17. Prayer in an Unclean Place

5:3 As we mentioned in 4:5, one would not be permitted to recite blessings or study Torah if he has excrement on any part of his body, even if it is covered by his clothes. While there are some authorities who may rule leniently in this matter, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch urges erring on the side of caution. If the excrement is in the orifice where it exits the body, all authorities agree that it makes no difference that it is covered. The Mishnah Brurah informs us that excrement on one’s clothes, if covered by another layer, is not an impediment, though one should strive to have clean clothes, especially during prayer (76:12).

5:4 We must be careful not to recite holy things in a place where we suspect there might be urine or excrement until we have confirmed that this is not the case. We must be careful, for example, in houses where they keep many pets.