If one touched the hand of a person who did not yet wash, must he re-wash his hands?
Some Poskim[1] rule one must rewash his hands three times inconsecutively if he touched the hands of a person that did not yet wash. This applies even if the hands are dry.[2] For this reason some would wear gloves when shaking the hands of someone who did not yet wash.[3] However it is evident from other Poskim[4] that the hands do not become impure and it is not necessary to re-wash the hands. If however one’s hands are still wet from the initial washing and he then touched another hand that was not yet washed, then he must rewash his hands, as is the ruling regarding washing for bread.[5] If one’s hands are dry and the other persons hands are wet-see footnote.[6]
[1] Ruach Chaim 4:6; Lev Chaim 1:65; Kaf Hachaim [Falagi] 8:4; Ben Ish Chaiy Toldos 12; Kaf Hachaim 4:17; See also Yabia Omer 9:108; Az Nidbaru 12:54 : This applies even if both hands are dry.
[2] Yabia Omer ibid; and so is also evident from Kaf Hachaim [Falagi] ibid who states he would wear gloves to avoid this issue.
[3] Kaf Hachaim [Falagi] ibid
[4] Piskeiy Teshuvos 4:11; So seems obvious from the fact such a law is not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch or any of the classical commentators. See also Artzos Chaim 51 regarding that touching the impure water does not make one’s hands impure as one cannot create novelties of his own in matters of Ruach Raah.
[5] Seder Netilas Yadayim 3; and so is evident from the ruling of Admur in J; so also rules: Makor Chaim [Chavos Yair] brought in Piskeiy Teshuvos 4 footnote 125; Az Nidbaru 12:54
[6] On the one hand we rule by washing for bread that in such a case the person’s hands become impure and require re-washing. [Seder 3] On the other hand perhaps this form of impurity is not the same as that of washing for bread as clearly rules Artzos Chaim ibid that the impure water does not make one’s hands impure. Vetzaruch Iyun.