חדש באתר: עוזר בינה מלאכותית המבוסס על כתביו ושיעוריו של הרב מיכאל אברהם

Q&A: Secular and Philosophy Books in the Bathroom

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Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.

Secular and Philosophy Books in the Bathroom

Question

Hello Rabbi,
Do you think there is any prohibition against reading philosophy books in the bathroom?

Answer

I think not. Such a prohibition could apply only to Torah as an object, not to Torah as embodied in the person. See my article here on the site:
As I explained there, in principle the same would apply even to the Kuzari and Guide for the Perplexed—were it not for the verses quoted in them.
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Questioner:
One more small question regarding bringing secular books into the bathroom: is there a prohibition against bringing in secular books that contain a few divine names or a few verses, or can one say that the overwhelming majority determines it? Also, if it is unknown whether the secular book contains divine names or verses, is one obligated to check before bringing it into the bathroom?
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Rabbi:
I don’t think there is any difference between a few and many divine names. There is no need for the whole book to consist of divine names in order for there to be a prohibition against bringing it into the bathroom, so this has nothing to do with the rule that the majority counts as the whole, nor with following the majority. If anything, it would relate to the law of nullification, but here there is no mixture at all (if only because it is recognizable, and for other reasons as well), so there is no nullification.
There is an obligation to check if there is a reasonable concern about this. Obviously, you do not need to inspect a Kopiko book to see whether someone happened to insert a divine name there.
In any case, the very act of bringing it in is not so problematic, certainly if it has a cover (and some say even the binding counts as a cover). Reading it is more problematic. And with a secular book that happens to contain divine names incidentally, there is even more room to be lenient, because the book itself as an object is not sacred, and therefore the book can reasonably be considered a cover.

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Questioner:
So if I understood you correctly, one can be lenient about bringing a secular book into the bathroom, even if it contains divine names; one should simply, if one happens to come across a divine name, flip past it?
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Rabbi:
If from the outset it is not expected that they will be there.
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Questioner:
The problem is that in philosophy books it is common to use the word “God.” The question is whether that means one should avoid bringing philosophy books into the bathroom because of this concern.
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Rabbi:
It seems to me that in philosophy books this is not considered a sacred divine name, for two main reasons: first, it is written in a form that is not the actual divine name (which is also why I write it that way in my own books). Second, usually they do not mean our God (the religious one, and especially not the Jewish one). For example, when one writes “god” in the sense of important people (judges), that is not a sacred name.
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Questioner:
Is there an essential difference between the philosophical God and the religious God?
Also, beyond divine names, what is the law regarding the following with respect to bringing them into a bathroom:
1. Complete verses without divine names
2. Partial verses without divine names (for example, like “Love your neighbor as yourself”)
3. Common rabbinic sayings (like “Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given”)
4. Names that refer to the Holy One, blessed be He, but are not included among the names that may not be erased, such as: Hashem, G‑d, the Holy One, blessed be He, etc.

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Rabbi:
There is no difference; it is the same object. But only the proper name refers to His essence. The other names describe Him, and therefore they are context-dependent. Two different descriptions of the same object are not like two actual names of it. In truth, regarding the proper name (the Tetragrammaton), one should be stringent about this. 1. With a complete verse, the custom is to be stringent and require a cover, as I wrote above. 2. With partial verses, the custom is to be lenient, especially if they are used in ordinary language to express things that are not the verse itself. Otherwise, if there were a book telling about Shimon saying to his friend, “Hear, O Israel, come let’s go for a walk,” it would be forbidden to bring it in there. 3. Same as above. 4. If they are not names that possess sanctity, it is permitted. Such as Hashem, G‑d, etc.

Discussion on Answer

Oren (2017-02-27)

Following up on this question, I have a book called “The Silence of the Tao” in which the following sentence appears:
“In the Judeo-Christian conception of God, one of the things emphasized most rigidly is obedience to God!”
Regarding the first occurrence of “God,” you already answered that it is not a sacred name. But regarding the second term, “God,” is there a problem here?

Moshe (2017-02-27)

“God” and “god” are the same thing!
Although I don’t understand the sentence you quoted (: (: (:

Oren (2017-02-27)

Moshe, see the explanation at this link:
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%9D

Michi (2017-02-27)

I think one can be lenient. Perhaps there is room to be stringent if one already knows that the divine name appears there. In that case, the name was not written as a sacred name and not for the sake of Torah study. Again, I saw a discussion here under letter yod:

http://mobile.tora.ws/html/508-4.html

 

Moshe (2017-02-27)

Oren, that’s exactly what I said: “god” is like “God.” Can you explain the sentence you quoted from the philosophy book?

Rabbi: is a book of the emissaries from the New Testament permitted to be read in the bathroom?
What I mean is: does the sanctity of the divine names come from the names themselves, or from the Torah content in the book?
If it comes from the names themselves, then every book is forbidden.
And if it comes from the sanctity of the book, then even if it contains no divine names one should not bring it into the bathroom.
And if it is a heretical book like the New Testament, then even if it contains divine names—it is clear that one may not read it—but as for bringing it into the bathroom, if the sanctity derives from the divine name within it, what is the law?

Oren (2017-02-27)

“God” may be like “god,” but not like the form spelled differently. As for the sentence, it seems the author (Raymond Smullyan) is pointing out the fact that in the Judeo-Christian conception, obedience to God is a central part of religion.

Moshe (2017-02-28)

Regarding the sentence, that’s what I assumed, but in the first place, in what religion is that not the case?
You’re right—definitely!

For some reason, why didn’t you include any sanctity for the name “Yah,” YA, in your list? I checked and that too is a name of God, and even part of the four-letter Name.
What does the Rabbi say?

Moshe (2017-02-28)

In that same connection, I wanted to ask: is there reward for studying philosophy, whether Jewish or not?
And in the Rabbi’s opinion, is it worthwhile to study philosophy, and for what practical benefit?
Is love of God the study of philosophy, or is love of God the study of His words (the Torah)?
Why, and do we need to know things about the Creator through philosophy beyond the fact that He is exalted in every relevant respect and what follows from that? Or in other words, that the Creator possesses power and overrides nature.
I’d be glad to hear all of your opinions.

Michi (2017-02-28)

I don’t know anything about reward. As for whether there is in this the commandment of Torah study, see my article on the site about Torah study as an object and as embodied in the person. Is it worthwhile? If it matters to you and interests you, then in my opinion yes.

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