Sivan was in her ninth month of pregnancy. She wanted to perform a custom to
immerse in a mikvah during the ninth month in preparation for her upcoming birth. She
had also heard of a segulah (a good omen) for someone trying to conceive, to immerse
in the mikvah after this, as a special merit for them. A segulah whose origins seem to be
unknown but is meaningful to those who follow it.
Sivan reached out to our mikvah inquiring if there was anyone we knew of who wanted
to conceive and would like to immerse in the mikvah after her. Knowing how this
blessing doesn’t come easily to all, she graciously wanted to pass on the blessing to
someone else.
We didn’t know anyone.
She reached out to someone affiliated with the Malka Ella fertility fund, an organization
which provides funding and support for couples in need. They didn’t know of anyone
who it was relevant to at that particular time either. She tried very hard to find anyone
who could benefit from this segulah but wasn’t successful.
Eventually Sivan booked to come on her own and do the customary immersion in
preparation for her birth. She expressed to the attendant how much she would have
loved to share the opportunity with someone who could have benefited from it, but how
she wasn’t able to find anyone.
As Sivan was about to leave, the next booking arrived. The lady asked the Mikvah
attendant if there was a special prayer she could say as she had been trying for the past
few months to conceive! The attendant couldn’t believe it, she shared a prayer the
woman could say and also shared how fortunate the timing had turned out to be as the
mikvah had just been used by a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy who believed
that it was a blessing to immerse after her and had really wanted to give that opportunity
to someone who needed it.
The timing was just perfect. The hand of G-d. This woman didn’t live in the area and
didn’t ordinarily use Linksfield’s Mikvah Rachel, but a water outage in her area brought
her to our mikvah.
It was an emotionally charged moment. Sivan and the newcomer, both in tears,
embraced and exchanged heartfelt blessings one to another. For an easy birth, for a
healthy child.
The woman then immersed in the blessed waters of the mikvah, praying her heart out
for a successful conception.
That was in October. In July of this year, the lady messaged the mikvah to say that
Thank G-d she had given birth to a healthy baby the week before and could we please
let Sivan know.
Sivan was overjoyed. The lady had been blessed with a healthy child nine months later.
The two women hadn’t known each other, but they were meant to meet. One, blessed
with a pregnancy sincerely desiring to share the blessing with another, had blessed her
with all her heart. The other, longing for a child, had immersed right after her and used
the potent moment to pray for this blessing as well.
Their hearts and prayers converged and made Hashem smile.
That’s just one of many beautiful moments at Mikvah Rachel. Beautiful moments from
new brides just starting out, to old ‘brides’, married ladies who haven’t been to the
mikvah in years, or ever, and come to experience the wonder of Mikvah and the
blessing it brings to their relationship.
Learn more about what a mikvah experience can do for you. Trust me, you won’t be
disappointed.
This article is dedicated with heartfelt thanks to our devoted mikvah attendants who
work tirelessly with all their hearts to facilitate the beautiful Mitzvah of Mikvah.
Photo courtesy of Kharkov, Ukraine