SECRETS OF THE JEWISH MIKVEH -The Family Purity Film That Will AMAZE YOU

[music] [cheering] Permission that can help you. It's in your hands. [music] Doctors explain that the menstrual period can be dangerous to a woman's health [music] and she's exposed to a significant number of diseases and [music] infections. So, what exactly is so dangerous? For a certain period of time, the cervix is open exposing the womb and also the insides or abdomen. Because through the womb infections can penetrate into the abdomen and fallopian tube, the womb actually exposes her to infections. The womb is more sensitive [music] to infections because it's lining peels off. And germs can penetrate and enter the womb and into blood vessels. [music] In the vagina exists an acidic substance that kills almost any bacteria. Scientists have discovered the potency of this substance and using it, they're trying to develop medicines to prevent dangerous diseases. As long as this substance exists, the woman is protected from penetration. We call it the pH, the pH of the vagina, which is the acidity of the vagina. It's highly acidic and prevents most bacteria from developing. [music] It's very comforting to know that there exists an acidic substance [music] that protects the woman from infections and diseases, but not at all times. [music] From the moment that the menstrual bleeding begins, the acid protecting the womb loses its strength and the woman remains unprotected. From the moment that the blood is secreted, so the blood, of course, has a different acidity and the acidity of the vagina is, of course, then changed. Therefore, during the menstrual period, the vagina is more sensitive to infections of any kind from the male or external environment. It is a common mistake to believe that the woman is in danger during the period of bleeding itself. Even though [music] the period has ceased, the danger remains for another 7 days. [music] After the period has ceased, all the blood vessels in the womb are still open. Everything remains sensitive and exposed. It is in essence like an open wound trying to heal itself. The womb in this case is very similar. When the menstrual period is over, begins a process of healing. The womb begins reconstruction. The cells in the mucus are renewed. The eggs mature and the acid returns [music] once again to protect the womb and that's how the womb prepares itself for a new [music] cycle and is ready for pregnancy. This process takes 7 days. [music] The time that it takes the womb to [music] achieve its greatest thickness and size and suitability for pregnancy is about 7 days from the end of the menstrual period. Doctors warn not to conduct relations after the bleeding has ended and to wait another 7 days. Conducting [music] intimate relations during this time is dangerous and prevents the natural and proper construction of the womb. A woman who does not take care of herself can be more easily exposed to infections, diseases and develop cervical cancer. Therefore, it would be proper to avoid intimate relations during this time. One, to prevent different infections of the womb. Two, to prevent cervical cancer. [music] Cancer researchers [music] throughout the world have noticed an astonishing phenomenon. After much research, they have come to an unequivocal conclusion. Jewish women [music] are less prone to cervical cancer than non-Jewish women. Dr. John L. Rice, senior physician and served as a director of New York City's Health Department. I would like to draw attention to the fact that the mortality caused by cervical cancer is higher among non-Jewish women than Jewish women. [music] This fact is worth being paid attention by students dealing with cancer. [music] Dr. Weinberg from the city of New York conducted a study on cervical cancer and published the results. Cervical cancer is more common in non-Jewish women than in Jewish women at a ratio [music] of 2,090 to 1. [music] It is written in the Torah, in the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, when her blood flow stops, [music] she must count 7 days for herself and afterwards she can be purified. God commands [music] the woman to count 7 days during which she is cleansed of blood and afterwards [music] to immerse in a mikveh of purification. Doctors note that the chances of Jewish women who fulfill the laws of purification to suffer from infections or cervical cancer [music] are the lowest in the world. Medical science hasn't revealed anything to the Jewish woman because there's a perfect correlation between modern medicine and the Torah that was given [music] to the Jewish people. And that is why we can understand the astonishment of doctors at the low sickness rate found in Jewish women who fulfill the laws of purification. A woman who maintains her health according to the instructions [music] of the Torah, waits until the bleeding stops and with the assistance [music] of sterile pieces of cloth examines herself for 7 days to confirm that the bleeding has indeed stopped. Sometimes it [music] seems as if the bleeding has ceased, but the womb bleeds internally. [music] That is why the internal examinations are required. The normal cycle is that after the bleeding has ceased, the womb is cleansed completely, but if the womb is not cleansed completely, [music] this is a sign of a gynecological problem. In truth, these monthly examinations are preemptive protection for early detection [music] of tumors and cervical cancer because almost every gynecological problem is exposed with internal bleeding. Sometimes a woman can go for months with a gynecological problem and internal bleeding and be unaware of it. [music] Many gynecological problems are expressed with mid-cycle [music] bleeding. In other words, bleeding that occurs between menstrual [music] periods, days that the woman is supposed to be clean without blood. That is why a woman who examines herself [music] for internal bleeding may detect pathological conditions earlier than a woman who doesn't pay attention to minor bleeding. That is why we will discover earlier cervical cancer [music] or certain growths in the ovaries that are capable of disrupting or preventing the regular secretion [music] of hormones and cause the mid-cycle bleeding or certain kinds of sores that should be identified and treated. These [music] are so important to be able to detect and identify the faster flow of the mid-cycle bleeding. [music] I'm secular from every perspective. I don't observe anything. I don't fast [music] on Yom Kippur. I never fasted on Yom Kippur. I don't believe [music] in everything. I believe in what my eyes can see. And it was very difficult for me to accept it until I saw it for myself. And the things that the doctors came and said that it really was so and the science also proves it. I was not familiar before with the whole topic of waiting 7 days. For every [music] woman, it is very important to examine herself with the cloth. So, I understood [music] that it really is important that there is the significance that a woman is obligated to do this. What before I could never understand. It is very important [music] for me to perform these examinations not to expose myself to certain diseases. Due to the increased rate of cervical cancer in women throughout the world, scientists have developed a vaccination, [music] the objective of which to prevent the conduction of cervical cancer. It can be administered from the age of 9 years and older. Many women rushed to receive this vaccine [music] and vaccinated their daughters knowing the vaccination would protect them from developing cervical cancer. But is this vaccine [music] safe? There are questions being asked about the vaccine known as Gardasil. [music] About 8 million American girls have gotten the vaccine which prevents cervical cancer. But [music] is it safe? Here's Sharyl Attkisson. The hope is that Gardasil will prove to be a lifesaver preventing deadly cervical cancer. But today Merck's HPV vaccine is dealing with a growing number of reports of serious side [music] effects. Jamie Veness passed out and had a seizure after her Gardasil shot. After my seizure, I remember I didn't want to go to bed cuz I thought that I wasn't going to be able to wake up. She was lucky compared to Amanda Ratner. She came down with an illness so excruciating she had to take morphine. Her parents, both doctors, blame Gardasil. She's gone from the position of being a competitive varsity lacrosse player in high school to somebody who's chronically ill. Gardasil was approved in 2006 for girls as young as age 9. The conservative funded public interest group Judicial Watch has obtained more than 8,000 adverse events reports under Freedom of Information Law. The reports reveal everything from massive wart outbreaks to seizures and paralysis. [music] Of 18 deaths, nearly a quarter cited blood clots. Jessica Vega got the shot at school when she was 13. Soon after, she was paralyzed. It took a year of braces [music] and treatment to get her on her feet. Whitney Bell was 12. She collapsed [music] with brain inflammation and paralysis. 14-year-old Jaimie developed life-threatening [music] illness that's resistant to treatment. Merck and the CDC say Gardasil is safe and effective [music] and that they've not found a link to any deaths. They also say illnesses reported after vaccinations may [music] not have been caused by the shot and that Gardasil appears safer than most vaccines with half the average reported serious adverse [music] events. The CDC says it will continue to evaluate the data while some families are evaluating whether their loved ones should have the vaccine at all. Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News, Washington. Maybe the vaccine is safe. [music] Maybe it isn't. There's a certain and natural and wonderful way to be protected from all those illnesses and vaccines, which is to comply with the creator's instructions. Only the creator of the world who created our bodies knew to give us the proper prescription, the laws of family purification, a tried and tested [music] assurance of a healthy life. Not only to a healthy life, but to a joyous married life. [music] The creator of the world who gave the Torah knows quite well [music] the soul of man and knows that the law of family purity is that which protects the special connection between the husband and wife. It is within its power to renew the love and joy between a couple to live a joyous married life. [music] Rabbi Meir Baal Haness says, "Why does the Torah require for the impure to wait 7 days?" Rabbi Meir asks, "Why must a woman who is impure [music] wait another 7 days?" Because he becomes accustomed and disgusts her. So, the Torah said, "May she be [music] impure for 7 days so she will be desired as she was on her wedding day." [bell] [music] Rabbi Meir explains that it is human nature [music] that when seeking pleasure and excitement, even if there's much enjoyment in them, after a while he becomes accustomed to them and searches for new ones. [music] Our holy Torah, which is familiar with human nature, has constructed a wonderful system of conduct which creates a break from physical contact. This break protects the emotional connection between the couple so that they do not become too accustomed to each other and brings about that the wife will be desirable to her husband just as she was on her wedding day. [music] Many women refrain from going to the mikveh once a month because they received incorrect information that the mikveh water is unclean compared to the public swimming pool to which men, women, and children enter that aren't always clean. The pool's water is unclean and contains [music] a lot of bacteria. Going to the mikveh was something that didn't make sense to me. [music] I perceived it as a very unclean place and unpleasant to be in. The first time that I decided [music] to go, I said, "I'll go. I'll check it out. And if it looks all right, I'll go in the water." The first thing that I remember is looking straight into the water. The water was clean [music] and there was nothing left for me to do but enter. I was really surprised for the better from the cleanliness of the showers and the rooms. Everything was very intimate [music] and accessorized. And if I, to whom hygiene and cleanliness are very important, if I did it, anyone can do it. [snorts] The newspaper Kol Ha'Ir published an article on a study [music] that found over 250 bacteria in 1 mm of drinking water compared to the water taken [music] from four random mikvahs in which was found between 7 to 52 bacteria per millimeter. The water from the mikvah is cleaner [music] than the drinking water and definitely cleaner than the public swimming pool. [music] The mikvah is a clean and sanitary place and is well built according to high standards. The purification mikvahs are strictly supervised by the Ministry of Health for cleanliness and sterilization of the mikvah. [music] The water contains a disinfecting substance and is changed frequently. [music] Before a woman may immerse in the mikvah, she is obligated by Jewish law to cleanse herself well before immersing and to be certain that she is clean of all dirt. [music] For the woman's comfort and peace of mind, the mikvah facilitates private rooms that serve each woman [music] separately to allow her to immerse privately. The rooms are equipped with shower items, towels, soap, shampoos, and so forth just as at home. After immersing, the woman has access to rooms accessorized [music] with creams, hair dryers, makeup, and perfumes to allow her to arrive [music] home cleansed, freshened, and beautiful. When I actually [music] got there, after a lot of hesitation and deliberation, and I saw that a lot of secular women go to the mikvah. I am not the only secular woman there, and the mikvah attendant turned out [music] to be such an enchanting and gentle person, blessing you and calming you. It was a [music] very exciting moment for me. Every time my excitement is renewed. Many secular women come with their tight clothes, jeans, and [music] I never thought I'd see so many secular women in a place like this. In the beginning, [music] it was very difficult for us. All the distancing and waiting. Today, my husband and I, we both know, after a long time [music] of maintaining family purity, we know that it's the best thing that happened to our relationship, [music] going to the mikvah. I didn't understand that the Torah actually does good for the woman in the way that they're not just bare commandments, there's also [music] something behind them. There's a certain line of thought that after all, [music] the Torah is looking out for the woman's health. It gave me an urge to go to the mikvah and to learn [music] about the subject. The mikvah is a place of spiritual purification. A woman who wants to purify herself cannot simply [music] immerse in a bathtub, swimming pool, or any place else. According to the Torah, a woman is only purified [music] in a purification mikvah, which contains water that is transported by special means. According to the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, the number 40 represents spiritual renewal. That's why the required amount for a mikvah is 40 se'ah, Talmudic measurement. [music] Since the creation of the world, the number 40 has represented spiritual renewal. It rained during the flood for 40 days, after which the world has significantly changed. Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights in order to receive the Torah. And then the Jewish nation was born. The Jewish people wandered the desert for 40 years, and a generation bearing a new spirit entered the land of Israel. [music] The fetus is an infant from the 40th day since its conception. [music] The numerical value of a lad, infant, is 40. [music] When a woman immerses in a mikvah that contains 40 se'ah, she is blessed directly from the creator who bestows upon her and her family kindness, financial welfare, health, marital harmony, and purity. That is why this commandment is called family purity, because it is within its power to protect the entire family. When a woman makes her way to the mikvah, she is escorted by a legion of merciful angels and a million souls of angels and seraphim descend from above especially to escort her back. And the woman receives these great and awesome powers. On the day of the mikvah, when the woman immerses and directs her act for the sake of heaven and thinks about the creator, the seven heavens are split and into the world descend souls of righteous fathers and forefathers. In the water, a woman receives powers like that of a great Kabbalist, and these powers are with her 24 hours from the moment of immersion. [music] And it is within her power to bless people and bring about wondrous things with her prayers. All of the preparations that she makes the day before and her giving to her husband and trying with all her strength to maintain harmony within the home, all these come forth and are present before the woman at the moment of immersion and open for her the gates of the Garden of Eden that are only in the power of a righteous woman to open. As our holy Torah states, in the merit of righteous women, the Jewish nation was redeemed and will be redeemed in the future. [music] We are very excited to offer you the new Be'ezrat Hashem app 3.0. It's a newer, faster app full of Torah, lots of kedusha by the shiurim that we do, myself, Rabbi Ephraim, Rabbi Chaim, where you'll have also newer features where you're able to use the app while you're using other applications on your phone. You'll be able to share the the lectures directly from the app. You'll be able to donate online and support our queue and our Torah work that we're doing. And the most exciting feature is that you'll be able to actually ask questions directly on the app and get answers from the rabbis directly from the app. This is something unprecedented, and Be'ezrat Hashem we'll be able to offer it. Thank you again for all of your support. Check it out. Make sure you have the kosher Torah that will re-energize your neshama each and every single day. Kol tuv u'vehazlacha. [music] Oh. [music] Oh.