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Assuming one has the minhag not to speak between netilas yadayim and hamotzi...What should one do if one accidentally speaks during this time?

Should one wash again? With or without a blessing? --Or should one just go straight to HaMotzi?

If the third, is there any kind of (immediate) tikkun one can do?

...I'm wondering because it just happened to me.

Related: Hefsek between netilat yadayim and hamotzi

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    Possible duplicate: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/43603
    – msh210 ♦
    Feb 17, 2015 at 22:07
  • @msh210 Hmm yeah. Although I think my question is better (a lot clearer)
    – SAH
    Feb 18, 2015 at 2:25
  • ...Although his encompasses more interesting things
    – SAH
    Feb 18, 2015 at 2:26
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    One thing you should probably not do is stop and ask a question on Mi Yodeya :)
    – Daniel
    Feb 19, 2015 at 23:31

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Even according to the custom of avoiding interrupting between washing and the blessing of HaMotzi, one need not wash again if one spoke or otherwise interrupted as long as the person remained mindful to keep their hands clean during the interim (Mishna B'rura 166:6, English translation):

דע דעיקר דין תכיפה המוזכר בסימן זה הוא רק מצוה לכתחלה אבל בדיעבד אפילו שהה הרבה או הפסיק בינתים אין צריך לחזור וליטול ידיו כל שלא הסיח דעתו בינתים משמירת ידיו

Translation:

Know that the essence of the law of immediacy that is mentioned in this section of the Shulchan Aruch is only for the ideal (l'chatchila) way to perform the mitzva. However, after the fact, even if he waited a lot or interrupted, he does not need to go back and wash his hands again so long as his attention did not lapse from guarding his hands in the meanwhile.

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  • Do you know if it would be permissible to wash again? (without a blessing)
    – SAH
    Feb 17, 2015 at 2:31
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    @sah Doing unnecessary things before hamotzi is generally discouraged
    – Double AA ♦
    Feb 17, 2015 at 2:33
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    @SAH I wonder if washing again might specifically be a problem by retroactively rendering the original washing as not for the purpose of the meal (and the original recitation of al n'tilas yadayim might not be able to apply to the second washing due to the interruption). Even so, there are some opinions that reciting al n'tilas yadayim is mandated for dirty hands even if you are not going to have a meal, so that could be a mitigating factor if someone went and washed a second time (as the first blessing would not be in vain).
    – Fred
    Feb 17, 2015 at 4:29

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