Can one rinse mouth or brush teeth with unfiltered water?

 

In places where a filter is necessary for drinking water (such as NYC – see here), one should also not rinse one’s mouth or brush one’s teeth with unfiltered water.

 

P.S. When it comes to washing dishes or produce in NYC water, there is no concern. The copepods do not adhere to surfaces; they slide off.

Although the same logic would seem to apply to rinsing the mouth – since all the water is spit out and nothing remains – nevertheless, one should not rinse the mouth or brush teeth with such water. Chazal prohibited placing non-Kosher food into one’s mouth even when intending to spit it out, lest one accidentally swallow. The same concern applies in this case as well.

 

 

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