The Daily Halacha Moment - Netilat Yadayim - Washing Our Hands in the Morning 👐🏻🚰
״כל השונה הלכות בכל יום - מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא״ (נידה עג ע״א, מגילה כח:)
“Anyone who studies Halachot every day is guaranteed that he is destined for the world-to-come” (Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a)
Question:
What is netilat yadayim?
Why do we wash our hands in the morning?
Answer:
Netilat Yadayim in the morning refers to the ritual hand washing performed upon waking up.
There are many different reasons for washing our hands in the morning:
1) The Rosh's Reason - Cleanliness
The Rosh explains that during one's sleep one's hands move and touch parts of the body that are not clean. Therefore, one must wash one's hands before reciting the morning prayers. [1]
2) The Rashba's Reason - New Creation
The Rashba's reason is based on the Pasuk, חדשים לבקרים, they are new every morning, רבה אמונתך, your faithfulness is great (Eichah 3:23), which means that each morning we are created anew. Therefore we are bound to thank Hashem - Who created us for His glory, that we may serve him - and to recite blessings in His name. The Chachamim therefore instituted the berachot that we recite every morning and enacted that every morning, when we are about to serve Hashem in Teffilah, we must sanctify ourselves and wash our hands from a vessel, just as the Cohen must wash his hands from a Kiyor (basin) in the Bet HaMikdash before performing the divine service. [2]
3) The Orchot Chaim's Reason - Impure Spirit at Night
The Orchot Chaim cited the Gemara (Shabbat 108b-109a), which speaks of an impure resting on the hands at night. This impure spirit leaves the hands once one pours water on them three times. [3]
4) The Zohar's Reason - Impure Spirit During Sleep
The Zohar states that when one sleeps at night his soul leaves him, causing an impure spirit to rest on his entire body. When one wakes up the impure spirit leaves the body but remains on his hands. By washing one's hands one removes the impure spirit entirely. [4]
Sources:
[1]. See Rosh, Berachot Perek Haroeh 23; See also Mishnah Berurah 4:60
[2]. Rashba vol. 1, Siman 191; See also Aruch HaShulchan 4:1.
[3]. Orchot Chaim Halachot Netilat Yadayim 11.
[4]. Zohar HaKadosh, Parashat Vayeshev 184b. See also Bet Yosef 4.
See Laws Of Daily Living pp. 3-4.
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