On erev Shabbos, a 7-year-old boy from a Chabad family was found in the Mikvah in Tzefas, visibly in distress. B’chasdei Hashem, an adult entered and was able to get him out of the water and save him from serious injury or worse chas v’sholom. Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Tzefas, HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Bistritzky released a letter to the tzibur at large in which he explains the MIkvah is not a place for children.
The rav addressed the fact that a 7/8-year-old was in the Mikvah without adult supervision, and this is totally unacceptable, as the child R”L almost drowned. As a result of the incident, the rav released the call to the tzibur at large, to heed his words and refrain from permitting small children from going to the Mikvah alone, without adult supervision. The rav stresses that anyone who cannot accompany a small child to the Mikvah should not send him alone.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
In addition to this letter, has the Chief Rabbi installed child proof doors/gates to this Mikvah?
Why was there no one guarding the Mikvah? Let the Rabbis decree that it is forbidden to open a Mikvah if there is no supervision. It is not just small children that can come to distress.
I have been saying for years children should not go alone to the Mikva even if they won’t drown because molesters I personally know a guy that got molested in the Mikva and there is stories like this