Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim · Siman 312

Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim 312 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1What one who needs to relieve himself may use to wipe on Shabbat. 10 sections: Out of concern for human dignity, the Sages permitted handling stones for wiping — even carrying them up to a roof, which is extra effort, is permitted. One who has a designated place for a bathroom may bring a handful of stones with him. If he has no fixed place he may bring with him the size of a small pestle. If it is evident that a stone was used for wiping, it is permitted to bring it even if it is very large, or even if there are many more than a handful — since they were used for wiping they have been designated for that purpose. Rema: Some say it is only permitted to carry stones in a courtyard. (Rashi, end of ch. HaMotzi Yayin, R. Yerucham 12:16, and Ran) Some say even from a karmelit to a private domain is permitted, since that too is only a Rabbinic prohibition and the Sages permitted it out of concern for human dignity. (Tosafot, ch. Lulav HaGazul, and Hagahot Mordechai, ch. HaZorek)
2. 2If rain fell on stones and they sank into the ground — if their impression is visible it is permitted to take them for wiping, and there is no concern of demolishing or grinding.
3. 3A pebble upon which grass has grown — it is permitted to wipe with it, and we are not concerned that the grass may be pulled off, for even if it is pulled off there is no violation since it is an unintended act.
4. 4One may not handle a clod of earth for wiping since it is not suitable for wiping as it crumbles. It is forbidden to wipe with a shard even on a weekday due to danger, lest it tear the rectal ligaments.
5. 5If one has before him on Shabbat both a pebble and smooth pottery handles — since they are smooth there is no danger — one wipes with the pottery handle since it is suitable for covering the mouth of a vessel. If one has a pebble and grass, one wipes with the grass if it is moist; but with dry grass one does not wipe since it is sharp and cuts the flesh.
6. 6One may wipe on Shabbat with moist grass even if it is still attached to the ground, provided one does not move it. There is no concern of using something attached to the ground, since that was only said regarding a tree but not regarding vegetation.
7. 7If one needed to relieve himself and could not — the remedy is to massage around the anal opening, where by massaging with a pebble the opening relaxes. One should not massage on Shabbat in the same way as on a weekday — meaning holding the pebble in the whole hand — due to the concern of removing hairs; rather one massages in an unusual manner, meaning holding the pebble between two fingers.
8. 8Massaging with a plug at the anal opening has the same law as a pebble — one should only hold it with two fingers. It is forbidden to go out with a plug even if it is inserted entirely within the body.
9. 9It is forbidden to relieve oneself in a plowed field on Shabbat, lest one come to fill in holes. And if it is another person's field, even on a weekday it is forbidden since one treads upon his furrows and damages them.
10. 10Large stones that are arranged in the shape of a hollow seat, upon which one sits in fields in a place designated as a bathroom — it is permitted to arrange them, and even though it is a temporary construction the Sages did not decree against it out of concern for human dignity.

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