Sneezes "on one foot":
Judaism is all about being human, and sneezing is part of being human. This explores what Jewish texts say about sneezing. Note that the Hebrew root for "sneeze" is ע.ט.ש., which is an onomatopoeia for "achoo".
The Basics of Sneezing
According the Cleveland Clinic, sneezing is a forceful burst of air that comes from your lungs and exits your body through your nose and mouth. It’s involuntary. You can’t control when a sneeze happens, and you should never try to hold one in.
When you sneeze, it removes irritants like dirt, dust and pollen from your nose or throat. It’s your body’s way of getting rid of things that can make you sick or cause inflammation.
Many things can cause sneezing, including:
- Allergies (dust, mold, pet dander, hay fever).
- Viral infections (flu, common cold).
- Breathing in certain medications (like corticosteroids) in nasal sprays.
- Withdrawal from opioids or other drugs.
- Eating spicy foods.
Stress and other strong emotions can even trigger sneezing. When you experience stress, your body releases hormones and chemicals, including histamine. Elevated histamine levels can result in sneezing and other allergy symptoms like hives and itchy eyes.
Sneezing sends up to 40,000 tiny droplets from your mouth and nose into the air or on nearby surfaces. Viruses and bacteria can live in these droplets. If someone else breathes in these droplets or touches a surface where they land, they can get symptoms of infection.
Sneezing most commonly spreads infections like:
- Common cold.
- Flu (influenza).
- Strep throat.
- RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
- Pneumonia.
- Meningococcal disease (less common).
If you need to sneeze, but no matter what you do, you just can’t, then to make yourself sneeze, you can stimulate your trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve). It’s responsible for scalp and facial sensations and motor functions like chewing and swallowing.
There are a few things you can try to stimulate your trigeminal nerve:
- Wiggle a tissue or cotton swab around in your nostril.
- Sniff a jar of pepper.
- Rub the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
- Massage the bridge of your nose.
- Pluck an eyebrow or nose hair.
One in three people can make themselves sneeze by looking at a bright light. This is a hereditary trait called photic sneezing. Researchers aren’t exactly sure how photic sneezing occurs. Some think it happens when a light source stimulates a branch of your parasympathetic nervous system. Others think that the light source stimulates your optic nerve, which in turn stimulates your trigeminal nerve and causes you to sneeze. This reflex is why so many people sneeze when they look at the sun.
Some people try to hold in their sneezes for the sake of politeness. But holding in a sneeze can actually be bad for your health. Possible complications include:
- Damaged blood vessels.
- Vertigo.
- Ruptured ear drums.
- Hearing loss.
Sneezing is completely normal and natural. When you feel the urge to sneeze, it’s best to let it out [ideally in a tissue or your elbow - DS].
And no, your heart doesn’t stop when you sneeze. But lots of factors — including sneezing — can speed up or slow down your heartbeat for a very short time. However, this is normal, and it doesn’t affect your heart in any notable way.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/sneezing
Responding to Sneezes Like a Jew
There are different ways that Jews have responded to sneezes. Jews in Israel say "Lah-bree-yoot" in Hebrew, literally "to your health" (which is the same thing the German "gezuntheit" and the Spanish "Salud").
In Yiddish (Judeo-German), "tzu gezunt" means "stay healthy", and it's related to the German "gezuntheit" (which some Yiddish-speakers also say). After a second sneeze some say "tsu lebn" ("to life") and after a third sneeze some say "tsu lange yor" ("to length of life"). Alternatively, after a second sneeze some say "tsu lange lebn" ("[you should have] a long life"), and after a third sneeze, "zolst bubbe/zayde lebn" ("you should live long enough to be a grandmother/grandfather"). If somebody sneezes while somebody else is talking, the one who is talking might say "genosn tsu emes" ("sneezed on the truth"). If a child sneezes, one might say "Tsu gezunt, tsum lebn, tsum vaksn, tsum kveln" ("Your health, your life, your growth, your joy"). A Galician/Lithuanian custom is to tug on the ears and say “tzu langehmazaldikker yohrn” ("to long, lucky years"), something that originally was just done by a mother if her child sneezed while talking about somebody who was dead.
In Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), after a first sneeze one might respond "vivas" ("May you live"), after a second sneeze one might respond "crezcas" ("May you grow"), and after a third sneeze one might respond "enflorezcas" ("May you flourish"). Alternately, one could respond "Bivas, kreskas, engrandeskas, komo un peshiko en aguas freskas! Amen!" ("Live; thrive; grow; like a little fish in fresh water! Amen!").
In Bukharan (spoken by the Jewish community of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, known for their distinctive kippot - https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-are-the-bukharan-jews/), you would respond “Haq suros” (or “aqsuros”).
In Judeo-Persian (spoken by the Jews of Iran), you would say “afiat bashe” (“may you have health").
In Hulaula (Judeo-neo-Aramaic, spoken by the Jews of Kurdistan - https://jewisharts.org/curations/hulaula-the-jewish-neo-aramaic-dialect-of-sanandaj-iran/), you would say “alpa-shne” ([may you live for] “a thousand years”).
In Jewish-Babylonian-Aramaic, one would respond to a sneeze with "Asuta" or "Assusa" ("healer", related to the Akkadian word for "one who knows the urine"). The sneezer then would say "Baruch tiyeh" ("May you be blessed"), followed by "Lishuaticha kiviti Adonai" ("I wait for Your salvation, G-d", citing Genesis 49:18). An alternative response to a sneeze would be "Marpey" ("healing").
As we will see, sneezes used to be a sign of death and are still usually a sign of illness. Responding to a sneeze indicates a desire that the sneeze not lead to its possible outcome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_sneezing,
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/zei-gezunt-responding-to-a-sneeze-in-these-difficult-times/,
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-11-best-ladino-expressions-and-phrases-to-know/, personal correspondence with Eden Moyal of the Jewish Language Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism_and_sneezing
Sneezes in the Bible
There is only 1 case of human sneezing recorded in the Bible. In II Kings 4, a woman provides the prophet Elisha with a place to stay. In return he prays that she and her husband have a child. The child grows up and then suffers from heatstroke.
(32) Elisha came into the house, and there was the boy, laid out dead on his couch. (33) He went in, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to GOD. (34) Then he went up [onto the bed] and placed himself over the child. He put his mouth on its mouth, his eyes on its eyes, and his hands on its hands, as he bent over it. And the body of the child became warm. (35) He stepped down, walked once up and down the room, then he went up [to the bed] and bent over him. Thereupon, the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes. (36) [Elisha] called Gehazi [his assistant] and said, “Call the Shunammite,” and he called her. When she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” (37) She came and fell at his feet and bowed low to the ground; then she picked up her son and left.
This is from the Haftarah for Parashat Vayera, which usually comes up in November. Note that the Hebrew root for “sneeze” here is ז.ר.ר.; this is the only time this root comes up in Hebrew Bible.
What do sneezes symbolize here?
(10) The Leviathan's sneezings flash lightning, And the his eyes are like the glimmerings of dawn.
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Job, where G-d is basically telling Job "You didn't create the world, and you can't understand why your present misery has come upon you." In this section, G-d is saying that Job can't control the Leviathan, whose sneezes are like lightening, but G-d can. The Leviathan is effectively the King of the Water Beasts, so presumably these lightening-like sneezes would only be noticed when the Leviathan was on the surface of the water. For more about the Leviathan, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMHrdarWXgs
Sneezes in the Midrash
(ו) המופת הרביעי, מיום שנברא העולם לא היה אדם חולה, אלא בכל מקום שהיה אדם אם בדרך אם בשוק ועטש היתה נפשו יוצאה מנחיריו ומת, עד שבא יעקב אבינו ובקש רחמים על זאת ואמר לפני הב"ה, רבונו של עולם אל תקח את נפשי ממני עד אשר אני מצוה את בני ובני ביתי. ונעתר לו, שנ' ויהי אחרי הדברים האלה ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה. ושמעו כל מלכי הארץ ותמהו שלא היה כמהו מיום שנבראו שמים וארץ, לפיכך חייב אדם לומר לחבירו בשעת עטישותיו חיים שנהפך מות העולם לאור, שנ' (איוב מא, י) עטישותיו תהל אור.
(6) The fourth wonder (was): From the day when the heavens and the earth were created no man was ill, (who) sneezed and lived, but in every place where he happened to be, whether on the way or in the market, and (when he) sneezed, his soul went out through his nostrils; until our father Jacob came and prayed for mercy concerning this, and he said before the Holy One, blessed be God: Sovereign of all the worlds! Do not take my soul from me until I have charged my sons and my household; and the Lord was entreated of him, as it is said, "And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick" (Gen. 48:1). || All the kings of the earth heard (thereof), and they wondered because there had been no one like him from the days when the heavens and earth had been created. Therefore a man is in duty bound to say to his fellow: Life! when the latter sneezes, for the death of the world was changed into light, as it is said, "His sneezings flash forth light" (Job 41:18).
Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer is a book of Midrash from the 700s CE expounding on the Torah from Creation through Miriam's leprosy (Numbers 12). Here, it is picking up on the fact that nobody was described as "sick" in the Bible until Joseph is told that his father Jacob is sick. Note the requirement in this text to respond to a sneeze, as it will be challenged in upcoming texts.
How are sneezes portrayed in this text?
(כא) וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וגו' (במדבר ה, כד),... הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים לְמָרִים, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לְמָרִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂים בָּהּ מִינֵי פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת מְשֻׁנִּים, הָיְתָה מְלֻבֶּנֶת עוֹשִׂין אוֹתָהּ שְׁחוֹרָה, מְאָדֶּמֶת, עוֹשִׂין אוֹתָהּ יְרֻקָּה, וְסָרַח פִּיהָ וְתָפַח צַוָּארָהּ, יְהֵא בְּשָׂרָהּ נִשָּׁל, תְּהֵא זָבָה, תְּהֵא מִתְעַטֶּשֶׁת, תְּהֵא מִתְפָּרֶקֶת אֵבָרִים.
(21) “He shall give the woman to drink the water of bitterness that causes curse, and the water that causes curse will enter her for bitterness” (Numbers 5:24). ...“The water that causes curse…for bitterness” – why does the verse state “for bitterness”? It is, rather, that it would engender in her types of strange punishments. If she were white it would render her black; red, it would render her green. Her mouth would widen, her neck would swell, her flesh would decompose, she would have discharge from her private parts, she would sneeze, and her limbs would come apart.
Bamidbar Rabba is a book of explanations about the Biblical Book of Numbers, dating to around 1200 CE. Here, it is commenting on the "Sotah" ritual, when a woman who was accused of adultery could be exonerated through drinking a liquid and having it not affect her (on the minus side, there was no equivalent if a woman thought her husband was cheating, on the plus side, at least she wasn't just killed right off). Here, the text is explaining why the verse might say that the liquid would affect a guilty woman "for bitterness".
What do we learn about sneezes here?
Sneezes in the Mishnah
(ח) ... מִירִיחוֹ הָיוּ מְרִיחִים רֵיחַ פִּטּוּם הַקְּטֹרֶת. אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן דִּגְלַאי, עִזִּים הָיוּ לְבֵית אַבָּא בְּהַר מִכְוָר, וְהָיוּ מִתְעַטְּשׁוֹת מֵרֵיחַ פִּטּוּם הַקְּטֹרֶת:
(8) ... From Jericho the people would smell the fragrance emanating from the preparation of the incense in the Temple. Rabbi Elazar ben Diglai said: There were goats belonging to my father that grazed in the cities of Mikhvar, located at a distance from Jerusalem, and they would sneeze from the fragrance of the preparation of the incense that they smelled.
This is from the Mishnah, Masechet (Tractate) Tamid, which is about the daily sacrifice in the Temple. This idea, that the fragrance of the incense from the Temple could cause goat sneezes quite a distance away, comes up in other texts, specifically Yoma 39b:12-13 (which also says that the women of Jericho didn't need perfume because the fragrance of the incense in Jerusalem was enough from 24 miles away) and Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 5:3:4.
What do we learn about sneezes here?
Sneezes in the Jerusalem Talmud
They asked Ben Zoma, "Why, if wine was served to them in the middle of the meal, everyone makes the benediction for himself?" He said to them, because the place of swallowing is not empty (i.e. Talking during swallowing may bring food into one’s windpipe and cause one’s death by asphyxiation.). Rebbi Mana said, this means that if someone sneezes during the meal one may not say to him “for health" because of danger to one’s life.
Context: This is from the Jerusalem Talmud, Masechet (Tractate) Brachot, which is about blessings. This text dates to about 400 CE. Here, it is commenting on the Mishnah's statement that if people are having a joint meal and wine is served at the beginning or end to everybody, one person says the blessing on behalf of everybody, but if it is served in the middle of the meal then each person says their own blessing (Mishnah Brachot 6:6).
What do we learn about sneezes from this text?
רִבִּי אִינְייָנִי בֵּן סוֹסַיי סְלַק גַּבֵּי רִבִּי חֲנִינָה לְצִיפּוֹרִין. אֲמַר. אִיתָא וַאֲנָא מְסַר יָתֵיהּ לָךְ. עֲאַל לֵיהּ בְּרֵיהּ תְּחוֹתִי עַרְסָא. עֲטַשׁ וּשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ. אֲמַר. מָה אַתּוֹן נְהִיגִין גַּבֵּיכוֹן בִּדְמִיוּ. אֲזֵל. לָא לָךְ וְלָא לֵיהּ.
Rebbi Ineyani bar Sosigh went up to Rebbi Chanina in Sepphoris. Rebbi Chanina said, come and I shall transmit the Ineffable Divine Name to you. Rebbi Ineyani's son went under the couch. He [the son] sneezed and he [Rabbi Hanina] heard the sound. He said, why are you acting together in trickery? Go! Neither for you nor for him.
This text is from the Jerusalem Talmud, Masechet (Tractate) Yoma, which is about Yom Kippur. Here, the text takes a break from talking about how the High Priest would say the Actual Name of G-d once a year on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies, and goes on a tangent to explain why nobody knows this name anymore. In one of these situations, it seems that Rebbi Chanina was going to share it with Rebbi Ineyani, and Rebbi Inayani's son came along, unauthorized, to hear the name. Kohelet Rabba 3:11:3 tells the same story, but this time it's Rabbi Chanina's son who is the one hiding under the bed, and Rabbi Chanina thinks that the sneeze is an indication that neither the son nor the other rabbi are worthy of hearing the name.
What do we learn about sneezes from this text?
Sneezes in the Babylonian Talmud
Since Rabbi Chanina related a story involving Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the Gemara cites another such story. Rabbi Chanina said: I saw Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, while he was praying, belch, yawn, sneeze, spit, and if he was stung by a louse, he may feel for it and remove it with his garment, but he would not wrap himself in his prayer shawl if it fell during prayer. And when he would yawn he would place his hand on his chin so that his open mouth would not be visible. The Gemara raises an objection based on a baraita: One who sounds his voice during his Amida prayer is among those of little faith, as he seems to believe that the Lord cannot hear his prayer when it is uttered silently. One who raises his voice during prayer is considered to be among the false prophets, as they too were wont to cry out and shout to their gods. Furthermore, one who belches and yawns while praying is surely among the uncouth. One who sneezes during his prayer, for him it is a bad omen. And some say: It is clear that he is repulsive. Also, one who spits during prayer, it is tantamount to spitting in the face of the king. In light of all this, how could Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi have done all that while praying? The Gemara explains: Granted, with regard to one who belches and yawns, it is not difficult: Here, in the case where Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi did so, it was involuntary and therefore permissible; here, where it is considered uncouth, is in a case where it is deliberate. However, the contradiction between sneezing in the case where Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi did so and sneezing where it is considered a bad omen is difficult. The Gemara responds: The contradiction between sneezing in one case and sneezing in the other case is also not difficult: Here, in the case of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, it is referring to sneezing from above, his nose; here, where it is a bad omen, is referring to sneezing from below, flatulence. As Rav Zeira said: In the school of Rav Hamnuna I absorbed this matter in passing, and it is equal in significance to all the rest of my learning: One who sneezes in the midst of prayer, it is a good omen for him. Just as the sneeze soothes his irritation, giving him pleasure below, it is a sign that they are similarly giving him pleasure above. Since Rav Zeira sneezed often, he was extremely pleased to hear this.
This is from the Babylonian Talmud, Masechet (Tractate) Brachot, which is about blessings and prayers. The text dates to about 500 CE, though it describes Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi who lived around 200 CE. The issue is as follows: Rabbi Chanina saw Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi sneeze during prayers. This must mean that it is acceptable. However, there is a baraita, a text from the time of the Mishnah that didn't make it into the final version, which says that sneezing during prayers is a bad omen. So, we have a contradiction regarding whether you can or can't sneeze while praying. The Gemara often solves contradictions by saying that they actually refer to different things, so everybody is right. Here, it is ok to sneeze, but it's bad to "sneeze from below" (fart). In fact, regular sneezing is a good omen, because it means that just like sneezing creates positiveness on earth (because the irritation in your nose has been dealt with), your prayer will have positiveness in heaven (because G-d will listen to you).
What do we learn about sneezes here?
This is from the same text, a little bit further down the same page.
What do we learn from this text about "sneezes"?
This concern for disrupting Torah study was also taught in a baraita: The members of the house of Rabban Gamliel would not say "good health" when someone sneezed in the study hall, due to the fact that it would lead to suspension of study in the study hall.
Again we have a text from Masechet Brachot. Here, the context is a discussion about Havdalah. If people are at the Beit Midrash (House of Study) at the end of Shabbat and somebody brings a Havdalah candle, should everybody make their own blessing or should one person make the blessing and everybody answer "Amen"? Beit Hillel (Hillel's disciples) say that one should say it communally, because there is extra power in doing things as a community. Beit Shammai (Shammai's disciples) say that everybody should do it separately because it reduces the amount of time that study is interrupted. This then leads to our text.
What do we learn about sneezes here?
שִׁשָּׁה דְּבָרִים סִימָן יָפֶה לַחוֹלֶה, אֵלּוּ הֵן: עִטּוּשׁ, זֵיעָה, שִׁלְשׁוּל, קֶרִי, וְשֵׁינָה, וַחֲלוֹם. עִטּוּשׁ — דִּכְתִיב: ״עֲטִישׁוֹתָיו תָּהֵל אוֹר״. זֵיעָה — דִּכְתִיב: ״בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם״. שִׁלְשׁוּל — דִּכְתִיב: ״מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ וְלֹא יָמוּת לַשַּׁחַת״. קֶרִי — דִּכְתִיב: ״יִרְאֶה זֶרַע יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים״. שֵׁינָה — דִּכְתִיב: ״יָשַׁנְתִּי אָז יָנוּחַ לִי״. חֲלוֹם — דִּכְתִיב: ״וְתַחֲלִימֵנִי וְהַחֲיֵנִי״.
Similarly: Six matters are good omens for the sick, meaning that their illness is taking a turn for the better: Sneezing, sweating, diarrhea, a seminal emission, sleep, and a dream. These are all alluded to in Scripture: Sneezing, as it is written: “His sneezes flash forth light” (Job 41:10), indicating that by means of a sneeze one comes to see the light of the world. Sweat, as it is written: “In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Diarrhea, as it is written: “He that is bent down shall speedily be loosed; and he shall not go down dying into the pit” (Isaiah 51:14). A seminal emission, as it is written: “That he might see his seed, prolong his days” (Isaiah 53:10). Sleep, as it is written: “I should have slept; then had I been at rest” (Job 3:13). A dream, as it is written: “Wherefore You recover me [vataḥalimeni], and make me to live” (Isaiah 38:16); vataḥalimeni is interpreted as etymologically similar to ḥalom, dream.
Another text from Maschet Brachot. The Talmud talks about "Birkat Gomel", those who must give thanks to G-d for being saved from a situation (today it is most often used for surviving illness, injury, childbirth, and travel overseas). This section concludes with a statement by Rav Yehuda, so that brings up other statements by Rav Yehuda. One of those mentioned dreams, and so we get an extended discussion about interpreting dreams (55a:15-57b:8). The dream discussion ends with categories of things in dreams, and so then we get to a discussion of other categories that have something in common, leading to our text. This particular text can also be found in Genesis Rabba 20:10.
What do we learn about sneezes here?
This is from the Babylonian Talmud, Masechet (Tractate) Shabbat, which is about Shabbat (as one might expect). It is responding to a statement in the Mishnah that says that ewes may not go out on Shabbat "chanunot" (Mishnah Shabbat 5:4). The Gemara tries to figure out what that means, and connects it with the "chanun" tree.
What do we learn about sneezes here?
Sneezes in the Mishneh Torah
(ט) אֵין יְשֵׁנִים בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְכָל הַמִּתְנַמְנֵם בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ חָכְמָתוֹ נַעֲשֵׂית קְרָעִים קְרָעִים. וְכֵן אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ (משלי כג כא) "וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָה". וְאֵין מְשִׂיחִין בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ אֶלָּא בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד. אֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁנִּתְעַטֵּשׁ אֵין אוֹמְרִים לוֹ "רְפוּאָה" בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שְׁאָר הַדְּבָרִים. וּקְדֻשַּׁת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ חֲמוּרָה מִקְּדֻשַּׁת בָּתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת:
(9) One should not sleep in a house of study. When any person dozes in the house of study, his Torah will be torn in shreds. This is alluded to in Solomon's words of wisdom [Proverbs 23:21]: "Drowsiness will clothe a man in rags." Conversation in the house of study should concern only the words of Torah. Even if someone sneezes, one should not wish him: "[To your] recovery" in the house of study. Needless to say, the discussion of other matters is prohibited. The sanctity of a house of study exceeds that of a synagogue.
This is from the Mishneh Torah, compiled by Maimonides (1138-1204, a little less than half an hour) around 1175. Maimonides, otherwise known as Rambam, wanted to make it easier for people to know what to do, so he reorganized the Talmud and took out all the back-and-forth, leaving only the bottom line. In his time, the synagogue and the "Beit Midrash" (house of study) were not always the same.
What new things have we learned about sneezes here?
(יא) מִי שֶׁגִּהֵק וּפִהֵק וְנִתְעַטֵּשׁ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ אִם לִרְצוֹנוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה מְגֻנֶּה. וְאִם בָּדַק גּוּפוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל וּבָא לְאָנְסוֹ אֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם. נִזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ רֹק בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ מַבְלִיעוֹ בְּטַלִּיתוֹ אוֹ בְּבִגְדוֹ. וְאִם הָיָה מִצְטַעֵר בְּכָךְ זוֹרְקוֹ בְּיָדוֹ לַאֲחוֹרָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִצְטַעֵר בַּתְּפִלָּה וְנִמְצָא טָרוּד. יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ רוּחַ מִלְּמַטָּה כְּשֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בִּתְפִלָּה שֶׁלֹּא לְדַעְתּוֹ שׁוֹהֶה עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה הָרוּחַ וְחוֹזֵר לִתְפִלָּתוֹ:
(11) [The following rules apply to] one who burps, yawns, or sneezes during prayer: Should a person do so voluntarily, it is deprecating. [However,] if the person checked himself before he prayed and did so against his will, it is of no consequence.
If saliva comes up during prayer, one should cause it to be absorbed into his tallit or clothes. If he is bothered by this, he may throw it behind him with his hand in order that he not be bothered during his prayer and be distracted.
If one passes gas unwittingly during prayer, he should wait until the gas subsides and return to his prayer.
This is from another part of the Mishneh Torah.
What new thing have we learned about sneezes here?
(יא) ... וְאֵין הַכְּבָשׂוֹת יוֹצְאוֹת בָּעֵצִים שֶׁמַּנִּיחִים לָהֶן בְּחָטְמָן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְעַטְּשׁוּ וְיִפְּלוּ הַתּוֹלָעִין שֶׁבְּמֹחָן....
(11) ... Ewes may not go out [on Shabbat] with [chips of] wood that are placed in their nostrils so that they sneeze and dislodge the worms in their brains. ...
This is part of a longer discussion about what people can't do to animals on Shabbat. It is rehashing Mishnah Shabbat 5:4 as understood by the Talmud.
What new things have we learned about sneezes here?
(י) אֶחָד הַמַּזִּיק בְּיָדוֹ אוֹ שֶׁזָּרַק אֶבֶן אוֹ יָרָה חֵץ וְהִזִּיק בּוֹ אוֹ שֶׁפָּטַר מַיִם עַל חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ עַל הַכֵּלִים וְהִזִּיק אוֹ שֶׁרָק אוֹ נָע וְהִזִּיק בְּכִיחוֹ וְנִיעוֹ בְּעֵת שֶׁהָלְכוּ מִכֹּחוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמַזִּיק בְּיָדוֹ וְהֵם תּוֹלָדוֹת שֶׁל אָדָם. אֲבָל אִם נָח הָרֹק וְהַכִּיחַ עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְקַל בָּהֶן אָדָם הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם בּוֹרוֹ. שֶׁכָּל תַּקָּלָה תּוֹלֶדֶת בּוֹר הִיא כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ:
(10) There is no difference whether a person injures a colleague with his hand, injures him by throwing a stone or shooting an arrow, opens a current of water on a person or on utensils and damages him or them, or spits or sneezes and causes damage with his spittle or mucus while it is being propelled by his power. All of these are considered derivatives of damage that a person causes,and he is liable for all of them, as if he had caused the damage with his hands.
If, however, the spittle or the mucus came to rest on the ground, and afterwards a person slips on them, the person who spat or sneezed is liable as if it were a cistern. For every obstacle is considered a derivative of a cistern, as we have previously explained.
This is from the Mishneh Torah, based on the Babylonian Talmud Bava Kamma 3b:5 (which does not say "sneezes" but merely "phlegm" and therefore was outside the narrow scope of this source sheet; there is also some dispute among the commentators as to whether this is nose-mucus or throat-phlegm). The Gemara considers mucus on the ground to be in the category of "Pit" because the Mishnah only gives a few top-line categories (Bava Kamma 1:1) and "Pit" is one of them (based on the Torah - Exodus 21:33-34).
What new things have we learned about sneezing from this text?
Sneezes in the Shulchan Aruch
(ג) המתעטש בתפלתו מלמטה סימן רע לו מלמעלה סימן יפה לו:
(3) One who "sneezes" during [the middle of] one's prayer [i.e. Amidah]: [if it's] from below (i.e. one passes gas), it's a bad sign; [if it's] from above (i.e. a sneeze from one nose), it's a good sign.
The Shulchan Aruch was written by Rabbi Joseph Caro in 1563. It has four sections, and this text comes from Orach Chayim, the part about prayers, tefillin, tzitzit, Shabbat, and holidays.
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Sneezes in the Commentary
(ו) להקיז דם. נ"ל דה"ה בכל מידי דרפואה יאמר זה, מי שמתעטש וחבירו א"ל אסותא יאמר לו ברוך תהיה ואח"כ יאמר לישועתך קויתי ה' דהמתפלל על חבירו הוא נענ' תחלה יש"ש ב"ק פ"ח סי' ס"ד:
(6) Not only bloodletting, but anything to do with healing is a cause for this blessing. And one who sneezes, and his friend says "Assuta!" (healing!), s/he should respond 'Blessed be you', and then say 'I hope for Your salvation, God' . For one who prays for another is answered first.
The Magen Avraham is Rabbi Abraham Gombiner's 1671 commentary on the Orach Chayim part of the Shulchan Aruch. It combines Ashkenazi practice in Poland with Kabbalistic practice in Sefad. The blessing being referenced is "Praised are You, Lord our G-d, Ruler of the Universe, who heals the sick" (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 230:4).
What do we learn from this text?
(ז) מי שמתעטש וחבירו אומר לו אסותא יאמר לו ברוך תהיה ואח"כ יאמר לישועתך קויתי ה' [דארז"ל דמתחלה לא היה אדם חולה כלל אלא היה הולך בשוק ומתעטש ומת עד שבא יעקב אבינו וביקש רחמים על הדבר]:
Whoever sneezes and their friend says "Asuta", they should respond "You should be blessed" and then should say "I hope for Thy salvation, O Lord [our rabbis said that originally people didn't get sick at all -- they'd just be walking in the market, sneeze, and die, until Jacob our father came along and requested mercy for the matter].
The Mishnah Berurah is a later commentary on the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch. It was written around 1880 by Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, better known by the title of one of his other works, "the Chafetz Chayim".
What new things do we learn from this text?
Jewish Books about Sneezes
In 2013, Pamela Mayer wrote Don't Sneeze at the Wedding, an excellent book about both Jewish weddings and ideas about how not to sneeze if you have to. This is the only version on YouTube; it's not the best for seeing the pictures, so perhaps listen to it with your eyes closed.
Amy Meltzer's 2007 book A Mezuzah on the Door is more about moving and putting up a mezuzah, but it does feature a sneeze or two. Start at 1:15 in the video. In the read-aloud, the emphasis should be on the "ba" in the phrase "chanukat haBayit" (dedication of the house).
With appreciation to Josh Weiner, Aaron Philmus, Hart Levine,
Appendix: A fun story about "sneezes"
(לד) ה׳) ... לאחר ימים אמר לו המלך יש לי בת אחת ומתעטשת בכל שעה אלף עיטושים רפא אותה, אמר לו שגרה לי בבקר עם סריסיה וארפאנה, בבקר באה אליו עם סריסיה, כשראה אותה התחיל לכעוס, אמרה לו למה כעסת, אמר לה אביך גזר עלי שאעטוש אלף עטושים לפניו למחר ומחרתים ואפחד שמא ימיתני, והמתין עלי שלשה ימים ולא אדע מה אעשה, אמרה לו אל תדאג בזה אני אלך במקומך ואעטוש לפניו אלף עטושים בשבילך ובשבילי, אמר לה הואיל וכך הדבר שבי עמי שלשה ימים ואל תעטוש בהם ויהיו מוכנים ליום השלישי, מיד כל שעה שבא לה העיטוש היתה עומדת ברגלה ומרחבת בין עיניה כאשר אמר לה וסובלת עצמה וסוגרת את פיה מעט מעט ונפסק ממנה העיטוש כלל. לאחר שלשה ימים לא יצא מפיה עיטוש, ליום השלישי לקחה לאביה ואמר לה לכי עטשי לאביך אלפים עטושים, באה לפניו ולא יכולה לעטוש אפילו פעם אחת, מיד עמד ונשקו. התחיל לשואלו שאלות, אמר לו:
(לה) ו') למה נבראו עטושים? אמר לו אלולי עטושים היה אדם נתרז בבגדיו וכשידע אדם שעטושים באים עליו ילך ויעשה צרכיו שלא יבא לידי בושה וישב בבגדיו מטונפים.
(34) ה ...After some time, the king said to him, "I have one daughter who sneezes [note- a euphemism for passing gas] one thousand sneezes in an hour. Heal her." He said to him, "Send her to me in the morning with her guards and I will heal her." In the morning, she came to him with her guards. When he saw her, he began to get angry. She said to him, "Why did you get angry?" He said to her, "Your father has decreed upon me to sneeze a thousand sneezes before him tomorrow and in two days, and I am afraid that he will kill me. He has waited for me for three days, and I do not know what I will do." She said to him, "Do not worry about this- I will go in your place and I will sneeze before him a thousand sneezes for you and for myself." He said to her, "Since that is the case, stay with me for three days and do not sneeze during them, and be 'prepared for the third day.' Immediately, every time when the sneeze came to her, she would stand on her feet and stretch between her eyes, as he had told her, and she suffered with herself and closed her mouth little by little, and the sneeze ended from her entirely. After three days, no sneeze came from her mouth. On the third day, he took her to her father and said to her, "Go sneeze two thousand sneezes for your father." She went before him, and she could not sneeze even one time. Immediately, he stood up and kissed him. He began asking him questions. He said to him:
(35) ו "Why were sneezes created?" He said to him, "If not for sneezes, people would defecate in their clothes, but when a person knows that sneezes are coming upon them, they can go and attend to their needs, so they they do not come to shame, and sitting in their soiled clothes.