Netilas Yadayim on Yom Kippur
Q. My children will be eating sandwiches on Yom Kippur. How should they wash netilas yadayim?
A. Although regarding washing in the morning, Shulchan Aruch writes that one should only wash until the knuckles, poskim point out that if one must eat bread on Yom Kippur, one should wash the entire hand including the palm, the same way that they would the rest of the year (Levushei Mordechai quoted by Shevet HaLevi 8:139 and many other poskim). In this regard, washing for bread is like the requirement of Kohanim to wash before reciting Birkas Kohanim. The Mishnah Berurah (613:7) writes that Kohanim on Yom Kippur must wash their entire hand before Birkas Kohanim. In all these cases, there is no violation of washing hands, since the intent is not for enjoyment.
Lehoros Nosson (2:42) explains the difference between washing for bread and washing in the morning. Although in both cases throughout the year, lechatchila (in the first instance) one should wash the entire hand and bedi’eved (after the fact), it is enough if one washed up until and including the knuckles, there is still an important difference between them. Regarding washing for bread, many Rishonim hold that that this is an absolute requirement, and although we are lenient if it was not done, Shulchan Aruch (OC 161:4) writes that one should be careful to wash the entire hand. However, Shulchan Aruch makes no mention of washing the entire hand to remove ru’ach ra’ah. This was only introduced by later poskim, such as the Magen Avrohom (4:7). Therefore, on Yom Kippur we do not follow this added stringency, since at the same time it would be a leniency to wash beyond the knuckles.
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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.