Q:
What should a Jew that serves Hashem think about when he is taking a shower or a bath?
A:
When I was in Europe I saw people getting ready to take a bath and here’s how they did it. The servant was a shikseh and she brought in from an outhouse, from outside, a big tin tub. They didn’t have any baths in their home. A big tin tub they brought in. And then they started boiling water; tea kettles and tea kettles of water and they’re pouring it in. Finally they poured in enough hot water for a bath. Then they closed the door and he took a bath. You understand already what a comfortable bath it was.
When you were finished you had to get rid of the dirty water; they had to take it out and pour it in the garden in the back of the house.
So you couldn’t take a hot bath every week; you understand that. It was difficult.
But today people walk into their bathrooms and they’re like Hollywood bathrooms – you have a big bathtub, white enamel, porcelain, boiling water, hot water, cold water, showers; all luxuries!
I remember years ago a man visited my home, an old fashioned man. “It’s a Hollywood bathroom,” he said, “You have a Hollywood bathroom.” It was an ordinary bathroom but he wasn’t accustomed to it. He was from a small town in Europe.
It’s a luxury to have a bathroom. And therefore, you have to thank Hashem for the very great pleasures we have today. Every oved Hashem should know that we have things that they didn’t have thirty years ago or forty years ago and therefore we’re very much mechuyev, more than ever before, to spend our lives saying, “We thank You Hashem for running water. For central heating. Thank You, Hashem, air conditioning! Thank You Hashem for so many luxuries.” We’re more obligated today than ever before. And therefore that’s a good thing to think about in the shower.
TAPE # 971 (July 1994)
