Thousands of Custom Cork Plugs Arrive in Israel for Chabad Mikvahs
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Thousands of custom cork plugs, ordered from Spain, have arrived in Israel for use in Chabad movement mikvahs. The Chabad Mikvah Center organized the delivery to seal rainwater reservoirs. The tradition, based on the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe's teachings, avoids rubber due to concerns about ritual impurity, a caution later extended to plastic and nylon by the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Thousands of custom cork plugs for Chabad mikvahs arrived in Israel from Spain.
- The Chabad Mikvah Center organized the delivery of the specialized plugs.
- The corks are used to seal reservoirs holding rainwater for mikvah use.
- The tradition avoids rubber stoppers due to concerns about ritual impurity.
- The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe advised against rubber, and the seventh against plastic and nylon.
A special shipment of several thousand custom-made cork plugs has arrived in Israel from Spain for use in mikvahs, the ritual baths of the Chabad movement. The delivery was organized by the Chabad Mikvah Center, which oversees hundreds of mikvahs nationwide.
The corks are designed to seal rainwater reservoirs, preserving the water for use in the mikvah. This practice aligns with a tradition established by the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn, who advised against using rubber stoppers. He believed rubber could absorb ritual impurity, making it unsuitable for mikvah construction.
Further guidance came from the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who in several letters recommended treating plastic and nylon with the same caution as rubber, and avoiding their use in mikvahs whenever possible.