אות - ל

There are many who would spend much time in the lavatory, attempting to totally cleanse out their bodies before praying in the morning. 38 In the Talmud, the order of the day is given as, “Defecate, wash the hands... and pray” ( Berakhot 15a). In the beginning of Pri Etz Chaim , a Kabbalistic reason is given for this, and therefore many were stringent about moving their bowels before worshipping, even if it would mean delaying their prayers long past the proper time. The Rebbe spoke out strongly and ridiculed this practice.

He said that the main thing to remember is that the Torah was not given to the ministering angels ( Berakhot 25b) . It is not necessary to go beyond the requirement of the law, and the codes state only that it is forbidden to pray when one actually feels the need to relieve himself. The Talmudic dictum is, “One who finds it necessary to move his bowels should not pray” (ibid., 23a) .

Still, many laws are brought in Chapter 92 of the Shulchan Arukh ( Orach Chaim ) , especially dealing with emergencies or when one has no other choice. The Magen Avraham 39 "Shield of Avraham,” a commentary on Orach Chaim by Rabbi Avraham Abele Gombiner of Kalish, published beginning in 1665. follows the opinion of the Rif 40 Acronym for Rabbi Isaac al-Fasi (1013-1103), the first major codifier of the Talmud. ( Berakhot 14a) that one may pray even if he feels a need, as long as he can contain himself long enough to walk a league [approximately seventy-two minutes] ( Orach Chaim 91:1) .

From all this we see that there is no need to be overly strict in this respect. One should not keep himself from prayer and study just for the sake of a mere qualm, which in itself is unnecessary strictness and foolishness.

The best thing is to pray as soon as you wake up in the morning. If you can easily attend to your needs then, do so – but if not, pray immediately. Even if you have a slight feeling in your bowels, it can be ignored.

You should also not spend too much time in the lavatory in general, for this can cause all sorts of ailments and severely damage your health. This is especially true in lavatories where one must squat, 41 Such lavatories are still found in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean area. since remaining in such a position too long can result in a serious case of hemorrhoids. Therefore, you should avoid spending too much time there.

In general, you should not seek in these matters unnecessarily harsh disciplines, which can lead to serious depression (see “ His Wisdom ” #235; Likutey Moharan II, 44) . What might have been written earlier was not said for our generation.

The Rebbe himself had made this error in his youth, doing many unusual things to achieve bodily purity. He went so far that he endangered his health and even his life. But finally, he realized that it was foolishness and a waste of precious time.

It is actually impossible to ever purify the body completely of all waste matter. Even a person who fasts from Shabbat to Shabbat must still move his bowels, even at the end of the week. He may have gone several days without food, but something still remains in the body.

The Rebbe said that it was very important for him to speak out about this, stressing that people not waste time in such foolishness. Even if one must spend time in the lavatory, it is better to leave and return rather than to remain for a long time at once. 42 Rebbe Nachman also speaks about this in the context of smoking, and warns against this habit too ( Tzaddik #472).