If you get up at night to deal with children, do you have to wash your hands first?

If you are breastfeeding or not engaged in feeding the child, then there is no need to wash hands. It is still preferable though to try to be careful not to touch the child’s eyes, mouth, ears or nostrils. Even if giving other food or touching bodily orifices, if hand-washing would be difficult, a parent can rely on the opinions that the relevant ru’ach ra’ah is no longer present nowadays.

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