Another example of the absurdity of orthodox religious belief

In previous articles I have cited some examples of the self-imposed restrictions that ultra-Orthodox Jews have created in their quest to meet the ever-increasing demands of their rabbis.

Within their communities, they have appointed leaders who have been charged with the task of determining halakhic solutions to the problems they encounter in the modern world.

There is no end to the creativity that goes into crafting answers, and once a solution has been found and accepted, those responsible are praised for the brilliance of their intellect in solving the seemingly intractable. However, in general, there are disagreements on the fine details, so it is possible to be selective in choosing the solution that works best for you.

Which brings me to the topic of “Edible according to Jewish law” bathrooms!

As a secular atheist, I cannot claim to have an in-depth knowledge of all the thousands of limitations contained in Halakha (Jewish religious law). However, like most Jews, I have a broad idea of ​​some of the main features, but I had never come across the problem of correct toileting procedures until last week.

So I am indebted to my religious son for the following anecdote: yet another true story!

First of all, I must point out that he lives in a known orthodox religious environment and is, himself, what is called “Modern-Orthodox” (well maybe “Unorthodox Modern” could be more accurate, but that’s another story). He and his family live a “kosher” Jewish life in every sense of the word.

Of course, all Orthodox households take dietary restrictions very seriously, and yours is no exception. Those ultra-Orthodox with the means and the space, not only have separate sections of the kitchen for milk and meat, but completely separate kitchens.

However, I had never heard of separate bathrooms for Shabbat! Well, maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you should pay attention if you only have one.

So let me get to the story itself.

It so happened that a couple of weeks ago my son received a newly religious young couple on Shabbat. Tea “new” element is important, as these are the people who tend to extremism in following Halacha.

A few days later, the young lady of the couple visited them again and was very excited to bring them a special gift. They thought, at first, that this was a nice, if unnecessary, gesture.

Then they opened the gift..

They were surprised to discover that the “special gifts” it was – a scented toilet rim block!

It appears that the lady was greatly distressed to discover on Shabbat that her toilet was equipped with a standard toilet block that dispensed a blue tint when flushed. This is absolutely prohibited by Halacha, so she was very anxious that they not continue to incur God’s wrath for a moment longer than necessary. That’s why she bought a toilet that doesn’t stain the water.

This is an excerpt from the relevant rule:

“The blue color gives the water in the container a more ‘hygienic’ look, so coloring the water is beneficial and is therefore prohibited on Shabbat. Therefore, it is important that the sanitizing unit be removed from the tank or container before the start of Shabbat or Yom Tov.”

There are some authorities that take a more practical and pragmatic approach in the event that the user may not have been aware of the disinfectant hidden in the cistern. In this situation, and for the sake of health and hygiene, it is allowed to flush the toilet in an unusual way:

“and one will be ashamed to leave the toilet unflushed (kavod ha-beriyos), you can trust the opinion of some poskim (experts) who argues that flushing such a toilet is not a violation of Coloring and that you should flush the toilet in an unusual way, for example using your elbow or foot.”

So now you know. To keep you on the right side of God, or rather his messengers on Earth, he checks the toilet for kosher before he urinates.

Otherwise, get ready for some athletic contortions to get rid of the evidence!