March 11th, 2003
Here we are looking down on the bor prior to pouring concrete. The interesting part of this shot is the J-shaped wooden object on the right. It is a form for the "Trough of Validation". After the concrete is in, the wooden J will be removed and will leave a J-shaped basin in the top of the wall of the bor. Rainwater from the roof of the yurt will flow through the basin (from top to bottom in this photo) and on into the bor. The significance of this is that the mortar mixture of which the trough is formed is halachicly equivalent to earth; indeed, all its components are derived from earth. This is important because water can be purified and rendered valid for immersion by flowing across at least 3 handbreadths of earth. Although the rainwater is pure as it falls from the sky its validity may be impaired as it is collected in gutters and led down a pipe to the bor. The Trough of Validation is a "fence around the Torah", a safety feature to assure the validity of the water.