On Showers

Asked by Joseph Wolf · June 7, 2004 · Shabbat

Question

The guy who wrote about the showers was a little rude, but not so rude. He didn't call you names or anything. He didn't insult your knoweldge. If anything he insulted your writing. He just complained that your original answers were imprecise, and, you know what?, maybe they were. There was even one that said that hot showers are always ok, because no hot water heter ever gets the water above yad soledes bo. So can you clarify, please? Are we required to make sure that the water in our heters is below YSB? Or can we assume it is, without checking? I don't think you ever made this clear. I think that CYA made this clear recently, but it would help if you would, for once, and for all, put a fine point on it, and tell us exactly how to go about taking a hot shower on shabbas. What - if anything - do we need to do to the heter. Thanks, Joseph Wolf

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

Insulted the writing, not the person?! Hello?! Here's how it goes.... Confirm that your hot water is from a separate hot-water heater, rather than from the same source as the heat of your home. Then turn on the nearest faucet and see the tempature of the water. Any hardware or housewares store carries a thermometer like that for a few bucks. If it is 125 degrees or less, you can use your hot water on Shabbat. Taking a shower can be done with shampoo as normal, and any soap. The shower shouldn't be very very hot. It can be a nice warm shower, though. You can dry yourself afterwards as usual. Anything else? AA