Validity of River Immersion When Waters May Be Rain-Fed

Description

The Chasam Sofer rules that daytime immersion on the seventh day may not be instituted as a routine practice, even for women in distant villages who must travel to the town mikvah. Regarding the river's validity, he concludes that the prohibition against immersing in potentially rain-fed river water is only rabbinic, and since the river's drying up occurred during an exceptional drought rather than as a regular pattern, it does not constitute intermittent waters disqualifying the river. Nevertheless, he strongly urges the community to use a proper mikvah rather than relying on the river.