Question
Where does it state in the Torah that one should wash their hands before eating bread?
Answer
Hi! There is no such law in the Torah. The laws of hand washing are a Rabbinical enactment, designed to remind us how food was eaten when we were able to keep the laws of ritual purity (“tum’ah and taharah”) properly. I hope we’ll soon be able to keep them again. In the meantime, hand washing helps us to understand that the very act of eating, which can be purely physical, is also an act of service to G-d. Just as the kohanim in the Temple purified themselves before they ate sacrifices and other ritual offerings, so too we purify ourselves before we eat.
Best wishes,
Michoel Reach