Brushing Teeth on Shabbat

From Halachipedia
This article is good. It can still be slightly improved, either by adding content, restructuring the page, or updating its content.
Brushing.png

Brushing Teeth on Shabbat

The following is a discussion of the various potential halachic concerns regarding brushing one's teeth on shabbat.

Mimachaik / Mimareach

The Mishnah in Shabbat (73a) lists Memachaik (lit: scraping) as one of the avot melacha, scraping a surface to leave a smooth remainder (e.g. sandpaper, scraping hairs off a hide of leather). The Mishnah Shabbat (146a) also discusses a toldah or derivative of mamaechaik known as mimareach (lit: smoothing), which is accomplished not by scraping down a surface, but rather by spreading a malleable substance (e.g. wax) over a surface.[1]

There are two potential memacheik concerns regarding brushing teeth on shabbat:

  1. Removing the plaque and dirt from the teeth and thereby smoothing them out (av melacha of memachaik).
    1. Rav Soloveitchik thinks this is not a concern.
      1. Removing dirt or plaque is certainly not mimachek, just like washing dirt off of dishes is permissible (see Gemara Shabbat 50a). Mimachek is only when you’re removing a substance that is part of the essence of the object itself.[2]
  2. Spreading out the toothpaste over the surface of your teeth (toldah of mimareach).
    1. Rav Moshe Feinstein prohibits using toothpaste due to "mimachaik", but permits brushing without toothpaste, as this is just like washing the rest of your body.[3]
    2. Rav Ovadia Yosef permits even brushing with toothpaste.[4]
    3. The Tzitz Eliezer rules stringently like Rav Moshe.[5]
    4. Rav Soloveitchik rules leniently like Rav Ovadia.[6]

Molid

The toothpaste becoming more foamy and fluid may be a problem of molid. Molid is the rabbinic prohibition of creating a new substance (or more precisely, changing the form of a substance), which is based on the gemara (Shabbat 51a) that prohibits crushing ice into water on shabbat.[7]

  1. Rav Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss[8] prohibits brushing teeth with toothpaste for this reason, among others.
  2. Rav Ovadia[9] paskens like the Shulchan Aruch that Sephardim don't have to worry about molid.
    1. He adds that Ashkenazim should hold like the Rema, so using toothpaste is forbidden for them.[10]
  3. Rabbi Herschel Schachter[11] holds that even for Ashkenazim it should not be a problem of molid.
    1. The whole concern of molid is only from solid to liquid, not from paste to liquid.

Refuah

Brushing one's teeth may be a problem of preventative medicine on shabbat, thereby violating the rabbinic decree against refuah on Shabbat.

  1. Rav Moshe Yonah Halevi Zweig raises this possibility.
    1. Perhaps since toothpaste contains flouride, which strengthens one's teeth and can be viewed as preventative medicine, it should be prohibited.
  2. Rav Ovadia rejects this.
    1. Even if the toothpaste has flouride, it is not a problem of refuah because even healthy people brush their teeth daily, and the gezeira of refuah doesn't apply to preventative medicine.[12]

Sechita

Brushing one's teeth may be a problem of sechita (lit: squeezing), since in the process of brushing one squeezes absorbed water out of the bristles. Gemara (Shabbat 128b) says there’s no sechita in hair since it doesn’t absorb. Rambam (Shabbat 9:11) paskins like this. However, the Maggid mishnah there says he still holds its asur derabbanan.[13]

  • Rav Moshe and Rav Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss say same with a toothbrush because the bristles are tightly packed and therefore you can’t use even liquid toothpaste and can’t wet it before.[14]
  • The Sridei Esh [15] culls a few reasons that we can be lenient with sechita with a toothbrush.
  1. Says sechita is not a problem because you're not intending to squeeze out the toothbrush so its pesik resha (a consequence that will automatically happen)dilo nicha leh (that he doesn't need) on a dirabanan.[16]
  2. He also says that since main issue involved is sechita (because of mifarek, which is a form of Dash) it is permitted since the water or toothpaste goes to waste when you're done. However, had the issue been libun, the fact that the water or toothpaste goes to waste afterwards wouldn't be enough of a reason to permit.[17]
  3. You can use a towel (Shabbat 147b) because if people go in they need to dry off and if you don’t let them dry off they cant wash and people cant live without washing, so too people suffer without clean teeth.
  • Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach says that the first leniency is not true because the people are happy with the squeezing of the toothpaste because that's what cleans their teeth. He also rejects the second because the liquid doesn't go to waste until after it fulfills its purpose. However, he is still mekil with regard to sechita for brushing your teeth for the third reason.[18]

Uvdin Dichol

There is no clear definition of what uvdin dichol is. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman defines it as if you do something during the week that would be assur on Shabbat and then on Shabbat do the same actions with the same objects just a little differently.[19] Rav Moshe defines it as something that is an easily recognizable weekday activity even if it requires no melachot to be done.[20] Mishna Brurah (314:41) says that to use a vegetable grinder to grind eggs or cheese would be uvdin dichol. He also says in (303:87) that you can't use a comb even to lightly brush your hair to one side, but instead should get a special brush for Shabbat with soft bristles so its not uvdin dichol.

Minchat Yitzchak 3:50 and Rav Ovadia say that this would be a problem unless a special toothbrush is used.[21] Rav Schachter said intuitively he feels there’s no problem of uvdin dichol with brushing teeth.[22]

Chavalah

Brushing your teeth can cause the gums to bleed which is asur under the melacha of shochet.[23]

  • Rav Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss says that this would be a problem with toothbrushes especially ones with hard bristles.[24]
  • Rav Ovadia says this isn’t really a problem because people usually don’t bleed, it only happens when you don’t brush often so its davar she’eno mitkaven if you do end up bleeding. And even if one does bleed often, then its pesik reshe its not nichah leh bidarabanan and there may be room to be lenient.

Hachanah

Gemara Shabbat (118a) says you can wash dinner and lunch dishes because you need it for the next meal, but you can’t wash dishes from seudat shlishit because that’s preparing for after Shabbat.[25]

  • Therefore, some say washing the toothbrush for the next day may be this same problem.[26]
  • Rav Ovadia, Rav Moshe, Chacham Benzion Abba Shaul all agree that washing the brush after would be asur.[27]
  • Rav Shlomo Zalman (28:81) says if you normally do something, and its no tircha you can do it on Shabbat, even if theres a benefit for the next day as long as you don’t specifically say its for the next day.[28]
  • Rav Schachter also allows this because people don’t clean it to have it clean for after Shabbat but because people don’t want dirty toothbrushes lying around.[29]

Halachic Summary

  1. Some poskim permit brushing one’s teeth on Shabbat, while some forbid doing so. Some poskim hold that if one does brush his teeth on Shabbat, he should use liquid toothpaste.[30]
  2. It is permitted to use mouthwash on Shabbat.[31]

Links

Related Pages

  1. Halachipedia article on Brushing Teeth

Sources

  1. ↑ Rambam Hilchot Shabbat 11:5,6
  2. ↑ Nefesh Harav p. 168. In a funny anecdote, Rav Schachter recalls how one of the talmidim asked Rav Soloveitchik that perhaps brushing teeth on shabbat should be prohibited because enamel is removed via the brushing, and he responded that if that were true, then eventually you would have no tooth left from brushing, so obviously that is not the case (to any degree which the halacha would deem significant).
  3. ↑ Sh"t Iggerot Moshe Orach Chaim, 1:112. Seemingly, Rav Moshe meant mimareach, the toladah of mimachek, and this is why he only prohibited brushing with toothpaste but permitted brushing without toothpase.
  4. ↑ Sh"t Yabia Omer 4:30. This is based on the Magen Avraham (316:24), that one is allowed to smear spit on the ground since it gets totally absorbed in the ground and so is not considered to be smoothed out in any significant way. Similarly, toothpaste doesn’t stay on the teeth for a long time, but rather gets absorbed. His second proof is that the Rama (Orach Chaim 326:10) prohibits washing one's hands with hard soap due to molid, but does not mention anything about mimareach, presumably because the soap only remains on one's hands temporarily.
  5. ↑ Sh"t Tzitz Eliezer(7:30:8). Brushing teeth is not subject to the same leniency as the case of the Magen Avraham. There, the whole purpose of rubbing the spit on the ground is to get it absorbed into the ground, and so that's why the smoothing is deemed insignificant. But with toothpaste, there is a purpose in the smearing itself on the teeth, even if just for a minute, and so the smearing itself is significant. The 39 Melachos (vol 2, pg 373) also paskens this way.
  6. ↑ Nefesh Harav 168. Even though the toothpaste companies claim that the paste coats the tooth for 24 hours, Rav Soloveitchik wasn’t convinced that this was true. And even if it is true, an invisible coating isn’t halachically significant (see Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh Deah 83:15).
  7. ↑ This is based on Rashi's interpretation of the gemara there that turning the ice into water is "דמי למלאכה, שבורא המים האלו" - it is similar to creative labor since you are creating the water. Other rishonim understand this gemara as being a narrow decree limited to not squeezing ice into water, lest one come to squeeze fruit for their juice and thereby violate sechita. See Rambam Mishneh Torah Hilchot Shabbat 21:13. According to these rishonim, there would thus be no source for a rabbinic prohibition of molid. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 318:16) paskens leniently, that one is allowed to place fully cooked solid food close to a fire, even though the congealed fats will melt into liquid. However, the Rema ibid. rules stringently, that one should not place the solid food near the fire in a way that will cause it to liquify, except in cases of need. This same machloket applies to the permissibility of using a bar of soap. Shulchan Aruch (326:10) permits it, but the Rama there forbids it because of molid, since the solid bar of soap will liquify through use.
  8. ↑ Minchat Yitzchak (3:50)
  9. ↑ Yabia Omer OC 4:29
  10. ↑ Yabia Omer Orach Chaim 4:28
  11. ↑ Rav Schachter is quoted by Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz between 2:30 and 3:30 http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/752802/Rabbi_Aryeh_Lebowitz/Ten_Minute_Halacha_-_Brushing_Teeth_on_Shabbos
  12. ↑ Rabbi Zweig in Ohel Moshe (2:98) is quoted by yabia omer (Yabia Omer Orach Chaim 4:29) as comparing it to the Rambam in Hilchot Shabbat 21:24 which discusses the issue of refuah. There the Rambam writes "אֵין לוֹעֲסִין אֶת הַמַּסְטְכִי וְאֵין שָׁפִין אֶת הַשִּׁנַּיִם בְּסַם בְּשַׁבָּת בִּזְמַן שֶׁנִּתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה. וְאִם נִתְכַּוֵּן לְרֵיחַ הַפֶּה מֻתָּר" - one may not chew gum or brush his teeth with herbs on shabbat if his intention is for healing, but if his intention is to freshen his breath then it's muttar. This is based on the tosefta shabbat 13:7, which is cited by the Rif shabbat (41a in the dapei harif). One who brushes one's teeth doesn't simply have intention to freshen his breath, but also has intention to strengthen his teeth.
  13. ↑ Hilchot Shabbat 9:11 and Maggid Mishnah there, (Kesef Mishnah on Rambam 2:11, and Mishnah Brurah 330)
  14. ↑ Iggeros Moshe (1:112) and Minchat Yitzchak 3:48. 39 Melachos (vol 2, pg 373) agrees.
  15. ↑ Sridei Esh 1:30 (in 1999 Jerusalem version, and 1:28 in the older version)
  16. ↑ The source to be mekil in that case is based on Magen Avraham orach chaim (253:41) and Shu”t terumat hadeshen 64. However, Rama 316:3 disagrees with this assumption
  17. ↑ It is a problem of dash and not libun because the Magen Avraham Seif Katan 19 on shulchan aruch 320:15 says that if the garments main function is to absorb the liquid, (which a toothbrush is) then there is no concern that he will come to launder it). In that case, if the liquid goes to waste after violating dash, then it is permitted. (Shulchan Aruch Orach chaim 320)
  18. ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman's opinion is written in a letter in response to the sridei esh that's quoted in Siman 34 of the Sridei Esh.
  19. ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman Meor Hasshabbat Letter 2:2
  20. ↑ Iggerot Moshe 4:74
  21. ↑ Seemingly then Rav Ovadia would be using a definition of uvdin dichol other than the one's of Rav Shlomo Zalman and Rav Moshe, because for them there is no way to violate uvdin dichol on an action that's permissible during the week. Yalkut Yosef 326:15 writes that it is proper to be strict to get a Shabbat toothbrush to avoid uvdin dichol.
  22. ↑ Quoted by Rabbi Lebowitz, using the rule that the Chazon Ish said that the parameters of uvdin dichol are defined by the poskim of each generation (39 melachos, Introduction to Shabbos endnote 522).
  23. ↑ Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 316:8, Mishna Brurah 30 Mishna Brurah 328:147; 39 Melochos, p. 893-94.
  24. ↑ Minchat Yitzchak 3:50
  25. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 323:6
  26. ↑ 39 Melachos (vol 2, pg 373)
  27. ↑ Iggerot Moshe 1:112, Yabia Omer 4:30, Or Litzion 2:253
  28. ↑ Shmirat Shabbat Kihilchitah 28:81(For example: you can bring your tallet home after shul, you can put a sefer back in its place, put a bottle of water back in the fridge) This can also be applied to a toothbrush (This point is raised by Yalkut Yosef 326: 27) although he disagrees.
  29. ↑ Quoted by Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz in an article on yutorah.org. This is based on a psak by Mishna Brurah 302:19 which allows one to make one's bed on Shabbat for the same reason.
  30. ↑
    • Memarei’ach: The Gemara (146a) states that if one smears wax in order to seal a barrel, he violates Memarei’ach, which the Rambam (Shabbat 11:6) explains is a Toldah of Memachaik (smoothing hides).
    • Rav Soloveitchik (quoted in Nefesh HaRav p. 168-9) held that Memarei’ach applies only if one smears a substance onto something else and it forms a new layer; however, the toothpaste dissolves within minutes and thus does not pose an issue of Memarei’ach.
    • Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 4:27) agrees. He supports this position from the Magen Avraham (316:24), who writes that Memarei’ach applies only if one wants to smooth one substance onto another, but not if one merely smears saliva on the ground in order for it to be absorbed. The Tzitz Eliezer 7:30:8 rejects this proof, because smoothing out the saliva doesn’t accomplish anything, but smoothing the toothpaste does serve to clean one’s teeth.
    • Rav Ovadia adds that perhaps it is similar to the Rambam (Responsa 339), who permitted using soap on Shabbat and was not concerned with Memarei’ach. Yet Mishna Brurah 326:30 quotes the Tiferet Yisrael, who thinks that there also is a prohibition of Memarei’ach in using soap on Shabbat.
    • Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe 1:112) writes that using toothpaste is a violation of Memachaik. Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz (“Brushing Teeth on Shabbos”) points out that most likely Rav Moshe meant Memarei’ach, as there is no scraping or sanding done to the teeth that would constitute Memachaik. Minchat Yitzchak 3:48 agrees.
    • Ohr Letzion (v. 2, 35:6) writes that Memarei’ach can be avoided using liquid toothpaste. While this seems to be the opinion of Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata (ch. 14 n. 49 and 102), it is disputed by Tzitz Eliezer (7:30) who argues that Memarei’ach can even apply to liquids.
    • Molid: The Gemara (Shabbat 51b) states that one may not crush ice in order to produce water on Shabbat. Rashi (s.v. Kedei) explains that it is rabbinically forbidden because the “creating” water is similar to a melacha. The Rashba (s.v. VeLi) however, argues that the prohibition is because it is similar to squeezing fruits.
    • The Rama 326:10 rules that it is forbidden to use soap on Shabbat because of Molid. Ginat Veradim 3:14 argues that not only according to the Rashba is it permitted, but even according to Rashi there’s no Molid, since the soap is nullified by the water and there isn’t any noticeable new formation. Yabia Omer 4:28 applies this logic to toothpaste. Menuchat Ahava (v. 2, p. 119) suggests that Molid may not apply in this case where the transformation isn’t visible since it happens in one’s mouth.
    • Rabbi Hershel Schachter (quoted by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz) says that there is an issue of Molid only when changing a solid into a liquid or visa versa, but not if one is changing a quasi-solid paste to a quasi-liquid foam. Ketzot HaShulchan (v. 7 p. 99) agrees.
    • Refuah: Rav Ovadia Yosef (4:29:16) explains that there is no concern of Refuah, since brushing one’s teeth does not heal or remove pain but rather prevents cavities and illnesses. He maintains that this is permitted not only according to the Beit Yosef 328:37, who permits a healthy person to take medicine, but even according to the Magen Avraham 328:43, who rejects the Beit Yosef’s position, because brushing teeth is not clearly a medicinal activity. Ketzot HaShulchan (v. 7 p. 99) and Ohr Letzion (v. 2, 35:6) agree.
    • Sechitah: Rav Moshe Feinstein (1:112) writes that it is preferable not to wet the brush to avoid the Melacha of Sechitah, wringing out a liquid from a solid. Rav Hershel Schachter (oral communication) holds that squeezing out hair is only d’rabanan since it appears like it absorbs liquid; bristles, however, are stiff and clearly don’t look like they absorb liquid. Seridei Eish 1:30, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (quoted in Seridei Eish), and Rav Ovadia agree.
    • Uvda DeChol: Ketzot HaShulchan (v. 7 p. 99) writes that using a toothbrush is considered Uvda DeChol. Rav Hershel Schachter (quoted by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz), however, holds that there is no issue of Uvda DeChol. Rav Ovadia 4:30 says that it may be a tzorech Shabbat, in which case Uvda DeChol does not apply.
    • Hachanah: Rav Moshe writes that one should not clean off the brush after using it because there’s no use for it until after Shabbat. Yabia Omer 4:30 agrees. Rav Hershel Schachter (cited by Rabbi Lebowitz), though, permits cleaning the brush since people generally do so after brushing because it is unappealing to leave a dirty toothbrush lying around.
    • Chavalah: Minchat Yitzchak 3:48 writes that since it is hard to be careful not to make oneself bleed, one should not brush so as not to violate Chavalah. Rav Ovadia 4:29 writes that this is an issue only for someone who rarely brushes and almost certainly will bleed; otherwise, it is considered a davar she’eino mitkavein and is permitted.
  31. ↑ Be’eir Moshe 1:34:7 permits using mouthwash, as he maintains that Molid Rei’ach does not apply to a person’s body. Rivevot Efraim 2:115:23 agrees.
Category Topic
Mitzvot of Shabbat
Kiddush Levana - Enjoying Shabbat - Fourth meal of Shabbat - Havdalah - Having a meal on Friday - In the Spirit of Shabbat - Kiddush - Lighting Shabbat Candles - Making Early Shabbat - Making one hundred Brachot on Shabbat - Preparing foods on Shabbat - Preparing for Shabbat - Shenayim Mikrah - Kavod Shabbat - Shabbos Davening - Seudat Shabbat - Seudat Shelishit - Lechem Mishneh - Motzei Shabbat - When Does Shabbat Start?
Restrictions of Shabbat
Allowing Carrying Using an Eruv Chatzerot - Animals on Shabbat - Asking a Jew to work on Shabbat - Asking a non-Jew to work on Shabbat (Amirah LeNochri) - Benefiting from a Violation of Shabbat (Maaseh Shabbat) - Books, notebooks, and papers - Brushing Teeth on Shabbat - Building a structure on Shabbat (Boneh) - Carrying on Shabbat - Cleaning the dishes - Cleaning and Folding Garments on Shabbat - Clearing the table - Cooking (Ofeh and Bishul) - Cosmetics on Shabbat - Dancing and clapping on Shabbat - Electricity on Shabbat - Eruv Chatzerot - Eruvin - Games on Shabbat - Getting dressed on Shabbat - Giving birth on Shabbat - Grinding (Tochen) - Handling objects on Shabbat (Muktzeh) - Infants on Shabbat - Introduction to the Modern Eruv - Kneading (Lash) - Mail on Shabbat - Medicine on Shabbat (Refuah on Shabbat) - Melacha That Begins Before Shabbat - Opening bottles and containers (Boneh) - Plants on Shabbat (Zoreah) - Preparing for after Shabbat (Hachana) - Reading on Shabbat (Daber Davar) - Recreation on Shabbat - Sechirut Reshut - Separating mixtures (Borer) - Squeezing fruits (Sechita) - Speaking on Shabbat (Daber Davar) - Taking a cruise over Shabbat - Taking measurements on Shabbat - Techum - Transactions on Shabbat - Transportation on Shabbat - Going to and Staying in the Hospital on Shabbat - Wages on Shabbat (Sachar Shabbat) - Washing one’s body on Shabbat
Melachos
Introduction to Melechet Machshevet - Marbeh Bshiurim - Plowing - Planting - Harvesting - Gathering - Threshing - Winnowing - Separating - Grinding - Sifting - Kneading - Baking and Cooking - Shearing - Laundering - Combing - Dyeing - Spinning - Mounting warp threads - Making two loops - Weaving - Unraveling fabric - Tying - Untying - Gluing, taping, or stapling - Ripping - Trapping - Slaughtering - Skinning - Tanning - Smoothing - Scoring - Cutting precisely - Writing - Erasing - Building - Demolishing - Completing a vessel - Extinguishing a flame - Kindling a fire - Carrying
Retrieved from "http://localhost:80/index.php?title=Brushing_Teeth_on_Shabbat&oldid=33270"