Date: 15 Aug 2004
Time: 03:06:27 -0700
Your question seems to be a. is it matur to bathe on Shabboth? b. is it permitted to use hot water for such activity? In israel, according to R. Yusef Meghori is is mutar to bathe, though not with a cloth that will require "wringing" as this is laundering. Modern nylon sponges known as "buff-puffs" are not cloth and therefore there is no problem. In addition, the water is heated by the sun or prior to Shabboth in an electric or gas heater are both permitted to use for bathing, the entire body, with full lather, from head to toe, all at once. If heater is gas, as more often in galuth, you should consult Mishne Torah, hilchoth shabboth or a competent guide i.e. Scholar of Mishneh Torah and/or Rabbi of Teyman. I have also been told by a competent sephardic chacham that R. Ovadya writes similarly that he understands bathing is permitted, as well with hot water from an Israeli water heater.
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