How To: Wash hands before eating bread, as per Jewish law

This animated video, produced by Jewish Pathways, demonstrates how to wash your hands in accordance with Jewish law before eating bread. Besides cleanliness and holiness, the instant reason the rabbis call for washing before bread is to keep alive the memory of the proper treatment of teruma (the first priestly tithe that may be eaten only by kohanim and their instant families, and that must be eaten only in the absence of any tum'ah – ritual defilement).

To wash your hands before eating bread, first fill a large cup with water. Remove any rings from your fingers, then raise the cup with your right hand and pass it to your left hand. Now, pour water two times over your right hand, twice in succession. Make sure to wash your entire hand up to the wrist. Now, pass the cup to your right hand and pour water two times over your left hand, twice in succession. Raise your hands so that the water drips towards the wrists and recite the blessing, then dry your hands on a towel. Now you're ready to say the blessing over the bread and eat, but be careful not to talk until you've done so.