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Netilas Yadayim from Tap

Thank you advance for help with my shaalos.

1) Is there any way to do netilas yadayim for bread from a regular tap (i.e. not one connected to a barrel of water) if one doesn’t have a cup?

2) If one is davening in a shacharis minyan after zman Krias Shema (when one has recited Krias Shema already) or is davening at an early maariv (when one has no intent to fulfil the mitzvah of Krias Shema) is there any reason not to say amein to the Baal Tefila’s bracha before Shema starts? I saw that the Eishel Avraham (quoted in Piskei Teshuvos) says that one should definitely say amein in this situation, but this doesn’t seem to be the common practice.

Answer:

1) The tap is not a keli, and therefore one cannot wash hands from it. However, bedieved one can fill the sink with water and dip one’s hands (entirely) into the sink. See Minchas Yitzchak (4:21:4) who writes that this helps. Concerning the berachah the Shulchan Aruch rules that one recites Al Netilas Yadayim, but according to the Rema one recites Al Tevilas Yadayim.

2) You seem to be right on this point – the only reason why some are careful not to say Amen is because the berachah is a birkas ha-mitzvah for Keriyas Shema, and if the Mitzvah is anyway not being fulfilled there seems to be no reason not to answer Amen.

Best wishes.

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