Sometimes when I feel hungry and I’m about to eat bread there are certain faucets that are really slow and I need to wait like 15-30 seconds for the washing cup to fill to the top, but while I’m feeling hungry it feels like a minute or two.
I say all the to ask:
- Why do we wash our hands before bread?
- What’s the halachic requirement/minimum for me to fill up the washing cup when washing for bread.
- What’s the smallest cup I could use to wash my hands?
- What parts of my hands need to be washed with the water?
- When switching hands, do I need to put the cup down?
- Can you explain how to do it properly, if I’m missing any steps?
Thank you!
One revi’it (about 3.3–3.5 ounces) of water is halachically enough to wash both hands at once. That’s clear from the Mishnah in Yadayim 1:2, which says a revi’it can even be used for two or four people. The Rambam (Hilchot Berachot 6:3) also says explicitly that if you pour one revi’it over both hands together, that’s valid. All the extra pours, switching hands, and large cups are stringencies that developed later. The halachic requirement is simple, and we shouldn’t turn it into an obsessive ritual.
Stay tuned: we have a new section coming under “Resources” called TORAH TALKS, and I will post a more lengthy piece on this issue.
Thank you so much! Looking forward!