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Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 23:53:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: She'ilos on Davenning

Fridrd@internet-zahav.net brings up several issues about people who feel
the need to go to the bathroom during prayer. He suggests that they may
finish up and they should use their own judgement.

The following Rambam seems to contradict this (Prayer 4:10)
<  You may not pray if something is "bothering you". How so? If he had to go
to the bathroom he should NOT pray. And whoever prays when he had to go to
the bathroom his prayer is an abomination and he must repeat the shmoneh
esray. If he can wait (to go to the bathroom) enough to walk a Parsah
(about 8000 cubits or about 2-3 miles (about 40 to 60 minutes)) he need not
repeat his prayer. Nevertheless he should not initially pray until he
checks his bathroom needs, blows his nose and removes all things that
bother him.>

This of course does not contradict Fridrd but it does make the test not
subjective (use your own judgement) but objective (Can you wait an hour).

Russell Jay Hendel; Moderator Rashi Is Simple
http://www.shamash.org/rashi

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