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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ע״ט · Encountering excrement (צואה) during the Shema

דין מי שנזדמן לו צואה בשעת קריאה — one who encounters צואה during the ק״ש: behind him — ד׳ אמות from the place where the smell ceases; before him — מלא עיניו, as far as he sees it; the change of domain (רשות אחרת); animal excrement; the אשפה and the bad smell (ריח רע)
סימן ע״ט · ט׳ סעיפים
דין מי שנזדמן לו צואה בשעת קריאה
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the distances to keep from the צואה during the ק״ש: behind him — ד׳ אמות from the place where the smell ceases (ממקום שכלה הריח); before him — מלא עיניו, as far as he sees it, even at night or blind; to his side, as behind him; the change of domain (רשות אחרת, ten tefachim); the excrement of animals; and the ריח רע (the אשפה, a passed wind). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ט׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Encountering excrement during the ק״ש — ד׳ אמות, מלא עיניו, רשות אחרת, ריח רע
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ע״ט · ט׳ סעיפים

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

The Torah says (דברים כ״ג): והיה מחניך קדוש — « and your camp shall be holy ». From this our Sages (ברכות כ״ה.) derived that one must keep the צואה and any ריח רע away from the reading of the ק״ש and from words of Torah. The siman deals with one to whom excrement happens (נזדמן לו) during his reading: how far to distance himself, depending on whether it is before or behind him, on the smell and on the domain. 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 ט׳ seifim — the distances (séif 1), the רשות אחרת (séif 2), the courtyards (séif 3), animal excrement (séifim 4-7), the אשפה (séif 8) and the ריח רע (séif 9)
1. Practical case — measuring the distance: ד׳ אמות behind, מלא עיניו before
2. Practical case — excrement in another room (רשות אחרת) without smell
3. Practical case — a passed wind (הפחה) and the ריח רע
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Encountering excrement during the ק״ש — the ט׳ seifim

מִי שֶׁנִּזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ צוֹאָה — one to whom excrement happens — two criteria govern the distance: sight (רְאִיָּה) and smell (רֵיחַ). Before him, where sight dominates, he distances himself מלא עיניו (as far as he sees it); behind and to the sides, where the מחנה (the camp, four amot) counts, he distances himself ד׳ אמות ממקום שכלה הריח. The principle is « והיה מחניך קדוש »; hence too the change of domain (רשות אחרת) which saves in the absence of smell, and the prohibition of a ריח רע (garbage heap, passed wind).

Séif 1 — the distances: behind, before, to the side

היתה צואת אדם מאחריו צריך להרחיק ד׳ אמות ממקום שכלה הריח, אפילו אם יש לו חולי שאינו מריח צריך להרחיק ד׳ אמות ממקום שיכלה הריח למי שמריח; ומלפניו צריך להרחיק מלא עיניו אפילו בלילה או שהוא סומא שאינו רואה אותה, צריך להרחיק עד מקום שאינו יכול לראות ביום; ואם הוא מצדו דינו כמלאחריו.
Séif 1: if human excrement (צואת אדם) is behind him (מאחריו), he must distance himself ד׳ אמות from the place where the smell ceases (ממקום שכלה הריח); and even if he has an illness so that he cannot smell, he distances himself four amot from the place where the smell would cease for one who can smell (למי שמריח). Before him (מלפניו) he must distance himself מלא עיניו, as far as he sees it, even at night, or if he is blind (סומא) and does not see it — he distances himself to a place where it could not be seen by day. And if it is to his side (מצדו), its ruling is as behind him.
Two measures. Behind and to the sides: four amot (the מחנה) counted from the place where the smell ceases — and one always measures for a person who smells normally, even if he himself cannot smell. Before: it is sight that rules — מלא עיניו, as far as he sees it; and even at night or a blind man distance themselves to the point where it could not be seen by day. The Rama adds that the ש״ץ (prayer-leader) who discharges the public must be silent until the excrement is removed from the house of prayer.

Séif 2 — the רשות אחרת: another domain, ten tefachim

היתה במקום גבוה עשרה טפחים או נמוך עשרה, או שהיתה בבית אחד והוא בבית אחר, אפילו הפתח פתוח ויושב בצדה ורואה אותה, אם אין לה ריח יכול לקרות; ואם יש לה ריח לא מהניא הפסקה ולא שינוי רשות.
Séif 2: if it was in a place ten tefachim high (גבוה עשרה טפחים) or ten low, or in one house while he is in another — even if the door is open and he sits at its side and sees it — if it has no smell (אם אין לה ריח) he may read (יכול לקרות). But if it has a smell, neither a separation (הפסקה) nor a change of domain (שינוי רשות) helps.
A step of ten tefachim (in height or in depth) or another room makes the excrement a domain of its own (רשות אחרת): his camp remains « holy » and he may read — provided there is no smell. For the smell travels: as soon as there is a ריח רע, neither separation nor change of domain helps. Séif 3 applies this to courtyards (חצרות): excrement in the large courtyard forbids reading in the small one; the reverse is permitted without distancing if no bad smell reaches him.

Séif 3 — animal excrement (dog, pig, donkey, cat)

צואת כלב וחזיר אם נתן בהם עורות מרחיקים מהם כמו מצואת אדם, ואם לאו דינם כדין צואת שאר בהמה חיה ועוף שאין צריך להרחיק מהם אם אין בהם ריח רע, ואם יש בהם ריח רע דינם כמו צואת אדם.
Séif 4: dog and pig excrement (צואת כלב וחזיר) — if hides (עורות) have been placed in them for tanning, one distances from them as from human excrement (צואת אדם); and if not, their ruling is like the excrement of the rest of cattle, wild beasts and birds, from which one need not distance himself if they have no bad smell; and if they have a bad smell, their ruling is like human excrement.
The general rule: the excrement of cattle, beasts and birds does not require distancing as long as there is no smell. Dog and pig in which hides were placed (which give a strong smell), and — in séif 5 — the soft צואת חמור of a donkey coming from the road, that of a cat, a נמיה and a stinking carcass (נבילה מסרחת), are treated like צואת אדם. Séifim 6-7 add (per the Yerushalmi) the urine of a donkey returning from the road, the excrement of red roosters, and the coop (הלול) which « stinks » and counts as צואת אדם.

Séif 4 — the ריח רע: garbage heap and passed wind

יצא ממנו רוח מלמטה אסור בדברי תורה עד שיכלה הריח, ואם יצא מחבירו מותר בדברי תורה, אבל לקרות קריאת שמע אסור עד שיכלה הריח.
Séif 9: if a wind went out from him from below (יצא ממנו רוח מלמטה), he is forbidden for words of Torah until the smell ceases (עד שיכלה הריח). And if it went out from his fellow (מחבירו), he is permitted for words of Torah — for it is impossible that among the students some are not studying while others sleep and pass wind in their sleep — but to read the קריאת שמע is forbidden until the smell ceases.
A ריח רע halts study and reading. Distinction: a wind from oneself forbids even words of Torah until the smell ceases; a wind from another does not forbid them (one cannot avoid it in the beit-midrash), yet it still forbids the קריאת שמע until the smell ceases. Séif 8, likewise, forbids reading facing an אשפה שריחה רע (a foul-smelling garbage heap).
The siman in one sentence: facing the צואה, behind and to the sides one distances himself ד׳ אמות ממקום שכלה הריח, before him מלא עיניו (even at night or blind); another domain (ten tefachim, another room) saves only without smell; the excrement of cattle is permitted without smell, but dog/pig with hides, donkey, cat and carcass are like צואת אדם; and any ריח רע (אשפה, a passed wind) forbids reading עד שיכלה הריח.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Measuring the distance

Situation: he notices excrement during the ק״ש. How far must he stand?
Conduct: if it is behind him or to his side, he distances himself four amot counted from the place where the smell ceases. If it is before him, he distances himself מלא עיניו — as far as he can see it (and even at night or blind, to the point where it could not be seen by day). For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Excrement in another room

Situation: the excrement is in an adjoining room, or on a ledge ten tefachim high. May he read?
Conduct: as long as no smell reaches him, a step of ten tefachim or another room (רשות אחרת) makes it permitted — even if he sees it. But as soon as there is a ריח רע, neither the separation nor the change of domain helps: he must distance himself. For borderline cases, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — A passed wind (הפחה) and the ריח רע

Situation: a wind escapes from him, or comes from his neighbour, during study or the ק״ש. What to do?
Conduct: a wind that goes out from oneself forbids words of Torah until the smell ceases; one that comes from another does not forbid words of Torah, but still forbids the קריאת שמע until the smell ceases. Likewise, one does not read facing a foul-smelling אשפה. For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. What distance is required behind oneself, and from where is it measured (séif 1)?
  2. Why, before oneself, is the measure מלא עיניו and not four amot (séif 1)?
  3. When does another domain (ten tefachim, another room) permit reading, and when does it help nothing (séif 2)?
  4. Which animal excrement is like צואת אדם, and which is permitted without smell (séifim 4-5)?
  5. What is the difference between a wind passed from oneself and one from another for Torah and for the ק״ש (séif 9)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 80 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן ע״ט · ט׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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