Chapter 5 – Cleanliness of the Place for Holy Purposes

5.1) Cover excrement before engaging in holy matters such as reading, prayer, study, etc.

5.2) Do not pray or meditate on holy matters where excrement or foul odor exists. (You can rinse away urine.)

5.3) Do not engage in holy matters if there is any excrement on your body—even though it may be slight or covered.

5.4) When in doubt as to the cleanliness of the place for holy purposes, take care not to utter anything holy until the area is examined.

5.5) Keep away from the excrement of an infant.

5.6) Distance yourself from excrement of a human, a cat, a marten, or a red cock. You are not bound to keep far away from excrement of any other animal or bird because they do not ordinarily produce a bad odor. Stay away from any excrement that has a bad odor.

5.7) Dry excrement that crumbles is considered like earth if it no longer has an odor.

5.8) Stay four cubits (about six feet) from a smell’s end.

5.9) If excrement is discovered in a house where people pray with a congregation, stop praying until the excrement is removed or covered.

5.10) If you prayed somewhere because there was no smell and you did not examine the area as you should have done, and later find excrement or odor there, your prayer is considered to have been like the sacrifice of the wicked. It is abominable, and you must pray again after taking care of the situation. Consult the source on this point.

5.11) If a bad odor goes forth from someone, that person is not permitted to engage in holy matters until the odor disappears; the same applies for odor emanating from a neighbor.

5.12) Stay away from the bathroom, even though it may be clean and the excrement removed when engaging in holy purposes.

5.13) Stay away from any vessel used for the collection of excrement (even though the container may not smell or has been washed) when engaging in holy purposes.

5.14) In the bathhouse, do not speak or meditate about any holy matter.

5.15) Do not discuss matters of Torah or express anything holy in the presence of exposed genitals.

5.16) For a woman, the area forbidden to be exposed is any body part that is a hands-breadth (about three inches) away from any portion of her body considered a genital area.

5.17) For a man, if his genital organs are exposed or his breast is exposed, he is considered uncovered.