One is not allowed to eat in a restroom. Does this apply to actually putting food into one's mouth or merely having food in one's mouth? If I am chewing gum and want to go to the bathroom, is it necessary to spit out the gum first?
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2 Answers
May one chew gum on a fast day?
The authorities debate the question of whether chewing constitutes “eating” in the Halachic sense. Hacham Ovadia Hedaya (1890-1969), in his work Yaskil Abdi, rules that chewing gum is not considered “eating,” and thus one does not recite a Beracha before he chews gum. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, in his work Yabia Omer (vol. 7, Orah Haim 33), disagrees, and rules that if one chews gum coated with sugar or other sweetening agent, he must recite the Beracha of She’hakol. By the same token, it would be forbidden to chew sweet chewing gum on a fast day. One may, however, chew a substance that has no flavor, such as wax used by people wearing braces, as this certainly does not constitute “eating.”
http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=1786
According to the of the Yaskil Abdi where you do not make a Bracha on chewing gum as it is not considered eating then you would be allowed to chew gum in the bathroom.
answered Apr 10, 2011 at 4:55
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3I think you still have to demonstrate why you think the parameters of what constitutes eating should be the same for making a beracha and going into the bathroom.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Apr 10, 2011 at 6:47
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I agree with @IsaacMoses, this answer does not seem very relevant.– IzzyCommented Jul 18, 2021 at 14:39
See DinOnline's response to this question here where Harav Zeev Litka responds to this question based on a Minchas Yitzchok, Mishna Berura and Chazon Ish
The Minchas Chinuch 3:63 writes that one should avoid bringing any type of food into the bathroom, even when clean, whenever possible.
As long as the gum still has a flavor it would be considered food.
