Rabbi Kanievsky's Blessing for Fertility Linked to Mikvah Construction

A recently surfaced video shows Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi, stating that participating in the construction of a ritual bath, or mikvah, is a segulah, or spiritual remedy, for couples struggling with infertility. The video, released ahead of the High Holy Days, features Rabbi Kanievsky responding to a question about how to merit children, answering simply, "A mikvah is procreation." This teaching is being used to promote a campaign to renovate an aging mikvah in the city of Kiryat Gat.

The article highlights that Kiryat Gat, a developing city experiencing an influx of religious families, has only one mikvah that is over 50 years old and serves hundreds of families. The current facility is described as overcrowded, with long queues and conditions that make maintaining ritual purity difficult, leading some families to forgo the practice. The renovation aims to create a more suitable and dignified space for the city's residents.

The campaign urges people to contribute to the mikvah's restoration, framing it as an opportunity to gain the merit Rabbi Kanievsky spoke of, thereby increasing ritual purity in Israel and receiving his blessing for fertility. The timing of the appeal, just before Yom Kippur, is presented as a particularly auspicious moment to participate in this mitzvah, or commandment, and pray for personal salvation.