- Halacha
- General Questions
having a Kli for Netilat Yadayim in a public bathroom
Question
Shalom dear Rabbi,
my question is: In an office building with a very large Jewish presence, with the consent of the owner, is it proper to put Kelim for Netilat Yadayim in the bathroom? The setting is that there are basically two rooms: one where stalls/urinals are the other with sinks.
I read in the Q&A on yeshiva.co that one does not say "al Netilat yadayim" after using the toilet, so I suppose one would not have to worry about people saying a bracha in the room with the sinks which is connected to the room with the stalls/urinals ?
(I also read that one does not actually need to use a Kli after using the bathroom.)
I already bought kelim. Is it a good idea to place one of of the kelim in the bathrooms next to a sink?
Thank you in advance!
Answer
Shalom,
Thank you for your question. It is not clear to me exactly what issue is troubling you here – but I will try and address all the possible problems.
Firstly, you are correct in writing that according to the basic halachic conclusion one does not have to use a cup to wash from after using the toilet during the course of the day – as opposed to the first washing of the hands in the morning or washing for bread, which both should be done from a cup. But, none the less, there are many people who do wash from a cup, and there is certainly no problem to provide one.
Next, you are also correct that the blessing for washing the hands is not recited after using the toilet during the day – only once in the morning (or again for the washing before eating bread). But, one does say a blessing after using the toilet – Asher Yatzar. It can be found at the beginning of the morning service in the Siddur. However, I do not see the connection between were the cups are (or are not) to people saying the blessing in an inappropriate place. They can wash their hands with the cup, and then, after drying their hands, walk outside the bathroom to say the blessing. In fact, if there is a door between the toilet area and the sinks, one may recite the blessing in the room with the sinks, as long as there is no foul smells there.
So, all in all, I don’t see any problem putting a cup next to the sinks. If I have missed something in my understanding of the issue, please write and tell me.
In any event – may you be blessed with all that is good for your efforts to make your workplace a more mitzvah comfortable environment.
Blessings.

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