It is taught:

<<Rabbi Akiva said:

<<One

<<time

<<I entered

<<after

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<into the bathroom,

<<and I learned

<<from him

<<three

<<things:

<<I learned

<<that one does not

<<relieve oneself [facing]

<<east

<<and west

<<but rather

<<north

<<and south;

<<and I learned

<<that one does not

<<uncover oneself

<<standing

<<but rather

<<sitting;

<<and I learned

<<that one does not

<<wipe

<<with the right

<<but rather

<<with the left.

<<Ben Azzai said to him:

<<Until

<<here [i.e., this far]

<<have you made bold

<<your face

<<against your teacher?!

<<He said to him:

<<Torah

<<it is,

<<and to learn

<<I

<<need.

It is taught:

<<Ben Azzai

<<says:

<<One

<<time

<<I entered

<<after

<<Rabbi Akiva

<<into the bathroom,

<<and I learned

<<from him

<<three

<<things:

<<I learned

<<that one does not

<<relieve oneself [facing]

<<east

<<and west

<<but rather

<<north

<<and south;

<<and I learned

<<that one does not

<<uncover oneself

<<standing

<<but rather

<<sitting;

<<and I learned

<<that one does not

<<wipe

<<with the right

<<but rather

<<with the left.

<<Rabbi Yehuda said to him:

<<Until

<<here [i.e., this far]

<<have you made bold

<<your face

<<against your teacher?!

<<He said to him:

<<Torah

<<it is,

<<and to learn

<<I

<<need.

Rav Kahana

<<went in

<<[and] lay

<<beneath

<<the bed

<<of Rav.

<<He heard him

<<that he conversed

<<and jested

<<and did

<<his needs [i.e., marital relations].

<<He said to him:

<<It seems

<<the mouth

<<of Abba [i.e., Rav]

<<as if not

<<he has sipped

<<a dish!

<<He said to him:

<<Kahana,

<<here

<<are you?

<<Go out,

<<for it is not

<<proper conduct [lit. the way of the land]!

<<He said to him:

<<Torah

<<it is,

<<and to learn

<<I

<<need.

Because of

<<what

<<does one not

<<wipe

<<with the right

<<but rather

<<with the left?

<<Rava said:

<<Because

<<the Torah

<<was given

<<with the right,

<<as it is stated:

<<“From His right,

<<a fire of

<<law

<<for them.”

<<Rabbah bar bar Chana

<<said:

<<Because

<<it

<<is near

<<to the mouth.

<<And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish

<<said:

<<Because

<<one ties

<<with it

<<tefillin.

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak

<<said:

<<Because

<<one points out

<<with it

<<the cantillation of

<<the Torah.

It is like Tannaim:

<<Rabbi Eliezer

<<says:

<<Because

<<one eats

<<with it.

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<says:

<<Because

<<one writes

<<with it.

<<Rabbi Akiva

<<says:

<<Because

<<one points out

<<with it

<<the cantillation of

<<the Torah.

Rabbi Tanchum bar Chanilai said:

<<Anyone

<<who is modest

<<in the bathroom

<<is saved

<<from three

<<things:

<<from

<<the snakes,

<<and from

<<the scorpions,

<<and from

<<the demons.

<<And some say:

<<also

<<his dreams

<<are settled

<<upon him.

A certain

<<bathroom

<<that was

<<in Teverya:

<<when

<<they would

<<enter

<<it

<<two together,

<<even

<<by day

<<they were harmed.

<<Rabbi Ami

<<and Rabbi Assi

<<would

<<enter

<<it

<<one

<<and one,

<<alone,

<<and not

<<were they harmed.

<<They said

<<to them,

<<the Rabbis:

<<Are you not

<<afraid?

<<They said to them:

<<We

<<a tradition

<<have learned:

<<the tradition

<<of the bathroom

<<is modesty

<<and silence;

<<the tradition

<<for suffering

<<is silence

<<and asking for

<<mercy.

Abaye —

<<would raise

<<for him

<<his mother

<<a lamb

<<to go in

<<with him

<<to the bathroom.

<<But let her raise

<<for him

<<a kid!

<<A goat [sa'ir]

<<with a goat-demon [sa'ir]

<<might be confused.

Rava —

<<before

<<he was

<<head [of the yeshiva],

<<would rattle

<<for him

<<the daughter of

<<Rav Chisda

<<a nut

<<in a copper bowl.

<<After

<<he became king [i.e., head],

<<she made

<<for him

<<a window,

<<and she placed

<<for him

<<a hand

<<on his head.

Ulla said:

<<Behind

<<the fence,

<<one relieves himself

<<immediately;

<<and in the valley —

<<as far as

<<that if he sneezes [i.e., breaks wind]

<<not

<<his fellow

<<hears.

<<Isi bar Nassan

<<teaches

<<thus:

<<Behind

<<the fence —

<<as far as

<<that if he sneezes

<<not

<<his fellow

<<hears;

<<and in the valley —

<<as far as

<<that not

<<his fellow

<<sees him.

They raised an objection:

<<They go out

<<from the entrance of

<<the olive press

<<and relieve themselves

<<behind

<<the fence,

<<and they

<<are pure!

Regarding purities

<<they were lenient.

Come and hear:

<<How far

<<may they distance themselves

<<and be

<<pure?

<<So that

<<he will be

<<seeing him!

<<It is different with

<<those who eat

<<purities,

<<for were lenient

<<with them

<<the Rabbis.

Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<What is

<<“as far as

<<that not

<<his fellow

<<sees”

<<that says

<<Isi bar Nassan?

<<As far as

<<that not

<<his fellow

<<sees

<<his uncovered part,

<<but

<<him himself

<<[the other] does see

<<him.

A certain

<<eulogizer

<<who went down [to eulogize]

<<before

<<Rav Nachman

<<said:

<<“This one

<<modest

<<in his ways

<<was.”

<<Rav Nachman said to him:

<<You —

<<did you go in

<<with him

<<to the bathroom

<<and you know

<<whether

<<modest

<<or

<<not?

<<As it is taught:

<<One does not

<<call [a person]

<<“modest”

<<except

<<one

<<who is modest

<<in the bathroom.

And Rav Nachman —

<<what

<<difference does it make

<<to him

<<from it?

<<Because

<<it is taught:

<<Just as

<<they exact punishment

<<from

<<the dead,

<<so

<<they exact punishment

<<from

<<the eulogizers

<<and from

<<those who respond

<<after them.

The Rabbis taught:

<<Who is

<<modest?

<<This is

<<one who relieves himself

<<at night

<<in the place

<<where he relieves himself

<<by day.

Is that so?!

<<But didn't Rav Yehuda say in the name of Rav:

<<Always

<<should accustom

<<a person

<<himself [to relieve himself]

<<in the morning

<<and in the evening,

<<so that

<<not

<<will he

<<need

<<to distance himself!

<<And further:

<<Rava —

<<by day

<<he would

<<go

<<up to

<<a mil,

<<and at night

<<he would say

<<to him,

<<to his attendant:

<<Clear

<<for me

<<a place

<<in the street

<<of the town.

<<And so

<<said

<<to him

<<Rabbi Zeira,

<<to his attendant:

<<See

<<who

<<there is

<<behind

<<the house of

<<the companions [i.e., the study hall],

<<for I need

<<to relieve myself!

<<Do not

<<say

<<“in the place,”

<<but rather

<<say:

<<“in the manner

<<that he relieves himself

<<by day.”

Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<Even

<<if you say

<<“in the place,”

<<not

<<was it needed

<<except

<<for a corner [lit. the horn of an angle].

The matter itself:

<<Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

<<Always

<<should accustom

<<a person

<<himself [to relieve himself]

<<in the morning

<<and in the evening,

<<so that

<<not

<<will he

<<need

<<to distance himself.

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<Ben Azzai

<<says:

<<Rise early

<<and go out;

<<stay till evening

<<and go out,

<<so that

<<not

<<will you need to distance yourself.

<<Touch [i.e., to open the passage]

<<and sit,

<<and do not

<<sit

<<and touch;

<<for anyone

<<who sits

<<and touches,

<<even

<<[if] they perform

<<sorcery

<<in Aspamia,

<<it comes

<<upon him.

And if

<<he forgot

<<and sat

<<and after

<<that

<<touched,

<<what

<<is his remedy?

<<When

<<he stands up,

<<let him say

<<thus:

<<“Not

<<for me,

<<not

<<for me;

<<not

<<tachim

<<and not

<<tachtim;

<<not

<<these

<<and not

<<from these;

<<not

<<the sorceries of

<<a sorcerer

<<and not

<<the sorceries of

<<a sorceress.”