Magic Water

I spent 12 years working in various day schools in the States. During that time I had many opportunities to "check up" on what was going on in the boys' bathrooms. The bathrooms in day schools are filled with all sorts of interesting extra-curricular activities. But I digress. Inevitably, my visits to the students' bathrooms always included the message, "You need to wash your hands – with soap!"

All sorts of surveys and studies have been done about hand washing. Personally, I don't care how high the percentages get in these surveys – I simply find anything less than 100% sickening.

We've all been in restrooms at the airport, at sporting events, etc., where throngs of people (I can only speak firsthand about the men's room) take care of their business and exit the restroom without ever stopping at the sink; some do the ceremonial wave of the hands under the water for a brief moment. Uggghhhhh…

Jewish tradition has always considered handwashing to be of extreme importance. It is one of the first simanim in the Shulchan Aruch and the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. The laws are numerous, but not really all that complex.

I can't say that I really understand the concept of "Ruach Ra'ah". I accept that there are spiritual matters that I cannot fully comprehend; Ruach Ra'ah is one of them. Washing our hands with the use of a cup three times, alternating between our hands, removes this Ruach Ra'ah. How? I don't know. But I accept that it does.

What I do know is that washing one's hands with the use of a cup three times, alternating between our hands, DOES NOT REMOVE THE GERMS. There really can't be any debate about the importance of washing one's hands with soap – especially after using the bathroom.

It's bad enough that many people choose not to wash their hands with soap when leaving the bathroom in public places such as airports, sporting events, restaurants (who's preparing your food?) and the like. But what I don't understand is, why are there so many places – including in shuls – where there is no soap even available? Why do people that are intelligent Shomrei Torah & Mitzvot rely on the "Magic Water", splashed upon their hands three times, to remove the germs and dirt that are most certainly present upon their exit from the bathroom? Please – let's not confuse the process of Netilat Yadayim with the process of hand washing/cleaning. Please.