Q&A: Urinating on Vegetation on the Sabbath
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Urinating on Vegetation on the Sabbath
Question
Hello, honorable Rabbi.
Is the leniency mentioned in the Shulchan Arukh in section 336, paragraph 3, which permits urinating on vegetation because it harms it rather than helping it grow—does that leniency still apply today?
I assume that with the advancement of science, that is scientific information that is not correct.
Thank you very much.
Answer
I don't know. If it is scientifically known today that it is not harmful, then in my opinion it is definitely forbidden.
Discussion on Answer
Sorry. Not the Sages—the Shulchan Arukh.
Actually, they understood agriculture pretty well in the past. I don't understand why you're making such pompous assumptions.
Bottom line:
Urine contains high amounts of nitrogen, ammonia, and salts, which can destroy delicate or young vegetation (the concentration in urine is too high). In fact today, many people take medications, which can also harm a plant when they are excreted in urine.
Aside from that, if it's a plant used for food, it's harmful when you urinate on it. And even if it's for ornament or fragrance, urine contains ammonia that creates a bad smell.
It sounds to me like the Sages weren't really wrong here. Strange to suspect that in the first place, no? Is this quantum physics?