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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman קס״ה · One who has relieved himself and wishes to eat
דין העושה צרכיו ורוצה לאכול — one who comes out of the bathroom and wishes to eat washes his hands twice (יטול ב׳ פעמים) : אשר יצר on the first washing, על נטילת ידים on the second ; one who washes only once blesses while rubbing (משפשף) then while drying (בשעת ניגוב) ; and when many are seated, הגדול נוטל תחלה — the greatest washes first
סימן קס״ה · ב׳ סעיפים
דין העושה צרכיו ורוצה לאכול
🌱 Introductory level · מתחילים
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This siman deals with a very concrete situation: one comes out of the bathroom (הָעוֹשֶׂה צְרָכָיו) and wishes to eat bread. Two obligations meet: to bless אשר יצר (after relieving oneself) and to perform the netilat yadayim of the meal with its blessing על נטילת ידים. The Choulhan Aroukh teaches how to order the two: either by two washings (יטול ב׳ פעמים) with each blessing in its place, or by a single washing in which one blesses while rubbing then while drying. Then it adds a rule of precedence at the table: הגדול נוטל תחלה. Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ב׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.
Topic: One who has relieved himself and wishes to eat — two washings, the order of blessings and הגדול נוטל תחלה
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קס״ה · ב׳ סעיפים
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
After the bathroom, two mitzvot meet at the threshold of the meal: the blessing אשר יצר (which thanks for the body) and the netilat yadayim of bread, with its blessing על נטילת ידים. The previous siman (164) spoke of the number of washings in the day ; this one describes a precise meeting: how not to confuse the two blessings nor say them at the wrong moment. The key: each blessing in its place — either by two washings, or, if one washes only once, by placing אשר יצר at the moment of rubbing and על נטילת ידים at the moment of drying. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. העושה צרכיו ורוצה לאכול (seif 1) — two washings and the order of blessings ; the case of a single washing
B. רבים מסובין בסעודה (seif 2) — the greatest washes first ; the custom of the רא״ש
1. Practical case — coming out of the bathroom just before eating
2. Practical case — a single washing: where each blessing goes
3. Practical case — the order of washing at a large table
+ Comprehension questions and going further
A. העושה צרכיו ורוצה לאכול — two washings and the order of blessings
אֲשֶׁר יָצַר and עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם — after relieving oneself one recites אשר יצר, the blessing that thanks G-d for having formed the body ; it is customary to wash the hands beforehand. And before eating bread one performs the netilat yadayim with the blessing על נטילת ידים. The siman settles what happens when these two moments meet: whether one washing or two, and at what instant to say each blessing so that each remains in its place.
Seif 1 — יטול ב׳ פעמים: two washings, and the case of a single one
העושה צרכיו ורוצה לאכול יטול ב׳ פעמים על הראשונים מברך אשר יצר ועל השניה מברך על נט״י ואם אינו רוצה ליטול אלא פעם אחת לאחר ששפך פעם אחת על ידיו ומשפשף יברך אשר יצר ואחר כך בשעת ניגוב יברך על נט״י
Seif 1: one who has relieved himself and wishes to eat washes his hands twice: on the first washing he recites אשר יצר, and on the second he recites על נטילת ידים. And if he wishes to wash only once, after he has poured once over his hands and while he rubs them he recites אשר יצר, then, at the time of drying, he recites על נטילת ידים.
Two mitzvot, two blessings. On coming out of the bathroom, one must both bless אשר יצר (for the body) and perform the netila of the meal (על נטילת ידים). The clearest way: to wash twice (יטול ב׳ פעמים) — על הראשונים מברך אשר יצר, then ועל השניה מברך על נטילת ידים. Each blessing thus stays tied to its own washing, without mixing.
A single washing. One who prefers to wash only once (פעם אחת) places the two blessings at two moments of the same act: first he pours the water and, while rubbing the hands (ומשפשף), he says אשר יצר ; then, at the time of drying (בשעת ניגוב), he says על נטילת ידים. The rubbing and the drying serve as two distinct "times" so as not to confuse the two blessings.
B. רבים מסובין בסעודה — the order of washing at the table
Seif 2 — הגדול נוטל תחלה: the greatest washes first
אם רבים מסובין בסעודה הגדול נוטל ידיו תחלה והרא״ש היה רגיל ליטול באחרונה שלא להפסיק ושלא לדבר
Seif 2: if many people are seated at a meal, the greatest washes his hands first ; and the Rosh was accustomed to wash last, so as not to make an interruption nor to speak.
Honor to the greatest. When many eat together (רבים מסובין בסעודה), the order of washing follows honor: the greatest (הגדול) washes first. It is a mark of honor — as one gives precedence at the head of many mitzvot.
The custom of the רא״ש. The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher) had the opposite practice: he washed last (באחרונה). Why? שלא להפסיק ושלא לדבר — so as not to interrupt nor to speak between his washing and eating the bread. Washing last allowed him to proceed at once to the blessing over bread, without waiting for the others and without speaking in between. The two values — honor and immediate succession (תכף לנטילה סעודה) — stand here in tension ; for practical conduct, one follows one's Rav and one's custom.
The siman in one sentence: on coming out of the bathroom, before eating, one orders the two blessings — אשר יצר and על נטילת ידים — either by two washings (יטול ב׳ פעמים), or, in a single washing, by blessing אשר יצר while rubbing and על נטילת ידים while drying ; and at a large table, הגדול נוטל תחלה — the greatest washes first, while the רא״ש washed last שלא להפסיק ושלא לדבר.
Practical cases
Case 1 — Coming out of the bathroom just before eating
Situation: I have come out of the bathroom and I am about to eat bread. How do I handle אשר יצר and the netila?
Conduct: the clearest way is to wash twice: on the first washing one says אשר יצר, on the second one performs the netila of the meal with על נטילת ידים. Each blessing thus stays tied to its own washing. For the details (exact order, drying, whether one has already said אשר יצר), one follows one's Rav.
Case 2 — A single washing: where each blessing goes
Situation: I wish to wash only once. Can I still say both blessings?
Conduct: yes — per the Choulhan Aroukh, after pouring the water one says אשר יצר while rubbing the hands (ומשפשף), then על נטילת ידים at the time of drying (בשעת ניגוב). The two moments of the act — rubbing then drying — each carry a blessing. For actual practice, one follows one's Rav and one's custom.
Case 3 — The order of washing at a large table
Situation: we are many at the table. Who washes his hands first?
Conduct: out of honor, the greatest washes first (הגדול נוטל ידיו תחלה). It is reported, however, that the Rosh washed last, so as not to interrupt nor to speak between his netila and the bread (תכף לנטילה סעודה). Depending on the local custom and one's Rav's ruling, one gives priority to the honor of the greatest or to the immediate succession.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What are the two blessings that meet when one comes out of the bathroom before eating (seif 1)?
- How are these blessings distributed when one washes twice (seif 1)?
- When one washes only once, at what moment does one say אשר יצר and at what moment על נטילת ידים (seif 1)?
- Who washes first when many are seated (seif 2)?
- Why did the רא״ש wash last (seif 2)?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
📖Join the khavroutha
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — יחס אשר יצר לנטילת ידים של סעודה ; סדר הברכות ותקנת ברכה על מה שקדם ; הגדול נוטל תחלה ומנהג הרא״ש ליטול באחרונה
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — two washings, the order of blessings and the custom of the רא״ש