Is washing hands before eating tradition? ~ Cross reference of Matthew 15:3 to Exodus 20:12

In Matthew 15:3 Jesus is criticized by "the Pharisees" that his disciples are eating without washing their hands. For some reason Jesus gets offended and questions them for putting more emphasis on tradition and not honoring their parents under the pretext that they do not have money as they made a vow to G-d.

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All Greek Text references are from NIV and Tanakh references are from Chabad.

This post is not intended to offend anyone's faith but for those people who are Seeking the truth of THE ONE TRUE G-D of the universe to who we owe all our love, gratitude & devotion.

My encouragement to you is that you read the whole chapter of Tanakh that the Greek text quotes so you get the context and understand what G-d actually said.

G-d Bless and Seek THE Truth.

Matthew 15:3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, in order that your days be lengthened on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you, in order that your days be lengthened, and that it may go well with you on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.

Exodus 21:17 And one who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 20:9 For any man who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon himself.

• Not sure what washing hands before eating has to do with tradition. At a time when there were no antibiotics, people would die due to bacterial infections. 
• Tanakh as early as Genesis 18 shows that people used to wash their hands and feet before eating meals.
• Jesus response to the Pharisees that sons were pledging to G-d and using that as an excuse to tell their parents they cannot take care of them is a bit of an exaggeration as 
• There is a law from G-d that any vow one makes to G-d must be fulfilled and people knew that if they disobey this law G-d will punish them. 
• Was Jesus saying that all Jews were doing these things or for that matter all Pharisees were doing such things.