20 Jan PARSHAS BO SHOWERING ON YOM TOV

The first day and the
seventh day shall be
holy for you; all work
shall not be done on
them. Only that which
is consumed by all
people, it alone shall be
done for you.

Shemos 12:16
Introduction All of the melachos that are
prohibited on Shabbos are also forbidden on
Yom Tov, with the exception of “ochel nefesh,”
which is generally understood to refer to any
melachah that involves the immediate
preparation of food. As we shall see, this
exception applies to many actions that are not
directly involved in food preparation, since the
entire melachah is permitted on Yom Tov. One
possible extension to this leniency would
permit bathing and showering on Yom Tov in
water that is heated during the chag.
The Source The Torah teaches (Shemos 12:16)
that melachos that are necessary for ochel
nefesh may be performed on Yom Tov. The
Mishna in Betizah (12a) records a dispute
between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel
regarding whether one may carry a baby, a
lulav, or a sefer Torah through the public
domain on Yom Tov. After a fairly lengthy
discussion, the Gemara concludes that while
Beis Shammai argues that carrying is permitted
only for the sake of actual ochel nefesh, Beis
Hillel maintains that since it is permissible to
carry for ochel nefesh purposes, it is permissible
to carry for any Yom Tov need. The Gemara
uses a phrase which means – since the melachah
is permitted for the sake of ochel nefesh, it is
also permitted when it is performed for
purposes other than ochel nefesh. This concept
is known as “mitoch,” and it is generally
understood to mean that any melachah that
may be performed on Yom Tov for ochel nefesh
purposes is permissible across the board.
Shaveh LeChol Nefesh Even though we
accept Beis Hillel’s opinion, the Gemara in
Kesubos (7a) limits the application of the
principle of mitoch. The Gemara asks whether
it is permissible to burn incense (mugmar) on
Yom Tov, which was a practice enjoyed only
by higher–class people at the time. The Gemara
answers (based on the language of the pasuk)
that the principle of mitoch applies only to that
which is “shaveh lechol nefesh” – something
that most people would enjoy. The Gemara
contrasts the practice of burning incense with
slaughtering and cooking a deer, which is
something that most people could not afford to
do but is nevertheless permitted. The Gemara
explains that while venison is not something
that most people have the privilege of partaking
in, most people would enjoy eating it if only
they could afford to do so. Burning mugmar, in
contrast, is an acquired taste and not something
that most people enjoy. Consequently, it is not
considered shaveh lechol nefesh.
Tosafos (s.v. amar) explains that even
something that is universally enjoyed is
permitted only if there is some tzorech hayom,
a need for the act to be performed on Yom Tov

itself. Something that is completely
unnecessary for Yom Tov cannot be done on
Yom Tov, even if the act is an extension of
ochel nefesh and it is shaveh lechol nefesh.
Does This Apply to Showering? There are
two main qualifications to permit an “ochel
nefesh melachah” that is not directly needed
for food preparation. First, it must be filling
some Yom Tov need; second, it must be
universally enjoyed.
It would seem that showering would fulfill both
of these criteria. On Shabbos, the most
prominent issur associated with showering is
bishul; when one turns on the hot water, he
causes cold water to enter the boiler, which
leads to the new water being heated past the
minimal point that is considered bishul on
Shabbos (known as yad soledes bo). Since
cooking is permitted on Yom Tov for ochel
nefesh, the principle of mitoch would dictate
that it is permitted for purposes of showering as
well. Showering qualifies as a Yom Tov need,
and it seems to be shaveh lechol nefesh.
The problem with this application is that it
contradicts an explicit Mishna in Shabbos
(38b) that states that it is forbidden to bathe in
water that has been heated on Yom Tov. The
Gemara (39b) qualifies that one is not permitted
to bathe his entire body on Yom Tov, but it is
permitted to wash individual body parts, such
as one’s hands, face, and feet. Tosafos (s.v.
ubeis) explains that this is because bathing
regularly is not something that is shaveh lechol
nefesh. According to this understanding, the
Mishna and Gemara explicitly teach that
showering regularly is not considered shaveh
lechol nefesh.
Do the Criteria Change? If we take the
Gemara at face value, it is forbidden to shower
on Yom Tov because it was not shaveh lechol
nefesh in the times of Chazal. However, if we
assume that whether something is considered
“universally enjoyed” may change over the
course of time, it would certainly be considered
shaveh lechol nefesh today; showering
regularly is certainly something that the
majority of people do.
The Beiur Halacha (518, s.v. yadav) and the
Aruch HaShulchan (ibid. 5) strongly indicate
that the concept of shaveh lechol nefesh is
dependent on the time and place in which one
lives. Based on this, it seems that heating up
water for the sake of bathing one’s entire body
would be permissible nowadays.
The Debreciner Rav (Be’er Moshe 8:158-159)
argues with this assertion and is strongly
opposed to the practice of showering on Yom
Tov. He asserts that the definition of shaveh
lechol nefesh is determined by Chazal, not by
the changing times.
It seems obvious, however, that the position of
the Beiur Halacha and Aruch HaShulchan is
accepted, as Chazal did not prohibit specific
actions; they gave a guiding principle of shaveh
lechol nefesh precisely because they didn’t
believe that the definition should be frozen in
time. It would therefore seem that there would
be no issur melachah to heat up water in order
to shower on Yom Tov.

Gezeiras HaBalanim Although it would not
be a problem on a Torah level to heat up water
for the sake of bathing on Yom Tov, there is a
derabbanan issue that must be considered. The
Gemara in Shabbos (40a) describes a decree
that the Chachamim made prohibiting bathing
one’s entire body on Shabbos, even in water
that was heated before Shabbos. This gezeirah
was issued because certain unscrupulous
balanim, bathhouse attendants, claimed that
they had heated the water before Shabbos, but
in reality, were heating the water on Shabbos.
This gezeirah applies on Yom Tov as well,
since in Talmudic times it was forbidden to
heat water on Yom Tov for the sake of bathing
one’s entire body (as explained above). If there
is no issur in our time to heat up the water in the
first place, does the gezeiras habalanim still
apply?
Some poskim suggest that since the gezeirah
was issued in order to protect the issur against
cooking water on Yom Tov for the purpose of
bathing, if the issur no longer exists, the
gezeirah falls away as well. Others suggest that
the gezeirah still applies nowadays, as there is
a general rule (see Megillah 2a, among other
places) that a Rabbinic decree is not canceled
even when the reason no longer applies.
Nevertheless, it is permissible to shower on
Yom Tov, since the gezeirah was made only
regarding very hot water. The reason the
balanim heated the water on Shabbos was so
that it would be very hot for the clientele who
wanted their water that way. It is therefore
permissible to shower in warm water, as the
gezeiras habalanim does not apply to it.
Rav Hershel Schachter maintains that if the
basis of the prohibition to shower is the
melachah of cooking the water, neither the
biblical prohibition nor the gezeirah designed
to protect it should apply now that bathing in
warm water is shaveh lechol nefesh.
Nevertheless, Rav Schachter recommends
taking into account the other view. He points
out that although Tosafos assumes that the
prohibition to shower on Yom Tov was on
account of bathing not being considered shaveh
lechol nefesh in the days of Chazal, the Ramban
disagrees and argues that showering was
always shaveh lechol nefesh, even in the days
of Chazal. In the Ramban’s view, the entire
basis for the prohibition was always the
gezeiras habalanim, the concern that the
balanim would heat water on Shabbos, and the
Ramban assumes that even gezeiros that were
instituted for Shabbos and would not logically
apply to Yom Tov are anyway carried over to
Yom Tov. According to the Ramban, whatever
water was included in the original gezeirah
would still be prohibited, even in the absence
of a logical concern. Furthermore, Rebbi Akiva
Eiger, in a teshuvah (Mahadura Kama 17) cites
a dispute as to whether the gezeirah includes
only very hot water or even lukewarm water.
However, water that is even less than lukewarm
is certainly not included in the gezeirah. Rav
Schachter therefore recommends that the water
be only warm enough to remove the chill and
discomfort, and not hot or even warm. If one

finds this difficult,
there is room to rely
on the more lenient
p o s s i b i l i t y
mentioned by Rebbi
Akiva Eiger, which
permits showering in lukewarm water.
Peripheral Issues Although most poskim
concur that there is no problem of bishul min
HaTorah or miderabbanan that would prevent
showering on Yom Tov, there are procedural
problems that can arise in the showering
process that led many rabbanim to discourage
showering on Yom Tov.
Ashkenazim generally do not use a bar of soap
on Shabbos or Yom Tov, the simplest reason
being the melachah of memacheik, which is
violated when the bar of soap is smoothed out.
Although most poskim permit using liquid
soap, Rav Moshe Feinstein recommends
watering it down beforehand.
Shampooing hair on Yom Tov can lead to
squeezing out the hair. Although the Gemara in
Shabbos (128b) teaches that the issur of
sechitah does not apply to one’s hair, the Beis
Yosef (OC 330) points out that the Rambam
understands the Gemara to mean only that it is
not an issur d’oraysa to squeeze liquid out of
hair; it would still be considered an issur
derabbanan.
Practical Advice Based on the above
considerations, one who showers on Yom Tov
should be careful to use water that is just warm
enough to take out the chill, or at the very most
to use warm water, but definitely not hot water.
He should use liquid soap and should not put
shampoo into wet hair. Instead, one can wet his
hands slightly and add shampoo into his hair
while it is dry and then allow the pressure of
the water from the showerhead to rinse the
shampoo out on its own.
When drying off with a towel, one should not
purposely squeeze water out of his hair or
beard. According to the Shemiras Shabbos
KeHilchasah, it is permissible to dry one’s hair
and beard directly with a towel, since the
Rabbinic prohibition to squeeze one’s hair
applies only when one sees the water coming
from the hair. However, other prominent
poskim, including Rav Schachter, disagree and
maintain that one should not dry his hair or
beard with a towel.
Obviously, if the towel becomes completely
saturated, one should not continue to use it,
since one may not squeeze water out of the
towel.
Conclusion Although there is a firm basis to
permit showering on Yom Tov, some rabbanim
refrain from ruling this way out of concern that
their constituents will mistakenly violate a
peripheral issur associated with the process.
Others hold that it is still prohibited entirely, as
they agree with the Debreciner Rav’s approach
that even nowadays we may not consider
showering to be shaveh lechol nefesh. It is
therefore prudent for one who does shower on
Yom Tov to respect those who do not and have
a clear understanding of why it is permitted and
the potential problems that can arise.