Activities That Require Netilat Yadayim: Difference between revisions

# Many hold that there is an obligation for one to wash Netilat Yadayim upon leaving a bathroom even if one did not relieve himself<ref>Mordechai Berachot 194, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 4:18, Mishna Brurah 4:40. See Halacha Brurah (Otzrot Yosef 1:12) who discusses this question at length and cites the Magen Avraham 227:2 who implies that there's no obligation of Netilat Yadayim for just entering a bathroom but the Zohar holds that there is.</ref>. Many poskim hold no kli is necessary and neither is washing three times.<ref>https://www.ou.org/torah/machshava/tzarich-iyun/tzarich_iyun_washing_after_leaving_the_washroom/ quoting Yalkut Yosef v. 3 p. 96. He points out that there is a stringency to wash with a kli outside the bathroom but washing with a kli in the bathroom is pointless. Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul (Ohr LeTzion 2:1:15) held that a keli is nice lechatechilah but not necessary MeIkar HaDin; however, three times is always necessary. Rav Ovadia (Yabia Omer 9 OC 108 fn 4) lightens some of his arguments by noting how one cannot compare this to washing in the morning. Rav Mordechai Lebhar (Magen Avot Orach Chaim 4:18) quotes Rav Shalom Meshash ([https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21291&st=&pgnum=86 Shemesh uMagen vol. 3 Siman 37]) as reporting that the custom in Morocco was always to wash once at the sink without a kli according to the simple reading of Shulchan Aruch that a kli is only necessary for the morning washing.</ref>

# The status of modern day bathrooms, where everything gets flushed away, is subject to a debate among contemporary authorities. Some argue it retains the same status of Beit HaKisseh as the times of the Gemara, while others argue it does not.<ref>The Gemara (Berachot 26a) describes a "Beit HaKisei deParsai" (Persian bathroom), which was a particularly clean bathroom because the waste would roll down to a pit a distance from the actual toilet, and therefore did not have some of the dinim of regular bathrooms. Modern poskim discuss whether our bathrooms should be treated like a beis hakisei diParai, and thus one would not require netilas yadayim upon exiting them, or not. The Chazon Ish (17:4) leaves this question in doubt, since unlike the bathrooms of the Parsai, in which the waste was removed immediately. As the Rabeinu Yonah quotes from Rav Hai Gaon on the Gemara in [[Brachos]], our toilets hold the waste for a period of time until it is flushed away. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo [[Tefilla]] 20:24), however, is lenient about this, and the Minchas Yitzchok ([[teshuva]] 1:60) concludes that in cases of need (bishas hadchak) one may be lenient not to wash upon leaving our bathrooms. [http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/891935/rabbi-hershel-schachter/berachos-56-25ab-modern-bathrooms-tzoah-libo-roeh-es-haervah-glass-akum-issur-chal-al-issur/ Rav Schachter (Brachot Shiur 56 min 3-4)] holds that there's no ruach raah in our bathrooms today.<br/>

# If one urinated or relieved himself outside of the bathroom and his hands did not get dirty at all, then there is no obligation to wash hands in order to say [[Asher Yatzer]]. Nevertheless, one should still wash for cleanliness purposes or preparation for Tefillah.<ref>Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 7:2). Mishna Brurah 7:3 confirms this even though many disagree. Or Letzion 2:1:14

* Urinating without Dirtying One's Hands: Rabbenu Tam cited by Ritva Yoma 30a s.v. zot holds that if one urinated and didn't dirty his hands, he doesn't have to wash his hands. Ritva argues that the proof can be rejected. He also distinguishes between not needing netilat yadayim to recite a bracha but we should wash before shema and shemona esrei.

* Relieving Oneself Gedolim even without Dirtying One's Hands: Ritva quotes the Rav Meir HaAshkenazi who says that for relieving himself gedolim he should recite a bracha for shema and shemona esrei. Ritva concludes that one should recite netilat yadayim after gedolim even just to recite the bracha of asher yatzar.</ref>

# If one placed a hand into the bathroom and pulled it back out, he is obligated to wash that hand. Some recommend washing both hands<ref>Or Letzion 2:1:13</ref>, while others argue that doing so is more than necessary.<ref>Yabia Omer 9 OC 108:15</ref>

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