B"H
WHY WE WASH OUR HANDS BEFORE EATING BREAD:

Three types of hand washing are obligatory upon all Jews to perform. One, the hand washing we make each morning when we arise from our sleep, which is performed three times upon each hand while rotating the vessel between each hand as we pour. This practice is supposed to remove from our fingers the germ (or Ruach Ra'ah = "evil spirit") known by the Hebrews as "Bath-horin." Our Talmud (Shabbath 108b – 109a) describes this germ, saying that it is capable of rendering bodily infections if one's hands go unwashed; namely, it can cause a sty in one's eye, and polyp in one's nose, etc.

The second type of hand washing which we perform is the hand washing which we do before partaking of bread at a table. This hand washing is a rabbinic ordinance, enacted by the early Rabbis as a preventive measure, which I shall presently explain.

The third form of hand washing is the hand washing we do after relieving ourselves on the toilet, whether for simply urinating or for having a bowel movement. This hand washing is done strictly for the sake of cleanliness, and does not require the use of a vessel. Simply rinsing one's hand over a current of water is sufficient.

We learn in the Babylonian Talmud (Eruvin 21b and Shabbath 14b – 15a) that King Solomon was the first who enacted the safeguard of washing hands. Yet, his enactment was restricted to washing of hands directly before consuming meat offerings of hallowed things whose blood was offered at the altar. Many years later, Hillel and Shammai followed in the footsteps of King Solomon and, in the year 32 B.C.E., they made a decree that the priests' hands suffer a mandatory state of uncleanness which would disqualify their eating foods separated unto them as an offering (Heb. "terumah") until those very same hands were first washed. (The Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbath 11a, says they had actually renewed what was formerly practiced in Israel since the time of Moses, but which had been forgotten by the people.) That is to say, they made it a renewed enactment that the priests (i.e. all descendants of Aaron, the first High Priest of G-d) should all be henceforth required, by an edict, to wash their so-called "defiled" hands before touching bread or other foods which were given unto them as a "heave-offering" (Heb. "terumah"). This enactment was made only as a preventive measure, or safeguard, in order to guard against the possibility of a priest (Cohen) ever accidentally eating his bread which had been defiled unawares by another priest (Cohen), such as when the other priest had come along and, without intent of eating that bread, had touched some object whereon lay the other priest's bread-offering while his hands or fingers contained the spittle or spattered drops of urine of a person affected with a running issue (flux or gonorrhea); A highly unlikely probability, but still one which was taken into consideration. Therefore, it became an edict that all priests (Cohenim) before touching any bread-offering must first wash their hands, so as to avoid indiscriminate contact with the bread which was to be eaten by another priest who was ritually clean. (So it is implied by Maimonides in his commentary on Mishnah Zavim 5:12). Now the Torah prescribes the penalty of death for priests who eat their bread-offering (Heb. "terumah") in a real state of uncleanness. (cf. Mishnah Bikkurim, ch. 2). Therefore, the enactment renewed by Hillel and Shammai was a true safeguard.

In subsequent years, says our Talmud (Shabbath 14b – 15a), additional measures were necessary in order to ensure that all priests would comply by the old enactment made by Hillel and Shammai (i.e. to wash their hands prior to touching bread-offerings, and to burn all bread-offerings touched by unwashed hands) – for many of the priests simply did not adhere to the enactment made by Hillel and Shammai. During the days when disputes grew between the schools of Shammai and Hillel, the disciples of both schools gathered themselves together in the upper storeyed room of Chananiah's house (i.e. Chananiah, the son of Hizkiah, the son of Guron, and party – a man contemporary with Rabbi Yehoshua b. Chananiah who survived the destruction of the second Temple in 68 C.E.), and voted upon measures to ensure that the priests throughout Israel would adhere to that old enactment, seeing that many priests would continue to eat their bread-offering (Heb. "terumah") without washing their hands. Wherefore, in order to ensure that all priests (Cohenim) would succumb to washing their hands, the Rabbis and scholars who were gathered together in that upper-storeyed room (on the day when they made eighteen new enactments) cleverly devised a method, whereby, they made it a rule that all Jews, regardless of whether or not they were priests of Aaron's lineage, or Levites, or Israelites, or proselytes, are to be required to wash their hands before eating bread – even if that bread to be eaten was only ordinary and common bread. They ascribed a grade of uncleanness to all men's hands. Whence it is, today, we have this rule of conduct amongst us. Now, by virtue of the fact that all men were required to wash their hands directly before eating bread, so too, the delinquent priests would follow in due course and wash their hands before eating bread-offerings, and be guarded thereby from unsuspected culpability resulting from his or their uncleanness.
For this reason, the Jerusalem Talmud (Chagigah 2:5, or pg. 13a) says: "…By saying to a man that his hands suffer a second-grade degree of uncleanness, even so does he (the priest) separate himself from the Terumah." This hand washing which we customarily do today before eating bread at a table has been given an expression with us in the Hebrew language, namely, "Serach Terumah," (סרך תרומה) meaning, "washing introduced for the sake of uniformity with Terumah." (see: Hullin 106a).

The rabbinic command requires pouring over one's hands at least a quarter of a log of water – equivalent to the liquid capacity, or volume, of one and a half medium-sized eggs, although one who pours water in excess of this amount is considered saintly. END.

Which brings up the usual question,
If everyone is Tumat met, why bother.

AS

Aryeh,
Would that question also apply to the mikveh?

B"H
Lawrence,
Very good question! Indeed, all of us (including the Cohenim) are defiled with a severe grade of defilement - corpse defilement - and they cannot eat the Terumah anyway, so why bother with all of these safeguards, and require all men to wash their hands before eating bread!??

Your question has been answered by the Rabbis, viz.,
"Although the reason [for making the enactment] no longer applies (i.e. has been cancelled), the enactment has not been cancelled."

By the same logic, we continue to do many things today that have no connection with the original enactment made by the Sages.

Sincerely,
David Ben-Abraham

quote:

Originally posted by MosheYisraeli:
Aryeh,
Would that question also apply to the mikveh?

Moshe,
Your question to Aryeh (Lawrence) is not applicable in this case. For a man can co-habit with his wife, and have carnal relations with her, even though she might be defiled with corpse uncleanness. But he cannot co-habit with his wife, and have carnal relations with her, until she has first immersed herself in the "mikveh" (i.e. ritual bath or ablution) after her flow of blood has stopped.

Corpse defilement cannot be eradicated by a "mikveh." Only the ashes of the red heifer can do that.

Sincerely,
David Ben-Abraham

Question... The Brakha said when washing in the AM or before bread "al netilat yadayim" which Artscroll translates as "washing hands" seems to me to have nothing to do with washing of hands but rather the lifting of hands. Same as the Brakha over the 4- minim at Sukkot "netilat Lulav." Why?

I teach my children when they say this Brakha to lift their hands to H'. I tell them that the words "Safek" and "Amalek" are linked through their Gematria. Now one of the 6 rememberances is to wipe out Amalek, every last trace. How was that done? Moshe lifted his hands to H' and so long as they were upraised Israel would win the battle. How do we defeat Safek today? Every AM and every meal we do what Moshe did. Anyway, thats my little d'var.

Shavua Tov
-Jake

B"H
MORE ABOUT HAND WASHING:

In the Talmud (Hullin 106a), we find yet another explanation why the Rabbis required hand washing for the priests (Cohenim) before they eat their bread-offering (Heb. "terumah"). To quote from the Gemara (Hullin 106a):

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rav Iddi, the son of Abin, said: Rav Yitzhaq, the son of Ashian, has said, "The washing of hands for common [bread] is because of serach terumah* and, also, because of a commandment."

What [is meant by] "a commandment?" Abaye has said: It is a commandment to obey the words of the Sages.

Rabba has said: It is a commandment to obey the words of Rabbi El'azar, the son of 'Arakh, as it is written (Veyikra 15:11), "And anyone who is touched by a man suffering from a running issue (flux or gonorrhea), while he (the man suffering from the running issue) has not rinsed his hands in water, […shall be unclean]." Rabbi El'azar, the son of 'Arakh, has said: From this [teaching], the Sages have based [their statement] that hand washing is a thing instructed in the Law.

Rabba said to Rav Nachman: What is the meaning of that which is written, "while he has not rinsed his hands in water?" Behold! Had he rinsed [his hands], would he be ritually clean??!! Behold! He [still] requires an immersion [in a ritual bath]!! Rather, this is its meaning. After [he had immersed himself], so long as he has not yet rinsed [his hands], he is [still] unclean!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By this explanation, we learn that the priests (Cohenim) during the days of the Sages were delinquent about washing their hands after coming up from the "mikveh" (ritual bath or ablution), and therefore, their bodies were still considered unclean. They would then go and eat their bread-offerings (Heb. "terumah") while thinking they were ritually clean, when they were not.



* Serach Terumah, "washing introduced for the sake of uniformity with Terumah."

quote:

anyone who is touched by a man suffering from a running issue

Elsewhere a posting wrote a precedent for artificial insemination as 2nd hand semen from a sheet or bath house accident.

Does anyone tell us the law on hand washing or contagious tumah without washing in a case of shaking hands with a man who had bathed in a bath house in which there had been such an accident, or a man who launders sheets which prior to laundering are capable of inseminating someone?

The Rishonim say that the term "Netela" is because of the utensil that you wash from called an "Enatal." See Bais Yosef OC 4

quote:

Originally posted by Jacob Lessard:
Question... The Brakha said when washing in the AM or before bread "al netilat yadayim" which Artscroll translates as "washing hands" seems to me to have nothing to do with washing of hands but rather the lifting of hands. Same as the Brakha over the 4- minim at Sukkot "netilat Lulav." Why?

I teach my children when they say this Brakha to lift their hands to H'. I tell them that the words "Safek" and "Amalek" are linked through their Gematria. Now one of the 6 rememberances is to wipe out Amalek, every last trace. How was that done? Moshe lifted his hands to H' and so long as they were upraised Israel would win the battle. How do we defeat Safek today? Every AM and every meal we do what Moshe did. Anyway, thats my little d'var.

Shavua Tov
-Jake

You are right, we do have to lift our hands up vertically after washing them, before drying them and while reciting the Blessing. Not necessarily for the reason you have given, but there are probably a number of reasons.

quote:

Originally posted by Jacob Lessard:
Question... The Brakha said when washing in the AM or before bread "al netilat yadayim" which Artscroll translates as "washing hands" seems to me to have nothing to do with washing of hands but rather the lifting of hands. Same as the Brakha over the 4- minim at Sukkot "netilat Lulav." Why?

Dear Jake,

Thanks for your d'var.
As for the words, "netilath yadayim," this phrase is a Hebrew idiom for "hand washing," which may have been coined because of our lifting our hands after washing them. Rav Chaim has learned from the Rishonim that the word "netilah" is derived from the actual vessel used when pouring water over our hands, in which case, it too is an idiom used by us when expressing "hand washing."

Sincerely,
David

quote:

we do have to lift our hands up vertically after washing them

Is this custom or halacha?

When we see movies taking place in operating rooms we see surgeons raise their hands after washing them for a nurse to put a glove on their hands.

Is there a connection?

What are the reasons for the doctor? Is it required?

I suspect that there is a connection. We hold our hands vertically so that anywater running down onto an unwashed part of our hands shouldn't then run back again over a washed part, thereby negating the washing. Possibly surgeons have a similar reason.

B"H
My dear Rav Chaim,

Someone pointed out to me that it is an Ashkenani tradition not to speak in between washing hands and eating bread, and wanted to know what was the Yemenite tradition. My reply to him was this:
* * * *
I think this would largely depend upon how one views as Halacha the teaching that says: "Techef Lenetilah, Berachah." ("Immediatey
following the washing is the blessing.") Some (the Jerusalem Talmud) view this statement as meaning the water poured over one's hands
before he breaks bread in a meal - "in order that Satan might not rail at that table," which would imply that he should remain silent
until he has broken that bread. Most Rabbis agree that if he asks for salt between his washing and the breaking of the bread, or if he
should ask for anything else which pertains to that supper, he has not abrogated from this rule of instruction. Yet, others (RASHI)
hold that the washing referred to here is to the washing of hands made at the end of the supper, when we wash away the salt of Sodom
from our fingers. With this view, it is theoretically possible to speak between our initial pouring of water at the beginning of the
supper and our breaking of the bread.
With all this stated, the matter was not clearly defined in Yemen. I have seen conflicting opinions by the Yemenite Rabbis on what was intended by saying, "Techef Lenetilah, Berachah." My father-in-law, I have noticed, would occasionally talk after he had first poured water over his hands.
* * * * *

So, Rav Chaim, if you could please elaborate more on this topic of where we learn it is forbidden to speak between our washing of hands and our eating bread, I shall be greatly appreciative of your efforts.
Sincerely,
David Ben-Abraham

The Mechaber in OC 166 brings both Shitos and ends off saying that it's good to be careful not to have any Hefsek. Your father-in-law could have felt that it's not a hefsek until the Bracha is made on it, since the Netilah isn't finished until the wiping.

Question for Rav Chaiim

If the word "netilat" is related to the word for the vessel used in washing then why do we use the same word for the arba minim at Succot? The second place where I have seen this word used is in Mesakhat Brekhot regarding the lifting of the cup for Kiddush. (My apologies, I don't remember the specific daf).

Thanks for your input.

They are homonyms, like "order" It could mean either class, command, organization or pattern.

I was taught to wash with a cup before saying Asher Yatzar.

Question: when at work and washing with a cup is difficult (either for hamotzi or asher yatzar), is it permissable to leave your hands under the water coming out of the faucet for longer than normal and this will suffice for washing with a cup?

Rav Chaim

Thanks for your input. Does this negate my d'var?

quote:

is it permissable to leave your hands under the water coming out of the faucet for longer than normal

I learned, and I think we discussed this in another thread, that one can turn off and back on the water spout and each on/off water flow counts the same as one pouring from a cup.