Showering on Yom Tov

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Background

Heating up water on Yom Tov

In the Mishna (Beitzah 2:5), Bet Shamai say that one may only heat up water for washing one’s feet and only to a temperature that one would be able to drink, while Bet Hillel permit heating up the water even as hot as needed to bathe. Ran Beitzah 11a explains that Bet Hillel's opinion is based on the concept of Mitoch (since it’s permitted to cook for food on Yom Tov, it’s also permitted to heat up water for bathing). This concept of mitoch is a subject of dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai in Mishna 1:5 on whether it is permitted to carry a child, lulav, or sefer torah in a public domain on Yom Tov, which the Gemara (Beitza 12a) explains is based on whether they accept the concept of Mitoch, Beit Hillel do, while Beit Shammai do not. S"A OC 518:1 rules that we hold like Beit Hillel that there is a concept of mitoch. Since we always hold like Bet Hillel (Eiruvin 6b) it should be permitted to heat up water for washing. However, the Gemara (Beitzah 21b) writes that even Bet Hillel agrees that it’s forbidden to heat up water one’s entire body. There are two major explanations as to why it’s forbidden to heat up water for the rest of the body.

Tosfot (21b D”H Lo Yicham) writes that Bet Hillel only allows heating up water to a high temperature regarding one’s hands and feet because that’s a pleasure enjoyed by everyone, however, for the entire body it’s forbidden (Biblically) because it’s not considered something which is a pleasure enjoyed by everyone. (This is similar to Ketubot 7a). However, the Rambam (Yom Tov 1:16) holds that the only prohibition involved is the rabbinic prohibition to bathe in a bathhouse. [This is also the opinion of the Ritva Beitzah 21b D”H Matiten.] The Ramban (Shabbat 40a D"H Ha Ditnan) explains that even though seemingly this rabbinic prohibition should not be extended to Yom Tov because it is permitted to engage in those melachot for Yom Tov, nonetheless, since some Halachic concerns still apply to bathing on Yom Tov, such as squeezing water from one’s hair or towel, the prohibition applies to Yom Tov as well.

Shulchan Aruch 511:2 rules like Tosfot that it is forbidden to heat up water on Yom Tov to wash anything more than one’s hands. [It’s evident that Shulchan Aruch holds like Tosfot from Bet Yosef 511:2. Chazon Ovadyah (Yom Tov pg 41) explains S"A this way as well.] It’s implied from Biur Halacha 511:2 D”H Yadav that what is considered a pleasure enjoyed by everyone depends on the time and place. (Sh”t Mayim Chaim 1:29 supports this idea.) [1]

Showering with water heated up before Yom Tov

Tosfot who holds that there is a biblical prohibition to heat up water on Yom Tov, also holds that there’s a rabbinic prohibition to bathe in water heated before Yom Tov, just like there’s a rabbinic prohibition regarding water heated before Shabbat. Based on this the Noda Biyehuda OC 24 and Chacham Tzvi 11 forbid immersing in a heated mikveh, even if the water was heated before Yom Tov but they did permit using lukewarm water. Teshuvot Divrei Chaim OC 2:26 says that the minhag is to allow women to immerse even on Shabbat and Yom Tov in a heated Mikvah. Rabbi Akiva Eiger on Shulchan Aruch 307:5, quoted by Bi’ur Halacha 326:1 "Bimayim" permits bathing in hot water even on Shabbat because if not the women would be in great discomfort, and the gezeira wasn't made on situations like those. However, the Rambam holds that it’s permissible to wash one’s whole body with water that was heated up before Yom Tov as long as it’s done outside a bathhouse because there was a rabbinic prohibition not to bathe in a bathhouse on Yom Tov (Bet Yosef 511:2).

Shulchan Aruch 511:2 rules like the Rambam and the Rama rules like Tosfot. Mishna Brurah 551:19 writes that Ashkenazim shouldn’t change the minhag to refrain from washing one’s whole body in water that was heated before Yom Tov. However, Chazon Ovadyah (Yom Tov pg 41) writes that the Sephardic minhag is to follow Shulchan Aruch. Sh”t Mayim Chayim 1:29 agrees.

Psak

Sephardic One may not shower on Yom Tov with water heated on Yom Tov, however, one may shower with water heated before Yom Tov as long as not in a bathhouse. One may shower on Yom Tov Sheni with water heated by an electric heater on Yom Tov Rishon. Water that was heated in a solar boiler (common in Israel) is considered like water that was heated before Yom Tov and one could shower one’s whole body in them on Yom Tov. [2]

Ashkenazik Many major authorities forbid taking a shower with hot water whether the water was heated before Yom Tov or on Yom Tov. However, one may wash one's body one limb at a time with water heated before Yom Tov and one may heat up water on Yom Tov to wash one’s face hands and feet. However, some authorities are lenient and hold that it's preferable to shower on Yom Tov with lukewarm water but it's even permitted to shower with hot water, however, one should not use very hot water. Nonetheless, it's imperative to be careful about certain concerns:

  • (1) that one may not squeeze water out of one's hair, either to dry it or to rub in shampoo and so one should put the shampoo in before wetting one's hair.
  • (2) One may not use regular bar soap based on Mishna Berura 326:30 but one should use liquid soap, preferably one that is a thin liquid.
  • (3) Some forbid using the towel to dry one's hair but agree that it's permissible to dry one's body as long as the towel isn't saturated to the point that one is squeezing out water. [3]

Links

Sources

  1. ↑ "Changes in Sociology or Technology and Jewish Law Responses to Them: The Cases of Showering or Smoking on Yom Tov" is an RJJ article by Avi Wagner and R’ Broyde on this topic. (R’ Broyde states aware of only one posek who says “Shaave” never changes).
  2. ↑ Rav Ovadyah Yosef (Chazon Ovadya Yom Tov p41,157), Yalkut Yosef Shabbat Volume 4 Siman 326 page 58
  3. ↑ This is the opinion of Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz mostly quoting Rav Hershel Schachter. This lenient opinion is based on a discussion whether and to what extent halacha considers a pleasure enjoyed by most people to change according to time.
    • (1) Magan Avraham 511:5, Aruch HaShulchan 511:5, and Biur Halacha 511 D”H Yadav hold that when considering what is a pleasure enjoyed by all one must take into consideration the contemporary custom during the week.
    • (2) Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz (New York, 2010) brings a proof from the above sources that since nowadays it’s more common to shower daily or at least once every two days heating up water for that purpose should be permissible. Rabbi Lebowitz quotes Rav Hershel Schachter who permits showering in lukewarm water. It should be noted however, that Rav Hershel Schachter's pesak as recorded in Reishit Bikkurim (Shavuot 5772) is that it is forbidden to shower in hot or warm water, but only in water that's cold but not uncomfortably cold. In the footnote he explicitly writes that lukewarm water is forbidden. (3) Sh”t Mayim Chayim 1:29 (Rav Chaim Dovid HaLevi, Tel Aviv, 1991) agrees with the above proof, however, he disagrees with the assumption that nowadays the common custom is to shower daily and it’s not sufficient that it’s the custom to shower regularly (even once in two days). [He does admit that if he were in a very hot climate and it was actually the custom for everyone to take a shower every single morning then he’d permit.] (This is similar to the position taken by the Chazon Yechezkel Beitzah 2:7 but Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 21 note 21 questions it.)
    • (4) However, Sh”t Bear Moshe 8:158-9 (Rav Moshe Stern, Brooklyn, NY, 1987) argues that the above sources aren’t a proof because in all those cases the contemporary custom was only considered in order to create a stringency beyond that which that was ruled in Shulchan Aruch. Therefore, Bear Moshe is unwilling to consider permitting heating water to shower on Yom Tov.
    • (5) Mishna Brurah 551:9 and 18 rules (like the Rama) that one may not take a shower a full body shower with hot water on Yom Tov whether the water was heated on Yom Tov or before, however, one may wash one's whole body part by part with water heated before Yom Tov and one may heat up water on Yom Tov to wash one's hands, feet, and face.
    • (6) In conclusion whether or not this definition of "a pleasurable activity enjoyed by all" in halacha can change most poskim are unwilling to rule leniently and rule in accordance with the Mishna Brurah even nowadays. This is the opinion of Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 14:7 (in old and new edition), Halachically Speaking quoting Horav Yisroel Belsky, Rivevot Ephraim i6:265, 8:248:1, Sh"t Tzitz Eliezer 6:20, 11:64, Avnei Yushfei 3:55 quoting Rav Elyashiv. [In the footnote (#21) of Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata he discusses the topic at length and shows that there is some reason to be lenient but nonetheless doesn't rule that way.] (7)Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen in his book "The Laws of Yom Tov" basically agrees to all of the above and adds that it's customary to refrain from even a cold shower on Yom Tov unless there it is a case of discomfort and that it's permitted to heat up water on Yom Tov for the purpose of washing a minor part of the body. Lastly, Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen adds that washing any part of the body in a shower or bathtub is forbidden unless one is partly clothed. Rav Chaim Jachter on koltorah.org points out that one should not distinguish in this regard between the first and second day of yom tov simply because the second day is rabbinic, as the Aruch Hashulchan 511:11 says this is degrading to Yom Tov sheni
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