30 Sep BRUSHING TEETH ON SHABBOS & YOM TOV

As we approach a
string of three three-day
yamim tovim, people
are thinking about their
hygiene and comfort,
including showering
and brushing teeth. I
will discuss here the
longstanding debate about the permissibility
of brushing teeth on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
Before we proceed, I want to make clear that,
from my experience, most people follow the
strict view of Rav Moshe Feinstein even
though we will come across more lenient
views. Of course, everyone should follow
your family custom and/or ask their local
rabbi.
I. Bleeding
There are a few potential halachic problems
with using a toothbrush on Shabbos.
The first is whether you may use a dry
toothbrush because if can cause bleeding.
Causing bleeding is prohibited on Shabbos.
Therefore, brushing with a toothbrush should
be forbidden unless you are fairly certain
that it will not cause bleeding. This is the
position of the Minchas Yitzchak (3:48, 50).
However, the Seridei Esh (2:28) argues that
you have to differentiate between an action
that will definitely cause a forbidden result,
which is a pesik reisheih and is forbidden,
and an action that might cause a forbidden
result, which is permitted. For example,
the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 303:
27) forbids brushing your hair because the
brush will definitely pull out hair but the
Rema allows you to brush with your fingers
because that does not necessarily pull out
hair. For most people, brushing teeth does
not always cause bleeding and is therefore
permissible like brushing your hair with your
fingers.
II. Squeezing
Another issue is using water on a toothbrush.
The concern is that brushing with a wet
toothbrush causes the water to be squeezed
out, and squeezing (sechitah) is prohibited
on Shabbos. The Minchas Yitzchak (ibid.)
accepts this reason. Rav Moshe Feinstein
(Iggeros Moshe, Orach Chaim 1:112) merely
writes that it is best to be concerned for this
position. The Seridei Esh writes that there is
no issue of squeezing for a few reasons. First
of all, the nylon bristles of a toothbrush do
not absorb water so the prohibition is only
on a rabbinic level, like hair (Shabbos 128b).
Therefore, the inevitable act of “squeezing”
during brushing is a pesik reisheih on a
rabbinic prohibition which, the Seridei
Esh says, is permitted based on Magen
Avraham (253:1). Rav Chaim Regensburg
(Mishmeres Chaim, no. 9), the posek of the
Skokie Yeshiva, goes even further and says
that in our case, which is a double rabbinic
prohibition (squeezing a non-absorbent item

in an indirect way–ki-l’achar yad), everyone
should agree that it is permitted.
Additionally, the Seridei Esh argues, there
are two types of prohibited squeezing on
Shabbos: 1) squeezing that is a subcategory
of extracting (mefarek) and 2) that is a
subcategory of cleaning (melaben). When
squeezing as an act of cleaning, it is
problematic and does not matter that the water
is subsequently unused because regardless
the cleaning was still done. However,
when squeezing as an act of extracting, the
discarding of the water is important and
renders the act permissible (Shulchan Aruch,
Orach Chaim 230:18). When brushing teeth,
the water is not used to clean the toothbrush
and is quickly discarded. Therefore, it should
be permissible.
III. More Squeezing
There is a further reason to permit and that
is the case of a sponge. You may not use a
sponge because of squeezing, unless it has a
handle (Shabbos 143b). Rashi and Rambam
explain that the handle enables a user to
utilize the sponge without squeezing out
water. However, Ra’avad explains that even
if you squeeze with this kind of sponge it is
permissible for another reason. The Seridei
Esh points out that according to the Ra’avad
you may use a toothbrush with a handle.
However, the Minchas Yitzchak disputes
his understanding of the Ra’avad based on
a Chazon Ish.
The Seridei Esh cites the case of a towel
(Shabbos 40b) that is permissible to use
and we are not concerned about potential
squeezing because, as the Rishonim explain,
if so we would prevent all washing on
Shabbos. Just like most people cannot handle
being unable to wash at all on Shabbos, so
too they cannot handle being unable to
brush their teeth on Shabbos and therefore
we should permit using a toothbrush. Rav
Regensburg points out that the two cases
are dissimilar in that the towel is only about
allowing regular use and being unconcerned
with potential squeezing while with the
toothbrush the essence of the regular use is
the squeezing.
Rav Regensburg notes that we permit
something that is prohibited by a double
rabbinic prohibition (shevus di-shevus)
when there is great public need (Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:5). The public, he
argues, has a great need to brush their teeth
and therefore the double rabbinic prohibition
of squeezing a non-absorbent item in an
indirect way should be permitted.
Rav Regensburg also points out that the
Avnei Nezer (1:157) proves that according
to Rashi and Rabbenu Tam, there is not
even a rabbinic prohibition to squeeze a
non-absorbent substance. On a rabbinic
prohibition, he argues, we can be lenient like

their position.
IV. Spreading
Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggeros Moshe,
Orach Chaim vol. 1 no. 112) writes that it
is forbidden to use toothpaste on Shabbos
because it consists of the labor of smoothing
(memachek). Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik
strongly disagreed with this application.
Consider a rough surface that you wish to
smooth. You can sand it down, which would
be smoothing (memachek). Or you can
spread plaster over it to fill in the grooves and
create a smooth surface on top, which would
be spreading (memarei’ach). Brushing teeth
with toothpaste conforms to neither of these
descriptions (Nefesh Ha-Rav, pp. 168-169).
Rav Chaim Regensburg (Mishmeres Chaim,
no. 9) and Rav Ovadiah Yosef (Yabi’a
Omer, vol. 4 Orach Chaim 27:2) explain the
prohibition similarly.
When brushing teeth, you use the
toothbrush, toothpaste and water to remove
dirt/plaque from on top of the teeth without
removing (sanding down) anything from
the teeth. Therefore it does not fall under
either smoothing or spreading. However, it
could be suggested that you are spreading
toothpaste on top of the teeth before spitting
it out with the dirt. Rav Regensburg responds
that brushing is not a careful spreading but
a forceful brushing and no smooth layer is
created on top. There is a rabbinic prohibition
of spreading that applies to spreading
thick honey (Shabbos 146b), which would
seem similar to toothpaste. However, the
application of toothpaste to teeth is so
temporary, because it is quickly rinsed off,
that it cannot be called spreading at all.
The Tzitz Eliezer (7:30:8) counters that
there is no minimum time requirement for
spreading and therefore even spreading
the toothpaste for a moment is prohibited.
Rav Ovadiah Yosef adds a postscript to his
multiple responsa (or long responsum) on
this subject in which he notes the positions
of a number of his contemporaries, including
the Tzitz Eliezer, and states that he does not
find their arguments convincing. Rav Hershel
Schachter once mentioned to me that he very
much liked Rav Regensburg’s responsum on
this subject.
There are a few other potential issues,
such as doing a “weekday activity” (uvdin
de-chol) and cleaning a toothbrush after
use as a form of forbidden preparing for
after Shabbos. Most authorities dismiss the
former, although Rav Chaim Na’eh (Ketzos
Ha-Shulchan, vol. 7 p. 99) accepts it. And
while Rav Moshe Feinstein adopts the
latter simply, Rav Ovadiah Yosef dismisses
the preparation as minor (see Yalkut Yosef,
Shabbos vol. 326:13 n. 27) but nevertheless
forbids washing off a toothbrush after use
because there is no longer a need and you
should therefore be strict on the issue of

squeezing due to cleaning. There is also a

potential issue of molid by turning the semi-
solid toothpaste into foam and liquid, but

this is almost unanimously dismissed by
authorities.
V. Bottom Line

The following is an admittedly non-
comprehensive list of positions on this

subject:
• Rav Moshe Feinstein: Only use a dry
toothbrush without toothpaste
• Rav Eliezer Waldenberg (Tzitz
Eliezer): No toothpaste (no position on
toothbrushes)
• Rav Yitzchak Ya’akov Weiss (Minchas
Yitzchak): No toothpaste and no
toothbrushes
• Rav Yechiel Ya’akov Weinberg (Seridei
Esh): A wet toothbrush is allowed but
not toothpaste
• Rav Chaim Na’eh: Toothpaste is
allowed but not a toothbrush (use your
finger)
• Rav Ovadiah Yosef: If you feel a need,
you may use a toothbrush (designated
for Shabbos) and toothpaste but not
clean the toothbrush afterwards
• Rav Chaim Regensburg: You may use a
toothbrush and toothpaste (no position
offered on cleaning the toothbrush)
• Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik: You may
use a toothbrush, toothpaste and clean
the toothbrush
• R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach: Using
a toothbrush without toothpaste is
technically permitted but people
accepted the binding practice not to do
so (in a letter published in Seridei Esh

and as quoted in Shemiras Shabbos Ke-
Hilchasah ch. 14 n. 9)

It seems to me that the general custom in
the US is to follow Rav Moshe Feinstein on
this unless you have a specific custom to the
contrary.