Halachot and Customs
Is It Permissible Halachically to Use Wet Wipes on Shabbat?
Question
Hello, Rabbi.
Is it permitted to use wet wipes on Shabbat? What is the halacha regarding adults and what about infants? If possible, please include the opinion of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l.
Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello,
The view of most poskim is to forbid using wet wipes on Shabbat because of the prohibition of squeezing out liquid (see Minchat Yitzchak, vol. 10, no. 25; Emek HaTeshuvah, vol. 3, no. 13; Machazeh Eliyahu, vol. 2, nos. 14-15; Imrei Yaakov, vol. 1, no. 51; Nazer Cohen, vol. 1, no. 26; Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 2, chap. 28, sec. 12; Chut Shani, Shabbat, vol. 2, pp. 249-250; and Orchot Shabbat, vol. 1, chap. 13, sec. 46).
However, the view of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l is to permit it, provided that care is taken to wipe gently and not press forcefully, because of the prohibition of squeezing out liquid (Chazon Ovadia, Shabbat, vol. 4, p. 148). If you follow his rulings in all matters, you may be lenient in this as well.
With blessings,
Hillel Meirs
