Daat HaRav — The Alter Rebbe's Approach to Siman ג׳ (הנהגת בית הכסא)

בְּכָל פַּעַם שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא — יֹאמַר לְהַמַּלְאָכִים הַמְלַוִּים אוֹתוֹ: "הִתְכַּבְּדוּ מְכֻבָּדִים כו'". וְעַכְשָׁו לֹא נָהֲגוּ לְאָמְרוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין מַחֲזִיקִין אֶת עַצְמֵנוּ לְיִרְאֵי שָׁמַיִם שֶׁהַמַּלְאָכִים מְלַוִּים אוֹתָנוּ.

Each time he enters the bathroom, let him say to the angels accompanying him: "Be honored, O honored ones…" (התכבדו מכובדים). But nowadays we do not have the practice of saying it, because we do not hold ourselves to be God-fearing to the degree that angels accompany us. The Rav's chiddush: he makes explicit the reason for the lapse of the custom, where the Mechaber merely noted the fact.

יְהֵא צָנוּעַ בְּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַד שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב. וְלֹא יֵלְכוּ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים בְּיַחַד, כִּי אֵינוֹ מִדֶּרֶךְ הַצְּנִיעוּת. וְאִם מִתְפַּחֵד לֵישֵׁב יְחִידִי — יוּכַל אַחֵר לְהַנִּיחַ יָדוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ דֶּרֶךְ חַלּוֹן. וְלֹא יְדַבֵּר שָׁם, וְיִסְגֹּר הַדֶּלֶת בַּעֲדוֹ, מִשּׁוּם צְנִיעוּת.

Let him be modest in the bathroom and not uncover himself until he is seated. Two men should not enter together, for it is not the way of tzniut. And if he is afraid to remain alone, another may place his hand on his head through a window. Let him not speak there, and let him close the door behind him, for modesty. The Rav's chiddush: he adds the concrete solution to the fear (the hand through the window), absent from the Mechaber and the gloss of the Or Zarua.

אִם רוֹצֶה לְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּפִי הַטַּבַּעַת בִּצְרוֹר אוֹ בְּקֵיסָם כְּדֵי לִפְתֹּחַ נְקָבָיו — יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ קֹדֶם שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב, וְלֹא יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ אַחַר שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּשֶׁה לִכְשָׁפִים.

If he wishes to prepare the way beforehand, let him do so before sitting and not after, for a reason of caution reported by the Sages. The Rav follows the Mechaber here, whose statement is purely practical and sanitary.

אִם הֻצְרַךְ לִפָּנוֹת וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל — יֵלֵךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וְיֵשֵׁב, וְיַעֲמֹד וְיֵשֵׁב, וְיַעֲמֹד וְיֵשֵׁב עַד שֶׁיִּפָּנֶה, אוֹ יַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִדְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים.

If he needs to relieve himself and cannot, let him walk four amot and sit, rise and sit again, until he can relieve himself, or let him turn his mind to other matters. The Rav's chiddush: this seif on the staged conduct has no direct parallel in the Mechaber — it is an addition of the Rav.

לֹא יִפָּנֶה בַּעֲמִידָה.

Let him not relieve himself standing. A brief, self-standing statement of the Rav that isolates the principle of the seated conduct.

לֹא יְגַלֶּה עַצְמוֹ, כִּי אִם: מִלְּאַחֲרָיו — טֶפַח וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, מִשּׁוּם צְנִיעוּת, וּמִלְּפָנָיו — טְפָחַיִם, דְּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהוּא דּוֹחֵק אֶת עַצְמוֹ לִגְדוֹלִים הוּא בָּא לִידֵי קְטַנִּים, וְצָרִיךְ טְפָחַיִם מִשּׁוּם קִלּוּחַ מֵי רַגְלַיִם הַנִּתָּזִים לְמֵרָחוֹק. וְאִשָּׁה לֹא תְּגַלֶּה עַצְמָהּ, כִּי אִם: מִלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ — טֶפַח, וּמִלְּפָנֶיהָ — וְלֹא כְלוּם.

Let him uncover only the necessary measure: one tefach behind and no more, for modesty, and two tefachim in front. The Rav's chiddush: he explains the reason for the two tefachim. And a woman uncovers only one tefach behind, and nothing in front. The whole seif is governed by tzniut.

וּכְשֶׁיֵּשֵׁב — יְכַוֵּן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ פָּנָיו לְדָרוֹם וַאֲחוֹרָיו לְצָפוֹן, אוֹ אִפְּכָא. אֲבָל לֹא יֵשֵׁב בֵּין מִזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב, בֵּין שֶׁפָּנָיו לְמִזְרָח בֵּין שֶׁפָּנָיו לְמַעֲרָב, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה בְּמַעֲרָב, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה צְרָכָיו לְמַעֲרָב, וְלֹא לְמִזְרָח, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כְּנֶגֶד הַמַּעֲרָב. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּמֵסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו, אֲבָל לְהָטִיל מַיִם — מֻתָּר אֲפִלּוּ פָּנָיו לְמַעֲרָב.

When he sits, let him orient his face to the south and his back to the north, or the reverse; but let him not sit between east and west, because the Shechinah is in the west — so he turns neither toward the west nor toward the east, which faces it. The Rav's chiddush: he explicitly grounds the prohibition in the Shechinah's presence in the west, giving the inner reason. This is for the larger needs; for urination, it is permitted in all cases.

וַאֲפִלּוּ לְהָסֵךְ רַגְלָיו, אִם יֵשׁ מְחִצָּה לְצַד מַעֲרָב — מֻתָּר לִפָּנוֹת סָמוּךְ לַמְּחִצָּה אִם מַחֲזִיר אֲחוֹרָיו לְמַעֲרָב, וְאִם הַמְּחִצָּה לְצַד מִזְרָח — מַחֲזִיר אֲחוֹרָיו לְמִזְרָח.

Even for the larger needs, if there is a partition on the western side, it is permitted to relieve oneself near the partition while turning one's back westward; and if the partition is on the east, while turning one's back eastward. The Rav's chiddush: he develops the case of the partition (מחיצה) that eases the orientation prohibition — a precision proper to the Rav's approach.

כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לִפָּנוֹת בֵּין מִזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב — כָּךְ אָסוּר לִישֹׁן בֵּין מִזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב אִם אִשְׁתּוֹ עִמּוֹ בַּמִּטָּה וְדַעְתּוֹ לְשַׁמֵּשׁ, אֶלָּא יְכַוֵּן שֶׁתְּהֵא רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה וּמַרְגְּלוֹתֶיהָ זֶה לְצָפוֹן וְזֶה לְדָרוֹם. וְנָכוֹן לְהִזָּהֵר אֲפִלּוּ אֵין אִשְׁתּוֹ עִמּוֹ.

Just as it is forbidden to relieve oneself between east and west, so it is forbidden to sleep between east and west when his wife is with him; rather, let him orient the head and foot of the bed one to the north and the other to the south. And it is right to take care even when his wife is not with him. The Rav's chiddush: he explicitly ties the law of the bed to the same reason (the Shechinah in the west) as the conduct in the bathroom.

מִי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּקַלּוּת לְהָסֵב מִטָּתוֹ בֵּין צָפוֹן לְדָרוֹם — אֵין עָלָיו אִסּוּר לְשַׁמֵּשׁ מִטָּתוֹ בֵּין מִזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב. וְיֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עַל סֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר, שֶׁמַּצְרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא דַּוְקָא רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה וּמַרְגְּלוֹתֶיהָ זֶה לְמִזְרָח וְזֶה לְמַעֲרָב.

One who cannot easily orient his bed between north and south is not bound by the prohibition, and he may rely on the Zohar, which requires on the contrary that the head and foot of the bed be one to the east and the other to the west. The Rav's chiddush: he introduces the Zohar's position, integrating the dimension of Kabbalah into the ruling — a characteristic trait of the Alter Rebbe.

הַמֵּטִיל מַיִם מִן הַצּוֹפִים (פֵּרוּשׁ כָּל מָקוֹם סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לִרְאוֹת אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ מִשָּׁם) וּלְפָנִים — לֹא יָטִיל וּפָנָיו מַמָּשׁ כְּלַפֵּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ, אֶלָּא יַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו לְצַד אַחֵר מְעַט.

One who urinates from the Tzofim (the places from which the Mikdash can still be seen) and inward — let him not do so with his face directly toward the Holy, but let him turn his face a little to one side. The Rav specifies "slightly" (מעט), nuancing the Mechaber's formulation.

כְּשֶׁנִּפְנֶה בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מְחִצָּה מַפְסֶקֶת בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין אָדָם כְּגוֹן בְּבִקְעָה — צָרִיךְ לְהִתְרַחֵק עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל חֲבֵרוֹ לִרְאוֹת אֶת מַה שֶּׁמְּגַלֶּה מִבְּשָׂרוֹ. וְאַף שֶׁחֲבֵרוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ — אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהִתְרַחֵק יוֹתֵר. וְאִם יֵשׁ מְחִצָּה מַפְסֶקֶת — יָכוֹל לִפָּנוֹת מִיָּד סָמוּךְ לַמְּחִצָּה.

When he relieves himself in a place with no partition between him and others, such as an open field (בקעה), he must move away to the point where his fellow cannot see what he uncovers of his body; and even if the other can hear him, he need not move farther. But if there is a partition, he may relieve himself at once nearby. The Rav's chiddush: he systematizes the criterion (sight, not hearing) and the case of the מחיצה.

לֹא יֵשֵׁב וְיִפָּנֶה בִּמְהֵרָה וּבְחֹזֶק, לְפִי שֶׁנִּפְתָּח הַנֶּקֶב בְּחָזְקָה וְנִתָּקִים שִׁנֵּי הַכַּרְכַּשְׁתָּא. וְכֵן מִטַּעַם זֶה, לֹא יֶאֱנֹס לִדְחֹק אֶת עַצְמוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי.

Let him not sit or relieve himself in haste and with force, for this can harm the body; and for the same reason, let him not strain himself excessively. Respect for the body — the instrument of service — governs this seif. The Rav unifies the two prohibitions (haste and straining) under a single reason.

לֹא יְקַנַּח אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּיַד יָמִין, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּיָמִין קוֹשֵׁר אֶת הַתְּפִלִּין עַל הַשְּׂמֹאל, לָכֵן אֵין רָאוּי לְקַנֵּחַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ בָּהּ. וְאִטֵּר יָד — מְקַנֵּחַ בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ שֶׁהוּא יָמִין שֶׁל כָּל אָדָם. וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו בְּיָמִין אֶלָּא שֶׁכּוֹתֵב בִּשְׂמֹאל — לֹא יְקַנַּח בִּשְׂמֹאל שֶׁכּוֹתֵב בָּהּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבָּהּ קוֹשֵׁר תְּפִלִּין עַל הַיָּמִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן כז סָעִיף ט.

Let him not wipe himself with the right hand, because it is with the right that one ties the tefillin on the left arm; it is therefore not fitting to wipe with it. A left-handed person wipes with his left, which is the "right" of most people. The Rav's chiddush: he unfolds at length the cases of the left-hander and of one who writes with the left, referring to siman 27 — a precision absent from the Mechaber, who simply wrote "לא יקנח ביד ימין." A direct link to the חשיבות הימין of siman 2.

טוֹב לִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא לְקַנֵּחַ בָּאֶצְבַּע הָאֶמְצָעִי, שֶׁעָלָיו הוּא כּוֹרֵךְ רְצוּעָה שֶׁל תְּפִלִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן כז סָעִיף יא.

It is good to take care not to wipe with the finger on which the strap of the tefillin is wound (see siman 27). The Rav's chiddush: this entire seif — extending the honor due to the tefillin hand all the way to the finger — is proper to the Alter Rebbe and has no parallel in the Mechaber.

לֹא יְקַנַּח בַּחֲתִיכַת חֶרֶס שֶׁאֵינָהּ חֲלָקָה… מִפְּנֵי הַסַּכָּנָה… וְלֹא יְקַנַּח בַּעֲשָׂבִים יְבֵשִׁים, שֶׁהֵם חַדִּים… וְעַכְשָׁו שֶׁבָּתֵּי כִּסְאוֹת שֶׁלָּנוּ אֵינָן בַּשָּׂדֶה — נָהֲגוּ לְקַנֵּחַ בַּחֲתִיכַת חֶרֶס חֲלָקָה, דְּעִקַּר הַחֲשָׁשׁ הוּא… שֶׁמָּא יִטְּלוּהוּ הַמְכַשְּׁפִים… אֲבָל עַכְשָׁו… לֹא חַיְשִׁינָן. וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ עַכְשָׁו לְקַנֵּחַ בְּדָבָר שֶׁהָאוּר שׁוֹלֶטֶת בּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מַזִּיק, וּפוּק חֲזִי מַאי עַמָּא דְבַר.

Let him not wipe with a rough shard (a danger to the body), nor with sharp dry grasses. Nowadays, our bathrooms no longer being in the fields, the practice has become to wipe with a smooth material — for the essential concern (that sorcerers might seize it in an ownerless place) no longer applies. And the present practice is to wipe with a non-harmful material: "פוק חזי מאי עמא דבר" (go out and see what the people do). The Rav's chiddush: he makes explicit the reasoning (עיקר החשש) that justifies the change of custom, where the Rama merely noted the minhag.

לֹא יְקַנַּח בִּצְרוֹר שֶׁקִּנַּח בּוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמֵּבִיא אֶת הָאָדָם לִידֵי תַּחְתּוֹנִיּוּת. וְאִם נִתְיַבֵּשׁ הַקִּנּוּחַ אוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְקַנֵּחַ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַצַּד — לֵית לָן בָּהּ. וְאִם הוּא עַצְמוֹ קִנַּח בּוֹ — בְּכָל גַּוְנֵי לֵית לָן בָּהּ.

Let him not wipe with an object his fellow already wiped with (a risk of illness). But if it has dried, or if he wipes with another side, there is no concern; and if it is his own use, in all cases there is no concern. The Rav's chiddush: he distinguishes the cases (dry, another side, oneself) that remove the concern — a refinement proper to the Rav's approach.

כָּל הַצְּנִיעוּת שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִנְהֹג בַּיּוֹם — צָרִיךְ לִנְהֹג גַּם כֵּן בַּלַּיְלָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לְהִתְרַחֵק. וְאִם אֵין שָׁם אָדָם — יָכוֹל לִפָּנוֹת אֲפִלּוּ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ שָׁם אָדָם אֲפִלּוּ נָכְרִי — אָסוּר לִפָּנוֹת בְּפָנָיו. וְכָל זֶה לִפָּנוֹת, אֲבָל לְהַשְׁתִּין — מֻתָּר אֲפִלּוּ בַּיּוֹם בִּפְנֵי רַבִּים, אִם צָרִיךְ לְכָךְ, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִכָּא סַכָּנָה.

All the modesty required by day, let him observe it also at night — except that he need not move away. The Rav's chiddush: he unfolds the case (whether or not someone is present, even a non-Jew) and distinguishes the larger needs, subject to modesty, from urination, permitted even by day in case of need, since holding it back entails a danger to the body.

אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁאֵין אִשָּׁה מְגַלָּה אֶת עַצְמָהּ כְּלוּם בַּהֲטָלַת מֵי רַגְלַיִם — מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא תַּעֲמֹד לְהַשְׁתִּין כְּנֶגֶד פָּנָיו שֶׁל אִישׁ, אֲפִלּוּ כְּנֶגֶד פָּנָיו שֶׁל תִּינוֹק, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִכָּא חֲצִיפוּתָא. אֲבָל לִצְדָדִין — לֵית לָן בָּהּ.

Although a woman uncovers nothing of herself in urinating, nonetheless she should not stand to urinate facing a man — even facing a child — for there would be an affront to modesty (חציפותא). But to the side, there is no concern. The Rav's chiddush: this seif on the modest conduct of a woman is proper to the Alter Rebbe.

צָרִיךְ לְשַׁפְשֵׁף בְּיָדוֹ הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת שֶׁל מֵי רַגְלַיִם הַנִּתָּזִים עַל גַּבֵּי רַגְלָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יֵרָאֶה כִּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה… לָכֵן יַשְׁתִּין לְתוֹךְ עָפָר תָּחוּחַ, אוֹ יַעֲמֹד בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ וְיַשְׁתִּין לְמָקוֹם נָמוּךְ, אוֹ יַשְׁתִּין מְיֻשָּׁב.

[Delicate subject — at the level of principle.] The Rav prescribes precautions of cleanliness and dignity so that nothing gives rise to a misleading appearance, and indicates practical means (urinating into loose earth, from an elevated spot, or while seated). For the practical detail of this seif and the three following ones (כ-כג) — refer to the Rav's text.

יִזָּהֵר מְאֹד… אִם לֹא… מֵעֲטָרָה וּלְמַטָּה לְצַד הָאָרֶץ, דִּכְשֶׁאוֹחֵז שָׁם — אֵינוֹ בָּא לִידֵי חִמּוּם כְּלָל… אֲבָל מְסַיֵּעַ הוּא בַּבֵּיצִים.

[Intimate subject — at the level of principle only.] Here the Rav states, with great gravity, the principle of שמירת הברית (the guarding of holiness). The conduct described aims to avoid any undue arousal. For its practical application — refer to the Rav's text, and for any concrete question, consult a Rav.

וְכָל זֶה בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ נָשׂוּי… אֲבָל אִם אִשְׁתּוֹ טְהוֹרָה עִמּוֹ בָּעִיר, כֵּיוָן דְּיֵשׁ לוֹ "פַּת בְּסַלּוֹ"… וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, מִדַּת חֲסִידוּת לְהִזָּהֵר אֲפִלּוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ עִמּוֹ… רָאוּי לָאָדָם לְהִתְרַחֵק וּלְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בַּמֻּתָּר לוֹ.

[Intimate subject — at the level of principle only.] The Rav distinguishes according to circumstances, but concludes on a note that is the heart of his approach: "a person ought to keep his distance and sanctify himself in what is permitted to him" (לְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בַּמֻּתָּר לוֹ) — midat chassidut. For the practical detail — refer to the Rav.

לֹא הֻתַּר לַנָּשׂוּי… אֶלָּא לְהַשְׁתִּין, שֶׁהוּא צֹרֶךְ הָאָדָם, שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ נִיצוֹצוֹת עַל רַגְלָיו. אֲבָל לְהִתְחַכֵּךְ… אָסוּר אֲפִלּוּ לְנָשׂוּי… יֵשׁ לְהַחֲמִיר.

[Intimate subject — at the level of principle only.] The Rav clarifies that the permission is granted only for the genuine need (cleanliness), not beyond, and that one should be stringent. For the practical detail — refer to the Rav's text and consult a Rav.

כָּל הַמַּשְׁהֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִלִּפָּנוֹת כְּשֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לִנְקָבָיו — הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹבֵר עַל "בַּל תְּשַׁקְּצוּ". וְאִם נִצְרָךְ לִקְטַנִּים וּמַשְׁהֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ — עוֹבֵר עַל "בַּל תְּשַׁקְּצוּ" וְעַל "לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ עָקָר".

Whoever holds himself back when he needs to relieve himself transgresses the prohibition of "בל תשקצו" (do not make yourselves abominable). The Rav's chiddush: for held-back urination, he adds the transgression of "לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ עָקָר" — a precision the Mechaber does not make explicit. The body, instrument of avodah, must be respected.

יִזָּהֵר מְאֹד לְקַנֵּחַ הֵיטֵב, כִּי צוֹאָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ בְּמַשֶּׁהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן עו סָעִיף ו, עַיֵּן שָׁם. וְאִם אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ — טוֹב שֶׁיִּרְחַץ בַּמַּיִם.

Let him take great care to clean himself thoroughly, for the slightest impurity in its place is an obstacle (a link with siman 76, on the נקיות required for prayer and qedushah), and if he can, it is good for him to wash with water. The Rav's chiddush: this closing seif — the exhortation to perfect נקיות and to washing with water — crowns the siman and has no explicit parallel in the Mechaber. נקיות prepares the body for qedushah.