Study with Rabbi Perlin (4/9/2020)

June 1, 2019

Handwashing in Judaism: An Exploration of a Sacred Tradition

Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, D.D.     TBS Class 1pm, Thursday, April 9, 2020

Handwashing during this Pandemic

In this time of Covid-19, we are told by the medical professionals that the very best thing we can do is wash our hands.  In our world of science, we understand that handwashing is a proven way to eliminate germs.  We are told to wash for 20 seconds with soap and water.  And many remind us that singing Happy Birthday or the ABC’s fulfills the requisite amount of time. I already knew that from my pre-school grandchildren.  So, my first question:

How might we make this handwashing a more Jewish ritual?

One answer:  Sing the Shema in the morning and at night when you wash your hands.  Mah Tovu and Hinei Mah Tov work, too.  And when you want to think about Israel, Im Tirtzu is a great handwashing song.

Another answer:  You may also say the blessing for the washing of the hands:

Handwashing and Passover

As we sat our seder table last night, handwashing took on new meaning.  Twice in the seder, we washed our hands – once without the blessing and once with.

Ur’chatz (The First Washing without the Blessing)

This is a silent handwashing.

What does it mean to wash our hands in silence? 

What are you thinking about as you wash your hands these days?

Rochtzah (The Second Handwashing with the traditional blessing)

From The Women’s Seder Source Book, ed. Anisfeld, Mohr and Spector, Jewish Lights, 2003/2007, p. 185:

“The ritual act is described in the blessing as netilat yadayim, literally, “the lifting of hands.”  These words suggest that we wash our hands not simply to cleanse them but to uplift them, elevate them, dedicate them to our sacred work in the world.

On Passover, we are reminded that this work includes the ongoing task of tikkun olam, repairing the world. Reflecting on the idea that God delivered us from slavery with a “strong hand and an outstretched arm,” we might contemplate what it would mean to act in God’s image by using our own strong hands and outstretched arms to bring an end to the suffering of others. Alternatively, this can be an opportunity to reflect on what it means to sanctify and cleanse our hands.”

How was handwashing different at your seder?

Handwashing references in Jewish Sources

The historical origins and significance of all of this handwashing spurred me to spend the week researching what the rabbis and tradition say about handwashing.  This is not an exhaustive list of handwashing references, as so many of them were not currently relevant to our Jewish lives, either from a ritual or even esoteric perspective.  Suffice it to say, that much of the handwashing references are about ritual purity.  This text study is designed to help us understand that handwashing has always had societal context in Judaism and ritual importance.  At the end, I hope it reminds us that as we wed our current handwashing to the texts of old, we can Jewishly ritualize what is today a medical and societal necessity, and hopefully, this study will help you focus in a spiritual way, while you are spending a good part of your day washing your hands.

Washing the Hands (In the section on Ablution, Encyclopedia Judaica (new), second edition, Vol.1, p. 262-3, section by Raphael Posner [Asst Prof of Rabbinics, JTS Jerusalem):

The method of washing is either by immersion up to the wrist or by pouring ¼ log (approx. ½ pint) of water over both hands from a receptacle with a wide mouth, the lip of which must be undamaged.  The water should be poured over the whole hand up to the wrist , but is effective as long as the fingers are washed up to the second joint.  The hands must be clean and without anything adhering to them; rings must be removed so that water can reach the entire surface area. The water should be not be hot or discolored and it is customary to perform the act by pouring water over each hand three times (Sh. Ar. , Or.Chayim) the handwashing ritual is commonly know as netilant yadayim, a term whose source is not entirely clear. It has been suggested that netilah means “taking” and thus the expression would be “taking water to the hands, “ but the rabbinic interpretation is “lifting of the hands” and is associated with Psalm 134:2.

Washing the hands is a rabbinic ordinance to correct the condition of tumat yadayim, the impurity of the hands, which notion itself is of rabbinic origin.  Among the biblical laws of purity washing the hands is mentioned only once (Lev. 15:11) According to one tradition “impurity of the hands” (and washing them as a means of purification) was instituted by King Solomon, while another has it that the disciples of Hillel and Shammai were responsible for it. (Shabbat 14a&b). It seems that the custom spread from the priests, who washed their hands  before eating consecrated food, to the pious among the laity and finally became universal.  The detailed regulations concerning “impurity of the hands” constitute one of he 18 ordinances adopted in accord with the opinion of the school of Shammai against the school of Hillel, and met at first with considerable opposition. In order to establish the practice, the rabbis warned of dire consequences for those who disregarded it, even going so far as to predict premature death (Shabbat 62b and Sotah 4b)  Rabbi Akiba, who personally disapproved of the ordinance, nevertheless used the limited water allowed him in prison for this ablution rather than for drinking (Eruvin 21a&b).  In the New Testament there are several references which suggest that Jesus and his disciples demonstrated their opposition to rabbinic authority by disregarding this ordinance(Mark 7:1 , Matt 15:1, Luke 11:37)

The washing of hands most observed today is that required before eating bread, although according to rabbinic sources washing after the meal before grace is at least of equal importance. The reason given for this latter washing is to remove any salt adhering to the fingers which could cause serious injury to the eyes (Eruvin 17b). It is possible that these washings derive from contemporary Roman table manners, and there is also mention of washing between courses (mayim emza’iyyim, Hul.105a)…The fact that ablution was so widespread in ancient religions and cultures makes it likely that the Jewish practice was influenced by contemporaneous cults.  It is, however, difficult to ascertain the extent of this influence and it is possible that the rabbis were reacting against contemporary practices rather than imitating them.  It is clear that, to the rabbis, the main purpose of any ablution was to become “holy” and the system they created was meant to keep the Jews conscious of this obligation.

Does it surprise you that the rabbis weren’t concerned with hygiene?

The Jewish Encyclopedia, WASHING, written by Rabbi Dr. Emil Hirsch, great Reform rabbi of Sinai Temple of Chicago and professor of rabbinics and philosophy at the University of Chicago, Funk and Wagnalls, 1905:

As compared with the Greeks and Romans, the Hebrews paid little attention to the care of the body; and the bath was a rarity in a land where water was relatively scarce. It was important, therefore, that personal cleanliness should have a religious basis, and that the cult should ordain frequent ablutions. Thus, for example, the ancient custom of washing before meals may have had its origin in ritualistic requirements; and water was an important factor in the Hebrew cult as in all other Semitic religions.  A partial explanation of this phenomenon lies in the fact that springs and rivers were often worshiped by the Semites either as gods or as the dwelling places of divinities.  To bathe or wash in such waters was, therefore, in itself a ritualistic act, although this should not be taken to imply that all water was holy, and it must also be borne in mind that one who wished to take part in a ritualistic act had first to be in a condition appropriate to it, or, in other words, had to be ritually clean.

The original meaning of this concept cannot be discussed here: for many things conditioned “purity,” just as there were many things which made one ritually defiled. First of all, however, bodily cleanliness was requisite; for one could no more come unclean into the presence of God than before the king.  Consequently a man washed not only himself (eg. Gen. 35:2, Ex. 30:17) but also his clothes (eg. Ex. 19:10), while the camp of Israel, which was considered a holy place on account of the presence of YHWH, was defiled by any pollution (eg. Dt. 23:10) It thus becomes plain how ablutions developed into symbolistic purifications, especially from ritualistic defilements.  It is sufficient in this connection to allude to the ritual uncleanness  connected with certain physical pollutions, as with touching a corpse, a leper, or his house, or with sexual intercourse.  From this standpoint of symbolic purification ablutions were prescribed, in the course of the development of the Law, for a number of impurities which, since they could easily be removed by washing, were characterized as slight, in contradistinction to those graver states of defilement which required sacrifice and the like.

Jewish Sources

Shulkhan Arukh – Siman 4  (The Shulchan Aruch (Hebrew: שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך [ʃulˈħan ʕaˈʁuχ], literally: “Set Table”),^[1] sometimes dubbed in English as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed (today in Israel) by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later.^[2] Together with its commentaries, it is the most widely accepted compilation of Jewish law ever written. The halachic rulings in the Shulchan Aruch generally follow Sephardic law and customs, whereas Ashkenazi Jews generally follow the halachic rulings of Moses Isserles, whose glosses to the Shulchan Aruch note where the Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs differ. These glosses are widely referred to as the mappah (literally: the “tablecloth”) to the Shulchan Aruch’s “Set Table”. Almost all published editions of the Shulchan Aruch include this gloss, and the term “Shulchan Aruch” has come to denote both Karo’s work as well as Isserles’, with Karo usually referred to as “the mechaber” (“author”) and Isserles as “the Rema” (an acronym of Rabbi Moshe Isserles).

2]One should be careful to wash one’s hands three times, in order to remove the foul spirit (i.e. the spiritual effects from sleeping) from them.

3]One should not put his hands in his mouth, ears, eyes, or nose before washing one’s hands.

4] Even if one has washed his hands, he should never touch the orifice of his anus, because that could cause hemorrhoids. One should [also] refrain from touching a place where he has been bled, because that could damage the wound.

5]One should not touch a container of beer, because the touch of a hand spoils the beer.

7] It is best to be particular regarding hand-washing prior to prayer…

8] Hand-washing before morning prayers should not be performed over the ground, but rather into a vessel.

9] Water which has been used for hand-washing before morning prayers should not be used afterwards for any other purpose. One should not pour it out in a house, nor any place where people pass by.

10] One should take up the vessel of water with his right hand, then transfer it to his left hand in order to pour water onto his right hand first.

11] One should not take water from a person who has not yet washed his hands.

12] If one dabbles his hands into a vessel of water, then that counts as hand-washing for the purposes of reciting the Shema and the Amidah prayer, but he has not yet removed the foul spirit from his hands. If one dabbles each of his hands alternately into three different lots of water, then it is not clear whether he has removed the foul spirit from his hands.

13]  If one has stayed awake all night, then it is not clear whether he needs to wash his hands for the morning prayer or whether he needs to remove the foul spirit. Rema: He should wash his hands without reciting a blessing. (Rosh, Principle 2; Rashba, Chapter 123).

14] If one arose from bed before daybreak and washed his hands, it is unclear whether he should wash his hands again when daylight appears, in order to remove the Bad Spirit which has passed through them. Gloss: He should wash his hands without reciting a blessing.

15] If one sleeps during the day, it is unclear whether he should pour water three times onto his hands. Gloss: He should wash his hands without reciting a blessing.

18] The following things require washing the hands in water [after them]: One who rises from bed, goes out of the bathroom, or of the bath house, one who cuts his nails, takes off his shoes, touches his feet, or washes his head, some say: also one who goes among the dead, or touched the dead, one who cleanses his clothes of lice, has sexual intercourse, touches a louse, or touches his body with his hand. Anyone doing any of these and not washing his hands, if he is a scholar, his studies are forgotten, and if he is not a scholar, he goes out of his mind.

22] If one has no water, one may wipe one’s hands in a lump of earth or dust or any cleansing agent and recite a blessing on the cleanliness of hands, and this permits him to pray but does not remove the evil spirit from them…. [Berakhot 15a: Rabina said to Raba: “Sir, pray look at this student from the West [Palestine] and who says: If one has no water for washing his hands, he can rub/wipe his hands with earth or with a pebble or with sawdust.”  He replied: “He is quite correct. Is it written, I will wash in water? It is written: In cleanliness—with anything which cleans.”]

23] Washing hands was only prescribed for reciting the Shema and for [the Amidah] prayer, but the blessings of the morning are permitted to be recited before washing, unless one sleeps naked in one’s bed, in which case one may not mention the holy Name until he cleans them.

Mishnah Eruvin 1:10

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 7:2

One who passes urine and does not soil his hands, even though the recital of Asher Yatzar [the bathroom blessing] is necessary, the hand–washing itself is only needed for cleanliness/hygiene and/or because of the notion of Hikkon (Amos 4:12) ie. Preparation for the proper davenning mindset.”

Mishnah Yadayim 2

If one poured [water] onto one of his hands in one washing [i.e. pouring only once], his hand is pure.

Kav HaYashar 13:8  If even those engaged in battle or in the performance of mitzvos, who are exempt from other mitzvos, are obligated in the hand–washing after the meal, those who are not thus engaged are certainly obligated…According to the Zohar and other Kabbalistic works there is a deep esoteric reason why the hand–washing after the meal is more obligatory than the one before the meal, as will be explained in a later chapter (Salt from your food might get into your eyes and harm them.) Kav HaYashar, trans. Metsudah Publications, 2007

Sefer HaMidot, Eating, Part I 8

And one who trivializes the ritual hand–washing is uprooted from the world.                             The Book of Character, trans. Simcha H.

Shulchan Shel Arba:

There are eight table blessings, and they are: netilat yada’im [over hand–washing], ha-motzi [over bread], the four blessings of birkat ha-mazon [grace after meals], and two blessings over the wine . Shulhan Shel Arba, translated by Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, 2010

Shulchan Shel Arba 1:4 For this reason they [the rabbis] were very severe with the punishment for someone who makes light of hand washing; he is to be “uprooted from the world.”10B.Sotah 4b….The severity of this punishment is because hand–washing hints at the thing upon which the whole world depends. So whoever makes light of “lifting” the hands causes a washing that destroys the world….And this also was said about netilat yada’im: “whoever makes light of hand–washing will end up poor.”12B.Shabbat 62b.

Shulhan Shel Arba, translated by Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, 2010

Kav HaYashar 20:3

From this one can see the holiness of the hand–washing before prayer, for it is the task of the prophet Eliyahu to wash the hands of the Patriarchs.

Kav HaYashar, trans. Metsudah Publications, 2007    Kav ha-Yashar (lit. The Just Measure; קב הישר) authored by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover (1648–1712), is one of the most popular works of musar literature of the last three hundred years. First published in 1705 in Frankfurt am Main, it has appeared in over 80 editions, in nearly every country around the world. The work was famous for uplifting the spirits of Jewish communities in Europe after the Chmelnitzki Massacres of 1648-1649.^[1]

Chullin 105b:2

The Gemara comments: One can learn by inference from this version of the statement that in the case of first waters, even if the water is so hot that the hand recoils from it, it is permitted to use it…for washing.

English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim 4:8:3ביאור אנגלי על משנה ידים ד׳:ח׳:ג׳

The issue of hand–washing and the impurity of scrolls were both innovations of the sages or their predecessors, the Pharisees. So we get to learn some Second Temple halakhic history on the side.Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

Shulchan Shel Arba 1:6

Mayim rishonim require wiping dry, because the wiping dry is crucial to the point of the hand washing; mayim ahronim do not require wiping dry. 35The point of the mayim rishonim is to purify one’s hands…However, since the washing after is to remove actual, visible food from one’s hands, obviously simply stating the condition that “my first hand–washing after a meal will remove any food I get on my hands.  Shulhan Shel Arba, translated by Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, 2010

Jewish Sources on Handwashing after a Burial

From The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning, M. Lamm, Jonathan David Publishers, 1969, p. 67 [a premier Orthodox source]:

Washing of the Hands

After the funeral, those in attendance wash their hands.  This is symbolic of the ancient custom of purification, performed after contact with the dead.  It emphasizes the Jew’s constant concern with life, its value and dignity, rather than over-zealous attention to, and worship of, the dead. The washing is done upon returning from the cemetery, before entering the home, or, if this is not feasible, at the cemetery office itself.  It is performed with a cup of water poured alternately on both hands.  As with the shovel, at the filling of the grave, the cup is not passed from hand to hand.

Upon Returning from the Cemetery: The Washing of Hands

It is an ancient custom of the Jewish people to cleanse themselves after being in close proximity to the deceased.  This is done, symbolically, by washing hands before entering the apartment. A container of water should be prepared for this purpose at the entrance.

The custom of handwashing is traced to many different origins.  One is that it is a symbolic cleansing from the impurity associated with death. This impurity which is in the spiritual-legal category, and has no relation to physical or hygienic cleanliness, underscores Judaism;s constant emphasis on life and the value of living. Another reason often given is that it stems from the practice ordained by the Bible when a person was found dead and the cause of his death was unknown. The elders of the city washed their hands and proclaimed, in behalf of the residents of the city, that none of the citizens have directly or indirectly cause this person’s death. A third reason some commentaries offer is that the washing is testimony that these individuals participated in the interment service and did not shrink from performing the burial honors due the dead.

Whatever the origin, the custom of washing the hands is universally observed by Jews. The cup of water is not transferred directly from one person to another. This is a symbolic expression of hope that the tragedy should not continue person to person, but should end where it, unfortunately, began.