We continue our daily study of Jewish law, dedicated in memory of Hacham David Ezra'i, may he rest in peace, and Chayim ben Mazal, may their souls be bound in the bundle of life, within the thirty days of his passing. This study is also dedicated by him and his sons, may they be distinguished for a good life and lasting peace. Today, we delve into the laws of middle waters, building on previous discussions. We have established that middle waters are generally mandatory in several specific scenarios. These include transitioning from eating dairy to meat, or meat to dairy; from fish to meat, or meat to fish; and even, as we discussed yesterday, from fish to dairy, or dairy to fish, based on the opinion of the **Bet Yosef** that these combinations should ideally not be eaten together. In all these cases, one must at least perform ritual hand-washing.
Beyond ritual hand-washing, it is also necessary to eat something, like a palate cleanser, to clean the mouth, and to rinse the mouth. The underlying principle is to ensure a clear separation between the two types of food, and to ensure the hands are clean. A pertinent point was raised yesterday regarding challah baking events. These gatherings, where women bake challah or prepare dough, often involve blessings and prayers. While I fully support any activity that fosters spiritual engagement, it's important to consider the halachic implications. For instance, if participants are eating dairy items, such as samosas, during the event, and then handle the challah, there's a concern that dairy residue could transfer to the challah. This could lead to inadvertently eating dairy challah on Friday night. Therefore, after consuming any food, especially dairy, and before handling the challah, one must be careful to separate the dairy food from the challah and ensure hands are thoroughly washed to avoid any residue transferring to the dough.
Regarding the specifics of this middle washing, the **Shulchan Aruch** clarifies its parameters. When performing this middle washing, unlike the ritual hand-washing before bread, a cup is not strictly required. The primary concern here is hygiene and cleanliness. One only needs to wash the fingers up to the second joint, which is near the knuckles. Furthermore, unlike the initial ritual hand-washing, there is less concern about interposition; the focus is on general cleanliness. While water is preferable for washing, as other liquids might make the hands grimier, if water is unavailable, other liquids may be used. The ultimate goal is effective cleansing.
An interesting point arises concerning the disposal of the water from the middle washing. One cannot simply let the water fall onto the floor. It must be discarded into a sink or onto something absorbent. This is because of the concept of an evil spirit. While we commonly associate an evil spirit with the final waters after a meal, it appears that even the grime on the hands carries a subtle negative spiritual influence. Therefore, maintaining clean hands is crucial, and the water used for cleansing should be properly discarded to prevent people from stepping on it or coming into contact with it. This emphasizes the importance of cleanliness, even in this context.
Another instruction is to dry the hands after performing the middle washing. It is considered unpleasant to eat with wet hands, as they can become slimy and make handling food unappetizing. Thus, Jewish law mandates both washing and drying the hands in this situation.
A significant novelty in Jewish law addresses a scenario during a meal. If someone is eating a standard meal, having performed the initial ritual hand-washing and recited the blessing over bread, and then washes their hands between courses (performing the middle washing), but subsequently becomes distracted and fails to guard their hands, allowing them to become dirty again (for example, by touching shoes or hair), they must perform ritual hand-washing again to continue eating. This is because their intention to eat with clean hands has been compromised. The question of whether a blessing is recited upon this re-washing is a separate discussion we have addressed previously. However, if someone has finished their meal and washed their fingers with final waters, and then becomes distracted and ceases guarding their hands before reciting the **Birkat Hamazon**, they do not need to wash their hands again, as they no longer intend to eat. The necessity of re-washing applies only when one intends to continue eating. Therefore, if one performs the middle washing and then becomes distracted, they would need to re-wash their hands, as the concern is that they might have touched something that rendered their hands dirty.
While people may not constantly think about their hands during a meal, it is important to remain mindful that hands must stay clean at least until the **Birkat Hamazon**. Otherwise, one cannot continue eating with dirty hands. This concludes our discussion on this aspect of hygiene and Jewish law. We will delve into more intricate details in our next session. The recent wedding, for instance, highlighted these laws, as fish and meat were served, prompting many to separate their plates and wash their hands between courses. While admirable to separate foods, it is also important to avoid gluttony and leave food for others. The discussions around these laws, such as the permissibility of eating cream cheese and lox, continue to spark lively debate within the community, demonstrating the ongoing relevance and practical application of these teachings.