Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 79

Siman 79

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 הָיְתָה צוֹאַת אָדָם מֵאַחֲרָיו, צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק ד' אַמּוֹת מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁכָּלָה הָרֵיחַ, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ חֹלִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵרִיחַ, צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק ד' אַמּוֹת מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁיִּכְלֶה הָרֵיחַ לְמִי שֶׁמֵּרִיחַ. וּמִלְּפָנָיו צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק מְלֹא עֵינָיו, אֲפִלּוּ בַּלַּיְלָה אוֹ שֶׁהוּא סוּמָא (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א סי' קס"ח בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הר"י) שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה אוֹתָהּ צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹתָהּ בַּיּוֹם, וְאִם הוּא מִצִּדּוֹ, דִּינוֹ כְּמִלְאַחֲרָיו: הַגָּה: שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל, וְצוֹאָה בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת אוֹ בַּבַּיִת שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל שָׁם, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא לְאַחֲרָיו, בְּכָל הַבַּיִת צָרִיךְ לִשְׁתֹּק עַד שֶׁיּוֹצִיאֶנָּה, מֵאַחַר שֶׁמּוֹצִיא רַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אֶחָד מִן הַקָּהָל בְּתוֹךְ ד' אַמּוֹת שֶׁל הַצּוֹאָה. (הַגָּהוֹת מָרְדְּכַי הַחֲדָשִׁים פ' (תְּפִלַּת הַשַּׁחַר) [מִי שֶׁמֵּתוֹ]) וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סוֹף סִימָן צ' וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סי' פ"ז בְּדִין צוֹאָה בְּבַיִת.
1 One Who Happened Across Excrement at Time of the Recitation [of the Sh'ma], Containing 9 S'ifim If there was human excrement behind him, he must distance himself 4 amot from the place where the smell ceases. Even if he has a sickness where he cannot smell, he must distance himself 4 amot from the place where the smell ceases for a person who is able to smell. And [if it is] in front of him, he must distance himself so it is out of site, even at night or if one is blind (Responsum of the Rashba, Siman 168, Beit Yosef in the name of the Ri) - where he cannot see it - he needs to distance himself until a place where he could not see it [if it was] in the daytime. And if it is to his side, the rule is like [when] it is behind him. Rema: A prayer-leader that is praying and there is excrement in the synagogue or house in which he is praying: even if it is behind him anywhere in the house, he needs to [stop the prayers and] be quiet until it is removed [from the house], since he is fulfilling the obligation of others and it is impossible that one of the congregants is not within 4 amot of the excrement. (New Hagahot of Mordechi, chapter "Tefilat haShachar") And see below at the end of Siman 90 (And see below Siman 87 in the laws of excrement in the house)
ב הָיְתָה בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים אוֹ נָמוּךְ עֲשָׂרָה, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּבַיִת אֶחָד וְהוּא בְּבַיִת אַחֵר, אֲפִלּוּ הַפֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ וְיוֹשֵׁב בְּצִדָּהּ וְרוֹאֶה אוֹתָהּ, אִם אֵין לָהּ רֵיחַ, יָכוֹל לִקְרוֹת, דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁהִיא בִּרְשׁוּת אַחֶרֶת קָרִינָן בֵּיהּ שַׁפִּיר וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶךָ קָדוֹשׁ לְהָרֹא"שׁ. אֲבָל לְהָרַשְׁבָּ" א דַּוְקָא כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה אוֹתָהּ, וְאִם יֵשׁ לָהּ רֵיחַ לָא מְהַנְיָא הַפְסָקָה וְלֹא שִׁנּוּי רְשׁוּת, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּכִי הֵיכִי דְּהַפְסָקָה מוֹעֶלֶת לְצוֹאָה עַצְמָהּ, הָכִי נַמֵּי מוֹעִילָה לְרֵיחַ רַע שֶׁלָּהּ.
2 If it (ie. the excrement) was in a place higher than 10 t'fachim [above him] or 10 below [him] or it was in one house and he is in another house [that's connected], even if the [connecting] door is open and he is sitting at the side [of the door] and sees it: if it does not have a smell, he may recite [the Sh'ma]. Because since it is in a different domain, we can still call it as [having fulfilled the mitzvah of] "...and your camp shall be holy" (Deuteronomy 23:15) according to the Rosh. But according to the Rashba, it's only when he doesn't see it. And if it has a smell, a separation is ineffective and [also] a change in domain is not [effective]. And there are those who say that just as a separation is effective in regards to excrement itself, so too it is effective for its bad smell.
ג חָצֵר קְטַנָּה שֶׁנִּפְרְצָה בִּמְלוֹאָהּ לִגְדוֹלָה, וְהַגְּדוֹלָה עוֹדֶפֶת עָלֶיהָ מִן הַצְּדָדִים, קְטַנָּה לָא חֲשִׁיבָה כְּבַיִת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּפְרְצָה בִּמְלוֹאָהּ לִגְדוֹלָה. אֲבָל הַגְּדוֹלָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכְּתָלֶיהָ עוֹדְפִים עַל שֶׁל קְטַנָּה מִצַּד זֶה וּמִצַּד זֶה, חֲשִׁיבָה כְּבַיִת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ. הִלְכָּךְ אִם צוֹאָה בַּגְּדוֹלָה, אָסוּר לִקְרוֹת בַּקְּטַנָּה, עַד שֶׁיַּרְחִיק כָּשִׁעוּר. וְאִם צוֹאָה בַּקְּטַנָּה, מֻתָּר לִקְרוֹת בַּגְּדוֹלָה בְּלֹא הַרְחָקָה, אִם אֵין מַגִּיעַ לוֹ רֵיחַ רַע.
3 A small courtyard that is completely breached into a large [one], and the large [one] has some remainder on both sides (ie. it is wider on both sides). The small [one] is not considered like a house in and of itself since it was completely breached into the large [one], but the large [one], since since its walls extend past the small [one] from this side and that side, it is considered like a house in and of itself. Therefore, if there is excrement in the large [one], it is forbidden to recite [the Recitation of the Sh'ma] in the small one, until one distances [oneself] according to the [required] measure. And if the excrement is in the small [one], it is permitted to recite in the large [one], without distancing if a bad smell doesn't reach him.
ד צוֹאַת כֶּלֶב וַחֲזִיר, אִם נָתַן בָּהֶם עוֹרוֹת, מַרְחִיקִים מֵהֶם כְּמוֹ מִצּוֹאַת אָדָם. וְאִם לָאו, דִּינָם כְּדִין צוֹאַת שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף, שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק מֵהֶם אִם אֵין בָּהֶם רֵיחַ רַע, וְאִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם רֵיחַ רַע, דִּינָם כְּמוֹ צוֹאַת אָדָם.
4 Dog or pig excrement - if hides have been placed in them [for tanning], we distance from them as from human excrement; and if not, their law is like the law of excrement of other domesticated animals, wild beasts and birds, that there is no need to distance from them if they do not have a bad smell. And if they do have a bad smell, their law is like human excrement.
ה צוֹאַת חֲמוֹר הָרַכָּה לְאַחַר שֶׁבָּא מֵהַדֶּרֶךְ, וְצוֹאַת חָתוּל וּנְמִיָּה, וּנְבֵלָה מַסְרַחַת, דִּינָם כְּצוֹאַת אָדָם. וְהַהוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרוֹאֶה צוֹאַת בְּהֵמָה כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, אִם אֵין הָרֵיחַ בָּא לוֹ, אֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ לְמִעוּט לִתְלוֹתָהּ בְּשֶׁל חֲמוֹר. וּבְסָמוּךְ לָעִיר, יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָחוּשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁרֹב הַבְּהֵמוֹת הַמְצוּיוֹת שָׁם הֵם חֲמוֹרִים: הַגָּה: בְּמָקוֹם דִּשְׁכִיחֵי חֲמוֹרִים.
5 Moist excrement of a donkey after it comes from a journey and excrement of a cat or a weasel or a stinking carcass - their law is like human excrement. And one who goes on the road, despite that he sees the excrement of an animal opposite him, if the smell does not reach him he does not need to be concerned about the minority (ie. the small likelihood) - to assume it was of a donkey. And [if one is] close to a city, there are those who say that we should be concerned since the majority of animals that are found there are donkeys. Rema: in a place where donkeys are common
ו בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי אוֹסֵר לִקְרוֹת כְּנֶגֶד מֵי רַגְלֵי חֲמוֹר הַבָּא מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ, וּכְנֶגֶד צוֹאַת תַּרְנְגוֹלִים אֲדֻמָּה: הַגָּה: [כִּי אוֹתָהּ צוֹאָה מַסְרַחַת].
6 In the [Talmud] Yerushalmi [it states that] it is forbidden to recite in front of urine of a donkey after it comes from a journey and in front of the excrement of red roosters.
ז צוֹאַת תַּרְנְגוֹלִים הַהוֹלְכִים בַּבַּיִת, דִּינָם כְּצוֹאַת בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף. אֲבָל הַלּוּל שֶׁלָּהֶם, יֵשׁ בּוֹ סִרָחוֹן, וְדִינוֹ כְּצוֹאַת אָדָם.
7 Excrement of roosters that go in the house, their ruling is like excrement of a domesticated animal, a wild beast, and bird, but their coop has a stench, and its ruling it like the excrement of a human.
ח אָסוּר לִקְרוֹת כְּנֶגֶד אַשְׁפָּה שֶׁרֵיחָהּ רַע.
8 It is forbidden to recite [the Recitation of the Sh'ma] in front of a garbage heap that has a bad smell.
ט יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ רוּחַ מִלְּמַטָּה, אָסוּר בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁיִּכְלֶה הָרֵיחַ. וְאִם יָצָא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, מֻתָּר בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהַתַּלְמִידִים קְצָתָם גּוֹרְסִים, וּקְצָתָם יְשֵׁנִים וּמְפִיחִים בְּתוֹךְ הַשֵּׁנָה, אֲבָל לִקְרוֹת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע אָסוּר, עַד שֶׁיִּכְלֶה הָרֵיחַ:
9 If a wind from "below" went out from a person (ie. they passed gas), he is forbidden from [studying] words of the Torah until the smell ends. And if it went out from one's fellow, it is permitted to [study] words of Torah because it is impossible [to study otherwise]. Because the students - some of them are studying and some of them are sleeping and passing gas in their sleep. But to recite the Sh'ma is forbidden until the smell ends.
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