Q&A: Jacuzzi on a Jewish Holiday and on the Sabbath
Jacuzzi on a Jewish Holiday and on the Sabbath
Question
Hello Rabbi Michael!
1. Is it permitted to go into a jacuzzi on a Jewish holiday or on the Sabbath?
2. Is it permitted to go into a swimming pool on the Sabbath or on a Jewish holiday?
Answer
The Sages prohibited washing most of one’s body in hot water. Washing a minority of the body in hot water, or the whole body in cold water, is permitted according to the law. Even so, the custom developed not to bathe because of various concerns.
In any case, if you do bathe, when coming out there is a concern that one may carry the water four cubits in a karmelit or in the public domain, and therefore one should shake off the water well. Drying off with a towel after bathing also raises a concern of squeezing. One may not operate anything in the jacuzzi. One may not fill hot water if cold water enters the heating tank (the boiler) in its place.
Discussion on Answer
I wrote about the Sabbath and didn’t notice that the question was also about a Jewish holiday.
Indeed, some distinguish between the Sabbath and a Jewish holiday because of the difference regarding the heating itself. And straightforwardly, there is no need even to invoke the law of indirect causation. See here:
http://ph.yhb.org.il/12-05-10/
A few important points…
1. In a jacuzzi, in most cases water is not intentionally added on the Sabbath, only during maintenance operations.
2. The water in the jacuzzi is heated by the mechanism to a temperature at which the hand does not recoil from it (in most cases less than 40 degrees Celsius) before the Sabbath begins.
3. The jacuzzi needs to be turned on before the Sabbath, so that the initial heating takes place not on the Sabbath.
4. In most cases, a jacuzzi is operated in a private domain, so there is no transferring from one domain to another. In cases where the jacuzzi is in a public place, the bathers usually organize themselves in that same place and dry off before leaving the area.
Does the decree regarding hot water apply on a Jewish holiday as well? After all, heating is permitted for a need.
Aside from that, according to many opinions indirect causation is permitted on a Jewish holiday, and that solves the issue of the hot water entering.