Responsa for Berakhot 106:4
בשלמא משתמש לאורה ולא ראה שלהבת משכחת לה דקיימא בקרן זוית אלא ראה שלהבת ולא נשתמש לאורה היכי משכחת לה לאו דמרחקא
It is quite right that one uses the light without seeing the flame, for it may happen to stand in a corner ; but how is it possible to see the flame without using its light? Is it not when it is far off?
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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