Berakhot 23

Today’s discussion focuses on bathroom protocols during times of prayer. There is a lot of attention to details concerning the removal of phylacteries when entering a bathroom and the suggestion to place them in holes adjacent to the bathroom, unless they are in a vulnerable place where they can be stolen. And there is even advice on using the bathroom before a meal. I am amazed that the learned Rabbis spent so much time discussing such physical matters. I know its about purifying the body for prayer, but I wonder if the Rabbis were also offering advice about public health matters. This extends to concern about mental health issues as demonstrated in the story about the poor rabbinical student who throws himself off a roof because he is falsely accused by a harlot for having made payment for her services. I learned in Hebrew School (if I remember correctly), that Jewish laws were not only designed to show respect and awe for God, but they also contained health benefits. It also struck me that this is one of the texts that is very proscriptive in personal matters.