Pt2 Demons, Direction, and Decorum: A Talmudic Approach to Hygiene and Outhouse Use (Berakhot 61b-62b)
Outhouse Rules: Correct Orientation, Method of Wiping, Times, and Defenses from Demons
This is the second and final part of a two-part series. First part here; outline is in the first part.
Modesty in the Outhouse Leads to Supernatural Protection
R' Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai (רבי תנחום בר חנילאי) taught that modesty in the outhouse protects a person from snakes, scorpions, and demons (מזיקין), and some say it even ensures peaceful dreams.
The Talmud then tells of a dangerous outhouse in Tiberias where people were “harmed” (מתזקי), presumably by demons, if they entered in pairs.1
However, R’ Ami and R’ Asi entered alone without harm. When questioned about their fearlessness, they explained that they followed a tradition: modesty and silence protect in the outhouse, and silence and prayer end suffering.
אמר רבי תנחום בר חנילאי: כל הצנוע בבית הכסא נצול משלשה דברים —
מן הנחשים,
ומן העקרבים,
ומן המזיקין.
ויש אומרים: אף חלומותיו מיושבים עליו.
ההוא בית הכסא דהוה בטבריא,
כי הוו עיילי ביה בי תרי — אפילו ביממא מתזקי.
רבי אמי ורבי אסי הוו עיילי ביה חד וחד לחודיה — ולא מתזקי.
אמרי להו רבנן: לא מסתפיתו?!
אמרי להו:
אנן קבלה גמירינן:
קבלה דבית הכסא — צניעותא ושתיקותא.
קבלה דיסורי — שתיקותא ומבעי רחמי.
R' Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: Anyone who is modest in the bathroom will be saved from three things:
From snakes,
from scorpions
and from demons.
And some say that even his dreams will be settling for him.
The Gemara relates: There was a particular bathroom in the city of Tiberias,
where, when two would enter it, even during the day, they would be harmed by demons.
When R' Ami and R' Asi would each enter alone, they were not harmed.
The Sages said to them: Aren’t you afraid?!
R' Ami and R' Asi said to them:
We have learned through tradition:
The tradition to avoid danger in the bathroom is to conduct oneself with modesty and silence.
The tradition to end suffering is with silence and prayer.
Protective Rituals Against Demons in the Outhouse: The Practices of Abaye and Rava
The Talmud discusses the practices of Abaye’s mother and Rava’s wife, to protect them while defecating:
Abaye's mother raised a lamb (אמרא) to accompany him to the outhouse.
In the period of Rava’s life before he became head of the yeshiva, his wife would rattle (מקרקשא) a nut in a pot2 to ward off demons while he was in the outhouse. After Rava assumed his leadership role, she added extra protection by constructing a window (כוותא) in the outhouse, and would place her hand on his head while he was in there.
אביי, מרביא ליה אמיה אמרא, למיעל בהדיה לבית הכסא.
[...]
רבא, מקמי דהוה רישא, מקרקשא ליה בת רב חסדא אמגוזא בלקנא.
בתר דמלך, עבדא ליה כוותא, ומנחא ליה ידא ארישיה.
[...]
Because fear of demons in bathrooms was pervasive, the Gemara relates: Abaye’s mother raised a lamb to accompany him to the bathroom.
[...]
Before Rava became the head of the yeshiva, his wife, the daughter of Rav Ḥisda, would rattle a nut in a copper vessel for him. This was in order to fend off demons when he was in the bathroom.
After he was chosen to preside as head of the yeshiva, he required an additional degree of protection, so she constructed a window for him, opposite where he would defecate, and placed her hand upon his head.
[...]
Defecation Privacy
Rava would travel up to a mile (מיל) outside the city to defecate during the day, while at night he would instruct his servant (שמעיה) to clear a spot for him on the street.
Similarly, R' Zeira would ask his servant to check behind the study hall (בית חבריא) to ensure privacy before relieving himself.
רבא ביממא הוה אזיל עד מיל, ובליליא אמר ליה לשמעיה: פנו לי דוכתא ברחובא דמתא.
וכן אמר ליה רבי זירא לשמעיה: חזי מאן דאיכא אחורי בית חבריא, דבעינא למפני!
[...]
Rava would go up to a mil outside the city, and at night he would tell his servant: Clear a place for me in the city street.
And so too, R' Zeira told his servant: See who is behind the study hall, as I need to defecate.
[...]
Times for Defecation; Protective Practices and Incantations Against Sorcery in Defecation Rituals
The baraita records Ben Azzai's advice on defecation: Rise early and go in the morning and evening, to avoid needing to go at inconvenient times.
He also advises touching (משמש) the area around the anus before sitting to aid in the process, warning against sitting first and then touching, as “even if sorcery (כשפים) is performed in a distant place like Aspamia,3 the sorcery will come upon him”.
The Talmud adds that if someone forgets and sits first, they should recite a specific protective incantation when standing up to ward off the effects of sorcery.4
תניא נמי הכי,
בן עזאי אומר:
השכם וצא, הערב וצא, כדי שלא תתרחק.
משמש ושב,
ואל תשב ותמשמש,
שכל היושב וממשמש — אפילו עושין כשפים באספמיא, באין עליו.
ואי אנשי ויתיב ואחר כך משמש, מאי תקנתיה? —
כי קאי, לימא הכי:
״לא לי, לא לי,
לא תחים, ולא תחתים,
לא הני, ולא מהני,
לא חרשי דחרשא, ולא חרשי דחרשתא״.
That opinion was also taught in a baraita:
Ben Azzai said:
Rise early in the morning and go defecate, wait for evening and go defecate, so that you will not need to distance yourself.
He also said: Touch around the anus first to assist in the opening of orifices and then sit;
do not sit and then touch,
for anyone who sits and then touches, even if sorcery is performed in a distant place like Aspamia, the sorcery will come upon him.
The Gemara says: And if one forgets and sits and then touches, what is his remedy?
When he stands, he should recite the following incantation:
Not for me, not for me,
neither taḥim nor taḥtim, types of sorcery,
neither these nor from these,
neither the sorcery of a sorcerer, nor the sorcery of a sorceress.
Health and Safety Guidelines: The Benefits of Proper Places to Rest and Sit, and Proper Defecation Routine
Ben Azzai suggests avoiding:
sleeping on the ground
sitting on beams (קורה; presumably, so as to avoid the risk of falling)
Shmuel adds that sleeping and having a bowel movement at dawn are both beneficial, comparing their effects to the strengthening impact of forging (אסטמא) on iron.
תניא,
בן עזאי אומר:
על כל משכב שכב, חוץ מן הקרקע.
על כל מושב שב, חוץ מן הקורה.
אמר שמואל:
שינה בעמוד השחר -- כאסטמא לפרזלא.
יציאה בעמוד השחר -- כאסטמא לפרזלא.
Continuing with the subject of health, it was taught in a baraita:
Ben Azzai says:
On all beds, lie, except for the ground.
On all seats, sit, except for a beam,5 lest you fall off.
Shmuel said:
Sleeping at dawn is as effective as forging [istema] is to iron.
A bowel movement at dawn is as beneficial as forging is to iron.
Bar Kappara’s maxims: proactive eating, drinking, defecating, and selling
The Talmud recounts that Bar-Kappara was known for “selling sayings for dinars”.
One such maxim advised: When hungry, eat immediately, and when thirsty, drink promptly. (Alternatively: one should eat or drink even before they feel hungry or thirsty.)
He also said: “While the pot is still boiling, empty it before it cools down.” This serves as a metaphor for relieving oneself.
Another saying of his was that when a market demand is announced6 in Rome, a fig seller's son should sell his father's figs without delay, even without permission, to seize the opportunity.
בר קפרא הוה מזבן מילי בדינרי:
עד דכפנת — אכול.
עד דצחית — שתי,
עד דרתחא קדרך — שפוך.
קרנא קריא ברומי,
בר מזבין תאני,
תאני דאבוך זבין.
[...]
Similarly, the Gemara relates: Bar Kappara would sell sayings for dinars; he would express his ideas in brief maxims. For example:
If you are hungry, eat; do not delay eating, as the hunger may pass and your food will be of no benefit.
So too, if you are thirsty, drink;
while the pot is still boiling, pour it out before it cools off.7 This is a metaphor for relieving oneself.
Bar Kappara also said:
When the horn is sounded in Rome, signifying that there is demand for figs in the Roman market,
son of a fig seller,
sell your father’s figs, even without his permission, so as not to miss the opportunity.
[...]
Outhouse Story in Roman Eretz Yisrael: R’ Elazar, the Roman, and the Serpent
The Talmud recounts an incident where R' Elazar entered an outhouse and was pushed to leave by a Roman. R' Elazar left, and afterward, a serpent8 attacked the Roman, tearing out his rectum.9 R' Elazar then homiletically applied a biblical verse to the Roman.
רבי אלעזר על לבית הכסא.
אתא ההוא רומאה, דחקיה.
קם רבי אלעזר ונפק.
אתא דרקונא, שמטיה לכרכשיה.
קרי עליה רבי אלעזר: [...]
The Gemara relates that R' Elazar entered a bathroom.
This Roman came and pushed him away.
R' Elazar stood and left,
and a serpent came and ripped out the intestines of the Roman.
R' Elazar recited the following verse about the Roman: [...]
In the incantation, each line is repeated, either identically or in a slightly altered, parallel manner. This repetition enhances the potency of the magical effect.
To explain explain the structure of this talmudic statement, from a rhetorical and literary perspective: Ben-Azzai’s statement uses a parallel structure; meaning, the two clauses mirror each other in form:
"על כל משכב שכב, חוץ מן הקרקע" ("Lie on any bed, except the ground.")
"על כל מושב שב, חוץ מן הקורה" ("Sit on any seat, except the beam.")
As for the idea of the first line, compare Avot.6.4:
כך היא דרכה של תורה:
פת במלח תאכל,
ומים במשורה תשתה,
ועל הארץ תישן,
וחיי צער תחיה,
ובתורה אתה עמל,
[…]
Such is the way [of a life] of Torah:
you shall eat bread with salt,
and rationed water shall you drink;
you shall sleep on the ground,
your life will be one of privation,
and in Torah shall you labor.
That passage in Avot might be part of a broader ascetic tradition, advocating for a life of simplicity and self-denial as a spiritual ideal. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as saying that even if you find yourself living a life of poverty, the focus should remain on Torah study and spiritual growth, rather than suggesting that poverty itself is an ideal to be pursued.
קרנא קריא - literally: “the horn calls [=is sounded]”.
See Wikipedia, “Cornu (horn)”:
A cornu or cornum […] was an ancient Roman brass instrument […]
It was used by the Roman army for communicating orders to troops in battle. In Roman art, the cornu appears among the instruments that accompany games (ludi) or gladiator combat in the arena […]
The cornu was used in Roman religious rituals […] It was also used in sacrifices, funerals, circus plays, gladiatorial games, and bacchanals. The cornu was an ancient Roman musical instrument used in the ancient Roman military as a signaling instrument. It was used to give signals to the entire unit […]
The cornu was originally made from an animal horn and later made from bronze.
On the Latin word cornu, see Wiktionary, cornu:
Inherited from Proto-Italic *kornū. Cognate with English horn, hirn; Ancient Greek κρᾱνίον (krāníon, “skull”), κέρας (kéras, “horn”); Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛṅgá, “horn, tusk”).
And see ibid., Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ḳarn-:
A possible loan relation with Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-nó-s (“horn”) (from *ḱerh₂- (“horn, head”)) has been suggested, but the direction of loaning is disputed.
The usual Hebrew/Aramaic term for a horn as a musical instrument is shofar (for example, see my previous piece here). The use of keren in this context is likely influenced by the setting in Rome, where the cognate cornu was used. So a more precise translation could be:
”When the cornu is sounded in Rome…”
Edit 1-Sep-24: In a private communication, Sholom L. noted that the word keren is already used in the Bible to refer to a horn as a musical instrument, both in Hebrew (Joshua 6:5) and in Aramaic (Daniel 3:5), indicating that this usage predates Roman influence. He further suggested that during the Talmudic period, it is likely that the same shofar (i.e. a ram’s horn) was used not only on Rosh Hashanah but also for excommunication, announcing deaths, and other ritual purposes. This, he argued, is the explanation for why word shofar appears in those contexts, but not in this one.
This passage presents a concise and rhythmic structure. To break down the passage from a structural, literary, and rhetorical perspective:
The passage consists of three short clauses, each following a parallel construction:
עד דכפנת — אכול. (Until you are hungry — eat.)
עד דצחית — שתי. (Until you are thirsty — drink.)
עד דרתחא קדרך — שפוך. (Until the pot boils over — pour it out.)
Each clause follows the format:
"Until/before X — do Y"
The pot boiling over might be understood metaphorically (as Steinzaltz does). Broadly speaking, it could represent situations in life where action must be taken before things get out of control; simply explaining or broadening the first two statements into a general recommendation.