A while back, I went bowling with an Orthodox rabbi and his children. We needed to wash after having touched our shoes. There was, not surprisingly, no washing cup in the bowling alley restroom. I had thought that a vessel was required for this, and so, when I have found myself in such a situation in the past, I'd wash for hygiene at that location, and then wash in the ritual manner on returning to my home. They all washed using only the tap, alternating as if with a vessel. I followed suite, but wasn't convinced that this was in accordance with the halachah.

I was taught that turning the water faucet on and off was sufficient when without a washing cup.

However I am not certain as to why it would be required to wash hands so quickly after putting on shoes - is the requirement based upon what the next action will be for which cleanliness is required, such as eating or davening?

If no faucet and no cup, is there any dry procedure of wiping hands 2 or 3 times against a clean dry towel, or against a rock, which could be used for whatever requirement?

I thought the water had to have human force and intent....?

The turning on and off of the tap (faucet for you over the other side of the ocean) is, I believe, considered the "human force" so one's hands have to be under the tap before it is turned on.

I learned that the faucet met the human control criterion, but not the vessel requirement -- or is that only for washings on which we make a brachah? I agree w/ rob, that I was puzzled by the perceived need to wash immediately. Our next stop was the van, though, so, I suppose the kids would inevitably be snacking in the van; perhaps that answers that question.

It’s true that it would be considered the power of a person for each original blast of water of the opening of the faucet (but more than that not, since your not pouring, rather removing the obstacle that is holding the water, thus we only consider the original blast which removing the obstacle does to be considered your power.) This is brought in OC 159:5 and 9.

But truth is that those are talking about vessels with a faucet, but a sink faucet, where it comes from pipes, would not be considered a vessel. This seems to be the case brought in Mishna brurah there 47 about pumps, that it doesn't help for a vessel. There it gives a way to do it, by making a puddle in the vessel below (or over here, the sink should be stuffed, and be "Tovel" your hands while the water is running. This would be considered as the water is attached to the reservoir, thus considered as one Mikvah. This would run into problems by us, since there are filters in place, it might not considered attached.

But this is all in eating, but for other things, no utensil nor the power of humans (even for Davening it doesn’t ruin it, though L’Chatchila you should do it for Davening. This is in OC 4:7, but that is to be Yoitzeh the Rashba, that washing for Shachris is to be like washing from the Kiyor. This doesn’t apply to just making Brachos, which you just need to be clean. See there in MB 39 that mostly, besides getting up in the morning, you don’t need to wash more than one time.

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where it comes from pipes, would not be considered a vessel.

Can this reasoning be used to construct a mikvah where the water is stored behind a faucet in a metal pipe before flowing into the mikvah?

"Israeli Salad" (israelnntv) did an interview with a roof rain collection system mikvah builder where it seemed to indicate that only certain materials could be used.

I'd like to someday find a way to build a vessel mikvah that is filled through my rain gutters, so I have been on the lookout for tidbits like this.

And since Rob has brought up the subject of the construction of a mikvah, I am also wonderering about the use fog collectors.

What are "fog collectors" exactly?

They're used to collect fog. We used to use them all the time here in London when we had those "pea souper" fogs!

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Originally posted by Yisroel Phillips:
They're used to collect fog. We used to use them all the time here in London when we had those "pea souper" fogs!

is "pea souper" english or English?

Yisroel,
Do you mean "pee super"?

perhaps he means "pea soup" and gathers that?

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What are "fog collectors" exactly?

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Fog collectors are, as I understand, basically large cloth tarps which are positioned so that the water in the fog can condense thereon. This is a method of water collection put to good use in areas where there is fog, but little rain. Could this water be used for a mikvah in the same way that melted snow is?

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Originally posted by MosheYisraeli:
Yisroel,
Do you mean "pee super"?

No. It's "pea souper" as it had the consistency and colour of pea soup!