Jastrow: מִקְוֶה

מִקְוֶה m. (b. h.; קָוָה) gathering of water, esp. the ritual bath of purification. Yoma VIII, 9 (play on מקוה hope, Jer. XVII, 13) מה מ׳ מטהר וכ׳ as the bath purifies the unclean, so does the Lord &c. Ib. 31ᵃ מי מ׳ ארבעים סאה the contents of a ritual bath must be forty S’ah; Num. R. s. 18. Mikv. I, 7 שוה למ׳ וכ׳ has the qualification of a ritual miḳveh when gathered in a pond, contrad. to מַעְיָן; a. v. fr.—Trnsf. means of purification. Kidd. 64ᵃ בנות ישראל מִקְוֵה טהרה וכ׳ daughters of common Israelites are the means of purity (reinstatement to priestly status) for (the issue of) degraded priests, i.e. the daughter of an Israelite woman and a degraded priest may marry into priesthood; ib. 77ᵃ; Tosef. ib. V, 3; a. e.—Pl. מִקְווֹת, מִקְוָאוֹת, מִקְוָו׳. Y. Ter. IV, 43ᵃ bot. שני מקוות; Mikv. II, 3 שני מ׳ וכ׳ two adjacent reservoirs one of which contains &c. Ib. I, 1; a. fr.—Miḳvaoth, name of a treatise of Mishnah and Tosefta of the Order of Tohăroth.