Netilas Yadayim - Bandages

QUESTION: I have a Band-Aid on my finger. Do I need to remove it before washing netilas yadayim?

ANSWER: It depends. If the Band-Aid is covering a wound such that it would be painful to remove the bandage and it is extremely unlikely it would be removed during the meal, then it does not need to be removed before netilas yadayim. We view the section of the hand that is covered by the bandage as though it was missing. The rest of the hand must be washed, but the area covered by the bandage (and the bandage itself) need not be washed. However, if one is washing with such a bandage, one should be careful to use a revi’is of water. This is because if one uses less than a revi’is of water and some of the water rolls from the hand on to the bandage, the water will remain tamei. Pouring water on it a second time will not make it tahor—to the contrary, that water will make the water from the second pour tamei as well. However, if one pours a revi’is of water (about 4 ounces) in one pouring on that hand, the water never becomes tamei.

If the Band-Aid is simply covering a sore or is somehow dispensable such that it is occasionally removed, then the bandage is considered a chatzitza (blockage), since it prevents the netilas yadayim water from washing the entire hand. In this case, the bandage must be removed before washing netilas yadayim (Mishnah Berurah 161:5). 

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