Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 160

Siman 160

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א מַיִם שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ מַרְאֵיהֶן בֵּין מֵחֲמַת עַצְמָן, בֵּין מֵחֲמַת דָּבָר שֶׁנָּפַל לְתוֹכָן, בֵּין מֵחֲמַת מְקוֹמָם, פְּסוּלִים.

1 Which water is kosher and which is invalid for washing. Contains fifteen seifim: Water that has had it's appearance changed – whether from itself or from something that fell into it or from its location – is invalid.

ב עָשָׂה בַּמַּיִם מְלָאכָה אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁרָה בָּהֶם פִּתּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ נִתְכַּוֵּן לִשְׁרוֹת בִּכְלִי זֶה וְנָפַל לַשֵּׁנִי, פְּסוּלִים; וְאִם צִנֵּן יַיִן בַּמַּיִם, פְּסוּלִים; וְאִם הֵדִיחַ בָּהֶם כֵּלִים, פְּסוּלִים; וְאִם הָיוּ כֵּלִים מוּדָחִים אוֹ חֲדָשִׁים, כְּשֵׁרִים. וְאִם הִטְבִּיל בָּהֶם הַנַּחְתּוֹם הַגְּלוּסְקִין (פי' כִּכְּרוֹת לֶחֶם), פְּסוּלִים, אֲבָל אִם טָבַל יָדָיו בְּמַיִם וְטָח פְּנֵי הַגְּלוּסְקִין, אוֹ שֶׁחָפַן מֵהֶם בְּחָפְנָיו, הַמַּיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים לֹא נַעֲשָׂה בָּהֶם מְלָאכָה, לְפִיכָךְ כְּשֵׁרִים אִם לֹא נִשְׁתַּנָּה מַרְאֵיהֶן. וְהוּא הַדִּין מַיִם שֶׁהַנַּחְתּוֹם מֵדִיחַ יָדָיו בָּהֶם מִן הַבָּצֵק הַדָּבוּק בְּיָדָיו (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם ר' יְרוּחָם).

2 If one did work with the water, or that he soaked his bread in it – even if he intended to soak in this vessel and it fell into the second – it is pusul. And if he cooled wine in water, it is pusul. And if he washed vessels with them, it is pusul. And if they were washed vessels or new ones, it is kosher. And if the baker dunked the gluskin [meaning, loaves of bread] into it, it is pusul. But if he dunked his hands into water and smeared the surface of the bread, or that he cupped from them with his handful, no work has been done with the water that is left. Therefore, it is kosher if its appearance hasn't changed. [And so too, water with which the baker rinses his hands from the dough that is stuck to his hands] [Beit Yosef in the name of Rabbi Yerucham].

ג מַיִם שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַנַּפָּח, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנּוּ מַרְאֵיהֶם, פְּסוּלִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בָּהֶם מְלָאכָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁכִּבָּה בָּהֶם הַבַּרְזֶל; וְשֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַסַפָּר, אִם נִשְׁתַּנּוּ מַרְאֵיהֶם, פְּסוּלִים; וְאִם לָאו, כְּשֵׁרִים.

3 Water that is in front of the blacksmith is pusul even if it hasn't changed in appearance, because it's known that work was done with it, that is, that he cooled the metal with it. And that which is in front of the barber is pusul if it's appearance changed and kosher if not.

ד מַיִם שֶׁשָּׁתוּ מֵהֶם הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִים, אוֹ שֶׁלִּקֵּק (פי' שְׁתִיַּת הַכֶּלֶב נִקְרָא לְקִיקָה) מֵהֶם הַכֶּלֶב, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁפּוֹסֵל וְאֵין דְּבָרָיו נִרְאִין, אֶלָּא בֵּין בְּאֵלּוּ בֵּין בְּכָל שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וְעוֹף, יֵשׁ לְהַכְשִׁיר.

4 If the chickens drank from water, or that the dog lapped (meaning: the drinking of the dog is called "lapping") from it, some say it is pusul, and their words don't seem to be correct. Rather, whether from these or all other animals, beasts, and foul, the water is kosher.

ה אֵין הַמְלָאכָה פּוֹסֶלֶת אֶלָּא בְּמַיִם שְׁאוּבִים, בֵּין שֶׁהֵם בִּכְלִי בֵּין שֶׁהֵם בַּקַּרְקַע, אֲבָל לֹא בְּמֵי מִקְוֶה אוֹ מַעְיָן בְּעוֹדָם מְחֻבָּרִים.

5 Work only invalidates water that has been drawn, whether it is in vessels or it is in the ground. But not with water of a mikvah or a spring as long as it is still connected.

ו חַמֵּי הָאוּר, נוֹטְלִים מֵהֶם לַיָּדַיִם אֲפִלּוּ הֵן חַמִּין שֶׁהַיָּד סוֹלֶדֶת (פי' כָּל שֶׁכְּרֵסוֹ שֶׁל תִּינוֹק נִכְוֶה הֵימֶנּוּ) בָּהֶם.

6 You can wash your hands with water that was heated with fire even if it is so hot you would retract your hand if you touched it [that is, hot enough that the abdomen of a baby would be burnt by it].

ז חַמֵּי טְבֶרְיָא יָכוֹל לְהַטְבִּיל בָּהֶם אֶת הַיָּדַיִם, אֲבָל לִטֹּל מֵהֶם בִּכְלִי, לֹא; וְאִם הִמְשִׁיךְ אוֹתָן בָּאָרֶץ דֶּרֶךְ חָרִיץ חוּץ לִמְקוֹמָם וְהִפְסִיקָן מֵהַמַּעְיָן הַנּוֹבֵעַ, אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם שִׁעוּר מִקְוֶה מַטְבִּילִין בָּהֶם הַיָּדַיִם, וְאִם אֵין בָּהֶם שִׁעוּר מִקְוֶה לֹא; וְאִם חָרִיץ זֶה מֵימָיו מְחֻבָּרִים לְמֵי הַמַּעְיָן הַנּוֹבֵעַ חַם, לְרַשִׁ"י וְהָרַשְׁבָּ" א אֵין מַטְבִּילִין בּוֹ הַיָּדַיִם, וּלְהר"ר יוֹנָה מַטְבִּילִין בּוֹ אֶת הַיָּדַיִם.

7 The hot waters of Tiberias – one could immerse his hands in them. But to take from them in a vessel – not. And if he conducting them on the ground through a dent away from their location, and he terminated them from the spring that's gushing [hot] – if they have the measurement of a mikveh, the hands are immersed in them; and if they don't have the measurement of a mikveh – not. And if the waters of this dent are connected to the waters of the spring that's gushing hot – according to Rashi and Rabbi Shlomo ibn Aderet, the hands are not immersed in it; and according to Rabbi Yonah, the hands are immersed in it.

ח טַעַם פִּסוּל חַמֵּי טְבֶרְיָא לִנְטִילָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן מָרִים וְאֵינָם רְאוּיִן לִשְׁתִיַּת הַכֶּלֶב, אֲבָל אִם יִמָּצְאוּ מַיִם חַמִּין נוֹבְעִין שֶׁהֵן רְאוּיִן לִשְׁתִיַּת הַכֶּלֶב, נוֹטְלִים מֵהֶם לַיָּדַיִם.

8 The reason for the invalidity of the hot waters of Tiberias for washing is because they are are bitter and are not fitting for the drinking of the dog. But if hot gushing water will be found that are fitting for the drinking of the dog, the hands are washed from them.

ט מַיִם מְלוּחִים אוֹ סְרוּחִים אוֹ מָרִים שֶׁאֵין הַכֶּלֶב יָכוֹל לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵהֶם, פְּסוּלִים לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּשֵׁרִים לְמֵי מִקְוֶה לִטְבִילָה; וְאִם הֵם עֲכוּרִים מֵחֲמַת טִיט שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב בָּהֶם, אִם הַכֶּלֶב יָכוֹל לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵהֶם, כְּשֵׁרִים בֵּין לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם בֵּין לְמִקְוֶה, וְאִם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵהֶם, פְּסוּלִים לִשְׁנֵיהֶם.

9 Salty or foul-smelling or bitter waters that the dog cannot drink from them are invalid for hand-washing even though they are kosher for the waters of a mikveh, for immersion. And if they are dirty due to mud that is mixed in them – if the dog could drink from them, they are kosher both for hand-washing and for mikveh; and if it cannot drink from them, they are invalid for both of them.

י נוֹטְלִים לַיָּדַיִם בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ מִן הַמַּיִם, כְּגוֹן יַבְחוּשִׁים (פי' תּוֹלָעִים) אֲדֻמִּים אוֹ שֻׁמַּן דָּג. וְנִרְאֶה דַּוְקָא אִם רִסְּקָן, דְּלֹא עָדִיף מִשֶּׁלֶג וְכו'.

10 Hands can be washed with anything which originates from the water, such as red sea-midges (meaning: worms) or fish oil. (And it seems that this is only if he crushed them; for it is no better than snow, etc.).

יא מַיִם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ סָפֵק אִם נַעֲשָׂה בָּהֶם מְלָאכָה אוֹ לָאו, אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ סָפֵק אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כַּשִּׁעוּר אִם לָאו, אוֹ אִם הֵם טְמֵאִים אוֹ טְהוֹרִים אוֹ סָפֵק אִם נָטַל יָדָיו אוֹ לָאו, טָהוֹר. וְכָל סָפֵק טָהֳרָה בַּיָּדַיִם, טָהוֹר (טוּר) וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁעַל כָּל זֹאת אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ מַיִם אֲחֵרִים, יִּטֹּל יָדָיו וְיוֹצִיא עַצְמוֹ מִן הַסָפֵק. הַגָּה: מִי שֶׁלֹּא נָטַל יָדָיו, וְנָגַע בַּמַּיִם, לֹא נִפְסְלוּ אוֹתָן מַיִם לִנְטִילָה, וְלֹא מִקְרֵי מַיִם טְמֵאִים, אֲבָל אָסוּר לִרְחֹץ יָדָיו מִמַּיִם שֶׁנָּטַל בָּהֶם חֲבֵרוֹ כְּבַר (תְּרוּמַת הַדֶּשֶׁן סי' רנ"ט).

11 Water that one has a doubt whether work was done with it or not, or that he has a doubt whether it contains the proper amount or not, or whether it is unclean or clean, or he has a doubt whether he washed his hands or not – is clean. [And every doubt of purity regarding hands is clean] [Tur]. And there is one who says that with all this, if he has other water, he should wash his hands and should remove himself from doubt. Rema: One who did not wash his hands and touched water, that water did not become invalid for washing, and it is not called unclean water. But it is forbidden to wash one's hands with water with which his friend already washed. [Terumat HaDeshen, No. 259].

יב הַשֶּׁלֶג, וְהַבָּרָד, וְהַכְּפוֹר, וְהַגְּלִיד (פי' הַמַּיִם הַנִּקְפִּים מֵרֹב הַקֹר), וְהַמֶּלַח אִם רִסְקָן עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ מַיִם, נוֹטְלִין מֵהֶם וְטוֹבְלִין בָּהֶם, אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כַּשִּׁעוּר עַיֵּן בְּיוֹרֵה דֵּעָה סי' ר"א (ס"ל). יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁאֵין נְטִילַת מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים, אֶלָּא בְּמַיִם בִּלְבַד; וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהַיַּיִן כָּשֵׁר לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם, בֵּין נָתַן לְתוֹכוֹ מַיִם בֵּין לֹא נָתַן לְתוֹכוֹ מַיִם, אֶלָּא שֶׁאָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן לְכַתְּחִלָּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא כִּמְזַלְזֵל בְּדָבָר חָשׁוּב שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה לְעִלּוּי (פי' לְשֶׁבַח) עַד שֶׁקּוֹבֵעַ בְּרָכָה לְעַצְמוֹ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּוְקָא יַיִן לָבָן, אֲבָל אָדֹם לֹא (מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים) וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁכָּל מֵי פֵּרוֹת רְאוּיִם לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם בִּשְׁעַת הַדַּחַק וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן דְּמֻתָּר לִטֹּל יָדַיִם בִּשְׁעַת הַדַּחַק בְּשֵׁכָר אוֹ בְּמֵי דְּבַשׁ הַמְבֻשָּׁלִין, דְּעִקָּרָן מַיִם (הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי).

12 The snow and the hail and the frost and the ice (meaning: the water which was frozen due to the great cold) and the sea salt – if he crushed them until they become water, one can wash from them and immerse in them if they have the proper amount (see in Yoreh Deah, Chapter 201, Section 30). There is one who says that the first hand-washing is only with water. And there are those who say that the wine is kosher for hand-washing, whether one put water into it, whether he didn't put water into it, but that it's forbidden to do so from the start so that he should not be like one who degrades an important thing that changed to elevation (meaning: to the better) until it establishes a blessing by itself. (And there are those who say: Only white wine; but not red) (Mordecai, Chapter "These are the Things"). And there is one who says that all fruit juices are fit for hand-washing at a time of urgency. [And all the more so, that it's permitted to wash the hands at a time of urgency with beer or with cooked honey-water whose main component is water] (Notes on Asheri).

יג צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא בַּמַּיִם רְבִיעִית, וְהָנֵי מִילֵי לְאֶחָד; אֲבָל לְב' שֶׁבָּאוּ לִטֹּל כְּאֶחָד, הָאַחֲרוֹן אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ; וַאֲפִלּוּ בָּזֶה אַחַר זֶה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יַפְסִיק הַקִּלּוּחַ. כֵּיצַד, הָיָה רְבִיעִית מַיִם בַּכְּלִי וּפָשַׁט אֶחָד יָדָיו וְאַחֵר יוֹצֵק עַל יָדָיו, וּבָא שֵׁנִי וּפָשַׁט יָדָיו לְמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ סָמוּךְ לְיַד הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְקִלּוּחַ יוֹרֵד עַל יָדוֹ שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן וּלְיָדוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁנִי שֶׁלְּמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ, יְדֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם טְהוֹרוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁפִּחֵת שִׁעוּר הָרְבִיעִית כְּשֶׁהֵם מַגִּיעִים לְיָדָיו שֶׁל שֵׁנִי, יָדָיו טְהוֹרוֹת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם בָּאִים מִשִּׁיּוּרֵי טָהֳרָה; וְיֵשׁ מַתִּירִים אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁנּוֹטְלִים זֶה אַחַר זֶה, הוֹאִיל וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהִתְחִיל הָאֶחָד לִטֹּל מֵהֶם הָיָה בָּהֶם רְבִיעִית, גַּם לַשֵּׁנִי זֶה עוֹלִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבָּאוּ מִשִּׁיּוּרֵי טָהֳרָה; וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה נוֹטְלִים מֵחֲצִי לְג' וּלְד', וּמִלֹּג לְכַמָּה בְּנֵי אָדָם כָּל זְמַן שֶׁמַּסְפִּיקִים הַמַּיִם לִשְׁפֹּךְ כָּל אֶחָד עַל יָדָיו ג' פְּעָמִים וְה"ה שֶׁיְּכוֹלִים לְהַנִּיחַ ד' וְה' יְדֵיהֶם זֶה בְּצַד זֶה, אוֹ זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, וְלִטֹּל כְּאֶחָד, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיַּרְפּוּ יְדֵיהֶם בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיַּגִּיעוּ הַמַּיִם לְכָל אֶחָד.

13 The water needs to contain a revi'it. And these words are regarding one. But for 2 who came to wash at once, the latter doesn't need. And even with one after the other. But only providing that the flow shouldn't stop. How? There was a revi'it of water in a vessel and one stretched out his hands and one pours on his hands and a second one came and stretched out his hands under him, close to the hand of the first one, and the flow descends onto the hand of the first one and to the second one that is under it – the hands of both of them are clean. Even though the measurement of the revi'it was minimized when it reaches the hands of the second one, his hands are clean because it come from the left-overs of purity. And there are those who permit even when they wash one after the other; since at the time that the 1st one began to wash from it, it contained a revi'it, it works also for this second one, because it came from the left-overs of purity. And in this way they wash from a half-log for 3 and for 4; and from a log for several people, so long as the water is enough for each one to pour on his hand three times; (and the same law is) that 4 and 5 can place their hands one beside the other or on top of the other and to wash at once. And only providing that their hands should be loose in a way that the water should get to each one.

יד צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא רְבִיעִית מְכֻנָּס בְּמָקוֹם א', שֶׁאִם נָטַל מִשְּׁמִינִית וְחָזַר וְנָטַל מִשְּׁמִינִית, יָדָיו טְמֵאוֹת כְּשֶׁהָיוּ.

14 There needs to be a revi'it gathered in one place; that if one washed from an eighth and then washed again from an eighth, his hands are unclean like they were.

טו רְבִיעִית שֶׁאָמְרוּ, בֵּין לְיָדָיו שֶׁל גָּדוֹל בֵּין לְיָדָיו שֶׁל קָטָן. נָטְלוּ ב' בְּנֵי אָדָם זֶה יָדוֹ אַחַת וְזֶה יָדוֹ אַחַת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חָזַר הַשֵּׁנִי וְנָטַל יָדוֹ הַשֵּׁנִית, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּג' בְּנֵי אָדָם, לְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיָה בַּכְּלִי חֵצִי, יָדָיו טְהוֹרוֹת, וְאִם לָאו, אֵין יָדוֹ הַשְּׁנִיָּה טְהוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵין נוֹטְלִין בְּפָחוֹת מֵחֲצִי יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם.

15 The revi'it that said is both for the hands of an adult and for the hands of a child. Two people washed: This one – his one hand; and this one – his one hand. And afterwards the second one returned and washed his second hand – these are like 3 people. Therefore: If the vessel contained a half-log, his hands are clean. And if not, his second hand is not clean; for more than two people do not wash with less than a half-log.

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