Siman 613
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 לִרְחֹץ בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, בֵּין בְּחַמִּין בֵּין בְּצוֹנֵן; וַאֲפִלּוּ לְהוֹשִׁיט אֶצְבָּעוֹ בַּמַּיִם, אָסוּר. וְאִם הָיוּ יָדָיו אוֹ רַגְלָיו אוֹ שְׁאָר גּוּפוֹ מְלֻכְלָכִים בְּטִיט אוֹ בְּצוֹאָה, אוֹ שֶׁנָּטַף דָּם מֵחוֹטְמוֹ, מֻתָּר לְרָחֲצָם; שֶׁלֹּא אָסְרוּ אֶלָּא רְחִיצָה שֶׁל תַּעֲנוּג.
1 “The prohibition of washing on Yom Kippur” - Containing twelve paragraphs. It is forbidden to wash on Yom Kippur whether with hot water or with cold water, and even sticking one’s finger in water is forbidden. But if one’s hands or feet or the rest of his body is dirty with mud or with excrement or if one has blood flowing from his nose, he is permitted to wash them (those parts which are dirty), because the only type of washing that is forbidden is washing for pleasure.
ב נוֹטֵל אָדָם יָדָיו שַׁחֲרִית וּמְבָרֵךְ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם, וְיִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִטֹּל אֶלָּא עַד סוֹף קִשְׁרֵי אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו וְלֹא יְכַוֵּן לַהֲנָאַת רְחִיצָה רַק לְהַעֲבִיר הָרוּחַ רָעָה מֵעַל הַיָּדַיִם (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי).
2 A man washes his hands in the morning and makes the blessing over the washing of hands. He should be careful not to wash his hands beyond the joints of his fingers. Rema: He must not intend enjoyment of the washing, only to get rid of the evil spirits on his hands, (הגהות מיימוני).
ג אִם הִטִּיל מַיִם וְשִׁפְשֵׁף בְּיָדוֹ, אוֹ עָשָׂה צְרָכָיו וְקִנֵּחַ, מֻתָּר לִרְחֹץ דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ יָדָיו מְלֻכְלָכוֹת וְרוֹחֵץ עַד סוֹף קִשְׁרֵי אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו; וְאִם רוֹצֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא קִנֵּחַ נָמֵי מֻתָּר לִטֹּל עַד סוֹף קִשְׁרֵי אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו. הַגָּה: וְכֵן כֹּהֵן הָעוֹלֶה לַדּוּכָן נוֹטֵל יָדָיו, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן טְהוֹרוֹת, דְּכָל רֹב רְחִיצָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְכַוֵּן בָּהּ לְתַעֲנוּג, מֻתֶּרֶת (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פ"ג מֵהִלְכוֹת יוֹם כִּפּוּר וּמַהֲרִי"ל); וְלָכֵן אֲפִלּוּ בָּא מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְרַגְלָיו כֵּהוֹת, מֻתָּר לְרָחֲצָן (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי וּסְמַ"ג וְטוּר הִלְכוֹת תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב).
3 If one urinates and handles it (his penis) with his hands or he goes to the bathroom and he wipes himself, he is permitted to wash since his hands are dirty. ( Rema: and he washes up to the ends of the joints of his fingers.) And if he wants to pray, even if he did not wipe himself, he is also permitted to wash (his fingers in water) up to the ends of the joints of his fingers. Rema: And so it is with a priest who goes up to recite the priestly benediction, he washes his hands even though they are clean because the majority of (the instances of) washing which are not intended for pleasure are permitted, (הגהות מיימוני פ״ב מהל׳ י״כ ומהרי״ל). Therefore even if one comes from the street and his feet are dirty, it is permissible to wash them, (ב״י בשם הגהות מיימוני וסמ״ג וטור הלכות ט״ב).
ד מִי שֶׁהוּא אִסְטְנִיס וְאֵין דַּעְתּוֹ מְיֻשֶּׁבֶת עָלָיו עַד שֶׁיְּקַנֵּחַ פָּנָיו בְּמַיִם, מֻתָּר. הַגָּה: וְנָהֲגוּ בָּזֶה לְהַחְמִיר; וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּרְחִיצַת הָעֵינַיִם, שֶׁהִיא קְצָת רְפוּאָה, נָהֲגוּ לְהַחְמִיר (מַהֲרִי"ל). וְאָסוּר לִרְחֹץ פִּיו בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל סִימָן תקס"ז (סָעִיף ג').
4 One who is ailing and does not feel well until he rinses his face with water is permitted (to do so). Rema: It is customary for us to be strict in this (matter) for even the washing of the eyes which is a little bit medicinal, it is customary to be strict with this, (מהרי״ל), and it was forbidden to wash one’s mouth on Yom Kippur as was explained above in section 567, paragraph three.
ה הַהוֹלֵךְ לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, אוֹ לְהַקְבִּיל פְּנֵי אָבִיו אוֹ רַבּוֹ אוֹ מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּחָכְמָה, אוֹ לְצָרְכֵי מִצְוָה, יָכוֹל לַעֲבֹר בְּמַיִם עַד צַוָּארוֹ, בֵּין בַּהֲלִיכָה בֵּין בַּחֲזָרָה; וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יוֹצִיא יָדָיו מִתַּחַת שְׂפַת חֲלוּקוֹ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ שׁוּלֵי חֲלוּקוֹ עַל זְרוֹעוֹ; וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ הַמַּיִם רוֹדְפִים, דְּאִם כֵּן אַף בַּחֹל אָסוּר מִפְּנֵי הַסַכָּנָה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינָם מַגִּיעִים אֶלָּא עַד מָתְנַיִם.
5 One who goes to the house of study or to visit one’s father or his rabbi or one who is greater than him in wisdom, or for the need of performing a mitzvah (a good deed), is able to pass through water up to his neck going and coming provided that he does not take his hand from under the edge of his shirt to lift up the edges of his shirt over his arms and provided that the water does not flow rapidly, for if so, even on a weekday this would be prohibited because of the danger, even if the water only reaches his hips.
ו הָא דְּשָׁרֵי לַעֲבֹר (בְּגוּפוֹ) בְּמַיִם לִדְבַר מִצְוָה, דַּוְקָא לַעֲבֹר בְּגוּפוֹ בַּמַּיִם עַצְמָן; אֲבָל לַעֲבֹר בִּסְפִינָה קְטַנָּה, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹסֵר.
6 The fact that it is permissible to pass bodily through the water to perform a mitzvah, this is only to pass bodily through the water itself, but to pass through water in a small boat, this is, according to some, prohibited.
ז הָרַב אָסוּר לַעֲבֹר בְּמַיִם כְּדֵי לֵילֵךְ אֵצֶל תַּלְמִידוֹ.
7 A rabbi is forbidden to pass through water in order to go to his student.
ח הַהוֹלֵךְ לִשְׁמֹר פֵּירוֹתָיו מֻתָּר לַעֲבֹר בְּמַיִם בַּהֲלִיכָה, אֲבָל לֹא בַּחֲזָרָה. הַגָּה: וְכָל מָקוֹם דְּמֻתָּר לַעֲבֹר בְּמַיִם, אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַקִּיף בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, מֻתָּר לַעֲבֹר, דִּלְמַעֵט בְּהִלּוּךְ עָדִיף טְפֵי (אוֹר זָרוּעַ).
8 One who is going to guard his fruit is permitted to pass through water in his going, but not his return. Rema: In each instance where it is permitted to pass through water, even if there was a way for him to be able to circle around by way of dry ground, he is permitted to pass (through water), since to shorten his walk is more preferable.
ט אָסוּר לְהִצְטַּנֵּן בְּטִיט לַח, אִם הוּא טוֹפֵחַ עַל מְנַת לְהַטְפִּיחַ; וְאָסוּר לְהִצְטַנֵּן בְּכֵלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מַיִם, אֲפִלּוּ הֵם חֲסֵרִים, בֵּין שֶׁל חֶרֶס בֵּין שֶׁל מַתָּכוֹת; אֲבָל אִם הֵם רֵקִים, מֻתָּר; וְכֵן בְּפֵרוֹת וּבְתִינוֹק. הַגָּה: וְאָסוּר לִשְׁרוֹת מַפָּה מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם וְלַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ כְּמִין כֵּלִים נְגוּבִים וּלְהִצְטַנֵּן בָּהּ בְּיוֹם כִּפּוּר, דְּחַיְישִׁינָן שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִּנְגֹּב יָפֶה וְיָבֹא לִידֵי סְחִיטָה (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פ"ג וּמָרְדְּכַי וּסְמַ"ק וּמִנְהָגִים). הַחוֹלֶה רוֹחֵץ כְּדַרְכּוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְסֻכָּן (רַמְבַּ"ם).
9 It is forbidden for one to cool oneself in moist mud if he moistens it so as to dabble, and it is forbidden to cool oneself in vessels that contain water even if they are pottery, clay, or metal, but if they are empty, it is permissible and the same holds true for fruits and babies (to cool them). Rema: It is prohibited to soak a tablecloth when it is still day (before Yom Kippur) and to use it like a sort of moist vessel in order to cool off with it on Yom Kippur because we are afraid that it might not dry well enough and one might squeeze it (and squeezing is prohibited on Yom Kippur), (הגהות מיימוני פ״ב ומרדכי וסמ״ק ומנהגים). One who is sick washes as he usually does even though he is not dangerously ill, (רמב״ם).
י כַּלָּה, כָּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם מֻתֶּרֶת לִרְחֹץ פָּנֶיהָ.
10 A bride is permitted to wash her face all the (first) thirty days (of her marriage).
יא מִי שֶׁרָאָה קֶרִי, בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אִם לַח הוּא, מְקַנְּחוֹ בְּמַפָּה וְדַיּוֹ; וְאִם יָבֵשׁ הוּא, אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְלַכְלֵךְ, רוֹחֵץ מְקוֹמוֹת הַמְלֻכְלָכִים בּוֹ לְבַד, וּמִתְפַּלֵּל; וְאָסוּר לִרְחֹץ גּוּפוֹ אוֹ לִטְבֹּל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה הוּא רָגִיל לִטְבֹּל לַתְּפִלָּה.
11 One who sees (his) semen at this time (Caro’s time and later) on Yom Kippur, if it is moist he wipes it off with a piece of cloth, this is sufficient; if it is dry or it made him dirty, he washes only the dirty spots and prays. It is forbidden for him to wash his body or to immerse himself (inaritual bath), even though on all other days of the year he used to immerse (in a ritual bath) in order to pray.
יב בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה אָסוּר לְאִשָּׁה לִטְבֹּל בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אֲפִלּוּ הִגִּיעַ זְמַן טְבִילָתָהּ בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם.
12 At this time it is forbidden for a wife to immerse herself (in a ritual bath) on Yom Kippur even if the time for her immersion arrived on that day.