Responsa for Berakhot 106:19
ומאי שנא יונה דמתילי כנסת ישראל ליונה דכתיב (תהלים סח, יד) כנפי יונה נחפה בכסף ואברותיה בירקרק חרוץ מה יונה אינה ניצולת אלא בכנפיה אף ישראל אינן ניצולין אלא במצות:
"The wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her pinions with the shimmer of gold" (Ps. Ixviii. 14). Just as a dove only escapes with the aid of its wings, so Israel is only delivered through the aid of the commandments.
Shut min haShamayim
We are also unsure regarding 'mayim acharonim', the hand-washing at the end of the meal. There are some sages who hold that since we no longer use fine oils1 to anoint hands during the meal, see Berachot 53b:31, we thus do not need to meticulous about the final hand-washing. I asked [in my dream] regarding this, whether they had anything to rely on in saying so or not.*Some contemporary sources use similar language but cite the lack of dangerous 'Salt of Sodom' [and not the lack of oil] as the reason not to be meticulous about washing hands (Tosafot on Berakhot 53b:32). See also Rosh on Berakhot 8:6 for a similar argument regarding lack of oils.
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