Mesorat%20hashas for Mikvaot 5:4

כָּל הַיַּמִּים כְּמִקְוֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית א), וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל כְּמִקְוֶה. לֹא נֶאֱמַר יַמִּים, אֶלָּא שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ מִינֵי יַמִּים הַרְבֵּה. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַיַּמִּים מְטַהֲרִים בְּזוֹחֲלִין, וּפְסוּלִין לַזָּבִין וְלַמְצֹרָעִים, וּלְקַדֵּשׁ מֵהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת:

All the seas are like a <i>mikveh</i>, as the verse says (Genesis 1:10) "And the gathering [literally: <i>mikveh</i>] of water, he called seas," according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: the great sea [i.e. the Mediterranean, alone] is like a <i>mikveh</i>; the verse only says "seas" [in the plural] because it contains many types of seas. Rabbi Yose says: all the seas purify [even] when they are flowing, and they are invalid for <i>zavim</i>, and for lepers, and to sanctify <i>chatat</i> waters from them.

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