Why are we allowed to sleep in hotels?

Rappel ↓

Tue, May 07 2024, 5:56 pm

I haven't yet found the source, but I remember that women are not supposed to sleep in a bed that a man (not her husband) slept in. This rule lasts for a few days, out of concern of wandering sperm.

So why are people allowed to sleep in a hotel bed which held a different couple the night before, and which definitely included, well... Wandering sperm.

realsilver

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:03 pm

We use linen which I assume was different in those days. Did they wash their straw mattress blankets often?

The halacha might be sleeping on unwashed linen that someone slept in.

readreread

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:18 pm

After all the scare stories coming out from housekeepers about how infrequently these linens actually get changed, now I'm questioning the unwashed linen thing too...!

Unigala

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:21 pm

There are many people who don't sleep in hotels fyi
I'm not sure if this isnthe only reason but it's def part of it.
I know a few chassanim and kallahs who did not go to a hotel after their wedding.
Come to think of it all were chassidish or heimish

self-actualization

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:49 pm

Great question. I thought you were going to ask about all the white linen (which bothers me and I sometimes bring my own).

↑ Vera

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:49 pm

Unigala wrote:

That's because no mezuza on door. We went to the Jewish hotel on 13 Ave (heimish)

Lemonade 2323

Tue, May 07 2024, 6:58 pm

Vera wrote:

That's because no mezuza on door. We went to the Jewish hotel on 13 Ave (heimish)

There doesn't need to be a mezuza unless you own and it.

Goody2shoes

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:02 pm

Unigala wrote:

It was never the norm for chassidish newlyweds to go to hotels after their wedding, most are all set up in their apartments. I don't know if there's a halachic reason behind it or it's just community norms.
Happens to be, with the housing crisis in BP specifically, I know of a few chassidish newlyweds who had no choice but stay in hotels on their wedding nights.

Marathon

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:10 pm

Well theres a story in gemara of a women going into a bath a man used (idk if her husband) and she got pregnant from floating sperm.....

singleagain ↓

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:25 pm

Marathon wrote:

Well theres a story in gemara of a women going into a bath a man used (idk if her husband) and she got pregnant from floating sperm.....

This is the basis of the halacha of IVF

chassidisheveib ↓

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:29 pm

Marathon wrote:

Well theres a story in gemara of a women going into a bath a man used (idk if her husband) and she got pregnant from floating sperm.....

It was her fathers…

Crookshanks

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:30 pm

Marathon wrote:

Well theres a story in gemara of a women going into a bath a man used (idk if her husband) and she got pregnant from floating sperm.....

https://americanpregnancy.org/.....yths/

Pregnancy Myth #7: Can pregnancy occur if ejaculation takes place in water?
It is not likely that tiny sperm could travel through the vast area of water that would fill a pool, bathtub, or hot tub to reach the private part and result in pregnancy. If ejaculation occurred in plain warm water, sperm could survive for a few minutes. If ejaculation occurs in very hot water, or water filled with pool chemicals, bubbles or other substances, sperm would not be able to survive for more than a few seconds. Pregnancy occurring from this is very unlikely and in most cases is not possible at all.

↑ chassidisheveib

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:31 pm

Crookshanks wrote:

https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/pregnancy-myths/

Pregnancy Myth #7: Can pregnancy occur if ejaculation takes place in water?
It is not likely that tiny sperm could travel through the vast area of water that would fill a pool, bathtub, or hot tub to reach the private part and result in pregnancy. If ejaculation occurred in plain warm water, sperm could survive for a few minutes. If ejaculation occurs in very hot water, or water filled with pool chemicals, bubbles or other substances, sperm would not be able to survive for more than a few seconds. Pregnancy occurring from this is very unlikely and in most cases is not possible at all.

The gemara doesn’t make up stories.

↑ singleagain

Tue, May 07 2024, 7:35 pm

chassidisheveib wrote:

The gemara doesn’t make up stories.

The gemara uses mashal and agadatah all the time

shabbatiscoming ↓

Tue, May 07 2024, 11:27 pm

Rappel wrote:

The sheets are hopefully change between customers. So no issue.
Also, sperm dont live that long out of the male or fe.ale body. Maybe a few minutes or so. So again, no issue.

gold4

Tue, May 07 2024, 11:29 pm

Marathon wrote:

Well theres a story in gemara of a women going into a bath a man used (idk if her husband) and she got pregnant from floating sperm.....

So based on this, men and woman’s shouldn’t be allowed to use the same pool

↑ Rappel

Tue, May 07 2024, 11:59 pm

gold4 wrote:

So based on this, men and woman’s shouldn’t be allowed to use the same pool

Bleach in water is a wonderful thing

I guess I assume that even if the hotel changes sheets (big if), they don't change the mattress protector underneath, and that's where my questions came from. (skipping over the gross factor. I'll start a separate thread for that)

Blessing1

Wed, May 08 2024, 12:00 am

Vera wrote:

That's because no mezuza on door. We went to the Jewish hotel on 13 Ave (heimish)

No mezuza is not an issue for a hotel room.
We didn't have mezuza's in our apartment on our wedding night... we got mezuza's after 30 days of living there.

Bleemee

Wed, May 08 2024, 12:12 am

Lemonade 2323 wrote:

There doesn't need to be a mezuza unless you own and it.

It’s not Halacha, it’s preference.