Rebecca At The Well

Foundation
PO Box 60044
St. Petersburg, FL 33784
(727)688-2115

www.RATW.org
www.HealWithOil.com
Mikvah: The
Gathering
Of Nations

Rebecca Park Totilo

Rebecca at the Well
Foundation
www.RATW.org
Greek Word Baptizos =
Baptism
• Means: To wash or immerse or dip
repeatedly.

• To cleanse, by dipping by
submerging (of vessels sunk), to
wash, to make clean with water, to
wash one’s self, to overwhelm
 New Testament Concept?

• Traditional Christianity teaches “John

the Baptist” was doing something
“New” and radical.

• However, this Greek concept of

immersion has been since the
beginning of creation.
Hebrew Word T’vilah=
Immerse
• Common practice in the life of the Hebrew
people. T’vilah (immersion) was part of the
Biblical faith before Messiah came.

• One of the requirements for conversion to

Judaism is the immersion in the Mikvah.

(This should settle any disputes

for believers whether it is necessary.)
T’ vilah has been described by
Hebrew Scholars as the
gateway into being Kodesh or
“set apart.”

T’vilah is the physical act of

immersing into a body of
moving water, called a
“Mikvah” in Hebrew.
Hebrew Word Mikvah = Pool
• Means: Gathering of water.

• Mentioned in Levitius 11:36,

“Nevertheless a fountain or pit,
wherein there is plenty (Mikvah) of
water, shall be clean: but that which
toucheth their carcase shall be
unclean. {wherein...: Heb. a
gathering together of waters}
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, author of “Waters
of Eden, The Mystery of the Mikvah”
writes:
• The immersion acts involves the
change of identity, “an assumption of
a new status namely that of a Jew.”

• I wonder what Rabbi Kaplan would

think of all these little “Christian
Jews” running around today?
Kaplan continues…
• “The use of the Mikvah is one of the main
factors that distinguishes the Jew from the
non-Jew.”

• In fact, “the Mikvah is more important

than a synagogue.”

• Jewish Halachah says that a congregation

that doesn’t have a Mikvah doesn’t have
the status of a community.
• In Israel in ancient times, the Mikvah
was the first facility built in a new
community.
Encyclopedia Judaica states:
• The Mikvah is a, “a collection of
water, a pool or bath of clear water,
immersion in which renders ritually
clean a person who has become
ritually unclean through contact with
the dead (Num. 19) or any other
defiling object, or through an unclean
flux from the body (Lev. 15) and
especially a menstruant. It is
similarly used for vessels (Num.
31:22–23).”
According to the Tanakh:
Basic areas where immersion in the Mikvah is
required:

3. After a woman’s menstrual period, she may not

be intimate with her husband until she has
immersed in the Mikvah.

5. Immersion is an integral part of conversion and

is invalid without it according to Judaism.
(implied)

7. Vessels, utensils, and dishes manufactured by

non-Jews must be immersed.

9. Another important function is various types of

Tumah – or ritual defilement.
Other Times to Mikvah:
• It is customary to immerse before
Yom Kippur, as a sign of purity and
repentance.

• The bride immerses the day before

her wedding as a process of spiritual
purification and cleansing.
 Torah Commandments
Three Categories:
2. First, moral laws – Thou shall not kill, Thou shall
not steal, etc. are known as Mishpatim,
translated as “judgments.”

4. Second, commandments concerning the Feasts

to reawaken us to truth, are known as Edos,
translated as “witnesses.” Yeshua told His
disciples to be His witnesses (Book of
Revelation).

6. Third, are laws and commandments for no

apparent reason such as dietary laws, serve to
strengthen man’s bond to God are called
Chukim, translated as “decrees.” The Mikvah
falls in this category.
Talmud says…
• These are the laws that the “evil urge (Yetzer
Hara) and the Nations of the Earth try to refute.

• If we don’t understand something, its tempting to

find an excuse to not do them.

• These are the first to go, when wavering in the

faith.

• This all the more reason why it is an ACT OF

FAITH. It indicates that we are willing and ready
to obey, even if we can’t justify them with logic.
When the Israelites received the
commandments they responded, “we
will do” and then they said, “we will
hear.”

The Torah was given without any

understanding of “why” but just that
we would obey.
James 1:22

• But be ye doers of the word, and not

hearers only, deceiving your own
selves.
 Laws of Purity

• Falls in the category of Chukim

(decrees), which we are to do as an
act of faith, in order to be spiritually
purified.
 T’ vilah to Set Apart
• The original consecration of Aaron and his
sons as Kohanim (priests) administered by
Moses, after the Exodus was with the act
of immersion.

• This Mikvah was to “set apart” and change

their status for priesthood.

• Second, we see special significance of

Mikvah in the Yom Kippur service for the
High Priest (Kohen Gadol) in the Holy
Temple. (Leviticus 16)
 You are a Royal Priesthood
• The most important reason of immersion
into water is not physical cleanliness, but
to reinforce the Bible’s message of
separation. As Hebrews we have been
called out of darkness into the Light of
YHWH as today’s priests of righteousness.

• We are set apart as His children, through

our actions. (Our choices of following His
Feasts which are “witnesses”, Dietary laws
& Mikvah which are “decrees” show that
we set ourselves apart unto Him.)
1 Peter 2:9

• But ye are a chosen generation, a

royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:
 T’ vilah to be Saved
• The Talmud states, “as soon as the
convert immerses and emerges, he is
like a Jew in every way.” It also
teaches that he is like a “new born
child.”

• Mikvah is like the process of rebirth,

and in fact, represents the womb. He
emerges born anew.
Mikvah is a Gathering of
Waters
• Seas gathered are a Mikvah,
representing the womb.

• Seed-bearing plants on dry land,

demonstrates how to be “born again”
with death followed by resurrection.
Reoccurring Theme in
Scripture
• Creation on 3 day (separation of upper and
rd

lower waters – gathering of waters into seas –

separation of water and dry land)

• Great Flood (from within the heart of the earth,

the fountains of the deep were broken up,
cleansing the earth)

• Israelites Crossing Reed Sea (after the

deliverance, Yah had to cleanse and separate
them from Egypt)

• At Mount Sinai, Yah gave specific instructions to

“wash their clothes” and prepare for the 3rd day.
Genesis 1:9-13
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be
gathered together unto one place, and let the dry
land appear: and it was so. And God called the
dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the
waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was
good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth
grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree
yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth
brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed
was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it
was good. And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
 T’ vilah for Repentance

• Because of not keeping Torah, we

have broken fellowship with Elohim.
Immersion by faith restores this
breach.

• Mikvah changes a believer’s spiritual

status from Tomeh (unclean) to
Tahor (clean).
Isaiah 1:16-17
• “Wash yourself and make yourself clean;
put away the evil of your doings from
before My eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to
do tov; seek mishpat (judgment), relieve
the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and
plead for the widow. Come now, and let us
reason together, says YHWH, though your
sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.”
The Prophet Isaiah Instructs Us

How to be Restored
• Turn from sin, and evil doings
• Immerse and become clean
• Do Good Deeds, Seek to know His
ways

(When we do this, Jeremiah tells us

what Yahweh will do for us.)
Jeremiah 33:8
• “See, I will bring it health and relief, and I
will cure them, and will reveal to them the
abundance of real shalom and emet. And I
will cause the exile of Yahudah and the
exile of Yisrael to shuv, and will build
them, as at the first. And I will cleanse
them from all their iniquity, by which they
have sinned against Me; and I will pardon
all their iniquities, by which they have
sinned, and by which they have
transgressed against Me.”
 Mikvah is a Grave
• When a person immerses, he is
temporarily in a state of non-living
(not breathing).

• When he emerges, he is resurrected

with a new status.
Hebrew Word = Kever or
Kibraw
• Means: Grave, and is occasionally
used for womb.

(Both states – womb and grave are at

the same end points in the cycle of
life)

Reference: Numbers 19:18

Dying to Self / Resurrection

• With the act of immersing in a

Mikvah, it symbolizes our dying to
self and being resurrected as a new
creation in Messiah.
John 19:33-35

• But when they came to Jesus, and

saw that he was dead already, they
brake not his legs: But one of the
soldiers with a spear pierced his side,
and forthwith came there out blood
and water. And he that saw it bare
record, and his record is true: and he
knoweth that he saith true, that ye
might believe.
1 Peter 3:21-22
• “And this water symbolizes baptism that
now saves you also--not the removal of
dirt from the body but the pledge of a
good conscience toward Elohim. It saves
you by the resurrection of Yahshua
HaMoshiach, who has gone into heaven
and is at YHWH's right hand--with angels,
authorities and powers in submission to
him.”
Hebrews 9:22

“And almost all things are by the law

purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.”

• Another translation says: “Be

immersed into Him and be washed in
His precious blood.”
 His Blood and Water

• Our mikvah into Yahshua’s blood and

water is our salvation.

• Yeshua told the woman in Samaria,

that He had the living water; drink of
Him and never thirst.
Jeremiah 14:8
• “O the hope of Israel, the saviour
thereof in time of trouble…”

• Hebrew Word Hope = Mikveh

Our hope is the gathering of Israel
from all nations, like many waters in
our day of trouble.
Mikvah is the Gathering of
Israel
• Waters is symbolic of nations or
people groups.

• It restores our relationship with

Elohim.
Ezekiel 36:24-28
• “For I will take you from among the
heathen, and gather you out of all
countries, and will bring you into your own
land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon
you, and ye shall be clean: from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I
cleanse you. A new heart also will I give
you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of
your flesh, and I will give you an heart of
flesh. And I will put my spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes, and
ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave
to your fathers; and ye shall be my people,
Mark 16:16

• “He that believeth and is baptized

shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned.”
 Matthew 28:19-20

• “Go therefore, and make talmidim

(disciples) of all nations, doing
mikvah (baptizing) upon them in My
Name: Teaching them to shomer
(observe) all things, which I have
commanded you: and, see, I am with
you always, even to the end of the
olam hazeh (world).”
 T’ vilah is an act of
Obedience
• Followers of Yeshua are baptized.

• We are to continue the work He

started on the earth and baptize
others in His Name.
 Rebecca at the Well
Foundation
PO Box 60044
St. Petersburg, FL 33784
www.RATW.org

Healing Oils Of Ancient

Scripture
www.HealWithOil.com

His Majesty Requests

www.RebeccaTotilo.com
 How?

• With water. Lots of it.

“And John also was baptizing in

Aenon near to Salim, because there
was much water there: and they
came, and were baptized.” John 3:23
Acts 3:39

• “And he commanded the chariot to

stand still: and they went down both
into the water, both Philip and the
eunuch; and he baptized him. And
when they were come up out of the
water, the Spirit of the Lord caught
away Philip, that the eunuch saw him
no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing.”