Halachot and Customs
Do I Need to Wash My Hands Before Eating Less Than an Olive-Volume?
Question
Hello,
What amount of bread does one need to eat in order to recite Birkat Hamazon? And if I eat less than the permitted amount, do I need to wash my hands? And is it permitted to perform netilat yadayim for bread and not recite Birkat Hamazon if I ate less than the required amount?
Answer
Greetings and blessings,
Anyone who eats a k’zayit, that is, the size of a small matchbox, must recite Birkat Hamazon.
As for washing the hands, one should ideally wash for any amount. However, one recites the blessing over netilat yadayim only if eating a kebeitzah, two matchboxes.
One who eats less than a k’zayit washes the hands and does not recite a blessing over the washing, but does recite the blessing of Hamotzi, and likewise does not recite Birkat Hamazon.
With blessings,
Binyamin Shmueli
