16. Disposing of Waste

5:1 The Torah commands Jewish troops to bury their excrement based on the understanding that God is always in our midst (Deuteronomy 23:14-15). The upshot of this is that anyplace we intend to serve God, such as through prayer and study, must be equally clean of such waste matter. (See Talmud Brachos 25a-b.)

5:2 One may not even think about a matter of holiness in the presence of urine, excrement or anything that produces a similarly foul odor until it is covered (based again upon Deuteronomy 23:14). The Mishnah Brurah defines a foul odor as one that typically offends people (79:23); therefore, a scent that one might personally dislike might not be a “foul odor” in the halachic sense. In the case of urine, one can also dilute it by adding water in sufficient quantity.