Listening to Torah in the shower. We learned, Rabotai (my masters), that one is not allowed even to think of a Devar Torah (words of Torah) or think about it in learning. Although learning is the best thing, because it is so holy, because it is so Kadosh (holy), one is not allowed to talk about a Devar Torah or think about a Devar Torah in very disgusting and unholy places.
One of those cases is a restroom, toilet, or bathroom. A person using the restroom, or someone in a room that contains a bathroom, is not allowed to talk about a Devar Torah and can’t even think about a Devar Torah, because thinking about Torah is also a mitzvah (commandment); it’s also a form of learning. It’s not literally verbalized in the words of Torah, but thinking of a Devar Torah is also a form of learning, of Kadosh, of a mitzvah, and one cannot do that in a room that’s contaminated, of Tumah, of impurity, like a restroom that’s also very dirty. It’s not respectful to think about a Devar Torah in the restroom.
However, when it comes to shower rooms that don’t have a restroom inside, sometimes you can have just a shower room without any bathroom in it. Sometimes you can have a room with a toilet seat but no shower, and sometimes you have both. But let’s say you have a case where it’s just a shower room, and there’s no toilet seat in the same room where you’re taking a shower.
Chacham Ovadia Yosef, Maran (our master), says one is allowed to think about a Devar Torah while taking a shower, especially if it’s going to save a person from unnecessary, unhealthy thoughts. Although a Devar Torah is a very holy thing, it’s not best to think about a Devar Torah even while you’re in the shower. But according to halacha (Jewish law), it’s fine, especially if it’s going to save a person from unnecessary thoughts.
So one is allowed to think about a Devar Torah, about the Daf Yomi that you did, while you’re taking a shower, although you’re not dressed. Chacham Ovadia Yosef, Maran, says even more: let’s say you want to listen to a shiur, a class, live; let’s say you want to listen to a recorded class. You’re allowed to listen to it while you’re in the shower.
Now, this is a very big chiddush (novel insight), because usually we say that when you listen to somebody saying a Beracha (blessing) for you, it’s as if you said it. For example, every Friday night and every Shabbat day, Saturday day, one person at the table makes Kiddush (sanctification over wine), the mitzvah of Kiddush, for everyone at the table. Even though every single one of us is obligated to say the words of Kiddush, because we’re listening to one person saying it, it’s as if we said it with him. It’s called shomea ke'oneh: the listener; it’s as if he answered himself. Chacham Ovadia says that here, when you listen to a Devar Torah while taking a shower, we don’t consider it ke'oneh—as if you’re verbalizing a Devar Torah. Therefore, you’re allowed to listen to a Devar Torah, because if we considered it as if you were saying it, it would not be allowed to hear it in the shower.
But here, because it’s a recorded device, you don’t hear the actual person saying it; rather, you hear his voice from the device, from the internet, saying it. So it’s not really 100% considered as if a person is saying it. Therefore, you’re allowed to listen to it, even while you’re in the shower.
So, according to halacha, one is allowed to think of a Devar Torah while taking a shower. One is even allowed to listen to a speech that’s recorded or live on a radio while taking a shower. However, let’s say—I know it’s a funny case—but let’s say there’s a person giving a speech outside the shower room, and he’s very loud and saying a Devar Torah, while the person taking a shower is behind closed doors. If it’s a Devar Torah from an actual live person whose voice you actually hear—not from a recorded device, a computer, a phone, or YouTube, but actually live from the person inside the same building as you—and you can actually hear his voice, you are not allowed to listen to that while you’re taking a shower.
So if a person is inside using the restroom, even thinking of a Devar Torah is not allowed. When taking a shower, you’re allowed to think, and you’re even allowed to listen to a Devar Torah from anything that’s recorded, not from an actual live person. However, if there’s a bathroom inside the room where you’re taking a shower, you’re not allowed to even think of a Devar Torah, because once there’s a restroom inside, in the same place where you’re taking a shower, in the same room, it takes the whole room down with it. It makes the whole room even more tameh, and even more impure. So therefore, you can't even think of a Devar Torah, while you're taking a shower.