In our lesson in Tractate Brachot today, we continue after just a few lines at the top of page 23a dealing with the topic of praying when in need of relieving oneself.
Here we learn that one must prepare for prayer before engaging in it. How do we prepare? By making certain our bodies are not in need of relief i.e. attending to one’s bodily needs.
One who is in need of entering a bathroom and has Tefillin on — what should he do? Is he required to remove them? May he urinate with them on? May he defecate with them on? May he pass gas with them on? Does it make a difference if the bathroom is a fixed bathroom (having already been used as such) as to if it is only temporary (and has not been established for bathroom use yet)?
Various opinions are given on the above subject.
We then learn that before one enters a bathroom, one should remove the Tefillin and put them in “safe-keeping”. Beis Shammai say in a window somewhere in the public domain. Beis Hillel say one can even enter while holding them. Rabbi Akiva says one should hold them in one’s garment and then enter.
The Gemara says one should put them in a hole close to the bathroom area because it worries that someone in the public domain would steal them if they were place there. In fact such a story even took place and it resulted in a Torah scholar committing suicide!
The Gemara also tells us that placing the Tefillin in the holes close to the bathroom area may result in rats and mice eating them – and so it was established that one could even enter with them (holding them in one’s hand and one’s garment.) Alternatively one could roll them up – as the Gemara later points out – and hold them tight next to one’s heart making sure not to allow the straps to fall out.
The Gemara tells us some stories about various rabbis who would not enter the bathroom with a book of Aggadata, yet they would enter with the Tefillin – citing Beit Hillel who allowed one to enter with one’s Tefillin.
The Gemara continues onto another subject. One should not pray with one’s body burdened with additional items such as a Sefer Torah or Tefillin in one’s hands.
The Gemara continues with an argument between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai related to taking the Tefillin into a bathroom.
