Bible Verses About Ablution: General references

so ADONAI said to Moshe, "Go to the people; today and tomorrow separate them for me by having them wash their clothing;

Moshe went down from the mountain to the people and separated the people for God, and they washed their clothing.

"Why is it that your talmidim break the Tradition of the Elders? They don't do n'tilat-yadayim before they eat!"

and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, without doing n'tilat-yadayim.

(For the P'rushim, and indeed all the Judeans, holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing.

Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist; and they adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.)

The P'rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, "Why don't your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?"

"You depart from God's command and hold onto human tradition. Indeed,"

he said to them, "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to keep your tradition!

and the Parush was surprised that he didn’t begin by doing n’tilat yadayim before the meal.

For they involve only food and drink and various ceremonial washings — regulations concerning the outward life, imposed until the time for God to reshape the whole structure.