Search results for: ""Tum'ah""
Tum'a: Cohen Flying on Plane Carrying a Body
A cohen should not fly on a flight that has a dead body on it, even if the body is in the hold or baggage compartment (where it normally will be).
Tum'a: Missing Opportunity To Say Blessing
Situation
You wake up after sleeping for more than 30 minutes and need to say a blessing immediately or else you might lose the opportunity to do so.
What To Do
Even though you have not washed your hands after sleep, you should say the blessing.
Example
Situation
You are in bed and hear thunder.
What To Do
You should immediately say kocho u'gvurato even though you did not wash your hands (but you should quickly rub your hands on cloth or clothing first). If you then see lightning, you say oseh ma'aseh vreishit.
Tum'a: Hospitals: Cohen Visiting Wife
A cohen may visit his wife in the hospital even though there are often dead people in hospitals but consult a rabbi.
Tum'a and From What To Pour
When washing your hands using the One-Time Method, in all cases except when washing for bread, here is what to use:
- Best: Cup that holds at least a revi'it of water.
- Next Best: Wash hands from a spigot within 12” of the ground, turning the spigot off and on between hands.
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Third Choice: If the spigot is more than 12” above the ground, simply hold your hands under a regular faucet in the flow of water so that your hands get wet all over. No need to turn the water on and off.
Note This is a b'di'avad case.
- Fourth Choice: If there is no water, say whatever blessings you need to say anyway (for example, asher yatzar) rather than not saying the blessing at all. You will still have the tum'a on your hands (but you should rub your hands on cloth of clothing first).
Note This does NOT apply to washing before eating bread or to any cases where you must wash using the Three-Times Method. Removing tum'a in these cases requires a cup.
Note If you need to wash your hands after using the toilet, there is no need to go 18 minutes to find the water, (unlike the requirement for washing for bread).
Note If you need to wash your hands after using the toilet, there is no need to go 18 minutes to find the water, (unlike the requirement for washing for bread).
Tum'a: Praying if No Water for Handwashing
If there is no water to wash hands, even after sleeping, you still say blessings and prayers. You should say asher yatzar even if you can't wash, but do not say al netilat yadayim in shacharit!
Note Even if you do not have water with which to wash your hands, you should wipe them off on a towel or some substance that can rub off any physical impurities that you may have gotten on them while sleeping.
Tum'a: Reusing Washing Water
You may re-use washing water for other purposes (ex., to irrigate plants) EXCEPT for water used after waking from sleep and the other three-time handwashing categories (which have higher levels of tum'a).
Tum'a: Evaporated Washing Water
Washing water does not have any residual tum'a once it has evaporated.
Tum'a: Squeeze Bottle as Washing Cup
You may wash your hands for any halachic purpose using a squeeze bottle.
Tum'a: Washing Cup Spout
If a washing utensil has a spout that is lower than the rim, pour only from the spout. If the spout is higher than the rim, pour off of the side or back, opposite the lowest edge level.
Reason The principle is that water may only be poured from the lowest level that can hold water.
Reason The principle is that water may only be poured from the lowest level that can hold water.
Tum'a and Where To Wash
You may wash your hands inside a bathroom for any purpose, even before eating bread.
Note You may not say any blessings while inside the bathroom.
Tum'a and Hot Water
You may wash your hands with hot water for any ritual purpose except for mayim achronim.
Tum'a and Pouring Backhanded
To wash hands from tum'a, there is no problem with pouring water backhanded.
Tum'a and Which Hand To Wash First
To remove tum'a from hands, it is preferable to wash the right hand first.
Note If you washed the left first, it is OK and you do not need to rewash the left hand.
Tum'a and Drying Hands before Handwashing
To wash hands from tum'a or all other purposes, you do not need to dry your hands first--except before washing for bread, and then ONLY if the person who washed hands before you:
However, if the person before you had tum'a on his or her hands and poured only once, the tum'a will be transferred from his/her hands to the cup.
- Did not use a revi'it of water (per hand) to wash his/her hands, AND
- Only poured once on each hand.
However, if the person before you had tum'a on his or her hands and poured only once, the tum'a will be transferred from his/her hands to the cup.
Tum'a and Dirt, Ashes, Sand
“Washing” hands with dirt, ashes, or sand does not remove tum'a.