{"id":6069,"date":"2010-01-05T08:00:49","date_gmt":"2010-01-05T06:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=6069"},"modified":"2018-05-24T11:17:38","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T08:17:38","slug":"02-05-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/02-05-08\/","title":{"rendered":"08 – One Who Must Relieve Himself While Praying"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Chachamim<\/i> teach that one who needs to relieve himself, be it to urinate or to defecate, is prohibited from praying (Berachot<\/i> 23a), since the need to relieve himself is likely to disrupt his kavanah<\/i>. In addition, it is not proper to come to pray before HaKadosh Baruch Hu<\/i> when one\u2019s body is made repulsive by the excrement inside him. Even if he is uncertain as to whether or not he needs to relieve himself, it is proper that he try before beginning to pray (Berachot<\/i> 15a). The Chachamim<\/i> support their statement with the verse (Amos 4:12), \u201cIsrael, prepare to meet your God.\u201d It is also written (Ecclesiastes 4:17), \u201cGuard your foot when you go to the House of God,\u201d meaning, make sure you do not need to relieve yourself at the time that you are standing to pray.<\/p>\n
There are two levels of need: 1) a need so pressing that it is impossible to wait even the amount of time it takes to walk a parsah<\/i>, which is approximately 72 minutes; 2) a need to relieve oneself, but which can be controlled for longer than 72 minutes.<\/p>\n
If a person begins to recite the Amidah<\/i> when he cannot control his need to defecate for 72 minutes, his prayer is considered an abomination and he does not fulfill his obligation. Instead, he must go back and repeat his prayer after he relieves himself. However, if he recites the Amidah<\/i> when he cannot control his need to urinate for 72 minutes, although it is clear that he did not act in accordance with the law, the Acharonim<\/i> are divided as to whether or not his prayer is considered an abomination. Due to the fact that it is not in our power to settle this dispute, there is no obligation to repeat the prayer, but it is good to go back and pray a voluntary prayer (tefillat nedavah<\/i>) (see Bei\u2019ur Halachah<\/i> 92:1, s.v. \u201cV\u2019tzarich lachzor<\/i>\u201d).<\/span>[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n If a person is able to control himself for 72 minutes, and he recites the Amidah<\/i>, his prayer is considered valid because his need to relieve himself is not so urgent. In any case, l’chatchilah<\/i>, even a person who can wait 72 minutes is prohibited from praying. Even if he will miss praying in a minyan<\/i> because of this, he must relieve himself and pray individually. If, however, before he relieves himself, the time to pray will pass, he should pray immediately so that he will not miss praying altogether (Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 92:1; Mishnah Berurah <\/i>92:5).<\/p>\n The estimation of a person\u2019s ability to control himself can only be determined by the person himself. If he thought before the prayer service that he could wait 72 minutes, but after beginning to pray he was proven mistaken, his prayer is still considered valid, since at the time he started to pray he believed he could contain his need (Bei\u2019ur Halachah<\/i> 92:1, s.v. \u201cShiur Parsah<\/i>\u201d).<\/p>\n If he has doubt as to whether or not he needs to relieve himself, or if his need is very slight, as we learned, l’chatchilah<\/i> he should relieve himself before the prayer service, but he should not miss out on praying with a minyan<\/i> for that purpose.[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n
\n