Siman 2 Seif 6:

It is forbidden to walk with an erect posture, and one should not walk four amot with an uncovered head. One should check to determine whether he needs to use the bathroom. One should cover his body and not walk barefoot. One should accustom himself to use the bathroom in the morning and at night.

• It is forbidden even to walk less than four amot or just to stand with an erect posture. (M.B. 9)
• It is virtuous to not go even less than four amot with an uncovered head and even to cover one’s head when sleeping. (M.B. 11)
• The Taz rules that nowadays it is prohibited to walk around or even sit with an uncovered head. (M.B. 11) The Shulhan Aruch holds according to the letter of the law it is permitted however nowadays since it is customary for observant Jews to cover their heads a person should be strict. (Yabia Omer 9:1, Or Lesion 2:7:13)
• Magen Avraham writes that one should accustom children to also cover their head so they should develop fear of Hashem. (M.B. 11) The proper time would be when they start walking or when they reach the age of three. (Yalkut Yosef 19)
• It is sufficient to cover your head with your hand. (M.B. 11)
• It is prohibited to make a beracha or to learn Torah with an uncovered head and using one’s
• hand is not sufficient. In difficult circumstances there are authorities that are lenient. (M.B. 12) In a situation of a mitzvah that is passing (e.x. lightning and thunder) one can be lenient (Yabia Omer 9:1:6)
• To cover one’s head with his friend’s hand is sufficient. (Shulhan Aruch 91:4)
• To cover one’s head with his sleeve is sufficient. (M.B. 12)
• One should not rely on a wig as a head cover since people will not realize that his head is covered. Some authorities, however, are lenient about this matter. (M.B. 12) This is only in regard to making a beracha but to go out with a wig is permitted. (K.H. 91:18)
• If one does not feel the urge to use the bathroom after checking he is considered to have a clean body and should not delay praying out of additional concern that his body is not clean. (M.B. 13)

Siman 3 Seif 1:

When one enters the bathroom he should declare, “With respect to the honored ones…” but nowadays we are not accustomed to say it.



Siman 3 Seif 2:

One should behave modestly in the bathroom and should not uncover himself until he is sitting. Two people should not go into the bathroom together, nor should one speak there, and one should close the door behind him out of concern for modesty.

• One should also not stand while still exposed. (M.B. 2)
• It is permitted to go into the bathroom with one’s child who is lacking daat. (M.B. 3)
• A person is prohibited to speak on a telephone in the bathroom (Halichot Olam Vayetze 3)
• A person can speak in the bathroom if it is a great need. (M.B. 4) However he should limit his speech as much

Shulchan Aruch Siman 2 Seif 6

ולא ילך ארבע אמות בגילוי הראש

One should not walk four amot with an uncovered head. 

The Shulhan Aruch rules that one should not walk four amot with an uncovered head and the Mishnah Berurah (11) adds that it is virtuous to make sure that one does not even walk less than four amot with an uncovered head. Rav Shlomo Kluger (Elef Lecha Shelomo 3) maintains that uncovering one’s head entirely is prohibited and making sure that one’s head is not even partially uncovered is an act of piety. Accordingly, when the Gemara (Shabbat 118b) records the declaration, “I am deserving of reward because I did not walk four amot with an uncovered head,” the intent was that he did not walk four amot with even part of his head uncovered. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe OR”H 1:1), however, adopts a more lenient approach. He maintains that the obligation to cover one’s head is that the covering should be the size that people describe as covering one’s head. Once one’s head is covered to this degree one is even allowed to make berachot. He further asserts that Rav Shlomo Kluger meant that covering the majority of one’s head is only an act of piety. Unfortunately, Rav Feinstein does not give the percentage of one’s head that should be covered to meet this requirement. 

Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Yehave Daat 4:1) rules that although it is pious to wear a kippah that covers one’s entire head or at least the majority of his head, according to the letter of the law it is acceptable to wear a smaller kippah as long as it could be easily seen from all sides of one’s head. It is not acceptable to wear a kippah that is so small that it is difficult to detect that it is there. Furthermore, while one is praying or reciting Birkat Hamazon one should wear a kippah that covers at least the majority of one’s head since one is obligated to dress more formally during these activities.