The Basics of the Jewish Meal Part I: Netillas Yadayim

By Rabbi Joshua Flug

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I.

Introduction- This shiur outline is part of the Basics of Judaism series. The first few shiur outlines covered Friday night through Kiddush. The next three parts in the series will cover the Jewish meal and won't be specific to Shabbos. This shiur outline will discuss netillas yadayim as well as the concept of the Jewish meal. The Source for Netillas Yadayim a. The Gemara states that there are two reasons for the mitzvah of netillas yadayim: {} i. Serach Terumah- Anyone who handles terumah must wash their hands so as not to impart tumah onto the food that they are handling. ii. There is a mitzvah to listen to the words of the chachmim. b. Tosafos are bothered by the concept that there is an independent mitzvah to listen to the words of the chachamim. Isn't serach terumah also a rabbinic concern? i. Tosafos answer that in addition to the serach terumah concern, there is also a concern for cleanliness. {} ii. Tosafos elsewhere present this approach as a concern for cleanliness and holiness. {} iii. The idea that netillas yadayim represents holiness comes from the Gemara that states that the verse refers to netillas yadayim. {} iv. R. Yitzchak Z. Soloveitchik (1886-1959) explains that there are two independent reasons for netillas yadayim. There is a concern for serach terumah, but there is an additional need to wash one's hands prior to a meal, independent of concern for tumah. The model for this second aspect of kiddush yadayim v'raglayim of the kohanim in the Beis HaMikdash which isn't related to tumah. {}

II.

III.

The concept of sanctifying oneself before a meal a. The Zohar writes that teaches that one should try to emulate the angels and when eats, it should be with }{ . b. Ramban (1194-1270) writes that the mitzvah of is based on the fact that when one comes to handle a king's food, one must wash one's hands.{} c. R. Ya'akov Mecklenburg (1785-1865) writes that Ramban's message can be applied to netillas yadayim because when one eats a meal, one must elevate oneself, similar to the kohanim in the Mikdash. This is why the term "netillah" is used as opposed to rechitza. Netillah means to lift up and by washing one's hands, one is elevating them so that they are ready to eat a holy meal. {} d. R. Aharon HaKohen of Apta (19th century) writes that when eating one should have in mind that the food is like kodshim and when one performs netillas yadayim, one should have in mind that it is like }{ .

IV.

The Comparison of the Table to the Mizbe'ach a. The Gemara notes that there is a verse that refers to the mizbe'ach as a table. The Gemara comments that when the Beis HaMikdash was standing, it was the method of atonement but now that it is not standing, the table can serve as a means of atonement. {} i. Rama (1520-1572) writes that because a table is compared to the mizbe'ach, one should have salt on the table. {} ii. It is interesting to note that R. Moshe Sofer (1762-1839) did not use salt on Friday night because there were no korbanos that were offered on Friday night. {} b. The Mishna in Avos writes that if a group of people eat and don't recite divrei Torah, it is if they are eating from idolatrous sacrifices and if they do recite divrei Torah, it is as if they are eating korbanos. {} c. The fact that the same pasuk is quoted as proof to both ideas implies that the two ideas are related. i. R. Yehuda Loew (Maharal c. 1520-1609) writes that a table is considered a mizbe'ach because the servants of a king who eat from the king's table are the ones who have a close relationship with the king. When one recites divrei Torah at the meal, they are showing their closeness to God and it is as if they are eating from the mizbe'ach. {} ii. R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (1823-1900) writes that one can elevate one's food so that it has sanctity similar to a korban. Therefore, if one says divrei Torah, one elevates the food to that level. {}

V.

Some Basic Halachos Relating to Netillas Yadayim a. Why do we wash twice on each hand? i. The Gemara states that after pouring water on one's hand, that water is impure. {} ii. Shulchan Aruch states that for this reason, one must pour water a second time in order to remove the impure water. However, if one pours a revi'is on one's hands, the water is not impure and a second pouring is not necessary. {} 1. Mishna Berurah notes that even though we strongly encourage using a revi'is, we nevertheless require a second time because there are opinions that always require a second time. However, if there is not enough water, a second time is not required. {} b. Why do we recite the beracha after washing?

i. The Gemara states that all berachos must be recited prior to performance of the mitzvah with the exception of the tevillah of a ger because he can't recite the beracha until after he is Jewish. {} 1. Tosafos discuss whether netillas yadayim is comparable to tevillas hager because there are times when one cannot recite a beracha beforehand. Tosafos also note an additional reason why one can recite the beracha after the netillah- that the netillah is not complete until one dries one's hands. Therefore, one can wash, recite the beracha and then dry one's hands. {} 2. Shulchan Aruch writes that we recite the beracha after the netillah because we are concerned that people may not be able to recite a beracha beforehand. {} a. Rama (1520-1572) writes that we rely on the drying as being part of the mitzvah. c. What happens if someone has no water? i. The Gemara states that if there is no water within four mil, he is exempt from netillas yadayim. {} ii. Shulchan Aruch writes that in this situation, one should eat with the food wrapped in a cloth. {} iii. R. Yitzchak Z. Soloveitchik explains that if water is not available, that only exempts one from the mitzvah aspect of the netillah (i.e. to elevate oneself before a meal). However, there is still a concern for handling terumah and that can be obviated by placing the food in a cloth. {} d. Talking between Netillas Yadayim and HaMotzi- Shulchan Aruch quotes a dispute whether one is permitted to talk and rules that one should be stringent. {} i. It's important to note that if one did speak, there is no reason to wash again and certainly one may not recite another beracha.

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R. Yitzchak bar Ashiyan states: Washing one's hand for non-consecrated food is out of a concern for terumah and also because of a commandment. What commandment? Abaye states: the commandment to observe the words of the sages.

26.

Chullin 106a

27.

Berachot 53b

'And you shall sanctify yourselves' refers to the first waters (i.e. washing before the meal) 'And you shall be holy' refers to the second waters (i.e. washing after the meal).

28.

HaKetav V'Hakabalah, Vayikra 11:44

Our rabbis taught 'And you shall sanctify yourselves' refers to the first waters, etc It is worthy to pay attention to the fact that netillat yadayim is categorized as a matter of holiness because the rabbis also called the washing of the hands and legs from the basin by the priests a matter of holiness Just as washing from the basin is considered holy so too the rabbis saw to call washing hands for food a matter of holiness so that a person should approach the table to eat the food of the king of the world by washing one's hands because it is a way to show honor to the heavens. The language of holiness connotes elevation and exaltation. R. Shimon states: Three people who eat at one table and do not state words of Torah, it is as if they ate from idolatrous sacrifices as it states (Yeshaya 28:8) 'For all tables are full of filthy vomit and no place is clean.' However, three people who eat at one table and recite words of Torah are considered as if they ate at the table the Omnipresent as it states (Yechezkel 41:22) 'This is that the table that is before G-d.'

29.

Avot 3:3

One who washes one's hands pours on them some of the revi'it to remove the dirt and any interposition and afterwards pours on them a second time and this water is impure. After that, one pours on them a third time to purify the water on one's hands. If there is no dirt on one's hands, one can pour the revi'it on one's hands and there is no requirement for a second pouring. The same applies if one has a lot of water. One can wash one's hands to remove the dirt and after that pour a revi'it at once and there is no need for a third pouring of water. Rabbeinu Tam states in the name of The Gaon that this only applies to the immersion of a convert who is not fit prior to the immersion because he cannot recite "and you commanded us" while he is still a non-Jew Nevertheless, Rabbeinu Yitzchak states that one should not admonish the women who recite the blessing after immersion because it is possible that [the rabbis] didn't distinguish between the immersion of the convert and other immersions. The same applies to netillat yadayim that they did not distinguish between washing after using the restroom when one cannot recite a blessing beforehand [and washing before a meal]. Nevertheless, there is another reason to recite the blessing after washing but before drying as it states that one who eats bread without drying one's hands is comparable to eating impure bread.

30.

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 162:2

31.

Tosafot, Pesachim 7b

If there is no water available within a distance of four mil, one can wrap one's hands in a cloth and eat bread or an item that is dipped in a liquid.

32.

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 163:1

There are those that say that one does not have to be cautious regarding speech between netillat yadayim and the recitation of HaMotzi and there are others who require one to be cautious. It is preferable to be cautious.

33.

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 166:1