Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 613 - Prohibition against Washing Oneself on Yom Kippur

SECTION 613 The Prohibition against Washing Oneself on Yom Kippur. (1–21)

1 What does [the prohibition against] washing oneself involve? Any washing for pleasure is forbidden on Yom Kippur, in fulfillment [of the verse],1 “[Any person] who will not afflict himself [on that very day]….” Accordingly, it is forbidden to wash part of one’s body just as [it is forbidden to wash] the entire body,2 whether with hot water or cold. It is even forbidden to dip one’s finger in water.

However, if one’s hands, feet, or another part of his body were soiled with mud or excrement, or if his nose bled, he may wash [that part], for he does not intend to derive pleasure [from this washing]. He must, however, be careful to wash only the part [of his body] that is soiled.

2 Similarly, when rising from sleep in the morning, one should wash his hands three times [alternately] as stated in sec. 4[:4], for the reason stated in sec. 554,3 and recite the blessing al netilas yadayim. He should be careful not to wash beyond his fingers.4 He should not intend to derive pleasure from the washing, but only to remove the spirit of impurity from his hands.

After drying the hands with a towel, one should wipe his eyes with it in order to remove “the bonds of sleep.”5

3 If one’s eyes are soiled and he is accustomed to washing them throughout the year, he may wash them in his ordinary manner without concern. Similarly, one who is delicate and will not feel at ease unless he cleans his face with water may [do so] on Yom Kippur. Nevertheless, the custom is to be stringent. Thus even a delicate person should not clean his face or his eyes with water unless [they] are soiled. Indeed, in such an instance, any person may wash [his face and eyes] in the manner that he does throughout the year.

4 If after urinating one used his hands to brush off drops of urine from his feet, or to cleanse himself after defecating, he may remove the dirt from his hands by washing them [only] for the length of his fingers. This will also enable him to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar with clean hands.

If he did not use his hands to brush away [the drops of urine] or to cleanse himself, he should not wash his hands at all, for it is permitted to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar without washing one’s hands, since one’s hands have not been soiled.

One who desires to wash his hands before reciting the blessing Asher Yatzar should brush away [the drops of urine] or cleanse himself [with his hands] so that he will be required to wash his hands. It is proper to conduct oneself in this manner so that one will be able to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar with clean and pure hands.6

5 When do the above [restrictions against washing] apply? On the night of Yom Kippur after prayer. [At night,] before prayer, or during the day — since we pray throughout the day — one may wash his hands until the ends of his fingers after urinating even if he did not brush away [the drops of urine] with his hands, or after defecating even if he did not clean himself with his hands. [The rationale is that] it is a mitzvah to pray with hands that have been purified through washing, as it is written,7 “Prepare yourself before your G‑d, O Israel.”

6 Similarly, a kohen who ascends the dais [before the Ark] should wash his hands [before the Priestly Blessing] even though he already washed his hands in the morning.8 A Levite as well — in places where Levites wash their own hands [alternately] before pouring water over the hands of the kohanim9 — may wash his hands [at this time] on Yom Kippur, since his intent is not to derive pleasure.

For this reason, one who has just arrived from a long trek and whose feet are weary may wash them, for his intent is solely for healing.10 Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.

7 It is forbidden to rinse one’s mouth on Yom Kippur, as explained in sec. 567. Note [the ruling] there.11

8 One who goes out to the House of Study, or to welcome his father or teacher or someone whose scholarship surpasses his own, or to attend to the needs of another mitzvah, may wade through water up to his neck.12 [This applies] both when going and when returning.13 He need not be concerned about the prohibition against bathing on Yom Kippur, because he is going out in order to perform a mitzvah. Moreover, he is not [entering the water] for the sake of pleasure.

However, he must deviate from the manner in which people commonly cross the water on a weekday; [for example,] he should not raise his hands under the hem of his cloak in order to lift it a little, as is done by anyone who wades through water on a weekday. Through this deviation he will recall that this is not a weekday and hence will not wring out his clothes inadvertently.

Soaking clothes in water is considered laundering even if they are not wrung out, as stated in sec. 302[:20-21]. Wading through water on Yom Kippur was nevertheless permitted, because soaking clothes is considered equivalent to laundering only if they were soiled before being soaked, as stated in sec. 302. Note the explanation there.

9 When does the above apply? To an irrigation channel whose water does not flow fast.¹² A river whose swift current sweeps [things] away, even if it is not much more than waist high, may not be crossed even on a weekday, because of the danger that the water carry one away.

10 There is no license to wade through water for the sake of performing a mitzvah except when one passes through the water itself. By contrast, it is forbidden to pass [over water] on a small boat, even for the sake of a mitzvah. For the sake of a mitzvah, license was granted only [to supersede] the prohibition against bathing, because one does not [wade through the water] with the intent of [deriving] pleasure. Crossing [water] by boat, by contrast, involves [the performance of an activity] forbidden by the Sages as an absolute shvus,14 as explained in sec. 248[:9]15 and sec. 339[:10]. Hence, the Sages upheld their decree even though it causes one to remain passive16 and thus nullify [the observance of] a mitzvah.¹²

11 A Torah teacher is forbidden to wade through water to welcome his student. It is even forbidden for him [to wade through water] to welcome a colleague, unless that colleague is a greater scholar than himself. However, he is permitted to cross through water and return if he seeks to ask a point of law of his colleague, or of one of his own students who also studied under other sages. Needless to say, [this also applies] if he is going to study with his students in circumstances under which [they] cannot come to him.

12 One who is going to guard his produce may wade through water.¹² Though there is no mitzvah involved in his going, he was given license to pass through because of the financial loss [he might suffer].17 However, he may not wade through water to return, for no financial loss will be incurred if he does not return to his [original] place until after Yom Kippur.

13 Even in a situation in which one was given license to wade through water, he should not do so unless he has no other way to reach his desired destination. If there is another way [to reach it] without passing through water, [he should follow it] even if it is longer. Better that he make a long detour around the water than wade through it, for there is room for concern [that the prohibition against] washing [will be violated]. Moreover, it is likely that he will inadvertently wring out [his clothes].

14 It is permitted to cool off with clay, even though it is still somewhat moist.18 This does not violate the prohibition against washing. [Different laws apply,] however, if [the clay] is moist enough to enable a hand that has touched it to moisten his other hand. This [degree of moisture] is what is meant by the expression tofeiach al-menas lehatpiach.19 Cooling off in [clay so moist] is forbidden, because it falls in the category of washing in water.

15 It is permitted to cool off by contact with any kind of fruit, or with an infant,20 or with any kind of empty vessel, whether of silver, gold, or earthenware. All that was forbidden was washing in water. It is forbidden to cool off with vessels that contain water, even if they are not full, lest they be shaken and the water they contain spill over one’s body. Thus one would be washing on Yom Kippur.

16 According to the letter of the law,21 it is permitted to soak a cloth in water on the day preceding Yom Kippur, remove it from the water before Yom Kippur, and leave it to dry gradually so that it will no longer be as moist as tofeiach al-menas lehatpiach.22 It may then be used for cooling off by wiping one’s face, hands, and feet. Even if this is not done in order to remove dirt, but for pleasure, it is permitted according to the letter of the law, since [the cloth] is dry, without water, as explained in sec. 554 with regard to Tishah BeAv.23

Nevertheless, on Yom Kippur, one should be stringent [and refrain from doing so], because if one was wiping himself with a cloth from which water has not dried out, he would be [violating] the Scriptural prohibition against wringing [out water].24 For this reason one should be stringent and [refrain from using] even a cloth that is dry from the water that was upon it the previous day. This [safeguard] was ordained lest the cloth not be thoroughly dry, and the person wipe himself with it and thus [inadvertently violate the prohibition against] wringing out water.

17 A person who is sick, even though he is not in danger,25 may wash as usual on Yom Kippur.

18 After marriage, a bride may wash her face on Yom Kippur,26 since she must look attractive and thus endear herself to her husband.27 She is called a bride for the 30 days following her wedding.

19 [The following directives apply if] one had a seminal emission on Yom Kippur28 in the present age, i.e., [in the era] since Ezra’s ordinance — that one who had a seminal emission must immerse [in the mikveh] — was nullified.29 It is forbidden for him to immerse [in a mikveh] or to pour nine kabin [of water] over his [head and body].30 Even one who follows this practice throughout the year may not do so on Yom Kippur, because “a custom does not [have the power] to release the forbidden, only to restrict what is permitted.”31

If the semen is still moist, it is sufficient to wipe it off with a cloth.32 If it has dried or his skin is soiled, he should wash the soiled areas alone, and then pray.

20 A woman may not immerse [in a mikveh] on the night of Yom Kippur,33 even if that night is the appropriate time for her immersion; since marital relations are forbidden on this night, there is no mitzvah at all in her immersion. For, as stated in Yoreh Deah, sec. 197, there is no mitzvah for a woman to immerse at the appropriate time34 unless her husband is with her, and [failing to immerse] would restrict [the mitzvah of] procreation.

21 In contrast, a woman who on Yom Kippur begins wearing white undergarments [in preparation for her immersion]35 may wash slightly between the thighs, whether with hot water36 or with cold water [to prepare for making a hefsek taharah]. Since this washing enables her to immerse and engage in relations without delay, it is considered washing for the sake of a mitzvah.37 As explained above,38 any washing for the sake of a mitzvah is permitted on Yom Kippur; only [washing] with the intent of deriving pleasure is forbidden.