Washing UP
It's about holiness and boundaries . The Ritual: Netilat Yadayim — Washing up to the Elbow 1. What Luke says — Greek is very specific Lucas 11:38: "hoti ou pro ebaptisthe" — he did not baptize himself before dinner. Luke uses baptizo — not nipto (to wash hands casually). Baptizo is immersion, ritual bath. And Mark's parallel tells us the detail Luke omits: Mark 7:3-4: "The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow (pygme), holding to the tradition of the elders." Pygme literally means fist or elbow . Mishnah explains: you pour water from fist to elbow, so water flows down and impurity falls off. So it's not "wash hands" — it's a liturgical act. 2. Where did it come from? It's NOT in the Torah In Torah, only priests must wash before offering sacrifice (Exodus 30:19-21). Lay people have no command to wash before ordinary meal. The Pharisees took priestly holiness and applied it to every Jew...