Touched washing water

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Not to touch the washing water:[1]

One must be [very[2]] careful[3] not to touch the water in the vessel before washing[4] as one who does so contaminates the water with his hands [and is considered as if it was already used and is hence invalid for washing[5]]. Thus one must be very careful while washing with the vessel that his fingers do not touch the water in the vessel.[6] [See Q&A regarding if one touched the water prior to going to sleep.]

 

Q&A

If before going to sleep one touched the water set aside for washing may it still be used to wash with in the morning?[7]

If prior to going to sleep one accidently touched the water in the basin prepared for the morning washing, the water nevertheless remains valid.[8] Furthermore even if one intentionally scooped some water out of the basin prior to going to sleep the water nevertheless remains valid.  However if one cleaned his hands in the water that is in the basin, then even if this was done prior to going to sleep the water may not be used, as is the law regarding washing hands in the morning.

 

What is the law if after the first pouring some of the water on one’s hand fell into the remaining water in the cup?[9]

Seemingly the remaining water becomes impure and may not be used.

 

[1]  Siddur; Basra 4/2, Kama 4/12

 

[2]  Basra 4/2

 

[3]  Siddur and Basra 4/2, However Kama [4/6] does not warn against doing so, rather just simply states in 4/12 that if one does so the water is contaminated.

 

[4] Touching after washing: However if one already washed, touching other water accidently does not contaminate it. That which is explained in Beis Yosef; Shulchan Gavoa 1/8; Kaf Hachaim 4/25 that even after washing one should not touch it, is referring specifically to beer, as touching it can ruin it. It has no relation to the current Halacha. [Mamar Mordechai 4/5]

 

[5] Kama ibid

 

[6] Basra ibid

What is the law if one accidently touched the water: From Admur ibid it is implied that even if one accidently touched the washing water it becomes impure. However the Ashel Avraham Butchach 4 rules that only when one touches the water intentionally does it become impure as opposed to one who touches it by mistake. [See Piskeiy Teshuvos 4 footnote 158]

 

[7] Based on 160/6 unlike Piskeiy Teshuvos 4/16 in name of Ashel Avraham Butchach 4

 

[8] As only if one touches the water after awakening with the impure spirit does entire water become impure and may not be used for washing as explained in B.

 

[9] Based on Halacha B see there!

 

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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