A Fish in Water

The Mikveh is an immersion into living water, it is a time of cleansing (not soap and water), and getting closer to G-d.  It is done before conversion, it is done by women on a monthly basis for the sake of family purity, it is done by some men before Shabbos and yom tovim (holidays).  In the 60's women's lib was running rampant and the mikveh was seen as archaic.  However, everything being cyclical, it is gaining in acceptance once again.  It is now "in".
 
I don't want to go on about the mikveh, although it is a wonderful topic to discuss as our girls get closer to the age of marriage, but let's look at the water as an analogy.   When a person immerses into the mikveh water nothing can be between them and the water; no band aids, no makeup, no jewelry etc...Just follow me, there is a point to this.  If a person immerses in an ocean or river and they see that a fish has made contact with them, then, when they come up out of the water,  we would think that the immersion would be invalid, however, it is not.  Why?  Because a fish is part of the water, a fish cannot live without the water, it is as though they are one.

It is the same with the Jewish people.  We are one with Torah, the mitzvot that connects us with G-d makes us who we are.  It makes us a light unto the nations.  We have met several people over the years who have asked us about our customs, our laws etc...and when they know we care about it, that we feel the connection with it, they are glad to hear it, they say good for you.  The nations know it is right for us to follow Torah.  It is not do and don't do,  but a way of life, a way to connect to G-d, because the Jewish people and Torah are like a fish in water - inseparable.