[Avodah] Tearing toilet paper on Shabbos

Micha Berger micha at aishdas.org
Tue May 27 12:57:51 PDT 2008


I saw a post that presumes the halakhah is different than as I learned
it. I therefore am raising the topic here.

Tearing toilet paper is permissable on Shabbos or YT, when in the
context of kavod haberi'os and done in a derabbanan manner.

However:

1- Kavod haberi'os only has bedi'eved meaning. Lechat-chilah one
should make sure there is precut paper before Shabbos, or choose
another restroom.

2- (And this is the point of disagreement) Tearing toilet paper is not
normally derabbanan. AIUI, if torn on the perforations, one is tearing
to size and that's deOraisa. Rather, one must either tear kel'acheir
yad, or make sure not to tear on the lines.


Another topic that came up was Huggies (a brand of baby wipe that
comes out far cheaper than the alternatives for me) or tissues that
are connected by a thin dotted line. They post a similar issue, except
that they are so barely connected -- typically 3 or four mere dots,
and wipes are so much thicker, that they will always come apart at the
dotted line.

One person suggested that perhaps they're not connected enough to be
considered qeri'ah, but I don't see it. (I'm just repeating it to give
more complete context.)

But I don't know about facial tissues. Is the need for one also
considered a sufficient kavod haberi'os issue?

SheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "Man wants to achieve greatness overnight,
micha at aishdas.org        and he wants to sleep well that night too."
http://www.aishdas.org     - Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, Alter of Novarodok
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