The sages instituted handwashing before eating bread, even if your hands are already clean. Why? Because back in Temple times, hands were considered inherently impure and could contaminate terumah, which was designated for the priests. The sages then extended this practice to all Jews. Even today, although terumah isn’t eaten in our time, We are bound to uphold this practice, getting ready for the day the Temple is rebuilt.

The rule specifically applies to bread since most terumah was eaten in the form of bread.1

So, what exactly do you need to know about netilat yadayim (ritual handwashing) before bread? Here's a clear and practical breakdown.

How Much Bread Requires Washing?

You need to wash your hands before eating any amount of bread that requires the blessing of Hamotzi. But you only make the blessing on the washing itself (Al Netilat Yadayim) if you plan to eat at least a kebeitza of bread—that’s about the volume of one egg (≈53.8g/1.89 oz).2

(Halachic measurements are based on volume, not weight. While commonly converted to weight for convenience, these conversions are imprecise since food density varies. Bread, and especially matzah, is lighter than water.)

Clean Hands Before Washing

It might seem counterintuitive, but before washing for bread, your hands, including the palms, backs and fingers, actually need to be clean. Why? So the water reaches every part of the surface of the hand properly.

Anything covering most of the hand can act as a chatzitzah (barrier) and makes the washing invalid. Something covering only part of the hand is a chatzitzah if you would generally want it to be removed. If it's on a small area and not typically removed, it doesn’t interfere (for example, if you keep your ring on your finger even when you knead dough, it wouldn’t be considered a barrier).3

Common chatzitzot include rings (that you typically remove when kneading dough4), dirt and bandages. Dried mud or dough under the part of the nail that extends beyond the flesh of the finger is a chatzitzah. Long nails are not a chatzitzah, but be aware they may trap dirt.5 Bandages are a chatzitzah if they’re sometimes removed, but if they’re kept on for medical reasons, they can stay on.6

If one must wash with a bandage on the hand and it is not a chatzitzah, care should be taken that no water touches the bandage. Ideally, wash only up to the bandage and keep it dry. Since this is hard to ensure, one may instead pour a full revi'is (86 ml) of water at once over the entire hand. However, according to the Alter Rebbe’s Seder Netilat Yadayim7, even in that case, one should still try to avoid water touching the bandage. If that’s not possible, the washing is still valid as long as a full revi'is is poured at once.8

How to Wash Netilat Yadayim

  1. Holding the cup or vessel with your right hand, fill it with at least a revi’it of water (about 3 oz).
  2. Pass the cup from your right hand to your left hand. Pour three times on your right hand, pass the cup to your right hand and pour three times on your left.9 Some have the custom of pouring twice instead of three times.10 (Lefties, reverse the order.)
  3. Make sure the water covers your entire hand up to the wrist bone, keep your fingers slightly apart so the water can get between them.11
  4. At the end of washing, a little of the water from the last pouring is left in the palm of the left hand, and with this water, both hands are rubbed together.12
  5. Raise your hands chest-high and recite the blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהקינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְווֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם


Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-nai eh-loh-kynoo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-shehr keed-shah-noo bi-meetz-voh-tahv vi-tzi-vah-noo ahl ni-tee-laht yah-dah-yeem

“Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands.”

Then rub your hands together and dry them.13 Don’t talk or do anything distracting until you say Hamotzi and eat some bread.

What Kind of Vessel?

For Netilat Yedayim, you need a container that holds at least a revi’it of water.14 The vessel must be whole, without holes or cracks, and should have a smooth, even rim. If using a pitcher with a raised spout, pour from the side of the rim, not the spout (since the spout can’t hold liquid and doesn’t have the status of a vessel).15

If there’s no vessel available, you can immerse your hands in a mikvah, river or natural spring16, as long as your hands are fully submerged at once. In that case, say Al Shetifat Yadayim instead of the usual blessing.17

If using a pump, one hand should stay near the ground while the other pumps, or get someone to help. Washing with hands held high is invalid.18

Water Must Be Poured by Human Effort

The water needs to be poured manually. If it flows on its own, it’s not valid for washing.19 For example, if a barrel has a spout and you open it, only the initial gush caused by your action is considered valid; the continued flow is not. To wash properly, ensure the first gush covers the entire hand, then close and reopen the spout for each hand. If you can’t control the flow reliably, this method should not be used.20

Traveling Without Water?

If you’re traveling without water (or, for example, the water supply in town is down), you can wash with a beverage like juice or soda (try to avoid using wine). No blessing is said.21

If no other beverage is available, you should travel 18 minutes out of your way or 72 minutes ahead to find water.

If you still can’t find water, you can wrap your hands in a cloth, wear gloves, or use a utensil to eat the bread. Make sure not to touch the bread.22

What If You Touched Hands That Weren’t Washed?

If, after you pour water on one of your hands, you touch it with your other hand that hasn’t been washed yet, or someone else touches you with their unwashed hands, the water on your hands becomes impure, and you need to dry off and wash again. But if this happened after you already said the blessing, wash again, but don't repeat the blessing.23

Made a Long Interruption Between Washing and Hamotzi?

While some authorities permit a delay between washing and Hamotzi if you remain mindful of guarding your hands in the interim, others prohibit any interruption. Practically, we follow the stricter view.24

An interruption is defined as a delay equal to the time it takes to walk 22 amot (about 35 feet).25 Walking between rooms or houses also counts as a hefsek (interruption), even if the original washing area remains in view. But if the delay is to enable you to partake of the meal, like drying your hands or walking to the table, it’s okay.

Ideally, wash near the eating area.26

Washing in a Different Area

If no sink is available near the dining area, you can wash elsewhere—even outside or in another building—and walk to the meal area without invalidating the washing. Recite the blessing immediately after washing and delay drying until reaching the meal.27 Some are particular about either washing in the dining room or eating bread near the washing station. If washing outside before entering a home or building, you should ideally make Hamotzi and eat a kezayit (half the volume of an egg, ≈25.6g/0.90 oz) of bread near the washing station (indeed, many Jewish bar mitzvah or wedding halls make sure to have some bread to make Hamotzi right near the washing stations).28

Went to the Bathroom During the Meal?

If you go to the bathroom during a meal, you should wash your hands. According to the Shulchan Aruch Harav,29 as well as common practice,30 you don’t recite a new blessing of Netilat Yedayim.

If You Forgot to Wash?

If you forgot to wash and already said Hamotzi and ate a bit of bread, you should wash with a blessing and then continue to eat without another blessing of Hamotzi.31

Talking Between Washing and Hamotzi

While you shouldn’t talk between washing and Hamotzi, you don’t need to wash your hands again if you spoke before eating bread. Just avoid further conversation. You can talk if it’s necessary for the meal.32

Forgot the Blessing of Netilat Yadayim?

If you forgot to make the blessing of Al Netilat Yadayim, according to Ashkenazim, you can still make the blessing until the blessing of Hamotzi is made.33 According to Sephardic custom, once your hands are totally dry, you can’t recite the blessing for washing the hands.34