Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

The topic for today is a commandment that is essentially d’rabbanan, “from the rabbis.” The practice of washing the hands before eating bread. Although there is some dispute about the origin of this practice, the most common explanation comes from BT Chullin 105a, that it is an extension of the requirement for priests to be ritually pure when they ate the firstfruits offerings.

The practice is to take up a two-handled pitcher (so that your hands don’t touch when you pass it from one hand to the other) in your dominant hand, fill it with water, pass it to the other, and pour the water over your dominant hand first, then switch back, and pour it over the other hand. We pour over each hand at least twice, although most hassidim pour three times. The second time we pour to get the impure water from the previous time off (Mishnah, Yadayim 2:2). We then rub our hands together, hold them at chest height, and make the blessing ending, “and commanded us regarding the washing of hands.” Afterwards, we dry our hands (BT Sotah 4b).

The way this commandment is connected to the Temple service and to the commandment to be holy (BT Berachot 53b), makes it one of the primary ways that we sanctify our regular mealtimes. By associating every ordinary meal with the holiness of the Temple we elevate this mundane event to the height of something sacred, a place where we encounter God in our daily lives.

Many object to this practice on the basis of Mark 7. However, we should read this passage closely. In the first place, verse two only says that some of Rabbeinu Yeshua’s disciples failed to wash. Apparently the Master himself did wash, and so did at least some of his disciples. This would have been a fairly new institution at the time, and so it may not have been universally observed yet. R. Yeshua also never says that we should not observe the ritual of netilat yadaim, but that it should not take priority over more important commandments (vv 9-13). This is a similar position to the one the Master takes on tithing mint, dill, and cumin (another Rabbinic institution) in Matthew 23:23. It is not an invalid practice, but it should not become a point of contention like the Pharisees in question in Mark 7 made it.