From the Rav’s Desk: Shaalos & Teshuvos on bathroom and more

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Must one urinate in private with a closed door?[1]

From the letter of the law, there is no need to be particular about urinating in private with a closed door.[2] Practically however when one is able to urinate in private, in closed doors, he should do so. Thus those that build bathrooms with urinals should place a ledge between the urinals for privacy purposes, and if one has the ability to urinate in a closed stall then he should do so rather than by a urinal, and certainly rather than do so outside.

[1] Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:47; See Piskeiy Teshuvos 3 footnote 22

[2] Admur Basra 3:5; Kama 3:18; See however Kama 3:19 and Basra 3:5 that one is to go to the side, and hence some laws of privacy are applicable even when urinating.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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