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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Rosh Hashana-Yom Kippur
Are you allowed to smell oils?



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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 8:39 am
Sorry if this is a dunce question but I haven't refreshed my knowledge recently enough. I know you're not allowed to apply scents but can I put essential oils in shul to smell during YK?
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 10:03 am
Pretty sure its ok, I know someone who brings besamim to shul to say extra brachos during the day.

Please be careful about essential oils, they can be very powerful and other people may not appreciate them if they are not feeling well. If you can bring real mint or cloves to make a bracha on, then it has a purpose.
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STMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 10:04 am
No such thing as a dunce question. No "official" answer for you but I can share an experience - My first year fasting after bas mitzvah, after I fainted in shul duing neilah, they had me smelling something to "revive" me until the fast was over. Someone in shul had it with them.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 10:08 am
Thanks. I wouldn't be diffusing anything to the whole room, just sniffing from my little bag.
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sourstix




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 10:14 am
Oils can be very sharp, so be careful not everyone can tolerate sharp scents.
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miami85




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 11 2016, 10:24 am
seeker wrote:
Thanks. I wouldn't be diffusing anything to the whole room, just sniffing from my little bag.


But they can leak and the shul you go to may be crowded. Just use a lot of discretion. Many shuls ban perfumes altogether for this reason.
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 12 2016, 12:19 pm
Why would you need to do this?
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 12 2016, 5:45 pm
DrMom wrote:
Why would you need to do this?


Some people do this to revive themselves if they feel faint. Others, I suppose, may be trying to combat the distressing olfactory emanations of people whose poor oral hygiene is compounded by the effects of fasting.

Don't you remember old ladies passing around pretty little jewel-toned bottles of smelling salts on YK? I haven't seen those things in decades; mistameh they went out of style. This is the replacement, apparently. I don't know why people don't just put a few cloves or cinnamon sticks in a hankie or small jar instead of messing around with oils.
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cbg




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 12 2016, 6:37 pm
Or a lemon
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 12 2016, 10:14 pm
DrMom wrote:
Why would you need to do this?

I can only answer for myself, but I find aromatic oils helpful for headaches and queasiness, in addition to emotional grounding and focus.
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