Bathing and Showering on Shabbos
Question: What are the guidelines regarding bathing and showering on Shabbos?
Discussion: On Shabbos, it is forbidden min ha-Torah to open the hot water faucet of a bath or a shower, since that allows new water to enter the tank and become cooked on Shabbos. On Friday night, when the tank and the water it contains are still hot, it is strictly prohibited to turn on the hot water tap even if the boiler was turned off before Shabbos, since the tank and/or the hot water in the tank will cook the water which flows into it automatically.31
It is also forbidden to wash, even a small part of the body such as one’s hands or face, with hot32 water that was heated up on Shabbos in violation of bishul33. Even if the water was somehow heated without violating the melachah of bishul, e.g., it was heated on Shabbos by a non-Jew for the sake of an ill person or a baby, it is still forbidden for anyone else to use that water for washing any part of the body34.
Chazal forbade bathing or showering in hot water even in hot water that was heated up before Shabbos35. This prohibition came about because in the times of the Talmud the unscrupulous bathhouse attendants misled their clients by claiming that the water has been heated before Shabbos, while in realty they were engaged in forbidden activities36 that allowed the water to remain nice and hot on Shabbos.37 But only bathing or showering whole or most of the body, even one limb at a time, is forbidden. Partial body washing, i.e., less than half of the body, is permitted with hot water that was heated before Shabbos38.
Some poskim hold that water cooking in an urn from before Shabbos is considered as water heated before Shabbos even though it continues to cook on Shabbos, and may be used for partial body washing on Shabbos39. Other poskim disagree and maintain that such water is considered as if it was heated on Shabbos and may not be used at all40. When necessary, one may be lenient41.
Although, as stated, full body bathing or showering is forbidden by rabbinical edict even if the water was heated before Shabbos, Chazal suspended their prohibition under extenuating circumstances. Certainly, one who is classified as ill, e.g. he is bedridden or weak all over, may wash himself when necessary. Similarly, a dirty baby or toddler may be washed with preheated water. Moreover, even an adult who is classified as a mitztaer, in distress, may bathe or shower with hot water heated before Shabbos.42
In addition, according to some poskim, Chazal suspended the prohibition against bathing in water that was heated before Shabbos regarding men or women using a mikveh for the sake of keudusha or family purity. Some poskim permit using hot water at the mikveh while others allow only lukewarm or chilly water to be used. The widespread custom is to allow women to use the mikveh with hot water that was heated before Shabbos. Some communities allow this for men as well while most communities allow men to dip in chilly or lukewarm43 water only44. All poskim agree that only a quick tevillah shel mitzvah may be permitted; it is forbidden to linger in the water for an extended period of time according to all opinions.45
Swimming in a pool or river is forbidden miderabanan46. Bathing in a bathtub in chilly or lukewarm water is halachically permitted, but it is universally accepted not to do so47. Many poskim, however, allow showering in chilly water for one who is experiencing discomfort or irritation from heat or sweat, etc., and certainly for someone who is classified as ill and needs to shower for medical reasons.48
Whenever bathing or showering is permitted on Shabbos, care must be take not to squeeze the water from any hairy part of the body, since that may be a violation of sechitah/squeezing49. For example, after washing his face and beard50, a man should not use his hands to wring the water out of his beard or payos51. One is, however, permitted to use a towel to dry his body or hair, provided it is it done gently and slowly; vigorous or spirited drying should be avoided52.
31. Igros Moshe, Y.D. 2:33; O.C. 5:20-4; Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 1:45; 31, note 4. [This halachah may be different in Israel and other countries where water is heated by solar power; a local rav should be consulted.]
32. “Hot” does not mean burning yad soledes bo hot, but rather to what people refer to when they so “hot water”, which is a little more than the average body heat, approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit; Aruch ha-Shulchan 326:3; Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:74, rechitzah 1; Minchas Yitzchak 4:44.
33. Mishnah Berurah 326:5; 15.
34. Minchas Shabbos 86:5; Ketzos ha-Shulchan 133:3
35. O.C. 326:1.
36. Such as putting chilly water in a keli rishon (Peri Megadim 326:4) or adding wood to the fire right before Shabbos in violation of the rabbinic edict of shema yechateh, described earlier in Chapter 253 and 254 (Shulchan Aruch ha-Rav 326:1, quoting the Ran).
37. Shabbos 40a.
38. Rama, O.C. 326:1. [If the water was heated by a non-Jew for his own use, some poskim consider that as water that was heated before Shabbos (Tehilah L’Dovid 326:10; Igros Moshe, O.C. 1:126-2), while others are more stringent (Aruch ha-Shulchan 326:2).]
39. Rav S.Z. Auerbach, quoted in Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 14:3, based on Rav Akiva Eiger, note 2 on Magen Avraham O.C. 326:2;
40. Shevisas ha-Shabbos (mevashel 126); Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:75-1.
41. See Shevet ha-Levi 3:33; 4:31; 7:32.
42. Beiur Halachah 326:1, s.v. b’mayim, quoting Rav Akiva Eiger. See also Rav Akiva Eiger’s notes to O.C. 307:5, note 3.
43. Water temperature below body heat (98 degrees Fahrenheit) is considered lukewarm and is permitted to be used on Shabbos for partial body washing, provide that they became lukewarm before Shabbos.
44. See Mishnah Berurah 326:7; Beiur Halachah 326:8, s.v. adam; Igros Moshe, O.C. 4-74, rechitzah 2; Minchas Yitzchak 5:32; 9:40; Shevet ha-Levi 5:44, for the various views about this issue.
45. Avnei Nezer, O.C. 526. Women who generally dip in the mikveh twice, may do so on Shabbos as well.
46. O.C. 339:2.
47. Mishnah Berurah 326:21. See Igros Moshe, O.C. 3:87, who maintains that bathing in a bath tub may be forbidden halachically as well.
48. Ketzos ha-Shulchan 133:8; Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:74, rechitzah 3; 4:75; Minchas Yitzchak 6:32; Be’er Moshe 6:73
49. Mishnah Berurah 326:25. Bear in mind that hair does not absorb water. When one squeezes hair, the water being released is water which was contained in between the hair follicles, not inside the hair itself. For this reason, most opinions maintain that squeezing water out of hair is only forbidden miderabanan; see Beiur Halachah 302:9, s.v. assur; Ketzos ha-Shulchan 133:8. Some Rishonim hold that squeezing water out of hair is permitted altogether; see Orchos Shabbos 13, note 85.
50. Igros Moshe, O.C. 1:133. If the hair or beard is dirty, it is permitted to scrub the area to remove the dirt.
51. But it is permitted to shake out the water from one’s hair or beard; Ben Ish Chai, Pekudei 8.
52. Minchas Shabbos 86:6; Ketzos ha-Shulchan 133, Baddei Hashulchan 8; Kaf ha-Chayim 320:111; Orchos Shabbos 13:51, quoting Rav Y.S. Elyashiv. Note that Rav S.Z. Auerbach permits vigorous drying as well, if the water is immediately absorbed in the towel; see Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 14, note 66 and Me’or ha-Shabbos, vol. 3, letter 34.