Netilas Yadayim - Less Than a K'beitza

Q. In the previous Halacha Yomis we noted that the beracha of “al netilas yadayim” is only recited if one plans to eat a k’beitza of bread (egg-sized piece, approximately the size of a slice of white bread). If I recited the beracha of netilas yadayim with the intention of eating a k’beitza of bread (within the requisite time span), but at the end of the meal I don’t have an appetite to eat a full k’beitza of bread, must I push myself to do so?

A. The Ritva (Chulin 106b) discusses an even more extreme situation, where one planned to eat bread and washed netilas yadiyim with a brocha with the intention of eating bread. Subsequently, he changed his mind and no longer wishes to eat. Is the person obligated to eat bread, even though he lost his appetite, so that the bracha not be livatala (in vain)? The Ritva ruled that it is unnecessary to eat and the beracha is not livatala because there was an intention to eat bread when the bracha was recited. What happened afterwards is irrelevant. Many poskim accept this ruling of the Ritva as the halacha. However, the S’dei Chemed (Ma’areches Brachos Siman 1:29) quotes other rishonim who appear to disagree with this psak. He also suggests the Ritva was only lenient in a situation of necessity, but under normal circumstances one should attempt to eat the bread. Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 158:5) has a similar position. However, it would seem to us, that in the situation posed in our question (where an individual ate a kezayis of bread and then found it difficult to eat a full k’beitza), it is not necessary to continue eating, since the Magen Avrohom and others hold that netilas yadayim is recited even when only eating a kezayis. Although some don’t follow the position of the Magen Avraham (see Mishna Berura 158:10), in this case where there are two considerations to be lenient (the person intended to eat at the time of the bracha and he ate a kezayis) one need not strain themselves to continue eating if they have no appetite.

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