one immerses in a place whose color has changed, his immersion is invalid.26וְהַטּוֹבֵל בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה, לֹא עָלְתָה לוֹ טְבִילָה.
Even if a barrel of wine was broken and fell into the Mediterranean Sea and the color of the water in that place is the color of wine, one who immerses in that place is not considered to have immersed.אֲפִלּוּ חָבִית שֶׁל יַיִן שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה בַּיָּם הַגָּדוֹל, וּמַרְאֵה אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם כְּמַרְאֶה שֶׁל יַיִן - הַטּוֹבֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם, לֹא עָלְתָה לוֹ טְבִילָה.
10When even a dinar-sized portion of wine fell into three lugim of drawn water and change their color, so that they are all the color of wine and then they fell into a mikveh27 they do not disqualify it,28 unless they change its color.ישְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין, שֶׁנָּפַל לְתוֹכָן אֲפִלּוּ מִשְׁקַל דִּינָר יַיִן וְשִׁנָּה מַרְאֵיהֶן, וַהֲרֵי מַרְאֵה הַכֹּל מַרְאֵה יַיִן, וְנָפְלוּ לַמִּקְוֶה - לֹא פְסָלוּהוּ, אֶלָּא אִם שִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו.
11When there are three lugim minus a dinar-sized portion of water and milk or fruit juice falls into the water, but its color remains that of water, it does not disqualify a mikveh if it falls into it.29 A mikveh is not disqualified unless three lugim of drawn water fall into it that were not mixed with any other liquid or with fruit juice.יאשְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין חָסֵר דִּינָר מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין, שֶׁנָּפַל לְתוֹכָן דִּינָר חָלָב אוֹ מֵי פֵרוֹת, וַהֲרֵי מַרְאֵה הַכֹּל מַיִם, וְנָפְלוּ לַמִּקְוֶה - לֹא פְסָלוּהוּ; עַד שֶׁיִּפְּלוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה לֻגִּין מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן תַּעֲרֹבֶת מַשְׁקֶה אַחֵר וְלֹא מֵי פֵרוֹת.
12When the color of a mikveh changes on its own accord without anything falling into it, it is acceptable. It is only disqualified if its color changed due to another liquid.30יבמִקְוֶה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה מַרְאֵה מֵימָיו מֵחֲמַת עַצְמוֹ, וְלֹא נָפַל לוֹ דָּבָר - הֲרֵי זֶה כָּשֵׁר; לֹא אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה מֵחֲמַת מַשְׁקֶה אַחֵר.
Footnotes
1.
The term the Rambam — and his source, Mikveot 7:3 — use literally means appearance. The intent is, however, color. See parallel rulings in Hilchot Berachot 6:7, Hilchot Bi’at HaMikdash 5:12.
2.
As explained in Halachah 9, the intent is not that the water is permanently disqualified. Rather, while its color has changed, it is unacceptable for immersion. If it reverts to an ordinary color afterwards, it may be used for immersion.
3.
As evident from Halachah 7, the color of the water must be changed due to the natural color of the liquids and not due to other factors.
4.
This applies even if less than three lugim of the other substance change the color of the water.
5.
I.e., they can be counted in the 40 se’ah required for an acceptable mikveh and their addition never disqualifies a mikveh, as explained in the following halachah.
6.
Three lugim of them disqualify a mikveh and never are they counted in the 40 se’ah required for an acceptable mikveh, as stated in Halachah 4.
7.
They are never counted in the 40 se’ah required for an acceptable mikveh, nor do they ever disqualify a mikveh, as stated in Halachah 5.
8.
Moreover, if a pool containing drawn water freezes and becomes ice and then thaws, it is acceptable to be used for a mikveh (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 201:31).
9.
Mud with the consistency of saliva [the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Mikveot 7:1)].
10.
Even if snow or the like were collected with an implement, they do not disqualify a mikveh as long as they did not melt while in the implement (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 201:30). In practice, in recent years, mikveot have been made in places where rain does not descend by collecting snow from neighboring mountains with wire mesh shovels in a freezer truck and then shoveling it into the mikveh’s reservoir.
11.
The Rambam mentions crushing the snow because snow takes up much more space than water does. From the Rambam’s words, it appears that he permits immersing in the snow before it melts. There are, however, authorities who rule stringently and forbid immersing in the snow until it melts (Rama, Yoreh De’ah 201:30; see also Siftei Cohen 201:71 who elaborates).
12.
For these are basically considered as drawn water (Turei Zahav 201:34).
13.
A dinar is a coin frequently used in the Talmudic era with a mass equivalent to approximately 5 grams; i.e., a very small amount. As in Chapter 5, although the Rambam’s source, Mikveot 7:3, mentions a kortov, a small liquid measure, the Rambam mentions a measure of weight.
14.
In Halachah 1.
15.
And thus was considered as acceptable.
16.
Now these 40 se’ah are not made up entirely of the original water, but instead contain some of the other liquid that fell in. Nevertheless, since the mikveh was already classified as acceptable, it is not removed from that category.
As stated in Yevamot 82b and the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 201:24, this leniency applies only up to half the measure of the mikveh. The rationale is that as long as the major portion of the mixture is acceptable water, the additional liquid is considered as batel, nullified. See Chapter 4, Halachah 7, and the gloss of the Kessef Mishneh there.
17.
It is not considered as if wine or oil fell into the water, but rather filth. Hence the water is not disqualified (Beit Yosef, Yoreh De’ah 201, in the name of the Ra’avad).
18.
For it is considered as if drawn water fell into the mikveh (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 201:25).
19.
Because it is only the color of natural liquids that disqualify a mikveh.
20.
Our translation is based on the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Mikveot 7:3).
21.
Even if the wine does not change the color of the water to that of wine, as long as it is no longer the natural color of water, it is unacceptable (Siftei Cohen 201:66).
22.
The Turei Zahav 201:38 understands this phrase as implying that, in this situation, even if the mikveh contains more than 20 se’ah of acceptable water, one may not pour drawn water outside the mikveh and let it flow inside. Although generally this is acceptable (see Chapter 4, Halachah 8), in this instance, it is invalid, because it is possible that the amount of drawn water that is necessary to cause the color to revert is greater than the amount of acceptable water the mikveh originally contained.
23.
I.e., the water is not disqualified in an ultimate sense, it is merely temporarily invalid.
24.
And thus one may add as much water as one desires (see Chapter 4, Halachot 6-7, and notes).
25.
Even the portion whose color did not change is unacceptable for immersion (Ra’avad).
26.
If, however, the mikveh is larger and one immerses in 40 se’ah of water whose color did not change, the immersion is acceptable (Ra’avad, Siftei Cohen 201:67).
27.
Possessing less than 40 se’ah of acceptable water.
28.
Because the water is now considered as diluted wine.
29.
We do not say that the other liquid is subsumed within the water and they become a single entity.
30.
Implied is that it is liquids and not foods that can disqualify a mikveh, because they cause its color to change (Mishnah Achronah).
Rabbi Eliyahu Touger is a noted author and translator, widely published for his works on Chassidut and Maimonides.
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