513. Vessels Unfit for Washing

Brachos 6:11

One may not wash his hands using the sides of vessels, the base of an urn, pieces of earthenware, or the lid of a jug, though one may modify the lid to make it fit for washing. The same is true of a wine skin that was modified for hand-washing. On the other hand, a sack and a basket cannot be modified for hand-washing. One may not hold water in his hands and pour it over another person’s hands because a person’s hands are not a vessel. If a vessel has been broken to the point that the laws of ritual impurity no longer apply to it, it may not be used for hand-washing because it is a broken vessel.

Brachos 6:12

All vessels that are complete may be used for hand-washing, even if they are made from cattle dung or earth. If a vessel cannot hold a revi’is (a little over three ounces), or if it does not contain a revi’is, it may not be used for hand-washing.