Building a Mikvah

Importance of a Mikvah 

 

Taharas Am Yisroel, the purity of the Jewish Nation, is one of the highest priorities in Jewish life. A person may not live in a city where there is no mikvah for women. According to halachah, the mikvah is of utmost importance, and upon arriving in a city with no Jewish establishments, it should be the first institution to be built—even before a shul or a yeshivah. One may not close down or demolish a mikvah, even with the intention of replacing it with a more beautiful one, until the new mikvah has been completed. If there is no other choice, one may sell a shul, and even a Sefer Torah to ensure that there is a mikvah for women in their town. If there is a mikvah in a neighboring town, but not close by, or even in the same big city, but far away, many poskim say that if there is a concern that some women would not use the mikvah due to the distance or because it is inconvenient, the same halachah applies. In today’s day and age when everything is expected to be convenient, it is important to ensure that the mikvah be convenient and comfortable as well. A mikvah should be beautiful and attractive in a way that women would want to use it.

https://halacha2go.com?number=246

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.