We learned that one must make a Netilat Yadayim when eating a food that comes into contact with any of the seven ‘Yad Shachat Dam’ liquids. One would wash like he does for bread, but in this case one would not make a Beracha. We also learned that one is exempt from this washing if he uses a Keli (like a fork) AND as long as the liquid is cooked.
So let’s discuss further some examples and some questions on this topic.
Should one make a Netilat Yadayim before eating a donut that is saturated in oil? Saturating in oil means a lot of oil. It means that the person’s hands will become moistened with the oil. Now we learned that oil is one of the 7 liquids, and therefore the answer seems to be that one should make Netilat Yadayim beforehand. But, the answer is not that simple. Halacha says that it would depend on the type of oil. The oil referred to in ‘Yad Shachat Dam’ is olive oil. When dipping in olive oil one must wash first, but one is not required to wash when dipping into other types of oil. In the case of donuts, since most donuts are not fried in olive oil, we therefore say that in general donuts do not require a Netilah beforehand.
The question asked was about vegetable soup. Is it required to make a Netilat Yadayim before eating the vegetables that are dipped in the watery soup? To answer this, we refer back to the exemption. One would not have to make the Netilah because he would use a spoon to (Keli) AND because the water is cooked. And as we said one can be lenient when the liquid is cooked and a spoon or other apparatus is used.
The next question asked was about the minimum measurement of food required to qualify for a Netilat Yadayim. Chacham Ovadia Yoseph answers this and says one does not have to make a Netilat Yadayim if eating less than a Kezayit.
The question was asked about cereal. The normal way to eat cereal is in a bowl of milk, and milk is one of the 7 liquids. So does one have to wash before eating a bowl of cereal? The answer is NO. The exemption applies to this case as well, since both conditions are being met. First, one uses a spoon to eat the cereal, and second, the milk is considered cooked for it had undergone the pasteurization process which requires cooking. So, it would be permissible to eat cereal without making a Netilat Yadayim beforehand.
The Mishna Berura discusses dipping food in salt. The question was asked if it is required to make a Netilat Yadayim when dipping food into salt since salt is derived from water. The Halacha, we do not follow that opinion. We hold that salt is not considered a liquid, and as such washing beforehand would not be required.
The question was asked about liquid butter. Does a person have to wash before eating some crackers with liquid butter? The answer is that one has to make a Netilat Yadayim beforehand because even though that buttery sauce started off as a solid, it nevertheless took on the properties and subsequently the status of milk. Milk as we know is one of the seven liquids. So again one would have to make a Netilat Yadayim before dipping a food into a buttery sauce.
