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The Shulchan Aruch · Orach Chayim

אורח חיים קס״גOrach Chayim 163

Siman 163 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 2 se'ifim

הלכות נטילת ידיםLaws of Washing One's Hands for a Meal· siman 163

Se’if 1א׳

אִם אֵין מַיִם מְצוּיִים לְפָנָיו בְּרִחוּק יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעָה מִילִין, וּלְאַחֲרָיו מִיל, יִטֹּל יָדָיו בְּמַפָּה וְאוֹכֵל פַּת אוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁטִּבּוּלוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה אוֹ אוֹכֵל עַל יְדֵי כַּף.

Law regarding one who has no water and feeds others. Comprising two sections: If water is not available to him within four mils ahead of him or one mil behind him, he should wipe his hands with a cloth and eat bread or food that has been dipped in liquid (or eat using a spoon).

Se’if 2ב׳

הַמַּאֲכִיל לַאֲחֵרִים אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ נְטִילַת יָדַיִם; וְהָאוֹכֵל, צָרִיךְ נְטִילַת יָדַיִם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאַחֵר נוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ פִּיו וְאֵינוֹ נוֹגֵעַ בַּמַּאֲכָל, וְהוּא הַדִּין לְאוֹכֵל בְּמַגְרֵפָה (פי' כְּלִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שִׁנַּיִם פירו"ק בְּלַעַ"ז) שֶׁצָּרִיךְ נְטִילַת יָדַיִם. וְאָסוּר לְהַאֲכִיל לְמִי שֶׁלֹּא נָטַל יָדָיו, מִשּׁוּם לִפְנֵי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשׁוֹל (וַיִּקְרָא יט, יד) (הר"י סוֹף פֶּרֶק אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים).

One who feeds others does not need to wash their hands; but the one eating does need to wash their hands, even though the [other] is putting it into his mouth and he is not touching the food. And the law is the same for one eating with a magrefah (the meaning of which is an instrument with prongs, a fork in the vernacular), that they need to wash their hands. And it is forbidden to feed someone who does not wash their hands, on account of, "you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind." (Rabbenu Yonah at the end of the chapter [entitled] Elu HaDevarim)

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0