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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ק״ס · Which waters are valid for netila

איזו מים כשרים ואיזו פסולים לנטילה — waters whose appearance has changed (נשתנו מראיהן) are invalid ; water in which one did a task (מלאכה) is too, but אין המלאכה פוסלת אלא במים שאובים ; חמי האור וחמי טבריה ; מים מלוחים או סרוחים ; שלג וברד ומי פירות ; the שיעור רביעית מכונס במקום אחד
סימן ק״ס · ט״ו סעיפים
איזו מים כשרים ואיזו פסולים לנטילה
🌱 Introductory level · מתחילים
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This siman teaches which waters are fit for netilat yadaïm and which are invalid: waters whose appearance has changed (נשתנו מראיהן) are פסולים ; water in which one has done a task (מלאכה) is invalid, but אין המלאכה פוסלת אלא במים שאובים — not a mikveh or a spring while connected. It treats the hot waters (חמי האור, חמי טבריה), the salty or fetid waters, the snow, hail and salt that were crushed, the מי פירות, and the measure of water (רביעית מכונס במקום אחד). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ט״ו seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Which waters are valid or invalid for netila — שינוי מראה, מלאכה, מים שאובים, חמי טבריה, מים פסולים ורביעית
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ק״ס · ט״ו סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Having seen that washing the hands before bread is a mitzva and with what vessel it is done (siman 159), this siman clarifies the water itself: it must be fit for the purpose — its appearance unaltered, not used for a task, and such that a dog could drink it. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct (doubtful water, hot tap water, the measure), one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ט״ו seifim — changed appearance (séif 1), a task done in the water (séifim 2-3), animals and drawn water (séifim 4-5), חמי האור and חמי טבריה (séifim 6-8), invalid waters and מי פירות (séifim 9-12), the shiur of a רביעית (séifim 13-15)
1. Practical case — which water is invalid (changed appearance, מלאכה)
2. Practical case — hot water (חמי האור and חמי טבריה)
3. Practical case — the measure of water (רביעית מכונס)
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Which waters are valid or invalid — the ט״ו seifim

אֵיזוֹ מַיִם כְּשֵׁרִים וְאֵיזוֹ פְּסוּלִים לַנְּטִילָה — which waters are valid or invalid for netila — the water poured on the hands before bread must meet conditions. This siman disqualifies waters whose appearance has changed, waters in which a task was done (but only drawn water), and waters that are salty, fetid or bitter that a dog would not drink, and fixes the required measure (a revi'it gathered in one place). It also clarifies hot water, snow and salt when crushed, and מי פירות (fruit juices).

Séif 1 — waters whose appearance has changed

מים שנשתנו מראיהן בין מחמת עצמן בין מחמת דבר שנפל לתוכן בין מחמת מקומם פסולים.
Séif 1: waters whose appearance has changed — whether of themselves, because of something that fell into them, or because of their place — are invalid.
The water must remain itself. If its appearance (מראה) has changed — its color or its clarity — it is no longer "water" for the purpose of netila, whatever the cause (of themselves, because a dye or a substance fell in and colored them, or because of the ground that colors them). It is then invalid.

Séifim 2-3 — a task done in the water (מלאכה)

עשה במים מלאכה או ששרה בהם פתו פסולים ; ואם הדיח בהם כלים פסולים, ואם היו כלים מודחים או חדשים כשרים. מים שלפני הנפח אף על פי שלא נשתנו מראיהן פסולים, ושלפני הספר אם נשתנו מראיהם פסולים ואם לאו כשרים.
Séif 2: if one did a task with the water, or soaked one's bread in it, it is invalid; if one rinsed utensils in it, invalid — but if the utensils were already rinsed or new, it stays valid. Séif 3: water set before the smith (הנפח), even without a change of appearance, is invalid, since it is known that a task was done in it (the iron was quenched in it); water before the barber (הספר): if its appearance changed it is invalid, otherwise valid.
"Used" water. Water that served for a task (מלאכה) — washing utensils, cooling metal, soaking bread — is removed from netila. Two exceptions: already-clean or new utensils are not a "task." Before the smith, the water is presumed to have served (hence invalid even without a change of appearance); before the barber, it all depends on its appearance.

Séifim 4-5 — animals, and a task disqualifies only drawn water

מים ששתו מהם התרנגולים או שלקק מהם הכלב יש מי שפוסל ואין דבריו נראין, אלא בין באלו בין בכל שאר בהמה חיה ועוף יש להכשיר. אין המלאכה פוסלת אלא במים שאובים בין שהם בכלים בין שהם בקרקע, אבל לא במי מקוה או מעיין בעודם מחוברים.
Séif 4: water from which chickens have drunk, or that a dog has lapped — one authority disqualifies it, but his view does not seem accepted; for these as for any other beast, wild animal or bird, one declares it valid. Séif 5: a task disqualifies only drawn water (מים שאובים), whether in vessels or in the ground; but not the water of a mikveh or a spring while still connected.
A key distinction. The mere fact that an animal drank does not invalidate the water (the dissenting view is not accepted). Above all: the principle of "task" (מלאכה) applies only to drawn water (שאובים); the water of a מקוה or a מעיין connected to their source is not disqualified by a task — it is "living water" that has not been detached.

Séifim 6-8 — חמי האור and חמי טבריה: the hot waters

חמי האור נוטלים מהם לידים אפילו הן חמין שהיד סולדת בהם. חמי טבריה יכול להטביל בהם את הידים אבל ליטול מהם בכלי לא. טעם פיסול חמי טבריה לנטילה מפני שהם מרים ואינם ראוים לשתיית הכלב ; אבל אם ימצאו מים חמין נובעין שהם ראוים לשתיית הכלב נוטלין מהם לידים.
Séif 6: water heated by fire (חמי האור), one washes the hands with it even when it is hot enough that the hand recoils from it. Séif 7: the hot springs of Tiberias (חמי טבריה), one may immerse the hands in them but not draw from them into a vessel. Séif 8: the reason the hot springs of Tiberias are disqualified for netila is that they are bitter and unfit for a dog's drinking; but if one finds welling hot waters fit for a dog's drinking, one washes the hands with them.
Hot is not invalid. Water simply heated by fire stays valid, even boiling. The hot springs of Tiberias are a special case: one may immerse the hands in them (they are "connected" like a mikveh), but one may not draw from them into a vessel to pour — and the deeper reason is their bitterness, which makes them unfit for a dog to drink. The underlying criterion appears here: water that a dog could drink.

Séifim 9-12 — unfit waters, derivatives of water, doubt, snow and מי פירות

מים מלוחים או סרוחים או מרים שאין הכלב יכול לשתות מהם פסולים לנטילת ידים אף על פי שכשרים למי מקוה לטבילה. נוטלים ידים בכל דבר שתחלתו מן המים, כגון יבחושים אדומים או שומן דג. השלג והברד והכפור והגליד והמלח אם ריסקן עד שיעשו מים נוטלין מהם וטובלין בהם אם יש בהם כשיעור.
Séif 9: waters that are salty, fetid or bitter that a dog cannot drink are invalid for netilat yadaïm, even though they are fit as mikveh water for immersion. Séif 10: one washes the hands with anything whose origin is water, such as red midges or (melted) fish fat. Séif 11: in case of doubt (was a task done in it, is there the measure, are they pure, did one wash) — one is pure; but some say that if one has other water, one washes to clear oneself of the doubt. Séif 12: snow, hail, frost, ice and salt — if one crushes them until they become liquid, one washes and immerses in them if there is the measure.
The criterion "drinkable by a dog." Waters that are salty, fetid or bitter that a dog would not drink are removed from netila (though valid for a mikveh). By contrast one washes with any liquid whose origin is water. Snow, hail and salt crushed until they become liquid are fit. For מי פירות (fruit juices) and wine, יש מי שאומר that they are fit in a pressing case (בשעת הדחק); for practice one follows one's Rav.

Séifim 13-15 — the shiur of a רביעית

צריך שיהא במים רביעית. צריך שיהא רביעית מכונס במקום אחד, שאם נטל משמינית וחזר ונטל משמינית ידיו טמאות כשהיו. רביעית שאמרו בין לידיו של גדול בין לידיו של קטן ; שאין נוטלין בפחות מחצי לוג יותר משני בני אדם.
Séif 13: there must be a רביעית (a quarter of a log) of water; and this for one person, but for two who come to wash together the last one does not need it. Séif 14: the רביעית must be gathered in one place, for if one washed with an eighth and then again with an eighth, the hands remain impure as they were. Séif 15: the רביעית that was stated applies both to an adult's hands and to a child's; for one does not wash more than two people with less than a חצי לוג.
A revi'it, in one gathering. The minimal measure is a רביעית per washing, and it must be gathered in one place (מכונס): two eighths do not combine. This measure is the same for an adult or a child. With larger quantities (חצי לוג, לוג) several people may wash from the same vessel. For application (tap, actual quantities), one follows one's Rav.
The siman in one sentence: the water of netila must be real water — whose appearance has not changed (נשתנו מראיהן), in which no task was done (but only when drawn, not a mikveh or spring), and that a dog could drink (so neither salty nor fetid); water heated by fire is fit, the hot springs of Tiberias for immersion only; and one needs a revi'it gathered in one place.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Which water is invalid

Situation: the water in a vessel has a murky color, or it was used to rinse a dirty dish. May one use it for netila?
Conduct: no in both cases. Water whose appearance has changed (נשתנו מראיהן) is invalid, and water in which a task was done (rinsing a dirty utensil, soaking bread) is too. Note however: disqualification by "task" concerns only drawn water — not the water of a connected mikveh or spring. For borderline cases (tap water, dishwater), one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Hot water

Situation: one has only hot water from the boiler, hot enough to scald. May one wash the hands with it?
Conduct: yes. For water heated by fire (חמי האור), one washes even when it is hot enough that the hand recoils from it. Heat does not disqualify the water. (The natural hot springs of Tiberias — חמי טבריה — are a special case: one immerses the hands in them but does not draw from them into a vessel.) For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — The measure of water

Situation: how much water is needed, and may one pour a small amount in two goes?
Conduct: one needs at least a revi'it (רביעית) per washing, and above all gathered in one place (מכונס במקום אחד). Two eighths do not combine — the hands would remain impure. The measure is the same for an adult or a child. For the order of pouring and the actual quantities, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. For what causes does water become invalid through a change of appearance (séif 1)?
  2. What is a task (מלאכה) done in the water, and which water alone can it disqualify (séifim 2, 5)?
  3. What is the difference between חמי האור and חמי טבריה as regards netila (séifim 6-7)?
  4. Why is salty or fetid water invalid, and what is the underlying criterion (séifim 8-9)?
  5. What is the measure of water, and why must it be gathered in one place (séifim 13-14)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 161 →
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