Q. If a Torah tape sometimes remains playing when the patient is already sleeping, is this permitted if in the room there is a full potty or the bathroom door is open, and no one else is listening?
If the patient has a computer tablet that has the tefilos on the screen, in the above situation is that a problem?
A. Aruch Hashulchan (83:10) rules that one should not daven opposite a chamber pot, and it has to be removed or covered if one wishes to recite brochos, or tefilos, in the same room. The Shemiras Shabbos Kechilchoso (24 ft.113) quotes Horav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and the Chazon Ish, Zt"l who ruled leniently regarding seats without a pot.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlita opinion is that there is no problem on leaving the door to the bathroom open, if no one is listening to the taped tefilos. However, the tape or disk should not be played on the same room that has an uncovered chamber pot. Similarly, one should not keep uncovered sforim or tefilin in the same room. The above would equally apply to the tefilos or Torah words displayed on a computer tablet or screen.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
Important Numbers
