Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 43

Siman 43

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אָסוּר לִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ לְהַשְׁתִּין בִּתְפִלִּין שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁוֹ, גְּזֵרָה שֶׁמָּא יַעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶם צְרָכָיו, וְאִם אוֹחֲזָן בְּיָדוֹ, מֻתָּר לְהַשְׁתִּין בָּהֶם בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ: הַגָּה: וְהַיְנוּ דַּוְקָא כְּשֶׁמַּשְׁתִּין מְיֻשָּׁב דְּלֵיכָּא לְמֵיחַשׁ לְנִצּוֹצוֹת, אֲבָל מַשְׁתִּין מְעֻמָּד פְּשִׁיטָא דְּאָסוּר, דְּלֹא עָדִיף מִבֵּית הַכִּסֵּא עֲרַאי, וְה"ה אִם מַשְׁתִּין מְיֻשָּׁב אוֹ בְּעָפָר תָּחוּחַ דְּלֵיכָּא נִצּוֹצוֹת, בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא עֲרַאי נָמֵי שָׁרֵי, וְאֵין חִלּוּק בֵּין קֶבַע לְעֲרַאי לְעִנְיָן זֶה, אֶלָּא דְּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא קָבוּעַ מִסְּתָמָא עוֹשֶׂה צְרָכָיו מְיֻשָּׁב, וּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת עֲרַאי מִסְּתָמָא עוֹשֶׂה מְעֻמָּד, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ נִפְנֶה לִגְדוֹלִים (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם נ"י וּמִגְדּוֹל עֹז): וּבְבֵית הַכִּסֵא עֲרַאי מֻתָּר לְהַשְׁתִּין בָּהֶם כְּשֶׁהֵם בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, אֲבָל אִם אוֹחֲזָן בְּיָדוֹ אָסוּר לְהַשְׁתִּין בָּהֶם מְעֻמָּד, אֲפִלּוּ אִם תּוֹפֵס אוֹתָם בְּבִגְדּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְשַׁפְשֵׁף בְּיָדוֹ נִיצוֹצוֹת שֶׁבְּרַגְלָיו, אֶלָּא חוֹלְצָן בְּרִחוּק ד' אַמּוֹת וְנוֹתְנָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ. וּמִדִּבְרֵי הַרַמְבַּ"ם נִרְאֶה שֶׁאָסוּר לְהַשְׁתִּין כְּשֶׁהֵם בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, בֵּין בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ בֵּין בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא עֲרַאי, וְיֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ לִדְבָרָיו.

1 Laws regarding how to conduct oneself with תפילין upon entering the bathroom. And there are 9 Se'ifim: It is forbidden to enter a permanent bathroom to urinate with his head תפילין on out of concern that he may come to defecate. [But] if holds them in his hand, it is permitted to urinate with them in a permanent bathroom. Rema: And this is specifically if he is urinating while sitting, for then there is no concern for [urine] droplets [splashing on him]. But urinating while standing is obviously forbidden, for it is no better than a temporary bathroom. And the same law applies if he urinates while sitting or into soft dirt which [ produces] no [splashing] droplets... [and this is referring to when done] in a temporary bathroom which is also permitted. And there is no difference between a permanent and temporary [bathroom] regarding [all] this except that in a permanent bathroom one generally urinates while sitting, and in a temporary bathroom one urinates while standing since he doesn't intend to defecate (Beit Yosef in the name of Nimukei Yosef and Migdol Oz). And in a temporary bathroom it is permitted to urinate with them (ie. his head תפילין) on his head, but if he's holding them in his hand it is forbidden to urinate while standing... even if he's holding them [while wrapped] in his clothing since he'll need to use his hands to wipe the droplets that are on his legs. Rather, he should remove them (ie. his head תפילין) [while at] a distance of 4 cubits [from the bathroom] and give them to his friend [to hold for him]. And from the words of the Ramba"m it seems that it's forbidden to urinate when they are on his head... whether it's a permanent bathroom or a temporary bathroom... and one should be concerned for his words.

ב בֵּית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ הַיְנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ צוֹאָה, וְהוּא עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה בְּלֹא חֲפִירָה.

2 A permanent bathroom is one where there is excrement [there] and it is on the ground/field without being in a ditch.

ג בֵּית הַכִּסֵא עֲרַאי, הַיְנוּ כְּגוֹן לְהַשְׁתִּין מַיִם שֶׁאֵין אָדָם הוֹלֵךְ בִּשְׁבִילָם לְבֵית הַכִּסֵא, וְהַפַּעַם הַזֹּאת נַעֲשָׂה הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה בֵּית הַכִּסֵא תְּחִלָּה.

3 A temporary bathroom is one where [one goes], for example, to urinate [which is something that] a person does not need a bathroom [with a seat] for. And [his urinating] this time is making this place into a bathroom for the first time.

ד אִם הֵם בְּחֵיקוֹ וְחָגוּר חֲגוֹרָה אוֹ בְּבִגְדּוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, מֻתָּר, בֵּין לְהַשְׁתִּין בֵּין לִפָּנוֹת.

4 If they (ie. his תפילין) are in [his clothing by] his chest and his belt is tied, or [they are wrapped] in a cloth in his hand... it is permitted, whether he is urinating or defecating.

ה אִם רוֹצֶה לִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ לַעֲשׂוֹת צְרָכָיו, חוֹלְצָן בְּרִחוּק ד' אַמּוֹת: הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אֲפִלּוּ בְּלֹא צְרָכָיו (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם רַב הַאי) וְטוֹב לְהַחְמִיר. וְגוֹלְלָן בָּרְצוּעוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן, וְאוֹחֲזָן בִּימִינוֹ וּבְבִגְדּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד לִבּוֹ, וְיִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא רְצוּעָה יוֹצֵאת מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ טֶפַח, וּכְשֶׁיּוֹצֵא מַרְחִיק ד' אַמּוֹת וּמְנִיחָן.

5 If he wants to enter a permanent bathroom to defecate, he must remove his תפילין from a distance of 4 cubits: Rema: And there are those who say that this is even [when he enters] without [needing to] defecate (Beit Yosef in the name if Rav Hai), and it's better to be stringent. He should wrap [his תפילין] in their straps and hold them in his right hand [while they are wrapped] in his garment and opposite his heart. And he should be careful that no strap should not stick out from his hand, a tefach [length or more]. And when he exits [from the bathroom], [he must] go a distance of 4 cubits and then don them.

ו הָיָה לָבוּשׁ בִּתְפִלִּין וְהֻצְרַךְ לְבֵית הַכִּסֵא בַּלַּיְלָה אוֹ סָמוּךְ לַחֲשֵׁכָה, שֶׁאֵין שְׁהוּת לַהֲנִיחָם עוֹד אַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא, לֹא יִכָּנֵס בָּהֶם גְּלוּלִין בְּבִגְדּוֹ, וַאֲפִלּוּ לְהַשְׁתִּין מַיִם בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא קָבוּעַ, אֶלָּא כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה, חוֹלְצָן וּמְנִיחָן בִּכְלִי אִם הָיָה בּוֹ טֶפַח, אוֹ בִּכְלִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כֶּלְיָן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ טֶפַח, וְאוֹחֵז הַכְּלִי בְּיָדוֹ, וְנִכְנָס.

6 If one was wearing תפילין and he needed to use the bathroom [and it was] at night or close [enough] to night where there would not be enough time to don them again after he exits [from the bathroom], he should not enter with them wrapped in his garment, even to urinate in a permanent bathroom. Rather, what should he do? He should remove them and place them in their container as long as it has a tefach [of space inside it], or in a container that's not its [designated] container even if it doesn't have a tefach [of space inside it], and then hold the container in his hand and enter [the bathroom].

ז בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא שֶׁבַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲבָל בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵא שֶׁבַּבַּיִת לֹא יַכְנִיסֵם כְּלָל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּכוֹל לַהֲנִיחָם בְּמָקוֹם הַמִּשְׁתַּמֵּר.

7 When does this apply? In a bathroom that's in the field. But in a bathroom that's in one's home, he should not bring them in at all since he is able to leave them in a safe place.

ח אִם שָׁכַח תְּפִלִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְעָשָׂה בָּהֶם צְרָכָיו, מֵנִיחַ יָדוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן עַד שֶׁיִּגְמֹר עַמּוּד הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְיוֹצֵא וְחוֹלְצָן, וְחוֹזֵר וְנִכְנָס.

8 If one forgot [that he was wearing] תפילין on his head and he defecated, he should place his hand over them until he finishes his first discharge and then exit and remove them, and then return and re-enter [the bathroom].

ט מֻתָּר לְרוֹפֵא לִקַּח עָבִיט שֶׁל מֵי רַגְלַיִם בְּיָדוֹ וּתְפִלִּין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, וּבַעַל נֶפֶשׁ יַחְמִיר לְעַצְמוֹ:

9 It is permissible for a doctor to take a bedpan of urine in his hand while his head תפילין are on. But one who is careful will be stringent on himself [to not do so].

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