Siman 84

It is stated in Shabbat (10a): One who enters a bathhouse, a place where people stand dressed – there is reading of Scripture and prayer there, and it goes without saying the greeting of "Shalom." And he puts on tefillin, and it goes without saying that he does not remove them. A place where people stand naked and dressed – there is greeting of "Shalom" there, but there is no reading of Scripture or prayer, and he does not remove tefillin, but he does not put them on initially. A place where people stand naked – there is no greeting of "Shalom" there, and it goes without saying no reading of Scripture or prayer, and he removes tefillin, and it goes without saying that he does not put them on. See there. For they had three rooms in the bathhouse: the innermost where they bathe, the middle where they dress and undress, and the outermost where, after they have dressed, they sit there to rest a little. Therefore, the middle room is partially judged like a bathhouse, and partially not like a bathhouse. And the outermost is entirely not like a bathhouse, even though it is called by the name of the bathhouse. And the innermost is judged like a beit hakisse. And the greeting of "Shalom" is with the Name. And there are those who are meticulous when calling a man whose name is "Shalom" not to call him by his name in the bathhouse, because "Shalom" is the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as we say there. But in a foreign language such as "Salam" and the like – it is permitted (Magen Avraham and Bach). And there are those who permit it entirely, since he only intends the name of the man (Taz). And it is simple that also in filthy alleys – it is forbidden to give a greeting of "Shalom."

A new bathhouse in which they have not yet bathed—it is permitted to pray inside it. In this, it is more lenient than a beit hakisse, because a bathhouse is not as repulsive as a beit hakisse. However, an old bathhouse, even though there is currently no person in it—it is forbidden (Gemara ibid.). And there is one who says that the same law applies to the mikvaot where women immerse—it is forbidden to recite a berakhah there. But it is not so, and this has already been explained in Yoreh Deah siman 200, see there. And the Rambam wrote that it is permitted to say "Rachum" in a bathhouse. And the Ra'avad disagrees on this. And the primary view is like the Rambam, since one can also say this title regarding a person, which is not the case for "Shalom" (Kesef Mishneh and Taz). And if one wishes to drink in a bathhouse—he should recite the berakhah in the outer room with the intent to drink in the inner room (see Taz).

If a person asks a certain law in the bathhouse – it is forbidden to answer him. And even to say to him "one does not answer in the bathhouse" – is also forbidden. And only in the middle room is it permitted to say this to him, that one does not answer in the bathhouse. And in the outer room he may issue him the ruling (Avodah Zarah 44b). And only to separate from a prohibition is it permitted even in the bathhouse (Shabbat 40b), such as if he sees someone who wishes to do a forbidden thing – he must say to him that it is forbidden to do so. And there is no difference whether he speaks in a secular language or in the holy tongue (ibid.). And it is forbidden to meditate on words of Torah in the bathhouse. However, if his study is fluent in his mouth, and against his will he thinks of it – there is no prohibition here (Zevachim 102b). And likewise in the beit hakiseh. (ibid. And see the Beit Yosef in siman 85.)