The National Council for Purity in Israel (Taharas
Hamishpocha), has built and maintained 800 mikvo'os
all over Israel and increased recognition of the
importance of the laws of family purity in Israel and
throughout the world.
It all began in the winter of 5695/1935, HaRav Efraim Zalman
Heilprin, zt"l, moved to Eretz Yisrael from Denver,
Colorado, where he had served as the then-small Jewish
community's rov. Upon the suggestion of the Zhvill Rebbe, he
set up a family purity council in Jerusalem, dedicating all
his money to spread the message of family purity.
The council had a major impact on the yishuv
according to HaRav Yehoshua Levy, who heads the Council that
HaRav Heilprin originally set up. Shortly after his arrival,
HaRav Heilprin, "the Denver Rov," began preparations for the
conference at which he launched the new organization. The
conference, held at Jerusalem's Yeshurun Synagogue and
attended by rabbonim from all over the country, was a major
event.
HaRav Heilprin opened the conference with an electrifying
speech about the purity of the Jewish home. He spoke of the
importance of the mitzva, of how it formed the basis of the
Jewish home and of how much previous generations had
sacrificed to observe this mitzva. The newly-formed council
soon sent emissaries to all of Jerusalem's neighborhoods and
throughout the country to raise consciousness as to the
importance of the mitzva.
Rav Levy recalls that in spite of the difficult economic
situation, Jews were coming to Eretz Yisrael from all over
the world. The council ensured that they set up true Jewish
homes in accord with the requirements of family law.
World War II was also felt in Eretz Yisroel, as refugees who
managed to flee Europe were feared for the fate of family,
friends and others left behind in Europe and were afraid
that the Nazis might reach the Holy Land as well. All this
made the work of the organization even more difficult.
Nonetheless, a convention of Rebbes and Rabbonim was set up
as part of an effort to strengthen the organization at that
difficult juncture, when the yishuv was afraid of the
possibility of a German invasion.
Recalls Rav Levy, "The Husiatiner Rebbe, who helped set up
the organization, said that the best way to stop the Nazis,
may their name be blotted out, would be by expanding the
organization."
His words, like the words of the other Rebbes and Rabbonim
who took part in the convention, had a major impact on the
chareidi yishuv.
On 8 Adar 5705 (1945) gedolei Yisrael issued a call
which read:
"To all the Jewish people: Whose heart will not rejoice to
hear of the founding of the holy organization called the
Family Purity Council -- whose purpose is to strengthen the
pillars of purity among the Jewish people in the land of our
Fathers? This organization will set up a fund for the
building of new mikves and the renovation of old
mikves.
"The Jewish people's entire meaning is based on its sanctity
and purification. The purpose is the sanctity of the home,
and the organization is working to further this by building
modern mikves and renovating existing
mikves.
"Our beloved brethren, enlist as one to help and encourage
others to help. Contribute and encourage all others to
contribute to this holy mitzva. And in the merit of the
sanctity and purity may there be a fulfillment of the
promise: `I shall be sanctified among the Jewish people, and
Hashem will return His people joyfully to Zion.'
Signing the proclamation were (in order of signatures):
HaRav Avrohom Mordechai Alter of Ger; HaRav Shlomo of
Zhvill; HaRav Yaakov ben HaRav Yitzchok of Bohush; HaRav
Avrohom ben HaRav Nachum of Rachmistrivka; HaRav David ben
Menachem Nachum of Rachmistrivka; HaRav Zvi Aryeh of
Zlotipala; HaRav Yisrael ben Mordechai Feibish of Husiatin;
HaRav Mordechai Roke'ach of Bilgorai; HaRav Avrohom Yaakov
ben Yisrael of Sadigura; HaRav Yisrael ben Yitzchok of Boyan-
Leipzig; HaRav Yosef Zvi of Skranavitz; HaRav Mordechai
Roke'ach (he signed twice, the second time on behalf of his
brother HaRav Aharon Roke'ach of Belz); HaRav Nachum
Mordechai ben HaRav Yisrael of Tchortkov; HaRav Mordechai
Shalom Yosef ben HaRav Aharon of Sadigura-Pshemishel; HaRav
Moshe Mordechai of Lelov; and HaRav Eliezer of Vizhnitz.
The success of the gathering and its tremendous impact led
to a second rabbinical convention held after the founding of
the State. This convention was held at the Kinneret Hotel on
Jerusalem's Jaffa Street.
The Zhviller Rebbe would not allow the issue to be removed
from the agenda. When moshav Tel Adashim in Emek Yizrael
asked for a mikveh, he personally donated the money
for one.
In one incident, a young avreich en route to learn at
the Eitz Chaim Yeshiva witnessed the unusual sight of the
Zhviller Rebbe walking along carrying a heavy ladder. The
avreich, who tried to take the ladder from the Rebbe,
learned he was on his way to the mikveh in the Beis
Yaakov quarter, in central Jerusalem, to make a repair. That
avreich was HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach -- who later
became president of the National Council for Family
Purity.
HaRav Dov Berish Wiedenfeld, zt"l, av beis din of
Tchebin, was the first president of the National Council for
Family Purity. "Our brethren everywhere must know that we
are responsible for them and for the generations that come
after them," he said. "Everyone who has the ability to help,
and does not do so, is taking a heavy responsibility upon
himself."
HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky, zt"l, was the second
president. "It is the holy obligation of those who can
afford it not to stand idly but to help save the family
purity situation," he said. "Each person should be aware of
the huge responsibility that he shoulders. Everyone who
comes to be purified is helped, and he is blessed from
heaven in the fulfillment of his innermost desires for good,
throughout his days."
The third president of the council, HaRav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach, retained the position until his passing. He was
active in encouraging the building of new mikves
throughout the country as well as the expansion of
existing ones. He resolved halachic questions that came up,
checked the kashrus of mikves and gave up precious
time to encourage philanthropists to fund the construction
of new mikves.
Rav Levy recalls how the Beis Yisrael of Ger asked the main
council organizers to visit him and told them that he wanted
to share in the construction of the mikves. He then
made a contribution of 10,000 pounds sterling -- a huge sum
at the time.
In 5735/1975, the Gedolei Torah signed another appeal
on behalf of the National Council for Family Purity in
Israel. They described it as "the only organization that has
been dealing uninterruptedly with the issue for over 30
years," and added: "They build mikves in Israel's
towns and villages and spread appreciation of the importance
of family purity to the Jewish public. We turn to you, our
dear brethren, not to let this pass you by. Help the Family
Purity Council to preserve the sanctity of the Jewish people
so that the next generation will be as it should, that both
boys and girls will be Torah-observant and educated in the
spirit of the holy yeshivos.
"A major responsibility has been placed on us all. Each and
every one of us has a responsibility to ensure that the
Jewish people retain its pure and holy character. Extend
generous help to the mitzva that precedes all the mitzvos.
As the Chofetz Chaim said: Building a mikveh comes
before building a shul, before purchasing a sefer
Torah and before all other mitzvos in the Torah. Happy
is the portion of one who helps and supports this mitzvah;
he will be blessed from Heaven that he and his family will
have kosher progeny and that all his innermost desires will
be fulfilled for good. This great mitzva of supporting this
purity endeavor is such that it will bring all Israel to the
redemption speedily, with the coming of the Redeemer in
mercy, soon in our time. Amen."
The gedolim of Torah and Chassidus who signed were
(listed in order of signatures): HaRav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach, Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Torah; HaRav Eliezer Menachem
Mann Shach, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh; HaRav Yaakov Yisrael
Kanievsky; HaRav Yechiel Michel Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of
the Beis Yehuda Yeshiva; the Lelover Rebbe; the Sadigura
Rebbe; the Beis Yisroel of Ger; the Lev Simcha of Ger; HaRav
Shmuel Halevi Wosner, av beis din Zichron Meir, Bnei
Brak, and Rosh Yeshiva of the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva; HaRav
Chaim Mordechai of Nadvorna; the Modzhitzer Rebbe; HaRav
Mordechai of Zhvill; HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, Rosh Yeshiva
of Mir; the Biale Rebbe; the Vizhnitzer rebbe; the Ozhrover
Rebbe; and the Seret-Vizhnitz Rebbe.
This call strengthened the National Family Purity
Council.
The Council has constructed no fewer than 800 mikves
in different parts of Israel, including far-flung, small
enclaves. Fifty of them were constructed in recent years.
Every request for help is given serious consideration,
whether it involves building a new mikveh or just
providing equipment for an existing one.
The 800 mikves constructed by the organization were
financed partly with government help, partly with direct
support from individual philanthropists, but mostly with
funds provided by the wider public. This help is
particularly needed now because for the past two years the
Council received no government allocations, and nearly all
the funding had to be provided by the public.
"Any contribution, even of only NIS 18 ($4.50) is a help
toward the building of one of the mikves currently
under construction," says Rav Levy.
In his experience, a large portion of the funding comes from
small donations of NIS 100, NIS 50, and even NIS 18, that
are given by ordinary people from all over Israel and the
Diaspora.
The special halachic requirements involved in constructing a
mikveh make its cost some 2.5 to three times greater than
that of similar sized buildings.
There are many old mikves that cannot be renovated
and must be reconstructed. The construction of new,
luxurious mikves has proven more than worthwhile; in
several communities there have been reports of much-
increased use after a new mikveh was constructed.
Each mikveh serves to increase Torah-learning and
yiras Shomayim in its entire area. The rabbonim of a
number of towns have said that mikve-construction has had a
major impact on Israel's growing teshuva movement.
Often a mikveh requires repair, and these repairs
must be done immediately so that the mikveh does not
remain out of commission for even a single day. Sometimes
Family Purity Council workers have to travel under dangerous
circumstances to Judea, Samaria or the Gaza Strip; on more
than one occasion the council van was the target of stones
and suffered broken windows.
The rabbonim and talmidei chachomim connected to the
Family Purity Council answer the many halachic questions
that arise daily regarding mikves. They visit
mikves as needed and authorize spending whatever is
necessary to make sure the most stringent halachic standards
are observed.
Promoting awareness among the public is one of the Council's
main projects. It runs classes, trains teachers and
counselors and organizes home visits. Special organizations
were formed for this purpose; it has been in operation for
over half a century, and its members visit homes all over
Israel.
The organization has over 400 trained instructors. Training
them involves providing lectures and talks and advice on how
best to conduct home visits and engage in personal
discussions on the issues involved. The council also
provides 280 regular public shiurim given by
instructors and rabbonim.
Israel has immigrants from all over the world, and the
council has to ensure that it trains instructors who speak
the languages of the various countries of origin. The
council has a foreign-language department that trains and
supervises instructors who can communicate with the public
in English, French, Russian and other languages, in addition
to Hebrew, of course.
It also prepares suitable written material and has printed
hundreds of thousands of booklets over the years. These are
available in 12 languages including Hebrew, Yiddish,
English, French, Russian, Persian, Spanish, Portuguese and
Georgian. The council also provides special booklets that
detail the customs of various Jewish communities.
It also serves as a world family purity center, responding
to inquiries from Jewish communities all over the world. All
its activities, both within Israel and those that help
Diaspora communities, are coordinated from its Jerusalem
headquarters. Its expertise is widely appreciated not only
by Israeli communities but also by Diaspora communities, and
inquiries come from diverse locations ranging from the
Americas and Europe to Hong Kong and Australia. Some
inquiries concern technical aspects of mikveh
construction and maintenance while others are requests
for teaching material.
The council arranges study days for its instructors, often
in relaxed settings. The instructors discuss their
experiences, offer advice to each other and consult experts
who have many years experience in the field.
All these activities require huge sums of money. Last year's
budget was NIS 20 million ($5 million).
"However," says Rav Levy, "government allocations do even
not suffice to cover the cost of mikveh construction.
They never did, and they certainly do not do so now when we
have not received any government funding for two years. It
is only thanks to the wider community with its small and
large contributions that we can continue our holy work."
As the gedolei Yisroel said in their appeal: "The
Jewish people's entire meaning is based on its sanctity and
purification! Our beloved brethren, enlist as one to help
and encourage others to help. Contribute and encourage all
others to contribute to this holy mitzva. And in the merit
of the sanctity and purity may there be a fulfillment of the
promise: `I shall be sanctified among the Jewish people, and
Hashem will return His people joyfully to Zion.'"
