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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ע״ח · Urinating during the ק״ש

דין מי שנצטרך להטיל מים בשעת קריאה — one who is reading the ק״ש and whose urine begins to flow onto his knees (מי רגליו שותתין): he pauses (פוסק) until it stops then resumes; fallen on a covered garment he continues; fallen on the ground he distances ד׳ אמות; he resumes where he paused (per the Rama חוזר לראש)
סימן ע״ח · סעיף אחד
דין מי שנצטרך להטיל מים בשעת קריאה
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the conduct of one who, reading the ק״ש, feels his urine flowing (מי רגליו שותתין): he פוסק (pauses) until the flow stops, then וחוזר לקרות; if it falls on a covered garment (טופח על מנת להטפיח, מכוסים בבגדו) he continues; if it falls on the ground he מרחיק ד׳ אמות; and even after a long interruption he resumes למקום שפסק (per the Rama חוזר לראש). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the single seif, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Urinating during the ק״ש — מי רגליו שותתין, פוסק עד שיכלו המים, טופח על מנת להטפיח, הרחקת ד׳ אמות
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ע״ח · סעיף אחד

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Our Sages taught that one must read the ק״ש and pray in the cleanliness of body and place. This siman deals with one who, in the middle of his reading, feels his urine flow (מי רגליו שותתין על ברכיו): he pauses (פוסק) until the flow stops, then resumes; the case of a soiled but covered garment, the distancing of ד׳ אמות when it falls on the ground, and the point from which he resumes. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The single seif — מי רגליו שותתין / פוסק עד שיכלו (1), נפלו על בגדיו / טופח על מנת להטפיח (2), נפלו בארץ / ד׳ אמות (3), שהה / חוזר למקום שפסק (4)
1. Practical case — urine flowing during the ק״ש: פוסק עד שיכלו המים then resume
2. Practical case — a soiled but covered garment: ממשיך (מכוסים בבגדו)
3. Practical case — the long interruption: למקום שפסק or לראש (Rama)
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Urinating during the ק״ש — the single seif

מִי שֶׁנִּצְטָרֵךְ לְהָטִיל מַיִם בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיאָה — one who needs to urinate during the ק״ש — the principle is the cleanliness required during the reading. As long as the urine flows (מי רגליו שותתין) one cannot read, so he פוסק עד שיכלו המים and then resumes. Two distinctions follow: urine on a garment — if it is covered by a garment (מכוסים בבגדו) it does not bar, even טופח על מנת להטפיח; and urine on the ground, from which one must distance ד׳ אמות (or wait until it is absorbed). Finally, the point from which he resumes: למקום שפסק for the Mechaber, לראש for the Rama.

Part 1 — מי רגליו שותתין: the flow during the reading

היה קורא והתחילו מי רגליו שותתין על ברכיו — פוסק עד שיכלו המים וחוזר לקרות.
He was reading the ק״ש and his urine began flowing onto his knees (מי רגליו שותתין על ברכיו) — he pauses (פוסק) until the water stops (עד שיכלו המים), then returns to read (וחוזר לקרות).
One does not read the ק״ש while urine is flowing on the body. So he פוסק — stops his reading — עד שיכלו המים, until the flow ceases; then וחוזר לקרות, he resumes. He need not leave the place, only wait for the flow to stop.

Part 2 — טופח על מנת להטפיח: a soiled but covered garment

אפילו אם נפלו על בגדיו ויש בהם טופח על מנת להטפיח, כיון שהם מכוסים בבגדו.
Even if it fell on his garments and there is in them enough moisture to moisten (טופח על מנת להטפיח), since they are covered by a garment (כיון שהם מכוסים בבגדו, a dry outer layer) — he resumes and continues reading.
טופח על מנת להטפיח = moist enough that, on contact, it would moisten another object. In principle this bars; but if the soiled garment is covered by another dry garment (מכוסים בבגדו), the urine is deemed covered and does not bar the reading.

Part 3 — הרחקת ד׳ אמות: fallen on the ground

ואם נפלו מי רגלים בארץ — מרחיק מהם ד׳ אמות. הגה: או כשיעור שיתבאר לקמן סימן פ״ב, או ממתין עד שיבלעו בקרקע.
And if the urine fell on the ground — he distances himself from it four amot (מרחיק מהם ד׳ אמות). הגה: or by the measure explained further on in siman פ״ב, or he waits until it is absorbed into the ground (עד שיבלעו בקרקע).
Exposed urine on the ground requires distancing. The Mechaber: מרחיק ד׳ אמות. The Rama adds two options: either the measure of siman פ״ב, or waiting until it is absorbed into the earth (ממתין עד שיבלעו) — then it no longer bars.

Part 4 — חוזר למקום שפסק: where he resumes after the interruption

ואפילו שהה כדי לגמור את כולה — אין צריך לחזור אלא למקום שפסק. הגה: וי״א דאם שהה כדי לגמור את כולה חוזר לראש, וכן עיקר, וכמו שכתבתי לעיל סימן ס״ה, ומשערין לפי הקורא.
And even if he delayed enough to finish all of it — he need not return except to the place where he paused (למקום שפסק). הגה: and some say that if he delayed enough to finish all of it he returns to the beginning (חוזר לראש), and this is the main view, as I wrote above in siman ס״ה, and it is measured according to the reader (ומשערין לפי הקורא).
For the Mechaber, even a long interruption does not require starting over: he continues למקום שפסק, where he had paused. The Rama (וכן עיקר, "this is the main view") rules that if he delayed enough to finish all of it, he חוזר לראש, as in siman ס״ה; and the duration is measured according to the reader (ומשערין לפי הקורא).
The siman in one sentence: one who reads the ק״ש and whose urine begins to flow פוסק עד שיכלו המים then resumes; if it falls on a covered garment (טופח על מנת להטפיח, מכוסים בבגדו) he continues; if it falls on the ground he מרחיק ד׳ אמות (or waits until it is absorbed); and even after a long interruption he resumes למקום שפסק for the Mechaber, but חוזר לראש for the Rama (וכן עיקר, as in siman ס״ה).

Practical cases

Case 1 — Urine that begins to flow

Situation: he is reading the ק״ש and feels his urine flow (מי רגליו שותתין). Must he stop entirely and start over?
Conduct: he פוסק (pauses his reading) עד שיכלו המים, until the flow stops, then וחוזר לקרות. He need not leave the place nor start over: he simply waits for the flow to stop, then resumes. For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — A soiled but covered garment

Situation: the urine fell on his garments, with enough moisture to moisten (טופח על מנת להטפיח), but they are covered by another garment. May he continue?
Conduct: yes — כיון שהם מכוסים בבגדו, as long as the soiled cloth is covered by a dry garment, he continues his reading. But if the urine fell on the ground exposed, he מרחיק ד׳ אמות (or waits until it is absorbed). For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — The long interruption

Situation: the wait lasted long enough to finish the whole reading. Where does he resume?
Conduct: for the Mechaber, he resumes only למקום שפסק, where he had paused. For the Rama (וכן עיקר), if he delayed enough to finish all of it, he חוזר לראש, as in siman ס״ה; and the duration is measured according to the reader. For conduct, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. What does one whose urine begins to flow during the ק״ש do, and until when does he wait (part 1)?
  2. Why may he continue if the urine is on a covered garment, despite טופח על מנת להטפיח (part 2)?
  3. What does he do if the urine fell on the ground, and which options does the Rama add (part 3)?
  4. After a long interruption, where does he resume according to the Mechaber? And according to the Rama (part 4)?
  5. What does ומשערין לפי הקורא mean and what is this measure for (part 4)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 79 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן ע״ח · סעיף אחד · Level 1 — Introduction
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