The topic was discussed in Halacha regarding a person who just came out of the bathroom, and was to eat immediately thereafter. Now, of course it’s clear that a person has to wash his hands when he comes out of the bathroom, not only form a sanitary stand point, but from an Halachic stand point as well. He must make the Beracha of ‘Asher Yatzar.’ We also know that when one is about to begin a meal, he must wash and recite the Beracha of Netilat Yadayim. So the question is asked, how does he do both simultaneously? Or can he fulfill both washing requirements with one washing?
The Ben Ish Chai has a very interesting solution to this problem. The Ben Ish Chai says to wash your hands as you are coming out of the bathroom, and then dry your hands, and make ‘Asher Yatzar’. The problem is that now your hands are clean, so how can you make Netilat Yadayim? So the Ben Ish Chai continues and says to touch your shoes, and then make the ‘Netilat Yadyim’ again for the bread, and then go eat.
Chacham Ovadia is not to keen on this idea. Because he holds that by putting you hands on your shoes, you are putting yourself in the predicament of making a Beracha that maybe was unnecessary. Making your hands dirty with the intent to wash them again just to make another Beracha is not so simple. So Chacham Ovadia gives a different solution to the problem. He says that when you come out of the bathroom, you should make your regular Netilat Yadayim. After you finish making the Netilat Yadayim, say the Beracha, ‘Al Netliat Yadyim’, and then dry your hands. After you dry your hands, before you make Hamotzih, according to the Halacha you are allowed to say Asher Yatzar. (According to Maran, it’s not considered an Hefsek.) So you make Netilat Yadayim, and then after making Netilat Yadiym before Hamoztih, say Asher Yatzar. Of course it would be preferable, he says, to make the Hamotzih first and eat some bread, and then make Asher Yatzar. But we are talking about a guy who is concerned that he might forget. Once you tell them to wash, and make the Hamotzih, and eat the bread, then he might forget Asher Yatzar.
Therefore the Halacha, if a person knows that he can’t remember, let him come out and wash once. Let him make Netilat Yadayim with the Beracha. Let him make Asher Yatzar before Hamotzih, and then Hamotzih, and then he eats. If however, he can remember, then better for him to make Asher Yatzar after Hamotzih, after he eats the portion of bread.
