|
72:12 It is a mitzvah 1 for each person to wash on every Friday one's face,
hands, and feet in hot water. If possible, one should wash one's entire body in
hot water, and immerse oneself in a Mikvah. 2
1) Part of the mitzvah to honor Shabbat. 2) The ritual bath to cleanse the body from impurity. |
מצוה על כל אדם לרחוץ בכל ערב שבת פניו ידיו ורגליו בחמין ואם אפשר ירחץ כל גופו בחמין ויטבול את עצמו במקוה |
|
72:13 It is forbidden to bathe 1 (naked) with (either) one's father,
father-in-law, mother's husband or sister's husband. 2 In places where
it is customary to cover one's nakedness in the bath house (bathing with
these relatives) is permitted. 3 Similarly a student should not bathe
together with his Rabbi, 4 but if his help is needed, it is permissible.
5
1) The reference is to a public bath house. Most private houses of that time did not have bathrooms. 2) It is prohibited for a male to engage in sexual fantasizing; one reason for this prohibition is as a safeguard against experiencing seminal emissions, whether they be during the day or while asleep at night (all seminal emissions outside of sexual intercourse with one's wife, are prohibited; any act, observation or thought that may lead to conscious or unconscious seminal emissions is also prohibited). This rabbinical enactment against bathing with particular relatives is a safeguard against sexual fantasizing. 3) The Aruch HaShulchan (Even HaEzer 23:8) states that he is unsure whether it is permissible for a father to bathe with his son who is under 13 years old. 4) To do so would represent a lack of ''Derech Eretz'' (respect) to his teacher. 5) This exception does not apply to the relatives mentioned above. |
אסור לרחוץ עם אביו וחמיו ובעל אמו ובעל אחותו ובמקום שנוהגין לכסות ערותן בבית המרחץ מותר וכן התלמיד לא ירחוץ עם רבו ואם צריך לו שישמשנו מותר |
|
72:14 It is a mitzvah 1 (on Friday) to wash one's hair and to trim one's
nails. Similarly, one should cut one's hair if it has grown long. One
should not cut one's fingernails and toenails on the same day. 2
Similarly, one should not cut one's nails or hair on Rosh Hodesh, 3 even
when it falls on Friday. 4 Some are careful not to cut their nails in
order, but by skipping. That is, starting with the index finger of the
right hand. 5 Thus, the order is 2,4,1,3,5. On the left hand, they begin
with the fourth finger, following the order 4,2,5,3,1. There are also
those who are careful not to cut their nails on Thursday, for they begin
to grow back on Shabbat, the third day afterwards. 6 It is preferable to
be careful to burn the fingernails. 7
1) Part of the mitzvah to honor Shabbat. 2) For those who follow this custom, it is best to cut toenails on Thursday, and fingernails on Friday (Mishna Berurah 260:6). 3) The 1st day of a new month. 4) This was recommended by Rabbi Yehuda HaChassid (1150-1217, Germany), who is the source of many widely accepted customs based on the Kabbalistic writings. 5) Others say to begin with the left hand (Rema 260). 6) So reducing the level of honoring Shabbat which was achieved by cutting them. Of course, if it's clear that one will not have time to cut them on Friday, one should certainly cut them on Thursday (Aruch HaShulchan 260:6). 7) It is permissible to dispose of them in any way you choose (flushing them down the toilet, etc), but by no means should they be left around carelessly. The Talmud (Moed Katan 18a) states that fingernails should not be left lying on the ground, because ''perhaps a pregnant woman will step on them, and have a miscarriage.'' According to the Zohar, fingernails are associated with evil and impurity, and were often used in the performance of black magic. | ומצוה לחוף את הראש ולגלח את הצפרנים וכן לגלח שערות ראשו אם היו גדולים ואין לקוץ צפרני ידיו ורגליו ביום אחד גם אין לקוץ צפרניו או לגלח שערות בראש חדש אפילו חל בערב שבת יש מקפידין שלא ליטול את הצפרנים כסדרן אלא בדילוג דהיינו בימין מתחילין באצבע הסמוך לאגודל והסימן: ב ד א ג ה ובשמאל מתחילין אצבע הרביעי והסימן: ד ב ה ג א גם יש מקפידין שלא ליטול הצפרנים ביום ה' כי מתחילין לגדל ביום שבת שהוא יום השלישי טוב ליזהר לשרוף את הצפרנים |
To subscribe
click here. To unsubscribe
click here
To learn about our program for Mishna Yomis
click here