30 Sep SHOWERING ON YOM TOV

The posuk in the
Torah says that
melacha is generally
forbidden on Yom
Tov, although
melacha which is
needed to prepare food
to eat is permitted.
Once these melachos
(cooking, and baking)
were permitted for the
preparation of food
they are also permitted for other melachos.
Accordingly, cooking and heating up water
on Yom Tov is permitted.
However, melachos for other purposes are
only permitted if they are shoveh lechol
nefesh – something which is important to
most people. Therefore, one may only heat
up water on Yom Tov if it will be used for a
purpose which is shoveh lechol nefesh.
Washing the Body
The Shulchan Aruch rules that one may not
heat up water on Yom Tov in order to wash
his entire body, since doing so is not shoveh
lechol nefesh. Heating up water to wash one’s
hands, face, and feet is permitted, since doing
so is considered shoveh lechol nefesh. Since
washing the whole body is not shoveh lechol
nefesh, one may not take a shower on Yom

Tov. This prohibition applies even if the water
was heated up before Yom Tov since one may
come to heat up water on Yom Tov.
Washing part of the body
One may use water which was heated up
before Yom Tov to wash one limb at a time,
even if he will end up washing all of his body.
Additionally, some poskim permit one to use
water which was heated up on Yom Tov to
wash one limb at a time, as long as one does
not end up washing most of the body, since
washing most of the body will be considered
as if one washed the whole body (which is
not shoveh lechol nefesh). However, if the
water was heated from before Yom Tov, we
do not consider washing most of the body as
washing the whole body.
Does Shoveh Lechol Nefesh Change?
The poskim discuss whether or not shoveh
lechol nefesh can change with time. In
earlier times when houses did not have
indoor plumbing, people generally did not
shower on a daily basis. Therefore, washing
the whole body was not considered shoveh
lechol nefesh. The question is since most
people today wash their whole bodies (i.e.
take a shower on a daily basis) is doing so
considered to be shoveh lechol nefesh, or are
the rules set down by chazal regarding shoveh

lechol nefesh unchangeable? L’maseh, the
opinion of the poskim is that despite all this
the gezeirah of chazal is still in effect and
unchanged.
Face, Hands, and Feet
As mentioned above, one is permitted to
heat up water even on Yom Tov to wash his
face, hands, and feet. Some say one may only
wash the face and not the entire head. When
washing the hands, one may wash until the
elbow, and when washing the feet, one may
wash until the ankle.
One may not walk into a shower (even if he
only intends to wash part of his body) since
we are concerned that he will come to wash
his entire body. Therefore, if the limbs of
the body which he is not allowed to wash
are covered with a garment, one may walk
into a shower to wash the uncovered limbs.
Alternatively, one may stand outside the
shower and stick his face, hands, and feet into
the shower to be washed.
Very Dirty
There is an uncertainty if a person who is very
dirty may shower his entire body on Yom Tov.
Modern Water Heaters (Boilers) on Yom
Tov
Our modern water heaters work in the
following manner. Water is heated up to a
certain temperature at which it is maintained
automatically. When one uses hot water,
new cold water enters the boiler causing the
hot water in the tank to cool that is detected
by the thermostat, which then causes the
flame to re-heat the water. Accordingly,
anytime one removes hot water on Yom
Tov one causes new water to be heated up
in its place. Therefore, all hot water in our
modern day boilers is considered to have
been cooked on Yom Tov, since one uses
water on Yom Tov new water is getting
cooked up in its place. Therefore, one
would not be able to use any water from
a modern water heater to shower or wash
most of the body on Yom Tov.
“I Need a Shower”
Many times people say they need to shower
on Yom Tov because they “can’t do without
one” or they are a “istinus” for whom
showering is permitted. Such statements
have no basis in halacha. The whole reason
why it is forbidden to cook up hot water
for a shower on Yom Tov is because it not
shoveh lechol nefesh since only an istinus
needs one everyday. How then can such
reasoning be used to permit a shower? This
argument will refute such statements even
during a three-day Yom Tov.
Children
Giving a child a bath or shower is only
permitted where the water has been heated
on Yom Tov for a permitted purpose. One
is then permitted to use such water to wash
his child. However, placing the child into

a bath or shower with water that is heated
up on Yom Tov specifically for the child
is forbidden. One should consult his local
halachic authority whether water taken from
a modern-day water heater is considered as
having been heated specifically for the child.
In any case, washing a child in the permitted
manner may only be done if the child receives
a bath on a daily basis.
When washing a child in the permitted
manner one is allowed to place a towel under
the child’s body even if it will get wet.
Cold Shower
One who is very hot is permitted to take a
cold shower on Yom Tov. One should not take
a lukewarm shower on Yom Tov since one
has to turn on the hot water for this purpose,
which is not permitted when one would be
washing his whole body.
Using Soap/Shampoo
One is not allowed to use a bar of soap
on Shabbos or Yom Tov because doing
so involves the melacha of smoothing
(me’machek). Most poskim maintain that one
is permitted to use liquid soap on Shabbos or
Yom Tov. However, Horav Moshe Feinstein
zt”l was stringent. One is not allowed to use a
sponge when washing his body on Yom Tov
because of the problem of sechita.
Drying Hair
When hair is washed on Yom Tov (i.e. when
one went to a mikvah), one must be careful
not to perform sechita on his hair by drying
it vigorously with a towel. Some say drying
hair with a towel is permitted because it is
being done k’lacher yad, and the sechita is
only a d’rabbanan since the water is not being
used but is going to waste. Some people are
concerned even when drying the hair in a
slow manner because it still may cause one
to do sechita. It would seem that according
to this opinion one may only let his hair dry
by drip drying without using a towel at all.
L’maseh, those who dry their hair with a
towel have whom to rely on. According to
the opinion that permits using a towel, one
may also use a paper towel even if it will get
ruined and ripped during the drying process.
According to some poskim, sechita does not
apply to the hair on one’s hands, arms, feet
or eyelids.