Tehillim 69 – How a Mikveh Saves from Judgments
Tehillim 69:2
- "Hoshieini Elohim, ki va'u mayim ad nafesh" - (Save me, G-d, for the waters have reached my soul).
Rabbi Nachman teaches: "If you sit in the mikveh underwater for as long as you can hold your breath, judgments and decrees are mitigated."
If you are concerned that judgments or some decree hangs over you or your household—illness, a problem at home, or something else serious—you should go to the mikveh and remain underwater until you run out of breath, and only then come up.
This will mitigate the decree, especially if at that time you offer prayers in your heart. Mitigating the decree means salvation!
This is alluded to in the verse: "Save me, G-d, for the waters have reached my soul":
- "Save me, G-d" – means: mitigate the decree;
- "for the waters have reached" – the waters of the mikveh;
- "my soul" – until one's breath is exhausted.
Through the mikveh, one also acquires fear of Heaven – "The whole earth should fear the L-rd" – (Tehillim 33:8).
In commenting on this verse, Rashi understands it as referring to treasures in the depths beneath the earth. Through a mikveh located underground, one acquires fear of Heaven.
(from the book by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, "Likutei Moharan")
