Brushing Teeth on Shabbos and Lashon Hora!

Glatt Kosher Shabbos Toothbrushes

Question

I recently saw a “glatt kosher Shabbos toothbrush” advertised. Is it permitted to use it on Shabbos with water? Even if it is technically permitted to use it on Shabbos, is there an issue of uvdin dechol to brush one’s teeth with a toothbrush on Shabbos?

Thank you.

Beracha

Rav Azriel 

There are a number of melachos involved with brushing one’s teeth on Shabbos. From what I have heard, these kosher toothbrushes deal with meleches sechitah, i.e., the water in between the bristles. Even though the plastic bristles do not absorb water, nonetheless, if the bristles are packed tightly together, then removing the water is sechitah. 

How can one determine if one’s kosher toothbrush is really kosher? The rule is that the bristles are close enough together that if one turns the toothbrush upside down and the water remains in between the bristles, the water is considered halachically absorbed, and then it is forbidden to brush one’s teeth with such a toothbrush, for it would constitute meleches sechitah on Shabbos. The same rule would apply to a brush used for cleaning dishes.

I would like to add that even if the toothbrush is “glatt kosher,” there are two issues that one cannot kasher. Firstly, it is forbidden to use toothpaste on Shabbos, for spreading a thin layer of paste across one’s teeth and gums is included in meleches memarei’ach. Secondly, if one suffers from bleeding gums, brushing one’s teeth on Shabbos will most likely aggravate his condition and cause bleeding. It would be forbidden for him to brush his teeth on Shabbos.

As far as uvdin dechol is concerned, since this particular toothbrush is set aside specifically for Shabbos use, its usage would not be considered uvdin dechol.

Teshuvah on Lashon Hara

Question

I feel terrible that a while ago I spoke lashon hara about a very good friend of mine. We see each other at least once a week, and every time I see her, I think about the lashon hara I spoke. I thought about doing teshuvah, but I am embarrassed to say that I don’t even remember who I said the lashon hara to. What should I do?

Rav Auerbach

You are asking a very difficult question, and this should be a major impetus for us to be extremely careful not to speak lashon hara. The Chofetz Chaim rules that when a person speaks lashon hara about someone else and wants to do teshuvah, he needs to ask forgiveness from the person he spoke about. When he went to ask Rav Yisroel Salanter for a haskamah for his sefer, Rav Yisroel told the Chofetz Chaim that while it may be true that one needs to ask forgiveness from the victim of the lashon hara to gain atonement, since this will most likely cause this person distress, there is an issur to do so. The Chofetz Chaim nonetheless included this halacha in his sefer.

As far as I know, there is no clear “p’sak” in this machlokes. I am not ready to be machriah between two gedolei Yisroel. Therefore, I rule that in such a case, one should be shev ve’al ta’aseh and not ask mechilah.

While we are on the topic of not hurting other Jews with one’s speech, I would like to share with you something about how far my father, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, was always thinking about how not to cause others pain with his words. One time, a girl came with her father on Purim to get a brocha for shidduchim. We were all surprised when he went out to speak to her. My father later explained that after the brocha, she cried, and it would have been embarrassing for her to cry in front of all of his guests. My father taught me to be so careful not to hurt another Jew with words.