The first se'if (section): the mashtin (one who urinates) will not pray until he has waited the time it takes to walk four amot (cubits), and the person praying will not urinate until he has waited the time it takes to walk four amot, so that the issue is no longer present.
Which means, a person goes to the bathroom and shouldn’t pray until he waits the shiur (measure) that it takes to walk four amot, because there are still nitzotzot, drops that are coming out. You have to wait; it’s not nice to pray the amidah (standing prayer) with nitzotzot. And if a guy prays, you shouldn’t go to the bathroom until you wait at least four amot after the amidah, because as long as you’re within four amot of your amidah, your lips are still moving, so to speak, in tefillah (prayer), and therefore you’re still considering the tefillah. So you have to break your tefillah and then continue.
So this is the mashtin. What we’re talking about here is a case where he can pray the amidah right after he goes to the bathroom, when he did it in a kli (vessel) and covered the kli. Obviously, you’re not praying in the same spot where you went to the bathroom, because it’s assur (forbidden), because the beit hakisei (bathroom) is there. So we’re talking about a case where he did it in a kli, where you can pray in that spot. He’s ready the shiur of nitzotzot. After four amot, they’re insignificant; they already get absorbed in the garment that he’s wearing. But before four amot, the nitzotzot are significant, so you have to wait for the nitzotzot to finish, which is really a short amount of time. But after four amot, you can go to the mashtin, up to the place where you prayed. But meaning, after four amot, after you finish the amidah, you can even be mashtin in the place where you just prayed. But you shouldn’t go within four amot of the place where you prayed, because it’s written in the Sefer Chassidim (book of Hasidim). It means that there’s no mashtin to be killed in a place associated with prayer or blessing, in a place where a person is clothed. You took the dirt and covered it; you shouldn’t go in that spot while the blood is still there, to urinate there or spit in that spot. Don’t come over there; it’s not proper to go to the same spot where you just prayed.
Okay, a person who spits should also wait four amot before praying. The same thing after you finish praying: wait four amot before you spit. That’s when you do it willingly, when you’re bringing it up. But if it happened—meaning he has to spit it out—that’s not; that’s mutar (permitted). Which means he’s doing it willingly, because he wants to spit; then everybody has to wait. But if you can’t control it, if he has something in his mouth, then that’s not going to be mutar.
The last thing: tzedakah (charity) is a sign; it’s good to give tzedakah before a prayer. So first you give tzedakah before a prayer: “Ani betzedek echezeh panecha” (I, in righteousness, shall behold Your face), then that’s your face, so I will see you. But before I see you, “esbe'ah behakitz temunatecha” (I shall be satisfied upon awakening with Your image). As for holy matters, the practice is to give tzedakah in connection with the passage. The prayer is in your face, and you’re the master of everything. And there are places where you can get tzedakah during the reading of the Torah; they go around during the reading of the Torah to get tzedakah. And it’s not an honor; it’s bad behavior. Why? You can’t hear the Berachot (blessings), so that’s not a proper minhag (custom).
So the rabbi says here in the halakha (Jewish law): it’s really two seconds, it’s mostly, right, he went down the road, it’s not in front. I mean, it’s got swollen in the ground, let’s say. But if he really did, or if he really went down the road, he would have died in four days, because he didn’t pray. Which is, if he really went down in four days, then he can’t pray anyway. I mean, you have to talk about a case where it’s not a problem: he prayed, then he wants to go to the bathroom right after the tefillah. Again, in our cases, where you’re praying in synagogue, you’re never happy, because by the time you walk to the bathroom, it’s more than two seconds. We’re talking about the guys on the road: he prayed, and right after that, he wants to go to the bathroom. You have to wait four amot, and you can go to the bathroom in the place where you prayed. But, like we said, you shouldn’t go to the bathroom within four amot of the place, nor should you spit. You’re in the place where you did the mitzvah (commandment) of kisui hadam (covering the blood). The same thing applies to someone who wants to spit: you shouldn’t spit within four amot before you start praying. If you spit, wait four amot before you start, and if you’re praying, wait four amot. That’s only, like we said, for something pleasurable that you’re doing to yourself; if it happens by itself, it’s not a problem.
Last thing: in the Masechet (tractate) Bava Batra, they said that Rabbi Elazar had given a perutah (small coin) to the poor guy, and after that, he was praying. I don’t understand. I’m sorry, I said, “I’m in the Masechet; I’m praying for you.” But you know, Arizal, when he comes to you, in the Masechet of David, and he says, “And you, then you give the third one, two and one,” like the Ben Ish Chai brings down as well, and I’m...