• May 23, 2025
  • 24 5785, Iyyar
  • פרשת בהר־בחקתי

Bathrooms & Halacha

Bathrooms & Halacha

Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores all you wanted to know about bathrooms and were too embarrassed to ask. Topics include: What smells prohibit reciting blessings and other acts of kedusha? If the baby’s diaper (nappy) is full, how far away must you be to allow prayer? Can the baby’s diaper (nappy) be changed in the synagogue? If you merely enter and immediately leave a bathroom, must you wash your hands? What is the status of food that was in a bathroom? How can you enter a bathroom if you are carrying a siddur? We will survey the opinions of the great poskim.

January 8, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 1
Class description

Indoor plumbing is an artifact of modern times. We will begin with the opinions of the modern poskim regarding the halachic status of the flushing toilette.

January 15, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 2
Class description

Today we introduce the issue of “ruach ra” (evil spirits) in toilet facilities and the opinion of R. BenZion Abba Shaul.

January 22, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 3
Class description
January 29, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 4
Class description

R. Moshe Stern’s distinction between Ruach Ra (which does not prevent you from praying or reciting blessings) and cleanliness of the hands (which does prohibit those activities).

February 5, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 5
Class description

The opinion R. Ovadya Yosef on the need to wash hands in a ritual way after exiting a bathroom. R. Eliezer Yehuda Valdenberg’s opinion regarding the need to wash a hand when only the hand was in the bathroom. Introduction to the status of feces and urine of small children.

February 12, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 6
Class description

The status of baby’s bowel movements and urine. Holy books in the restroom or in the bedroom.

February 19, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 7
Class description

Prayer books and printed Chumashim in the bathroom. Offensive smells other than bowel movements and urine.

February 26, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 8
Class description

The smell of passing gas (flatulence). Evil spirits (רוח רעה) in Rabbinic sources.

March 5, 2018 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bathrooms & Halacha: Lesson 9
Class description

Ruach Ra’ah (evil spirits) in medieval and modern times.

In addition to being one of Rabbi Brovender's first students, Rabbi Dovid Fink is an outstanding expertᅠand teacher of Halacha. Rabbi Fink received his Rabbinic ordination from ITRI and the Mir and was awarded his Ph.D in Semitic Languages and Linguistics from Yale University. Rav Fink has taught thousands of students from all over the world for over 35 years.