Mikve Rajel | Pascal Arquitectos

The Mikve is the ritual bath of purification in the Jewish religion. It is possible diving in fresh spring water, or in a place specially dedicated to it, fed by rainwater that must be collected, stored and communicated to the vessel that is called a Mikve. All this must be made under a very strict set of rules related to the degree of purity of water. These rules also include the use of materials, architectural measures and water treatment. Mikveh is known to represent the womb, so when a person enters the pool, it’s like to return to it, and when it emerges, as if reborn. In this way, you get a totally new and purified condition. Its symbolism represents at the same time, a tomb, therefore, can not be performed the ritual bath in a tub, but must be built directly into the ground. The fact that illustrates the Mikveh much as the woman’s womb and at the same time as the grave, becomes not a contradiction, since both are places where you can breathe, and at the same time are endpoints of the cycle of life.