The hand-washing procedure differs between Terumah and profane foods:
For profane foods, a single pouring of water over the hands is sufficient, as these foods lack stringent purity requirements.
For Terumah, two pourings are required: the first removes the rabbinic hand impurity, rendering the hands pure, but the water that contacts the initially impure hands becomes ritually impure itself. A second pouring is necessary to wash away this impure water before the hands can touch Terumah.
For profane foods, the presence of impure water is inconsequential due to their lack of sanctity. This washing serves to remind laypeople of purity laws, despite their limited interaction with consecrated items compared to priests.
The procedure for Netilath Yaddayim requires specific conditions:
The water must be poured over the hands until the joint, which is disputed in rabbinic sources as to either being the knuckles or the wrist*Babylonian Talmud Chulin 106b.
To use the least amount of water, the standard method involves another person pouring water over both hands held close together. If a person washes alone, they may need to pour water over each hand separately, often requiring more than the minimum to ensure full coverage up to the joint for both hands.
For Terumah or profane foods, Netilath Yaddayim can be superseded by immersing the hands in a Mikveh, as required for sacrificial meat, since immersion is considered more efficacious than washing.
| Establishment | Procedure | |
|---|---|---|
| Sacrifices | From First Temple period | Immerse hands into a Mikveh |
| Terumah | From early Second Temple period | Pour water onto the hands with a vessel, twice |
| Bread or wet vegetables | From late Second Temple period or shortly thereafter | Pour water onto the hands with a vessel, once |