Going to the mikvah

Parshas Mitzora: from Revach.net

Rav Moshe Feinstein – Washing Away The Tzora’as From Clothing

If one finds Tzoraas on his clothing, at a certain point the Kohen instructs him to wash it. If the washing helps and the Nega does not return, then the Torah says “V’Chubas Sheinis V’Taheir” (Mitzora 13:38) the clothing become Tahor once again. Rashi explains that this washing, although it uses the same word of “Kibeis”, it doesn’t mean to thoroughly wash but rather to do tevila in a Mikva.

Rav Moshe Feinstein asks, if they are totally different why does the Torah use the same word for both. He answers that the Torah wants to teach us how similar these two washings are. The Torah is trying to get across to us that going to the Mikva is not simply a ritual that somehow cleanses you from Tumah. Rather just like a thorough washing cleans off the dirt on your body, Tevila in the Mikva cleans off the very real dirt that tarnishes your soul. These two Kvisos are actually alike, cleansing of very ugly and real stains.