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Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 3 Sif 1

אלא ילבישו ויפשיטו כשהוא שוכב על משכבו מכסה. ואל יאמר הנני בחדרי חדרים ובחשכה מי רואני, כי הקדוש ברוך הוא מלא כל הארץ כבודו, וכחשכה כאורה לפניו יתברך שמו.

My question on this is,

It says (not exact translation) "you should not say that because I am in a room inside a room and it is dark and no one can see me rather you should go under you covers"

So my question is what is the difference between going under your covers and in a dark room?

(I will tell the similarities of both cases)

  1. no one can see you

  2. you can't see yourself

  3. feel tzinus (by doing something different for modesty)

It seems from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that Hashem can see you in the dark but not under the covers. (it says וכחשכה כאורה לפניו יתברך שמו. Meaning that it seems that he can see through darkness and not covers)

Which does not make sense because the Kitzur says itself that כי הקדוש ברוך הוא מלא כל הארץ כבודו so he can "see" under the darkness and cover.

So what will it help if you go under the covers if Hashem can see you?

(unless going under the covers is for you or for someone else (not to see you not tznius) and not for Hashem. But as you see above even if that was true they both do the same thing regarding other people and yourself)

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A friend of mine asked R' Tzvi Berkowitz this question. The response was that Hashem can see through your clothes also. The point is to be tzanua from the perspective of Man, in which being covered does make a difference. It is true that you aren't hiding from Hashem. But you are acting tzanua in human terms.

Being in the dark or no one being in the room does not make a difference, as the point isn't whether others see you or to try to pretend that Hashem can't see you. The point is that being naked is, in human terms, being uncovered.

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  • @YEZ Reread my question...So why can't we do it in darkness? I addressed this answer in my question.
    – user6781
    Aug 10, 2014 at 18:32
  • @user6781 Great. I reread your question. Now reread my answer - why is dark different than wearing clothes? I know no one is in the room and no one can see you. That isn't the point. And the point isn't Hashem seeing you - He could see through your clothes just as well. The point is that being naked is, in human terms, uncovered, whether you are visible or not. Aug 10, 2014 at 18:59
  • @YEZ So you can't get undressed in the bathroom?
    – user6781
    Aug 10, 2014 at 20:45
  • @user6781 it is normal practice to be naked in a bathroom so it is not forbidden. See Yalkut Yosef Hashkamat Haboker Siman 2 Halacha 2
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Apr 9 at 2:08

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