613 - תריג איסור רחיצה ביום הכיפורים ובו כ"א סעיפים

613 - The Prohibition of Washing on Yom Kippur - 21 Subsections

1 Washing — how so?

Every washing of pleasure — is forbidden on Yom Kippur. Because of: "that is not afflicted," etc. (Vayikra 23:29).

Therefore it is forbidden to wash part of his body, just as all of his body. Whether in hot water or in cold water. And even to extend his finger into water — is forbidden.

But if his hands, or his feet, or any other place on his entire body were soiled with mud or with excrement, or blood dripped from his nose — it is permitted to wash it. Since he does not intend it for pleasure. Only that he should be careful not to wash anything but the soiled place alone.

2 And likewise in the morning, when he awakens from his sleep — he washes his hands three times. As is written in siman 4. (For the reason explained in siman 554.) And he recites the blessing: "Al Netilas Yadayim."

And he should be careful to wash only up to the end of the joints of his fingers. And he should not intend it for the enjoyment of washing, but only to remove the evil spirit from upon the hands.

And after he has dried his hands with a cloth — he passes the cloth over his eyes, to remove from them the bonds of sleep.

3 And if there is soiling upon his eyes, and it is his way to wash them on all the days of the year — he washes them in his usual manner, and he need not be concerned.

And likewise one who is fastidious, and whose mind is not settled upon him until he wipes his face with water — it is permitted for him to wipe with water on Yom Kippur.

But the custom is to be stringent, that even one who is fastidious — does not wipe his face, nor his eyes, with water.

Unless there is a discharge upon his face or upon his eyes, for then it is permitted for every person to wash in the manner he does all the year.

4 If he urinated and rubbed with his hands to remove the droplets from upon his legs, or he relieved himself and wiped with his hand — it is permitted for him to wash his hands up to the end of the joints of his fingers, to remove the soiling from them. And in order to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar with clean hands.

But if he did not rub and did not wipe with his hand — he should not wash his hands at all. For it is permitted to recite the blessing "Asher Yatzar" without washing the hands. Since his hands were not soiled.

And one who wishes to wash his hands before he recites the blessing "Asher Yatzar" should rub with his hand and wipe, so that he will need to wash his hands. And so it is proper to do — in order to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar with hands that are clean and pure.

5 In what case is this said? On the night of Yom Kippur after the prayers. But before the prayers, or during the day, when one prays the entire day: if he urinated even though he did not rub with his hands, or he relieved himself even though he did not wipe with his hand — it is permitted to wash his hands up to the end of the joints of his fingers. For it is a mitzvah to pray with hands that are pure through washing. For it is said: "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12).

6 And likewise a kohen who goes up to the duchan — washes his hands, even though he washed his hands before the prayers. And likewise the levi, in a place where they practice that the levi washes his hands before he pours water upon the hands of the kohen — it is permitted for him to wash on Yom Kippur. Since he does not intend it for pleasure.

And therefore one who comes from the road and whose feet are sore — it is permitted to wash them, since he intends only for a medical remedy. And likewise all that is similar to this.

7 It is forbidden to rinse his mouth on Yom Kippur. As explained in siman 567. See there.

8 One who goes to the beis midrash, or to greet his father, or his teacher, or one who is greater than him in wisdom, or for the needs of other mitzvos — he may pass through water up to his neck, both on the way there and on the way back.

And he need not be concerned on account of the prohibition of washing on Yom Kippur — since he is going for a matter of a mitzvah. And furthermore, that he does not intend it for pleasure.

Provided that he make a deviation from all who pass through water on a weekday. That is, that he should not put his hands out from under the hem of his tunic in order to raise his tunic a little, as all those who pass through water on a weekday do. So that through the deviation he will remember that today is not a weekday, and he will not come to wring out his garments.

And even though with a garment — its soaking in water is its laundering, even though he does not wring it out, as is written in siman 302?

Even so, they permitted passing through water on Yom Kippur.

Because we say "its soaking is its laundering" only if it was soiled before the soaking. As is written in siman 302 (se'if 21). See there.

9 In what case is this said? Regarding a water channel, whose waters do not run swiftly. But a stream whose waters run swiftly and sweep along — even on a weekday it is forbidden to pass through it, even if the water reaches him only a little above his waist — on account of the danger, that the water should not sweep him away.

10 There is no permission to pass through water for a matter of a mitzvah except when he passes through the water itself. But to cross in a small boat — is forbidden even for a matter of a mitzvah.

Because they permitted for a matter of a mitzvah only the prohibition of washing — since he does not intend it for pleasure. But to cross in a boat, in which there is a complete shvus from the words of the Scribes, as is written in siman 248 (se'if 9), and 339 (se'if 10) — the Sages upheld their words, to nullify a mitzvah through sitting and not doing.

11 The teacher is forbidden to pass through water in order to greet his disciple. And even to greet his fellow — is forbidden. If his fellow is not greater than him in wisdom.

But if he wishes to ask a matter of halacha from his fellow, or from his disciple who studied also with other sages. And it goes without saying if he is going to study with disciples. Such as where the disciple cannot come to him — it is permitted for him to pass through water, both on the way there and on the way back.

12 One who goes to guard his produce — it is permitted for him to pass through water. Even though there is no mitzvah in his going? Nevertheless, on account of the loss of his money they permitted him to pass through.

But on his return — it is forbidden to pass through. For there is no loss of money in this if he does not return to his place until after Yom Kippur.

13 Even in a case where they permitted him to pass through water — he should not pass through unless he has no other way by which he can reach his desired destination if he does not pass through the water.

But if he has another way to go around the water, even if it is longer than this one — it is better that he increase his walking to go around the water and not pass through the water, for there is here a concern of washing. And furthermore, that he is close to coming to wringing out.

14 It is permitted to cool oneself with mud, even though there is in it some moisture. And there is in it nothing on account of the prohibition of washing.

But if there is in it so much moisture that if he places his hand upon it, so much moisture will come up on it that if he presses it to his other hand, the moisture that it received from the mud will adhere to it. And this is called moist enough to moisten — it is forbidden to cool oneself with it, because this is like one who washes with water.

15 And it is permitted to cool oneself with all kinds of fruits, and with an infant, and with all kinds of empty vessels. Whether they are of silver and gold or whether they are of earthenware. For they forbade only washing with water.

But it is forbidden to cool oneself with vessels that have water in them, even if they are not full. Lest the vessels be shaken and the water that is in them spill upon his body, and he is found washing on Yom Kippur.

16 Even though by law it is permitted to soak a cloth in water on Erev Yom Kippur, and he removes it from the water before Yom Kippur, and it goes on drying until there is not on it moisture enough to moisten, and then he wipes with it his face, his hands and his feet in order to cool himself.

Even though he does not do it to remove the soiling but in order to derive pleasure — even so it is permitted by law — since it is dry of the water, as explained in siman 554 with regard to Tisha B'Av.

Nevertheless, on Yom Kippur — one should be stringent. Because if he were to wipe with a cloth that is not dry of the water, there is here a prohibition from the Torah on account of wringing out. Therefore one should be stringent even with one that is dry of the water that was upon it while it was still day. A decree lest it not dry well and he wipe with it and come to wringing out.

17 A sick person, even though there is no danger in it — is permitted to wash in his usual manner on Yom Kippur.

18 A bride after her marriage — is permitted to wash her face on Yom Kippur. Because she needs to beautify herself so that she will be endeared to her husband. And for all thirty days from her chuppah, she is called a bride.

19 One who had a seminal emission on Yom Kippur: in the present time, when the ordinance of Ezra, who instituted immersion for a ba'al keri, has been annulled — it is forbidden for him to immerse, or to pour upon himself nine kabin.

Even one who practices thus on all the days of the year — should not practice so on Yom Kippur. For a custom does not serve to permit what is forbidden, but only to forbid what is permitted.

Rather, if the emission is still moist, he wipes it with a cloth, and that suffices for him.

And if it has already dried, or his flesh became soiled — he washes in the soiled places on him alone, and prays.

20 It is forbidden for a woman to immerse on the night of Yom Kippur, even if the time of her immersion arrived on this night. Since she is forbidden to have relations on this night — there is no mitzvah at all in her immersion. According to what is written in Yoreh De'ah siman 197, that immersion at its proper time is not a mitzvah unless her husband is with her, and on account of the nullification of being fruitful and multiplying.

21 But a woman who dons white garments on Yom Kippur is permitted to wash a little between her thighs, whether in hot water or in cold water — for since through this washing she hastens to immerse and to have relations — if so, it is a washing of a mitzvah. And it has already been explained that every washing of a mitzvah is permitted on Yom Kippur, and they forbade only where he intends it for pleasure.