Meron

Meron, in the hills of the upper Galil near Tzfas, is the resting place of the Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. On Lag BaOmer, the day of his hilula, Yidden from across the world come to daven at his kever.

Rabbi Shimon was a talmid of Rabbi Akiva, and it was Rabbi Akiva who taught (Mishnah, Yoma 8:9):

מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ – מַה מִּקְוֶה מְטַהֵר אֶת הַטְּמֵאִים, אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְטַהֵר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל

“Hashem is the mikvah of Yisroel. Just as a mikvah makes the tamei tahor, so Hakadosh Baruch Hu makes Klal Yisroel tahor.” The navi uses the same words: מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעוֹ בְּעֵת צָרָה, “the mikvah of Yisroel, its savior in a time of trouble” (Yirmiyahu 14:8).

That is why Meron and our work belong together. Every mikvah Mikvah Tahara builds gives another community the tahara those words describe.

Ahead of Lag BaOmer, Mikvah Tahara holds an appeal in Rabbi Shimon’s merit: $36 for the zechus of a tevilah, $72 for the zechus of a day in the mikvah, and $180 for the zechus of 30 mikvahs. Many give as a zechus for yeshuos and refuos. You can give toward the appeal, or toward any of our projects, on our donation page.