When you don’t need the proper intention TB Haggigah 19

Starting with the second half of yesterday’s daf TB Haggigah 18b until the end of the massekhet, we shall be learning all about ritual readiness (taharah- טהרה) and ritual unreadiness (tumah-טומאה). Today’s daf TB Hagigah 19 proves that a person does not needs the proper intention (כוונה-kavanah) to become ritually ready when he washes his hands ritually (netilat yadayim-נטילת ידים) in order to eat non-sanctified food.

To understand the proof, a little background information about how food can become ritually unready (טמא) is needed. Moses Maimonides writes in the first chapter of Tumat Okhlin:

“1. All foods that are designated for human consumption, e.g., bread, meat, grapes, olives, and the like, are susceptible to ritual impurity. All foods that are not designated for human consumption are pure and are not susceptible to ritual impurity unless one had a specific intent and set them aside for human consumption. No foods are susceptible to ritual impurity unless it was first dampened with one of the seven liquids. This dampening is referred to as hechsher. These concepts are derived from Leviticus 11:38 which states: "When water will be placed on a seed...."

“2. These are the seven liquids that make foods susceptible to impurity: water, dew, oil, wine, milk, blood, and honey.” (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1525374/jewish/Tumat-Okhalin-Chapter-1.htm)

This is the proof that one does not need kavanah while washing his hands before eating non-sanctified food. “Rather, the proof that the purification with regard to non-sacred produce does not require intention is from that which we learned in a mishna (Makhshirin 4:7): In the verse that is referring to the preconditions required for fruit and seeds to be susceptible to ritual impurity, it is stated: “If water be put on seeds, and any of their carcasses fall there, it shall be impure to you” (Leviticus 11:38). If fruit fell into a water channel, and one whose hands were ritually impure extended his hands and lifted them up with the goal of removing them from the water channel, his hands are ritually pure, as he has purified them by inserting them into the water channel, and these fruits are not included in the category of “if water be put on seeds.” The verse is referring only to fruit that has intentionally been brought into contact with water. Since the fruit in this case was not intentionally made wet, it cannot as yet contract impurity.

“And if he put his hands into the water channel in order to wash his hands, his hands are ritually pure, and the fruit is included in the category of “if water be put on seeds.” Since he intended to wet his hands, the contact of the fruit with this water renders them susceptible to ritual impurity. In any case, the mishna teaches that his hands are ritually pure in either situation, indicating that no special intention is required for purification.” (Sefaria.org translation)

At one time in our history Jews known as khaverim (חברים) were very concerned about being in a state of ritual readiness when eating. Today we are not concerned keeping these laws. Nevertheless, we still have the custom a washing our hands ritually (netilat yadayim-נטילת ידים) before we eat bread with the customary blessing of motzi. I guess is good to know that we are good to go and enjoy our bread even if we do not wash our hands ritually with any kavanah.