The “Cohanim” (Aaronic Priesthood) washed in the laver (mikvah) before ministering to the Lord (Exodus 30:19 & 40:32).
The High Priest entered the mikvah on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:4).
A person with an infectious skin disease (Leviticus 14).
Women after childbirth and during their menstrual periods (Leviticus 12:2 & Leviticus 15:19-29).
A man with an unclean discharge (Leviticus 15:1-7).
Anyone who came in contact with a dead person (Numbers 19:11-22).
Before entering the Temple area.
For a scribe before writing the Name of God.
For formal conversion to Judaism, along with circumcision for men. This is still true today. However, this is not necessary for Messianic Judaism, and Paul makes that clear in the Brit Hadashah in Romans 2:28-29 and Galatians 6:15.
Also according to rabbinic Judaism, the water of mikvah must come from a natural spring or river with minimum capacity of 120 gallons to ensure entire coverage of the body. This rules out water poured from a vessel, such as water poured on a baby’s head, or a swimming pool which has “treated” water and which is empty half the year. This is why we have our mikvah services in a lake or a river!
The Mishnah states that Ezra made a decree that each male person should enter the mikvah before praying or studying God’s Torah. That would mean “on a daily basis.” We can see evidence of this in Israel in Qumran, where the Essene community lived for about 200 years between the first century B.C. E. and 135 A.C.E. The evidence showed they entered mikvah in preparation for prayer and study of the Word, and in preparation for the evening meal. This was daily. The steps leading down into and up from the mikvah bath often had a division preventing one who was coming up (purified) from making contact with one going in (defiled).
In Genesis 1:9 - the waters being “gathered into one place” –in Hebrew reads “Makom Echad.” From the root word “Makom” comes “Mikvah” (a “pool” or “gathering or water”), again - natural water created by God - not anything manufactured, treated or made by man.
In Genesis 1:1-2 it says, “the Spirit of God was hovering above the waters.” According to the Midrash this was the “Spirit of the Messiah.” It reads in MIDRASH RABBA 1:2, “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,” meaning that the Spirit of the Messiah that was “hovering” over the waters during creation would one day “rest” upon the Messiah in the future.
As Messianic Believers in Yeshua, we can agree with the Jewish sages and add some further insights. The same Holy Spirit that “overshadowed” the waters during “creation” also overshadowed “Miryam” (similar to “mayim”/“water”) the mother of Yeshua, impregnating her and forming within her a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It is very interesting that the writer (Isaiah) intentionally misspelled the Hebrew word in verses 7, “MARBAY” which means “increase.” It begins with the letter “MEM.” There are two forms of the letter MEM. One is open at the bottom, which is typically used at the beginning and middle of a word, and the closed bottomed MEM, which is only used at the end of a word.
The Talmud agrees that the closed “MEM” reveals a secret and hidden teaching which is related to the “sealing up” of Messiah’s identity.
Could it be that the “closed MEM” Isaiah uses here represents the “closed WOMB” that brings for the Messiah that he is speaking of? A womb never penetrated by man, but a “closed womb” sovereignly impregnated by the HOLY SPIRIT!
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