Are metim toiveled in regular mikvaos?

Question

I just learned that metim are toiveled as part of the preparation for burial. I assume this is done in a mikvah. I assume this is not the same mikvah that the living use to toivel themselves or their keilim.

Can someone with experience or knowledge confirm that both assumptions of the last sentence are correct?

We should live to see the days of Moshiach

I don't know if this is correct. I think the body is manually washed by pouring water over it. I can't imagine that they dip a body into the mikvah. If they do use the mikvah, a typical keilim mikvah would probably be too small for an adult body. — DanF, Sep 19 '17 at 21:24
Usually the preparation stuff is done at a funeral home. Probably they have a dedicated Mikvah. Obviously small communities may have other set ups, but no doubt they maintain hygiene standards when switching — Double AA, Sep 19 '17 at 21:26
@DoubleAA I've grown a bit skeptical because it seems some people believe in the purifying powers of the mikvah to the extent that they become blind to reason. For example, re: this question https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/31755/can-a-woman-converting-to-judaism-go-to-the-mikvah-during-her-period , I've learned that some rabbonim indeed don't care if a convert is actually bleeding when she toivels, unless it embarrasses her — SAH, Sep 19 '17 at 21:30
They do use mikvahs on occasion, and I know for a fact that a normal mikvah was used once on occasion of someone who asked for his body to be toiveled in the mikvah, but this was an exception — , Sep 25 '17 at 11:57
@Orangesandlemons Please tell me they drained it and refilled it or something — SAH, Sep 25 '17 at 14:36

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 27 '17 at 05:25

Some funeral homes do have a special mikvah in the preparation room. Otherwise the chevrah kadisha manually washes the body with tishah kabin;if I remember correctly, everyone pours from their vessel at the same time so that the water flows in a continuous stream over the body, or if they need more water, the second person begins to pour before the first person stops, so that the water flows continuously; it's been a long time since i've participated in a taharah but I think the pouring is done once on each side so the entire body is "immersed." (The meis may not be the only one to get wet.)

Some sources could greatly improve this, but otherwise this looks good. Welcome and hope to see you around. :) — DonielF, Sep 27 '17 at 16:45

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 27 '17 at 08:37

Correct. Funeral homes do not use the same Mikve that the public uses for utensils or people.

I have never seen a Halacha to that effect, except for the Halacha to guards one's health.

Classicaly the Tahara was been done without a Mikve, but by pouring 9 Kav (11 liters / 3 gallons) of water on the body from 1, 2 or 3 vessels, as the Kitzur - in סימן קצז - דין התכריכין והטהרה - describes:

סעיף ב' ‏ סֵדֶר הַטָּהֳרָה, מַרְחִיצִין בְּמַיִם חַמִּים כָּל גּוּפוֹ וְרֹאשׁוֹ, וּמְנַקִּין אוֹתוֹ הֵיטֵב בֵּין אֶצְבְּעוֹת יָדָיו וְרַגְלָיו וּבְכָל מָקוֹם, וְחוֹפְפִין אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ, וְסוֹרְקִין וְגוֹזְזִין שַׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשׁוֹ, וְנוֹטְלִין צִפָּרְנֵי יָדָיו וְרַגְלָיו (וּבִמְדִינָתֵנוּ אֵין נוֹהֲגִין זֹאת). וּצְרִיכִין לִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יַהַפְכוּ אֶת הַמֵּת עַל פָּנָיו, שֶׁהוּא דֶרֶךְ בִּזָּיוֹן, אֶלָּא יַטּוּ עָלָיו תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין מַיִם, דְהַיְנוּ שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין אֶת הַמֵּת עַל הַקַּרְקַע אוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי קַשׁ וְשׁוֹפְכִין הַמַּיִם עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁיֵרְדו עַל כָּל גּוּפוֹ. ‏

סעיף ג' ‏ שִעוּר תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין יֶשׁ בּוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת. (וְיֵשׁ לִקַּח לְעֵרֶךְ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה קְווָארְט פּוֹילִישׁ). וְאֵין צְרִיכִין שֶׁיִהְיוּ כֻלָם בְּכְלִי אֶחָד דַּוְקָא, אֶלָּא גַּם מִשֵּׁנֵי כֵלִים אוֹ מִשְׁלשָׁה, מִצְטָרְפִין, רַק שֶׁהַשֵּׁנִי יַתְחִיל לִצּוֹק בְּעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא הִפְסִיק הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְכֵן הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בְּעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא הִפְסִיק הַשֵּׁנִי. וְגַם אִם מְעָרֶה מִּכְּלִי אֶחָד, לֹא יַפְסִיק הַקִּלּוּחַ. וּמִתּוֹךְ אַרְבָּעָה כֵלִים, אֲפִלּוּ שׁוֹפְכִין בְּפַעַם אַחַת, אֵין מִצְטָרְפִין. ‏

Nowadays, since we have become a relatively wealthy and Chumra-oriented society, using a Mikveh is slowly becoming the norm.

+1 but Please dring evidence that this has something to do with "guards one's health" — hazoriz, Sep 27 '17 at 13:18
@DannySchoemann Thanks so much for this answer. +1. Would it bother you if I gave the "accept" to the new poster? — SAH, Sep 27 '17 at 16:36
@SAH - go right ahead - I no longer do this for the points. ;-) — Danny Schoemann, Sep 28 '17 at 14:28
@DannySchoemann Great. Thanks so much for your contribution. Gut yor — SAH, Sep 28 '17 at 14:30

Are metim toiveled in regular mikvaos?

2 Answers2