{"id":6073,"date":"2010-01-05T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2010-01-05T07:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=6073"},"modified":"2018-05-24T11:17:48","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T08:17:48","slug":"02-05-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/02-05-09\/","title":{"rendered":"09 – One Who Needs to Relieve Himself Before Reciting Other Matters of Sanctity"},"content":{"rendered":"
Just as one who needs to relieve himself and cannot wait 72 minutes is prohibited from reciting the Amidah<\/i>, so too, he is prohibited from reciting berachot<\/i>, saying Shema<\/i>, and learning Torah, for it is not proper to engage in matters of sanctity when one\u2019s body is offensive. However, there is a significant difference between the Amidah<\/i> and other matters of sanctity. In the Amidah<\/i> we resemble people standing in front of the King. If one does not pray in the proper manner, he disgraces the respect of Heaven and his prayer is an abomination. Therefore, when the person reciting the Amidah<\/i> cannot control his need for 72 minutes, his prayer is invalid. This is not so regarding other matters of sanctity. While saying them, one is not considered to be standing before the King. Hence, b\u2019dieved<\/i>, if he recites berachot<\/i> or Shema<\/i> even when he is not able to control his need for 72 minutes, he fulfills his obligation (Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 92:6; Bei\u2019ur Halachah<\/i> s.v. \u201cAfilu B\u2019Divrei Torah<\/i>\u201d; Kaf HaChaim<\/i> 3).[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n One who can wait 72 minutes, according to most Acharonim<\/i>, is permitted l’chatchilah<\/i> to recite berachot<\/i> and learn Torah, though there are those who say that it is preferable for him to relieve himself first (Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 92:7). However, if he must exert himself in doing so, he does not need to relieve himself.<\/p>\n A person who starts to learn when he does not need to relieve himself, but in the course of learning feels a need, to the point where he can no longer wait 72 minutes, should l’chatchilah<\/i> go and relieve himself. If he is in the middle of a subject of study, some say that he may continue to learn until he finishes that subject (Bei\u2019ur Halachah<\/i> 92:2 s.v. \u201cKoreh<\/i>\u201d; Yalkut Yosef<\/i>, part 2, p. 338), whereas others say that he should go relieve himself immediately (Kaf HaChaim<\/i> 3:48). If he is teaching Torah, he should finish his class and then relieve himself, for human dignity (kevod habriyot<\/i>) is so great that it overrides the rabbinic prohibition of \u201cDo not abominate oneself\u201d (Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 92:7).<\/p>\n