Touched food before washing

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Not to touch food and drink:[1]

[It goes without saying that one must be very careful[2]] not to touch any food or drink prior to washing in order not to contaminate it. [Women must be especially warned regarding this as the majority of the food preparations are done by them.[3]]

Gentiles:[4] There is no need to beware from a gentile touching one’s food or drink prior to washing hands after awakening, as the evil spirit does not reside on the hands of gentiles, as will be explained in the next Halacha.

Children:[5] It is accustomed to be lenient regarding food that is touched by children after they awaken, prior to washing hands, if the child is below the age of Chinuch.[6]  [However once the child has reached the age of Chinuch one must beware from allowing him or her to touch food or drink prior to washing hands after awakening.[7]] (Furthermore one who is careful to beware from allowing a child to touch foods from the day of his circumcision and onwards is doing an act of holiness.)[8]

 

[1] Basra 1/7 and 4/2; Kama 4/6

[2] Siddur and Basra 4/2

[3] Siddur and Basra 4/2

[4] Basra 4/2

[5] Basra 4/2; So also rules: Mishmeres Shalom 1/4; Keren Ledavid 1/1; Halichos Shlomo 20/25; Tzitz Eliezer 7/2

[6] As the G-dly soul only completely and mainly enters into a person when he reaches the age of Bar or Bas Mitzvah, and it is for this reason that when they reach this age they become Biblically obligated to keep the commands, and are punished for transgression. Now the beginning of the entrance of the G-dly soul into a child’s body is from the age that the Sages obligated the child to be educated in Torah and Mitzvos. [ibid; Thus before the age of Chinuch since the G-dly soul has not even begun to enter this impurity does not desire to seek nurture in their bodies upon them sleeping].

[7] See previous footnote

[8] Parentheses in original

Reason: As in truth the G-dly soul begins to enter into the child’s body from the day of his Bris Milah. [ibid; Thus the evil spirit has reason to reside in his body when sleeping starting from after the Milah.]

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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