What to Do with Nails After Cutting Them
Remove Them from the World
21. The Gemara says (נדה דף י''ז ע''א, מו''ק דף י''ח ע''א ) that if a pregnant woman walks over nails that a person cut and dropped on the floor, she is in danger of miscarriage, ח"ו , either out of disgust (נמוק''י מו''ק שם ), or due to kishuf (שם ), or due to the cheit of Adam and Chava (של''ה שבת, פמ''ג ). Thus, nails should be removed from the world in such a way that it is impossible for a woman to walk over them, as will be explained. [It should be noted that while this matter is not mentioned by the Rambam, Tur, or Shulchan Aruch, several Acharonim do cite it (מג''א סי' ר''ס, מ''ב ועוד ).]
22. Burning them. One who burns his nails is called a chassid (גמ' שם ), as there is no possibility of them becoming uncovered (רש''י ותוס' שם ). He is called a chassid because although a person can be harmed by burning his nails, he does so to completely destroy them from the world (תוס' בשם הערוך ); also because the smell is repulsive (תוס' הרא''ש ).
23. Burying them. One who buries his nails is called a tzaddik (גמ' שם ), as in practice, he is removing them from the world.
24. Throwing them. However, if one ח"ו throws his nails into a public area or in a place where a pregnant woman might walk over them, he is called a rasha, as he causes a woman to miscarry, ח"ו .
25. In the toilet. Nowadays, many people throw their nails in the toilet, as from there it is impossible for a woman to walk over them. Some equate this to burning them (שו''ת בצל החכמה ח''ב סי' ל''ה ), at least according to the reason that it prevents them from becoming uncovered (טעם רש''י, שמירת הגוף והנפש ח''א עמ' רכ''ד ). Others equate it to burying them (ע''פ טעם הערוך ותוס' הרא''ש לעיל ).
26. Nail dust. The Acharonim hold there is no sakana caused by filing nails with a nail file, as nothing is left of the nails; the dust is not called “nails” (הגר''ח קנייבסקי, הובא בספר מאיר עוז על מ''ב סי' ר''ס ).
Only Where They Fall
27. The Gemara and poskim are clear that nails can only cause damage in the spot where they fell. If the area where they fell was swept and they were moved to a different place, there is no concern (מ''ב שם ). However, the poskim argue whether it is enough to move them to another spot within one room—the position most poskim take (פרישה סי' רמ''א, ברכי יוסף )—or whether one must move them completely out of that room (א''ר הובא במ''ב ).
28. Sweeping the area. Thus, if nails fall and one cannot see them on the floor, he can sweep that area of the floor. This way, he most likely moved the nails from the spot they fell, removing the sakana. If he wants to be even safer, he can sweep the whole room and move the dirt to another room so that the nails were also most likely moved to a different room. If nails fell on a carpet, one should use a vacuum cleaner.
Place Not Frequented by Women
29. The whole issue is that a woman might walk over the nails. However, in a place where women do not normally walk, one does not need to be careful about this. Thus, in a beis medrash or mikva designated for men, there is no need to be careful about this. However, in a place where women do go, e.g., a shul’s ezras nashim or the like, one should be careful about this (מ''ב סק''ו ).
Nail Salon
30. It is common today for women to go to nail salons for all sorts of cosmetic treatments, e.g., manicures, pedicures, and the like. It is common for there to be many nail clippings on the floor, presenting a possible sakana for a pregnant woman to enter. Thus, a pregnant woman should not go into a nail salon without asking the employees to sweep the entire area where she needs to walk before she enters.
31. Pregnant employee. Similarly, pregnant employees in a nail salon must be very careful not to step on nails. It is advisable to ask a shaila whether it is worthwhile to work there at all during a pregnancy.
