Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 3 - Conduct in Lavatory

SECTION 3 Conduct in the Lavatory. (1–25)

1 [The Talmud teaches1 that] whenever a person is about to enter a lavatory, he should tell the angels that are accompanying him: “Honored ones..., [kindly take your leave of me...].” In our times this is not customarily said, for we do not consider ourselves to be so G‑d-fearing as to be accompanied by angels.2

2 One should conduct himself modestly in the lavatory, uncovering himself only when seated.3

Two men should not go there together, for this is not modest conduct. If one is afraid to stay there alone another person may place his hand on his head through a window, but without conversing with him.4 One should close the door behind him as an expression of modesty.

3 If one desires to massage the anal orifice with a pebble or a straw to relax the bowels, he should do so before he sits down but not after, lest he become susceptible to witchcraft.

4 If a person needs to eliminate but cannot, he should walk four cubits and sit, stand and sit, stand and sit until he eases himself,5 or he should divert his attention from other matters.

5 One should not eliminate while standing.

6 As an expression of modesty,6 a man should uncover himself not more than a handbreadth from behind, and in front — two handbreadths, because by the exertion of easing himself, he may urinate over some distance. A woman should uncover herself no more than a handbreadth from behind and not at all in front.

7 When one sits [to eliminate], he should face the south with his back to the north, or vice versa. He should face neither east nor west,7 for since the Divine Presence abides in the west,8 he should not ease himself towards the west,9 nor should he have his back to the east, for it faces the west.

However, urination is permissible even when facing west, even though the front of the body is uncovered.10

8 If there is a partition to the west, one may also ease oneself near it if his back is to the west. If the partition is to the east, one should have his back to the east.

9 Just as it is forbidden to ease oneself when facing east or west, so, too, it is forbidden11 to sleep with one’s wife with the bed on an east-west axis if one intends to engage in relations.12 Instead, one should see to it that the head and foot of the bed are on a north-south axis.13 It is proper to be particular in this regard, even when one is not together with his wife.14

10 When, however, it is not easy to position one’s bed between north and south, one is not forbidden to engage in relations while his bed stands between east or west. For he may rely on the Zohar15 which states that, on the contrary, the head and foot of one’s bed should be oriented on an east-west axis.

11 Within the area called Hatzofim16 (i.e., the area circumscribed by the hilly lookouts from which a person approaching Jerusalem can catch his first glimpse of the site of the Beis HaMikdash), one should not urinate while directly facing the Sanctuary.17 Instead, he should turn slightly to the side.18

12 When eliminating in a place in which there are no partitions separating him from others, such as in an open field, one should distance himself19 [from others] to the extent that his uncovered body cannot be seen. Even if someone can hear him breaking wind, he does not have to distance himself any further.

If there is a partition separating him from others, whether he is behind the walls of a house or behind a fence in an open field, he may ease himself next to the partition; though someone may hear him breaking wind, he does not have to distance himself at all.20

13 Once seated, one should not eliminate hurriedly and forcibly open the aperture,21 lest he rupture the anal sphincter. For the same reason, undue pressure should not be applied.

14 The right hand should not be used for cleaning;22 this would not be appropriate, because it is the right hand that ties tefillin on the left [arm]. A left-handed person should clean with the hand which is “left” for him, i.e., his right hand. Even a person who performs all of his tasks with his right hand, but writes with his left, should not clean himself with his left hand, with which he writes, for it is with that hand that he ties the tefillin on his right [arm], as will be explained in sec. 27:9.

15 One should preferably make a point of not using the middle finger [of his left hand],23 because he winds the straps of the tefillin around it, as will be explained in sec. 27:11.

16 One24 should not use a rough or jagged shard because of the danger that he might rupture the anal sphincter. Even the smooth rims of earthenware utensils which will not tear the skin should not be used, because there is a possibility [that they will be used for] witchcraft.

One should not clean himself with dry grass, because it is sharp and may cut his skin. Similarly, one should not use any substance [dry enough to be readily] flammable, because this may dislocate the sphincter.

Now that lavatories in these regions are no longer located in the fields, smooth shards are commonly used. The main reservation was that shards left in ownerless fields might be taken and used by practitioners of witchcraft. Since our lavatories are no longer located in such places, there is no room for this apprehension. Cleaning oneself with substances which are flammable and which are not harmful has likewise become common practice; indeed, “Go out and observe how people conduct themselves.”25

17 A person should not use a stone used by another,26 lest this cause hemorrhoids. If, however, it has dried or if he uses the other side, this is not dangerous, and in any case there is no risk if he himself had used that stone.

18 All27 the above-mentioned measures of modesty which must be followed during the day must also be followed at night, except for the requirement to distance oneself. At night, moreover, if no one else is present, one may ease oneself even in the public domain. If, however, there is another person there, even a non-Jew, it is forbidden to relieve oneself in his presence.

The above applies to elimination. Urinating, however, is permissible in time of need even by day and even in public, for there is a risk [of sterility] if one contains oneself.

19 Even though a woman does not uncover herself at all when she urinates, she should not do so directly in front of a man,28 even a child, because this is shameless conduct. If, however, she turns aside and does not urinate directly in front of him, that is not objectionable.

20 One29 should brush away with his hand any drops of urine that spatter onto his feet. Otherwise, when he goes outside he may give the impression that he cannot urinate with the usual force because his organ is maimed, and that accordingly he did not father his children.

When is it sufficient to brush away the drops of urine? When a person holds his organ while urinating, as will be explained. If, however, he does not do so, drops of urine may spatter freely on his feet, so that even if he brushes them off their traces will remain, and people will draw the same conclusions. Therefore, to avert concern over spattering, he should either urinate onto loose earth, or stand on a high place and urinate onto a lower place, or urinate while seated

21 A person should be very careful not to hold his organ while urinating because this may cause him to release semen wastefully, unless he holds it from the corona downward, towards the ground, in which case he will not become aroused at all. This is permissible even if the organ is already erect. Though the organ may not be held, he may raise it by lifting the testicles, because in this way he will not be aroused.

22 All of the above applies when one is not married, or when one is not together with his wife, or when she is in the state of niddah. If, however, one’s wife is ritually pure and is together with him in the same city, then since he “has a loaf in his basket,” his inclination will not goad him to the same extent. Hence he is permitted to hold [his organ] even above the corona, towards the body. Nevertheless, pious conduct dictates stringency even when one’s wife is together with him, for since the sin [of releasing semen wastefully] is so severe that it is likened to bringing the Flood upon the world,30 it is proper that one distance himself from it, and sanctify himself within the realm of that which is permitted.

However, one may hold his organ with a thick cloth, which will not arouse him, when urinating or in order to check if he had a seminal emission.

23 [Even] a married man was granted license to hold his organ only to urinate, for this is a necessity to avert [the consequences of] the spattering of drops on his feet. This license was not granted for the purpose of scratching oneself or checking if one had a seminal emission, even when the individual is married and his wife is together with him. Even from the corona downward, it is preferable to be stringent [and refrain].

24 Whoever delays responding to the need for eliminating violates the prohibition,31 “Do not make yourselves loathsome.” If he must urinate and delays, he also violates32 an additional prohibition: “There shall not be any barren males among you.”33

25 One should make a point of cleaning himself thoroughly,34 because even the slightest trace of feces in situ [rules out the recitation of prayers or words of Torah], as will be explained in sec. 76:6. If possible, it is desirable to wash oneself with water.