Washing Cup
“שאו ידיכם קודש וברכו את ה’”
“דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ:
כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם”
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel,
and say unto them: Ye shall be holy; for I the LORD your
God am holy (Leviticus 19:2).
The purification of the hands before eating bread is not only a physical but also
a spiritual purification. Hands symbolize all interaction with the physical world;
water is symbolic of the Torah and wisdom. We pour water over our hands and
through this action we ask the Lord to guide our hands towards wisdom.
