“Not that I’m interested in going, but what is a mikvah?”
“It’s associated with a Jewish ritual dealing with water,” Brianna said. “Okay, a mikvah is a pool-like place used when there’s a need or desire for purity, repentance, or in removing the impurity of sin.” Brianna said it as though she were taking a test. She then stopped. “Are you really interested in knowing this, or are you just humoring me?”
“I’m interested. I love it when you learn stuff and then share it with me. It definitely keeps me in the know. And you always break the hard stuff down and make it so easy that anybody can understand it,” Alana said. “So, please; continue to school me.”
Brianna smiled. She loved having someone to share with. The last time Unzell had been home was about four weeks ago. King d.Avid was performing in cities across the United States, one city right after another. Unzell and the rest of the crew had to arrive before King d.Avid to have everything set up for the stage. Then after the concert was over, they had to break everything down. The set, the lighting, the sound, everything that made King d.Avid’s concerts the talk of the town they had become, his stage crew was responsible for it.
Now that Unzell was part of the crew, Brianna had been hoping he could get her in to at least speak to King d.Avid. And even though it was known that King d.Avid had a lavish mansion in Atlanta where he generally returned after being on the road, Unzell didn’t think it was appropriate to impose.
“Maybe later,” Unzell had said. “I just don’t want to appear like I’m using my position in the wrong way. Let me get better established first. I’ve never truthfully spoken to King d.Avid on a personal basis. He sends his messages and requests through Jock.”
“It’s fine. I just wanted you to know I’d love to meet him again. I told you he and I met when I was ten. But that was before he was the King d.Avid he’s now become.”
Unzell laughed. “Well, you know it is said that there are six degrees of separation between us and people we want to meet, no matter how famous the person might be. I suppose maybe it’s true. There was a time, not so long ago, when you were six degrees between me and King d.Avid. Now it looks like I’m six degrees between you and him.”
Brianna knew Unzell was referring to her grandfather having known King d.Avid at one time. Still, it didn’t appear she’d be saying hello to the King himself, not anytime soon—six degrees or not. And now, because of King d.Avid’s unrelenting and extensive tour schedule, there seemed to be six degrees separating her from her husband.
“Earth to Brianna!” Alana continued to repeat over the phone. “Earth to Brianna!”
Brianna snapped back to the present. “I’m sorry. Were you saying something?”
“Yeah. I asked if any pool would work for a mikvah?”
“I apologize. My mind wandered there for a minute. I was thinking about Unzell and how much I miss him. He’s been gone for four weeks now and not due home for eight or so more weeks, if what he says still stands. That’s a long time to be away.”
“Do you think he needs to find another job then?” Alana said.
“Oh, no. This is sort of how things would have been had he been playing in the NFL. He would have been gone a lot. But with the NFL, he would have been home for a few days, or I could have flown to where he was, and we could have seen each other a bit more regularly. Here, it’s not the case. Unzell compares what he’s doing now somewhat to military duty. Not putting his life on the line the way deployed soldiers do, but having to be away from family and friends and sacrificing time with them for a greater good.”
“I can see that analogy. King. d.Avid will tell you in a heartbeat that there’s a war going on, and we’re soldiers on the battlefield for our Lord,” Alana said. “Charge!”
“Oh, girl. I love that song! ‘On the Battlefield.’ Yes!” Brianna cheered. “Yes! King d.Avid takes being in the army of the Lord seriously. According to Unzell, King d.Avid thinks of his concert tours as a way of conquering the world, as a tool to win souls to the Lord. He’s tearing down strongholds, destroying yokes, and building up the people of God. Some who are in the fight for their lives; some in the fight of their lives. He says that the devil doesn’t take time off and neither should we. Except to recharge. King d.Avid is serious about his calling. Unzell loves what he’s doing; he won’t find another job. He feels like he’s part of a ministry, and his assignment is to ensure the atmosphere is properly set for those who are to receive what God is doing through King d.Avid onstage. Besides, they’re getting a two-month break at the end of June. It’ll be all right.”
“Okay, so finish telling me about this mikvah.”
“Yeah. I’ll try to condense this down as much as possible. Whenever you hear me say the word mikvah or anything that has to do with God and water, I’d like for you to think of redeeming waters.”
“Redeeming waters?” Alana said. “Well, okay.”
“Yeah. You see: water is an important factor when you think of God. What I mean by that is: in Genesis we find in the first chapter the mention of waters. In verse two, ‘the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. ’ ”
“I need to be there with you while you do this. I can see this is going to be good.”
“Come on over then. I’ll fix us something to eat,” Brianna said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve sat and broken bread together.”
“Oh, I don’t want you to work. I’ll stop and pick up something, and you can just reimburse me when I get there in, say . . . forty minutes,” Alana said with a laugh.
“Aren’t you generous with my money? All right. Pick up something, my treat.”
“Okay, since you insist,” Alana said. “I’ll be there in a few!”
Alana showed up two hours later with Chinese food. “Sorry I’m so late. But Dre came home tripping, asking me what I cooked. I told him I hadn’t cooked anything. And that I wasn’t going to cook anything. Not today. I told him he could do whatever he did before I moved in.”
“Are you sure he’s going to be all right?” Brianna asked. “I don’t want him going off on you because of me. And I sure don’t want any more ‘accidents’ taking place.”
Alana waved Brianna off. “I’m not worried about him. He was gone for two days, and then comes home talking about ‘What did you cook?’ He can go back wherever he was those two days and eat there. I ain’t no fool now.” Alana sat down in the den and took the food out of the bag. “I got our favorites. It really has been a long time since you and I have had a good visit like this.” Alana bowed her head and said a quick, silent grace, then began eating. “I am starving!”
Brianna laughed. “I see. I was going to go get us a plate to eat on.”
“We don’t need any plates. This is fine just like it is,” Alana said, chewing and eating out of the box. “Now, finish telling me about mikvah and the waters and whatever else you want to talk about. Tonight is girls’ night out.”
Brianna sat back as she ate and talked. “Let’s see, where was I?”
“Genesis. Talking about how the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. I wonder why it said the waters had a face? Like that means something or something.”
“You know . . . I hadn’t thought about that,” Brianna said.
“Well, you’re the thinker. Anyway, go on.” Alana picked up some rice on her fork and hurriedly placed it in her mouth. “I just love how you put things together.”
“Yes. Okay, so around the sixth verse, it says that God made the firmament. Firmament is—”
“See how you know me,” Alana said. “I was just going to ask you about that.”
“Yes, I know you well. Anyway, firmament is like an expanse between the waters. God had the waters supernaturally suspended, probably in vapor form. You know, half the waters on the earth, half suspended in the air, causing a greenhouse-like effect. This is likely where all of those flood waters suddenly came from
—”
“You’re talking about Noah and the flood? Because it had never rained before then. Redeeming waters!” Alana grinned. “A washing . . . a re-cleaning of the earth.”
“Yeah. I just wanted to point out how water fit in early on. Then you think about when we were in our mother’s womb. And where do we spend those nine months? What makes up over fifty percent of our bodies? And what must we drink in order to live?”
“In water, water, and we have to drink water to live,” Alana said, smiling. “Oh, my goodness! This is awesome! We’re in water for nine months, and then we come out and instantly learn to breathe air out here. Then we have to learn how to breathe and swim in water all over again. Our bodies are made up of water. And we need to drink water in order to live. That’s really something when you actually think about it.”
“Okay, now back to mikvah. This pool of water would be called ‘mayim chayim,’ which is living, nonstagnant waters. The Jewish have special pools just for mikvah, so you can’t go get in any pool and think that will do. The word mikvah is based on the root ‘hope.’ If you can’t get to a special pool for this ritual, then the ocean, a river, a well, or a flowing lake will work. In fact, that’s what people used in the old days. That’s the primal form of a mikvah. Going into a mikvah is like ‘returning to the womb’ and being reborn.”
“You must have a test coming up on this or something,” Alana said, taking a sip of her soda. “You sound just like you’re rehearsing for a test.”
Brianna quickly chewed the food she had just placed in her mouth, then just as quickly swallowed. “I do, but I just love learning and then sharing what I’ve learned. Plus, I guess it does help when I say all of this out loud to see how much I really have retained. But I think this is so fascinating, especially when you consider our relationship to water. That we bathe to get the dirt off of us, we’re baptized to outwardly show that we have repented of our dirt-laden sins. But I see a lot of Christian ideals that correspond to practices that originated or are rooted in the Jewish culture and religious traditions. Now, back to mikvah. Okay, there are times when married couples are not allowed to engage in sexual relations. That’s called ‘niddah.’ When a married woman is on her menstrual cycle, Jewish Law calls for a time of separation from her husband . . . that means no sex.”
“I’m not Jewish, but I’m down with that one,” Alana said.
“That’s in Leviticus 18:19, where it states that the husband shouldn’t come to a woman to uncover her nakedness—in other words have sexual relations, as long as she is put apart for uncleanness or in her customary impurity. That’s talking about her menstrual cycle. Then she should have seven days of what they call ‘clean days,’ which is when her cycle is over. She then immerses herself in a mikvah, and after that, she and her husband are to come together again.”
“Whoa,” Alana said. “Five days of unclean, then seven more days of clean, before you can get it on with your spouse? Whoa, Nellie! Hold your horses!”
“Stop that,” Brianna said, laughing. “You are so silly sometimes.”
“I can see why that would keep the homes fires burning.” Alana started dancing in her seat. “That man will really want his wife by then. Twelve days? Twelve whole days!”
Brianna scowled at Alana, then laughed again. “I suppose that’s right though. Twelve days of being apart in that area. Now, those seven extra days were added by a rabbinic proclamation. So if you go strictly by what the Bible says, it would only be while the woman is on her cycle, and that’s usually about five days. Anyway, the woman then takes the ritual cleansing of mikvah, which signals she is now spiritually cleansed. And then, it is her duty to have relations with her husband at that point.”
“Duty for real. I’d say she’d better. You know a man is quick to go somewhere else if he’s not getting what he needs at home. Twelve days and you’re married, too,” Alana said. “What a time, what a time.”
Brianna shook her head. “Mikvah is also used by both men and women when they have been involved in sin. In marriage, the wife’s immersion in a mikvah is essential. It purifies her and makes it okay to now touch that which was unclean. In repentance, it serves as washing away that which is unclean and making it clean again.”
“This is really interesting,” Alana said. “So you wanted to go check out a place where you can go to or do a mikvah?”
“I would. I’d like to see it. I just don’t want to go by myself. I thought it would be nice if I had a friend who would go with me,” Brianna said.
“Okay, okay. I’ll go with you. But we’re just going to see it, right? We’re not going to convert to Judaism or anything like that, right? Because you know I’m strictly Christian, and I like the place where I worship now.”
“All I want to do is see what a mikvah looks like. Maybe get a little more information.”
“Well, according to you, if you can’t find one, you can go to the ocean or a lake.”
“The water just can’t be stagnant,” Brianna said. “That’s the required criteria. You can’t have on clothes or anything to obstruct the waters from reaching the body.”
“Well, since you have to be naked, then I guess the ocean and the lake is out.”
Brianna shook her head. “You do know you’re crazy, right?”
Alana finished off the last of her egg roll. “I do know that you love me.”
“Like a sister,” Brianna said. “Like my very own sister.”
Chapter 10
Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
—Leviticus 11:36
Brianna waited on Alana as long as she could. She’d called several times in the past hour, but each time, it had gone straight to Alana’s voice mail. She’d left her several messages, but hadn’t heard back yet. Her appointment to meet with the rabbi’s wife at the synagogue about the mikvah had been firm, and it was stressed to her that she be there on time. So Brianna left to ensure she made her appointment.
Ruth Bernstein, the rabbi’s wife, was most helpful when it came to Brianna’s many questions about mikvah and the Jewish life. Brianna had learned a lot in class, but there was something special about talking to Ruth and seeing many of the things discussed in class in person.
“I hope you will forgive me for not being able to allow you to take part in mikvah,” Ruth said. “But I’m sure your professor must have told you that married, Jewish women are allowed to come to mikvah. Not single women, even if they are in sexual relationships. Not divorced women. And not those married women who are not of our faith. Now, should one convert to Judaism, then the mikvah is open to both the man and the woman who have converted.”
Brianna smiled. “Actually, my professor didn’t express that point. I suppose he was only teaching us the fundamentals and didn’t consider that one of us might actually attempt to come and try out a mikvah.”
Ruth returned the smile. “Well, I’m more than happy to show you around. It’s an honor to be able to share what we do and believe with others. Most people aren’t interested in even hearing what other people believe, let alone why they believe it.”
“Well, to be honest with you, I’m a born-again Christian. But I recognize that Jesus was an orthodox Jew who practiced the Jewish faith. I also know that there were many things Jesus rebelled against during His time on earth. He really let a lot of those Pharisees and Sadducees have it, that’s obvious from the scriptures. And it was Jesus who started that whole ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone’ revolution. People are still using that one, and I mean a lot these days. But I merely wanted to see how some things you believe apply to what I, as a Christian, believe.”
Ruth nodded. “I will admit: we don’t get many like you in here. But as I said over the phone, I am happy to show you around and answer any questions you may have.”
Ruth proceeded to lead Brianna toward an area. “Our facilities are more modern th
an some.” She stopped. “And this is the mikvah you inquired about.” She pointed at a small pool-looking, concrete hole in the ground, large enough for one person to walk down the stairs and fully immerse. “Mikvahs are built to certain specifications, into the ground, in accordance with Halakah, which means Jewish Law.”
Brianna nodded. “Yeah, my professor did mention a little about that, the specification part, that is. He said a bathtub, whirlpool, Jacuzzi, or a regular pool cannot be and does not make a mikvah.”
“That’s correct,” Ruth said. “The mikvah pool has to contain at least two hundred gallons of rainwater gathered, tapped into, transported, and handled according to specific regulations. Now, the rainwater can be mixed with tap water. Different from the old days of mikvahs, our pools have filtration and water purification systems.” She looked at Brianna. “We must still be health conscious in our dealings with one another.”
Brianna smiled and nodded. She loved the way the mikvah reflected a dark blue from its painted bottom and walls.
“When one steps in,” Ruth said, “they’ll find the mikvah waters to commonly reach the chest and the temperature to be quite comfortable. As for those with an infirmity or who are handicapped, we have lifts to get them in and out.”
“That’s great,” Brianna said.
“Through that door”—Ruth pointed—“is where those who are about to enter the mikvah go to prepare. It’s equipped with baths and showers, soap, shampoo, and any other cleaning aids needed to ensure cleanliness. Contrary to what some may think who are not familiar with our law, when it comes to the mikvah, one must be meticulously clean before entering a mikvah. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”
Brianna laughed at the cleverness of Ruth’s words. She pointed at the door to the bath, then the mikvah. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Yes, the fact that you have to be clean before you get in a mikvah was something most in our class were surprised to learn. Many were under the impression that a mikvah was a type of bathing place.”
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