A milestone has been reached in Poland with the completion and inauguration of a magnificent, mehudar mikveh at the hachnasas orchim complex adjacent to the tziyun of the Maggid of Kozhnitz zt”l. After intense halachic deliberations and close supervision by leading experts from Eretz Yisroel, the beautifully constructed mikveh has now been finalized, a tremendous besurah to the thousands who travel throughout the year to daven at the kever.

The project was initiated at the personal directive and vision of the Kozhnitzer Rebbe, who recognized in recent years the pressing need for a properly built mikveh at the rapidly expanding hachnasas orchim complex. The site has become a central hub for the many Yidden journeying to kivrei tzaddikim across Poland. Although the mikveh is part of a private compound designated for admorim, it will currently serve the broader public, allowing visitors to prepare in taharah and comfort. Plans are already underway, b’ezras Hashem, to construct an additional large public mikveh in response to the remarkable growth in visitors.

To ensure the highest standards of kashrus and halachic precision, Rav Nosson Winkler, one of the senior members of the renowned kashrus system of the rabbonim of Bnei Brak and son-in-law of Rav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau zt”l, traveled to the site. Rav Winkler, who is presently in Poland heading a team of shochtim, went out of his way to personally inspect every detail of the mikveh structure and its water systems.

During his thorough visit, Rav Winkler engaged in in-depth and serious halachic discussions regarding the filling of the otzaros with snow, a complex sugya, especially under European winter conditions. For final clarification, he remained in ongoing consultation with Rav Yechiel Yehuda Neustadt, a rov affiliated with Merkaz HaTahara. Rav Neustadt is widely regarded as the foremost authority on mikvaos, continuing the mesorah from the days of Rav Landau, who placed full trust in him regarding the kashrus of Bnei Brak’s mikvaos.

Rav Winkler directed mehudar halachic solutions, provided precise instructions for completing the hamshacha channel, and oversaw the preparation of the otzaros to properly receive rainwater and melted snow. Every detail was arranged so that the mikveh would be kosher lechatchilah according to all opinions.

A particularly uplifting moment took place when Rav Tzvi Yehuda Lau, rov of Kehillas Kahal Chassidim in Kfar Ganim, Petach Tikva, arrived with a group of approximately 150 bochurim on a Torah journey. Under Rav Winkler’s guidance, the bochurim undertook the task of filling the otzaros. Using specially perforated shovels — punctured to avoid the halachic status of a kli kibbul — and sacks with holes, they carefully gathered the pure snow and transported it to the mikveh roof.

Special heating elements, installed in accordance with the psak of the rabbonim overseeing the project, melted the snow so that it flowed into the otzaros in complete taharah. In a remarkable display of hashgachah pratis, the day the otzaros were filled coincided exactly with the yahrtzeit of Rav Shabsai Korech Seforim zt”l, the father of the Maggid of Kozhnitz, a powerful historical closing of the circle between father and son.

The hachnasas orchim complex in Kozhnitz is now preparing with great anticipation for the coming weeks, particularly ahead of the 21st of Adar, the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe, Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk. Thousands of Yidden traveling to Lizhensk customarily stop in Kozhnitz to pour out their hearts at the tziyun and to benefit from the exceptional hospitality provided there.

Askanim note that the inauguration of the mikveh is only the beginning. A broad construction plan is now moving forward, including the building of a magnificent beis medrash, a tish hall, guest rooms, and a professional kitchen designed with meticulous architectural care, in addition to the planned large public mikveh. All of this is intended to accommodate the many requests from across the world by those seeking to bask in the unique hod hakadmonim that envelops the city of Kozhnitz.

{Matzav.com}