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It's Yom Kippur. Mr. Ploni is at home, praying the Amidah prayer with great emotion. He's crying, and his nose is dripping. Although it's a fast day, he wants to lick the snot off his upper lip.

  1. If there's no tissue within arm's reach, may he do so?

  2. Perhaps there are lots of tissues within arm's reach. But perhaps he wants to save time, money, and/or the environment, or he prefers not to use a tissue. If so, may he lick the snot off his upper lip?

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    It'snot food...
    – Gershon Gold
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 14:22
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    See Magein Avraham (567:8), who permits swallowing saliva on Yom Kippur (since it isn't fit for generic consumption - no one else would want to consume your saliva) on condition that the person's intention is not to swallow it as food but to swallow it to remove it from his mouth. I would expect that the same applies in this case.
    – Fred
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 16:01
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    @Fred, but we see in the rules of eating blood that there's a difference between stuff from your mouth that's already left your mouth (eating it is considered eating) and stuff from your mouth that hasn't (eating it is not considered eating). Perhaps the same applies here.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 18:22
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    @msh210 The distinction in that case is due to mar'is ha'ayin, isn't it? I noticed no criteria in the Magen Avraham that would suggest a distinction in this case.
    – Fred
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 22:43
  • Ew. In any event, I think @Fred should post an answer....I see no reason to differentiate between saliva and snot.
    – MTL
    Commented Oct 3, 2014 at 3:58

2 Answers 2

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Aruch Hashulchan 97:3 says he should wipe it on a garment (where it won't be visible outwardly) or collect it in his hand and toss it to the floor behind him.

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  • This answer provides general guidelines for recourse during prayers, and does not address fasting on Yom Kippur, which seems to be the main focus of the question. Additionally, the advice about tossing spit on the floor and the like might be obsolete in the context of most modern synagogues.
    – Fred
    Commented Oct 24, 2013 at 4:25
  • @Fred, good point re modern synagogues, but, re your first point, the question asks whether the person may eat the discharge, and the AHS indicates that the thing to do is otherwise. I think this is a good answer (except, again, for the modern-syangogues issue).
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Oct 24, 2013 at 4:52
  • @msh210: Hi! I'm the OP. Thank you for your answer. Please note that the subject of the question doesn't want the snot to touch his hands, nor does he want it to touch any part of any garment. Given these facts, should this answer perhaps be converted into a comment?
    – unforgettableidSupportsMonica
    Commented Oct 31, 2013 at 6:00
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    @unforgettableid, please see meta.judaism.stackexchange.com/a/1231
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Oct 31, 2013 at 20:41
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One can walk around during the Amida if it is necessary, so the best option is to get a tissue.

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    Welcome David. One of the points of Mi Yodea is that answers should be supported with sources. Your answer, therefore, needs to show how you know what you are saying is true. Try editing your answer to directly address the question and give your reasons with sources.
    – Bruce James
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 17:56
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    @BruceJames, I think it answers the question by removing an (implied) hypothesis/assumption of the question. (I agree with your other comment, though: this answer needs a source for its claim that walking around if necessary (with this degree of necessity) is okay and for its claim that that's the best option.)
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 18:23

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