Q&A: Regarding Passover Stringencies, and Whoever Is Stringent Is a Donkey!
Regarding Passover Stringencies, and Whoever Is Stringent Is a Donkey!
Question
Now, I have had difficulty understanding why the custom among the Jewish people is not to kosher the toilet bowls.
For seemingly the status of excrement is the same as actual leaven, since as long as it is fit for a dog’s consumption we do not consider it unfit for eating, and it is regarded as leaven in its tangible form. And it is well known that dogs eat excrement (as stated in the Talmud in many places), and therefore the status of excrement is that of leaven. This requires examination.
And if you would say that we do not ordinarily cook excrement in the toilet bowl, and with something cold it does not absorb—this can be rebutted from the rule that “pickling is like cooking,” and sometimes people forget to flush the water, and the excrement remains there for more than twenty-four hours, and it is considered pickled.
From all this it seems to me that there is a full obligation to kosher the toilet bowl, and anyone who refrains from doing so has the status of a complete heretic who mocks the words of our holy rabbis; his wine is idolatrous wine, and he does not count toward a quorum.
Answer
As has been said: there is no erection except of the mind.
And that says it all, brilliantly.
Discussion on Answer
It seems to me that generally there is no need to kosher something whose use is with cold, except for one who mocks the words of the sages, who is judged with boiling excrement—he really does need to be stringent and kosher the toilet bowls under the rule for something used with heat, and may a blessing of good come upon him.
With blessings, Joshua son of Miriam from Nof HaGalil
*need*
The above (that is what should have been written).
As has been said: there is no erection except of the mind,
and if there is no mind, where does Havdalah come from,
and one recites Havdalah only over wine,
and when wine enters, the secret comes out,
and one who reveals a secret goes about as a talebearer:
so this one who goes around koshering,
whether from excrement or from some other disgusting thing,
which for a dog is edible food,
behold, his deed is pure and noble,
and one who treats the matter lightly is a fool,
and one who questions it is nothing but a troll,
and the fool is answered according to his folly.
Therefore the vats should be enlarged,
so that a toilet bowl of regular size can fit into them,
and because of the revolting smell,
a scarecrow shall be put in charge of the koshering,
and he should also put vanilla perfume into the water,
or cinnamon, clove, and ginger