Group None

He who honors is honored,1Aboth 4:8. he who honors the Holy One, blessed be He, and that which He commands, is honored by Him.2Midrash Tanhuma, ed. Horeb, Vayigash, p. 140. It is not proper that you put books on a bed which you slept upon lest there be semen on the bed or one broke wind in the bed, similarly it would not be proper that you hold between your legs or behind you holy writings, for it is said “And has cast Me behind they back” (I Kings 14:9). And it is not proper when a man has had intercourse in bed and the moisture of sperm is yet upon him that he mention any matter of holiness, prayer or Torah. Rather let him wash himself well with water that there not cleave to him even the smallest piece3Shulhan Arukh, “Orah Hayim” 76. Mogen Avraham, note 7. (of semen). We find two purifications for three commands,4The Perush states that the three commands are: to meditate on Torah; to pray; to speak to friends only of Godly matters. The two purifications are directives to abstain from the aforementioned commands when he finds himself in a place of filth or if his person is soiled with semen. “The words of the Lord are pure words” (Ps. 12:7). “But words of pleasantness are pure” (Prov. 15:26). This is to teach you that a man should not be in a place of filth and think of matters of Torah or pray,5Berakoth 24b. or speak to his friend of any matter concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, and neither (should he do so) when there is semen upon him. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline” (Prov. 1:7). “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Prov. 1:29). “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:5).