What is blessing for mikvah immersion?

The blessing recited before immersing in a mikvah (ritual bath) is: "Baruch Atah Hashem, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al hat'vilah" — "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning immersion." This blessing is recited while standing in the water, after the first immersion but before any subsequent ones (for women using the mikvah for taharat hamishpacha, family purity).

Key Takeaways

The blessing is al ha-tevilah ("concerning the immersion"), a standard birkat hamitzvah (commandment blessing).
The blessing is recited in the water, after the first dip but before completing the remaining immersions.
Women immersing for taharat hamishpacha (family purity) recite the blessing; converts also recite a blessing during their immersion.
Men immersing in a mikvah (e.g., before Shabbat or Yom Tov) generally do not recite a blessing, as this immersion is a custom (minhag), not a biblical commandment.
The immersion must be complete — no part of the body may be blocked from the water (chatzitzah).

The Full Blessing Text

Hebrew:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל הַטְּבִילָה

Transliteration:

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al ha-tevilah.

Translation:

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the immersion."

When and How the Blessing Is Recited

For Women (Taharat Hamishpacha)

The accepted halacha follows the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch [Yoreh De'ah 200:1]:

The woman immerses once first, then recites the blessing while still standing in the water, covered up to her neck for modesty.
She then immerses the remaining times (typically two more, for a total of three, though one valid immersion is technically sufficient).
The reason the blessing comes after the first immersion is so that the blessing is recited while already in a state of partial fulfillment of the mitzvah, and also to protect her modesty — she recites it while submerged rather than standing exposed on the bank.

For Converts (Giyur)

A convert immerses as part of the conversion process and does recite the blessing [Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 268:2]. The exact wording and timing are supervised by the beit din (rabbinical court).

For Men

Men who immerse in a mikvah — such as before Shabbat, Yom Tov, or Yom Kippur — generally do not recite a blessing, since this practice is a minhag (custom) rather than a d'oraita (biblical) or d'rabbanan (rabbinic) obligation [Mishnah Berurah 88:2, citing earlier authorities].

However, some Chassidic communities have the custom of reciting the blessing even for men's immersion; this varies by community.

The Mitzvah Basis

The commandment of immersion in a mikvah derives from several Torah sources:

Leviticus 15 establishes the laws of tumah (ritual impurity) and taharah (ritual purity) requiring immersion.
The Sages derived the obligation of the mikvah for niddah (a woman in her menstrual period) from the verse: "וְטָבְלָה בַּמַּיִם" — "and she shall immerse in water" [Leviticus 15:16, applied by analogy].
The Rambam (Maimonides) counts tevilah as a positive Torah commandment [Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment 109].

The Chatzitzah Requirement

For the immersion to be valid, there must be no chatzitzah (barrier) between the body and the water. This includes:

Jewelry, nail polish, loose hair, bandages, or any foreign substance covering the skin.
The Shulchan Aruch [Yoreh De'ah 198] discusses at length which substances constitute a chatzitzah and which are nullified.

For personal guidance on mikvah practice — including preparation, timing, and specific circumstances — consult your local rabbi or posek.