NUM164 (Continued from [[DEUT1250]] Deuteronomy 23:14 excrement GATES 217-9) One is certainly admonished not to utter Hashem's Name with unclean hands, and if one's hands touch some thing that he finds repulsive he should wash them, similar to what the pasuk says (Tehillim 26:6), "I will wash my hands in purity." If while traveling on the road one is uncertain whether the way is clean, he should not utter Hashem's Name, nor speak words of Torah. [Chayei Adam (3:6, Nismas Adam 2) suggests that Rabbeinu Yonah holds the prohibition of Torah thoughts in an unclean plays with being only Rabbinic. Thus, where it is uncertain whether the way is clean, one can be lenient and permit Torah and prayer thoughts, but not speech (Sha'arei Teshuvah Hashalem).] If there is some unclean object behind him, such as excrement, the carcass of an animal, or foul water [Water in which flax was soaked, which is extremely malodorous (Ran, Nedarim 80b)], he must distance himself four amos [An amah is one cubit, approximately 21.25 inches, or 54 cm; thus, four amos is around seven feet], from where the smell has ceased; in front of him, [he must distance himself] until his eyes cannot see it. Vigilance in this is among the ways of being God-fearing, as the pasuk says (Malachi 3:16), "For those who fear Hashem and contemplate His Name." [I.e., those who contemplate whether their current place permits them to mention Hashem's Name before doing so, are God-fearing (Zeh Hasha'ar).] Our Sages, z"l, said concerning this (Berachos 24b), "'For he has disparaged Hashem's word' [this verse] -- this is a reference to one who speaks words of Torah in putrid passageways." Our stages, z"l, have further said (Koheles Rabbah 1:7), "The reason why 'He gives wisdom to the wise' (Daniel 2:21) is because the wise honor the Torah and engage it in holiness; were it to be given to fools, they would speak words of Torah in putrid passageways.