27 Mar 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
possibility 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.