Washing care

Question:

Dear Rabbi,

Two brief questions.

1. I noticed a strong yid wash before davening. He did not use the wash cup and was fast. Is that enough?
2. More so, I learned that if you forget to wash negel vaser in the morning, you can contaminate a bag of chips. I am strident today about washing but I have family who never would wash ever. Can I still eat chips out of a bag they contaminate? I think we are starting to get it and they will not use my chip bags. But of what else should I be mindful when others do not wash. Is the contamination a full day or permanent the bag. I.e. could I eat out of the chips at a later time assuming it is not contaminated overnight?

Thanks.

Answer:

1. Before prayers, when we wash our hands, as a preparation for the prayer, although it is preferred[1] to use a cup, it is not necessary.
2. It is preferable to be careful about this, and foods that can be washed off, to wash them off 3 times. However technically even if the food was touched by a person who didn’t wash their hands, the food is permitted to eat[2]. This is unfortunately the case in many pizza stores, kosher restaurants, and hotels, that they may hire non-observant workers who didn’t wash their hands in the morning, and they are touching and handling the food. Therefore, in your situation, since you are living together with family who are not washing their hands in the morning, you may eat the food that your family touched, and it isn’t worth making a fight and causing friction. Therefore, you can eat the chips. Another point, even if they did take chips from the bag, the tuma would only apply to the piece that was touched, and not to the whole bag. Therefore, the rest of the chips that they didn’t touch hs no issue.

Best wishes

Sources:

[1] או"ח ס' ד' סע' א' וו' שא"צ רביעית בנט"י לתפילה, אמנם בסע' ז' כ' שטוב להקפיד, וכ"כ בחיי"א כלל ז סי' ד. אמנם ע' ביה"ל ס' ד' ד"ה טוב וז"ל "דדברים שאין בנטילת ידים רק זהירות לכתחלה, אין צריך כאן ליזהר".

[2] משנה ברורה סימן ד ס"ק יד "ואם נגע במאכל קודם שנטל ידיו אין לאסור המאכל עי"ז אבל לכתחילה מאוד יש ליזהר שלא ליגע אז בשום מאכל ואם נגע באוכל ידיחנו ג"פ".