Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 92 - One Who Must Relieve Himself, Law applying to Washing, & other Preparations [for Prayer]

SECTION 92 One Who Must Relieve Himself, the Law applying to Washing, and other Preparations [for Prayer]. (1-10)

1 What is meant by [preparing] one’s body?1 If one must relieve himself, he should not pray2 until he does so, for it is written,3 “Prepare to greet your G‑d, O Israel.” If he prayed regardless, his prayer is an abomination and he must recite Shemoneh Esreh again.4

When does the above apply? With regard to [deferring] defecation. With regard to [deferring] urination, by contrast, there is no need to pray a second time. Even with regard to [deferring] defecation, one is not required to pray a second time unless he cannot contain himself for the length of time it takes to walk a parsah.5 If he can contain himself for the length of time it takes to walk a parsah, he has fulfilled his obligation [for prayer] after the fact.6 As an initial preference,7 however, one should not pray with a loathsome body8 even if the time for prayer9 will pass before he relieves himself. It is even forbidden [to speak] words of Torah as long as one’s body is loathsome. There is an authority who permits one [to pray], even as an initial preference, if he can contain himself for the length of time it takes to walk a parsah. One may rely on that view in a situation where the time for prayer will pass before he relieves himself.

2 All of the above applies when one feels the need [to relieve himself] before beginning to recite Shemoneh Esreh. [Different rules apply] if the urge to urinate or defecate is [first] aroused in the midst of Shemoneh Esreh. If he can contain himself until he completes Shemoneh Esreh, he should contain himself and not make an interruption in Shemoneh Esreh, even for urination. If he cannot contain himself, he should interrupt in order to defecate, but not to urinate. Even if urine begins to trickle over his legs, he should wait until it ceases and then resume his prayer. He is not required to distance himself [from the urine], as stated in sec. 78[:1, 3].10

By contrast, when he is in the midst of reciting the Shema and its blessings, if he so desires he may move [from the place where he is praying] and urinate or, if he so desires, he may continue reciting [his prayers] in his ordinary manner, containing himself until he completes Shemoneh Esreh. With regard to defecation, he must contain himself if he can and should not interrupt even during the recitation of the Shema and its blessings (and even in the midst of the verses of Pesukei deZimrah from Baruch SheAmar onward).

The above applies provided he does not feel the urge to relieve himself to the extent that by containing himself he violates [the charge],11 “Do not make yourselves loathsome,” even though he cannot contain himself for the length of time it takes to walk a parsah.12 If, however, his situation is such that he violates [that prohibition], he should interrupt the recitation of the Shema and its blessings — whether to urinate or to defecate — but not the recitation of Shemoneh Esreh. For [the Sages] permitted an interruption in the midst of Shemoneh Esreh only because of mortal danger, as will be explained in sec. 104[:1-2]. One can infer [that such leniency is not warranted] by the prohibition, “Do not make yourselves loathsome,” which is only of Rabbinic origin.13 For [it was the Sages who established a decree], and it was they [who prescribed its limits].14

([The laws that apply when] because of the pressure one breaks wind or feels the need to break wind are stated in sec. 103[:1-2].)

3 Nevertheless, one should preferably check himself thoroughly before praying so that later he will not feel a need to relieve himself and be disturbed during prayer. Similarly, [before praying,] he should clear himself of phlegm, mucus, and any other matter that may disturb him.

He should later wash his hands with water15 even though he washed them16 [earlier] in the morning, because he touched filth17 after the morning’s washing.16 Nevertheless, he should not recite a blessing over this washing if he already recited a blessing over the morning washing,16 for the reason explained in sec. 7[1].18

4 If a person does not have water [available], he must seek it out, [traveling as far as] a parsah5 if he is on a journey, and water is available a parsah ahead of him and he is able to reach it before the time for prayer passes.

[The above applies] when one travels alone. If he is traveling in a caravan, by contrast, he is not required to leave the caravan and proceed alone to the place where water is located. If, in order to reach water, he has to retrace his steps as far as a mil,19 he should. [If he would have to go back] more than a mil, he is not required to do so. If he is concerned that the time for prayer will pass before he reaches the place where water is available, he should not seek it out at all. Instead, he should only clean his hands on a stone, or with dust, or on a beam, or with any substance that cleans.19

5 All of the above applies when his hands are soiled or when he touched an unclean part [of the body]. If, however, he does not know for a fact that [his hands] are at all soiled even though he has diverted his attention from them since the morning washing, he need not wash or clean them again, for his hands are presumably20 fit for prayer, as they are fit for the recitation of other blessings.21 Other authorities maintain that diverting one’s attention disqualifies [his hands] for prayer just as it does for partaking [of bread],22 because the hands are active and they may have touched an unclean part [of the body]. Primacy should be given to this view.

Nevertheless, if one does not have water accessible, there is no necessity to seek it out if he does not know for a fact that his hands have become soiled. In such a case one may rely on the first opinion above and merely clean his hands with any object that cleanses. For [such] cleansing is sufficient even for hands [disqualified by] diverting one’s attention, since [the hands] were disqualified by the diversion of one’s attention lest some sweat or filth become attached to them, and when they are cleaned [in any manner], that is wiped away.

Even if one’s hands are soiled, one is required to search for water only when one can do so. If, however, one is in the midst of Shemoneh Esreh — when he may not move from his place23 — and he recalls that he touched an unclean place, it is sufficient to clean [his hands] with dust or pebbles or rub them against a wall. At the outset, however, [while in the midst of Shemoneh Esreh,] it is forbidden to touch an unclean place (even when one has water accessible, so as not to interrupt) Shemoneh Esreh, as will be explained in sec. 97[:3].

6 All of the above applies to prayer. For Torah study, by contrast, cleaning [one’s hands] with any substance is sufficient, even if one has water readily available.

7 “An unclean place” means any part of the body that is [usually] covered, where there is dried perspiration. Similarly, [washing is required] if one scratched his head, as will be explained in sec. 164[:2]. Similarly, waste from the ears and nose is considered as filth. It is forbidden to touch it in the midst of prayer except through the medium of a garment.

8 After urinating, one should not pray until he waits the time it takes to walk four cubits,24 because of the drops [of urine remaining] in his organ.

One who is praying should not urinate until he waits the time it takes to walk four cubits, for within that time, his mouth is still occupied with his prayer and his lips are murmuring. After he has waited the time it takes to walk four cubits, he may urinate in the place where he prayed. However, it is pious conduct not to urinate within four cubits of [the place in which] one prayed.

9 After spitting, one should not pray until he waits the time it takes to walk four cubits.25 A person who is praying should not elect to spit for relaxation until he waits the time it takes to walk four cubits. If, however, saliva happens [to collect in his mouth], he may [spit] even in the midst of Shemoneh Esreh, as stated in sec. 97[:2].

10 It is desirable to make a donation to charity before prayer,26 as [implied by] the verse,27“I will behold Your face28 with righteousness.”