1. The mitzvah of washing the hands before eating bread is not considered time-bound, and so women are not exempt. It is fulfilled by pouring water twice over each hand from a utensil that contains at least a revi'ith. A revi'ith is measured as 150 cubic centimeters (5.3 fluid ounces), according to the Chazon Ish, and 86 cubic centimeters (3 fluid ounces), according to HaRav Chaim Naeh.
The procedure for netilath yadayim before eating bread differs from washing the hands to remove ruach ra (see Chapter 1) in that water is not poured alternately over each hand, but twice over the right hand and then twice over the left hand. Other details of this mitzvah are found in Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 158-165.

2. Ben Ish Chai, Shanah Rishonah, Parshath Sh'mini 2.

3. Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 161:1. In unavoidable circumstances, a chatzitzah is permissible above the knuckles joining the fingers to the hand.

4. A substance that covers a small part of the hand and that one is never particular to remove is not a chatzitzah. Nail polish is considered a chatzitzah only if it is chipped, because then women are particular to remove it. See Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 161:2.

5. Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 161:3, and Mishnah Berurah. Since she sometimes removes the rings, they constitute a chatzitzah. This rule also applies to men's rings.

6. Remah, Orach Chayim 161:3.

7. According to the Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 172:2, one is forbidden to recite a blessing with something in the mouth. If she keeps rings in her mouth while washing, she may forget to remove them before reciting the blessing.

8. Mishnah Berurah 161:18. The amount of water that is called a revi'ith is discussed in note 1.

9. Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 159:1 1, and Mishnah Berurah. The reason given is that a woman in a state of tum'ah, ritual impurity, who lifts the water, renders it also tom'ey, ritually impure; such water should not be used in a purification process.

10. Chazon Ish, Orach Chayim 83:8. The Mishnah Berurah, Ibid., explains that, in our times, we are all assumed to be tom'ey meith, ritually impure from contact with dead bodies or from entering cemeteries. This tum'ah can only be removed through a purification process involving the ashes of the Red Heifer. (See BaMidbar 19.) Since it is transmitted to water if a tom'ey person raises the container, anyone - a man or a woman, even when she is not a niddah - would, in any case, make the water tom'ey today.

11. This is based on a ruling of HaGaon Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. He explains that one reason why many women have not accepted this practice is a story in Tractate Yoma 83b, where the requirement of mayim acharonim indirectly resulted in a woman's death. Nevertheless, in his opinion, there is no valid exemption from this requirement for women. HaGaon Rav Yosef Chayim Sonnenfeld, of Blessed Memory, also maintained that women should wash mayim acharonim. See Salmath Chayim, Vol. 4, No. 3:2.

12. HaGaon Rav Shmuel HaLevi Wossner writes in Shevet HaLevi, Vol. 4, Orach Chayim, No. 23, that the basis for women not washing mayim acharonim is found in the Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 181:10. Chazal explain that in Talmudic days a certain type of salt, called melach s'domith (salt from Sodom) was commonly used and that it could cause blindness if it came in contact with the eyes. The original purpose of mayim acharonim was to rinse the melach s'domith off the hands. The Shulchan Arukh states that since this salt is no longer in use, the obligation of mayim acharonim no longer applies. Although many men follow the view of other authorities who maintain that the mitzvah does apply today, women commonly follow the view of the Shulchan Arukh.
HaGaon Rav Yonah Merzbach reports that in many German communities, before the Second World War, women omitted mayim acharonim and that this practice was common even in households extremely scrupulous in the performance of mitzvoth.

13. Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 186: 1. Birkath HaMazon is not considered a time-bound mitzvah.

14. "And [we thank you] also for Your convenant that You sealed in our flesh, as well as for Your Torah which You taught us."

15. The Remah, Orach Chayim 187:3, states that women should not recite these words since they refer to brith milah and Torah study, and they are not obligated in these mitzvoth. The Mishnah Berurah 187:9 states, however: "Today, women are accustomed to say these words, having in mind that through the merit of the mitzvoth of brith milah and Torah study all Jews come to inherit Eretz Yisrael. Moreover, women do have the obligation to study those sections of Torah that are relevant to them."

16. Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 186: 1, and Mishnah Berurah.
The question of a woman's obligation to recite Birkath HaMazon is discussed in Tractate Berakhoth 20b. Most early authorities maintain that the Talmudic discussion remains unresolved.
At first it appears that women should be obligated by Torah Law to fulfill the mitzvah of Birkath HaMazon since it is not time-bound. Two explanations are offered for the Talmudic suggestion that a woman's obligation is only Rabbinic. Rashi reasons as follows: The Torah characterizes this mitzvah as an obligation to "Bless the Lord your God for the good Land that He has given to you" (Devarim 8:10). Since women were not granted individual portions in Eretz Yisrael, they may be exempt. Tosafoth rejects this argument, pointing out that cohanim and levi'im were also not granted individual portions in the Land, yet they are definitely included in the mitzvah. Tosafoth's argument may be countered with the fact that cohanim and levi'im were given various residential cities, which could be considered their portion in the Land. (See BaMidbar 35:1-8.)
Tosafoth postulates that women might be exempt from the Torah requirement because of the Talmudic ruling, "Anyone who fails to mention brith milah and Torah study in Birkath HaMazon has not fulfilled his obligation" (Tractate Berakhoth 49a). The apparent connection between Birkath HaMazon and the mitzvoth of brith milah and Torah study (from which women are excluded) may be the basis for exempting them from the Torah requirement to recite Birkath HaMazon.

17. Chazal explain that according to Torah Law a man is obligated to recite Birkath HaMazon only if he has eaten enough bread to satisfy him. This shiur sevi'ah is not a fixed amount, but depends on the individual. If other foods are eaten with the bread, they contribute to the shiur sevi'ah. If other foods are eaten separately, they do not, in which case the obligation of Torah Law is calculated only by the amount of bread eaten.
Chazal decreed, however, that Birkath HaMazon should be recited if a man ate only an amount of bread equivalent to the volume of an olive - a k'zayith. A k'zayith is a dry volume measurement equivalent to approximately 28 cubic centimeters (1 ounce).