Washing After a Tahara

Q. Why do we wash our hands with a cup after a tahara? Does that washing need to be done outside the funeral home?

A. The Shulchan Aruch¹ lists a number of  situations in which one is required to wash their hands to remove ruach ra’ah (spiritual impurity). One such case is after being in close proximity to a meis.²

The custom is to wash with a cup, alternating between the right and left hand – three times on each hand.³

The following situations are considered “in proximity of the meis”: 

1. Being within 4 amos (approximately 8 feet) of a meis or a kever⁴
2. Being in the same room as a meis⁵
3. Escorting a meis at a levaya⁶
4. According to some poskim, being under the same roof as a meis requires washing.⁷

Therefore members of the chevra kadisha who are not only in close proximity to the meis, but are physically involved in the tahara, certainly need to wash their hands afterward.⁸

Regarding where the washing should take place:
It is preferable to wash outside the funeral home, in accordance with those poskim who require washing when under the same roof as a meis. However, if washing outdoors is difficult because there is no place to wash outside, or because of the cold, one may wash in the building, but not in the same room as the meis.⁹ 

Other unique minhagim that pertain to this washing:

1. After washing, we do not hand the cup directly to another person.¹⁰ Instead the cup is placed face down¹¹ in the basin or on the ground.
2. We do not dry our hands with a towel or an electric dryer but allow them to air-dry.¹²
3. One should not enter a private home before washing.¹³ However, one may enter a public space, such as a shul, school, or office building.¹⁴

1. Orach Chaim 4:18
2. There are additional reasons brought for this washing. See Zichron Meir p. 449, footnote 139.
3. Mishna Berurah 4:39
4. Zichron Meir p.329
5. ibid
6. Mishna Berura 4:43
7. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 2:9
8. This is, of course, in addition to washing their hands with soap for hygiene reasons
9.  I was told that this was the practice of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’l when there was no sink outside
10. Zichron Meir p.448
11. Chesed Shel Emes (76:11)
12. Some explain that this symbolizes our desire that the awareness of our mortality that we have gained from our encounter with death should remain with us. See Zichron Meir p. 450.
13. Mishna Berura 4:43
14. Yesodei Smachos p.49