In this excerpt, Chaviva Gordon-Bennett provides an overview of the origins and significance of the different Jewish hand washing rituals, including washing the hands before eating bread. With supporting texts from the Torah (Bible), Talmud, and Midrash (oral teachings), this article gives its reader a unique understanding of the rabbinic literature surrounding this important Jewish ritual, as well as a practical step-by-step explanation of how to do it. Published on ThoughtCo, a website that provides in-depth articles about a wide range of topics to a general audience, this article would be helpful to anyone looking to learn more about this ancient ritual, regardless of their background. To learn more about other Jewish hand-washing rituals, read the original article here. Gordon-Bennet writes articles about Jewish topics for many different publications, including the Huffington Post and Lubavitch.com.
Meaning of Jewish Hand Washing
In Hebrew, hand washing is called netilyat yadayim (nuh-tea-lot yuh-die-eem). In Yiddish-speaking communities, the ritual is known as negel vasser (nay-gull vase-ur), which means “nail water.” Washing after a meal is known as mayim achronim (my-eem ach-ro-neem), which means “after waters.”
There are several times where Jewish law requires hand washing, including after sleeping or napping, after going to the bathroom, after leaving a cemetery, before a meal, if bread is involved, after a meal, if the “salt of Sodom” was used.
Origins
The basis for hand washing in Judaism was originally related to the Temple service and sacrifices, and it comes from the Torah in Exodus 17-21:
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘You shall also make a basin of bronze, and its pedestal also of bronze, to wash with; and you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. For Aaron and his sons shall wash there their hands and their feet. When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire to the Lord. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not; and it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations.'”
The directions for a basin to be set up for the ritual washing of the priests’ hands and feet is the first mention of the practice. In these verses, the failure to hand washing is tied to the possibility of death, and it is this reason that some believe that Aaron’s sons died in Leviticus 10.
After the destruction of the Temple, however, there was a change in the focus of hand washing. Without the ritual objects and processes of the sacrifices, and without sacrifices, the priests were no longer able to wash their hands. The rabbis, not wanting the hand washing ritual’s importance to be forgotten at the time of the rebuilding of the (Third) Temple moved the sanctity of the Temple sacrifice to the dining room table, which became the modern-day mizbeach, or altar.
With this change, the rabbis committed countless pages — an entire tractate — of the Talmud to the halachot (laws) of hand washing. Called Yadayim (hands), this tractate discusses the ritual of hand washing, how it’s practiced, what water is considered clean, and so on.
Netilyat yadayim (hand washing) can be found 345 times in the Talmud, including in Eruvin 21b, where a rabbi refuses to eat while in a prison house before he has had the chance to wash his hands.
“Our Rabbis taught: R. Akiba was once confined in a prison-house [By the Romans] and R. Joshua the grits-maker was attending on him. Every day, a certain quantity of water was brought in to him. On one occasion he was met by the prison keeper who said to him, “Your water to-day is rather much; do you perhaps require it for undermining the prison?” He poured out a half of it and handed to him the other half. When he came to R. Akiba the latter said to him, “Joshua, do you not know that I am an old man and my life depends on yours?” When the latter told him all that had happened [R. Akiba] said to him, “Give me some water to wash my hands.” “It will not suffice for drinking,” the other complained, “will it suffice for washing your hands?” “What can I do,” the former replied: “when for [neglecting] the words of the Rabbis one deserves death? It is better that I myself should die than that I should transgress against the opinion of my colleagues” It was related that he tasted nothing until the other had brought him water wherewith to wash his hands. “
How To
For most types of hand washing, including before a meal where you’ll be eating bread, you should follow the following steps.
- Make sure your hands are clean. This seems counterproductive, but remember that netilyat yadayim (hand washing) is not about cleanliness, but about ritual.
- Fill a washing cup with enough water for both of your hands. If you are left handed, begin with your left hand. If you are right handed, start with your right hand.
- Pour the water twice on your dominant hand and then twice on your other hand. Some pour three times, including Chabad Lubavitchers. Make sure the water covers your entire hand up to the wrist with each pour and separate your fingers so the water touches the whole of your hand.
- After washing, grab a towel and as you dry your hands recite the bracha (blessing): Baruch atah Adonai, Elohenu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav, vetzivanu al netilat yadayim. This blessing means, in English, Blessed are you Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the washing of the hands.
There are many who say the blessing before they dry their hands, too. After you wash your hands, before the blessing is said over the bread, try not to speak. Although this is a custom and not halacha (law), it is fairly standard in the religious Jewish community.