Chapter 2 : Chapter 2 Laws of Washing the Hands in the Morning

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§1

When he arises from his bed in the morning a person is considered as a newly created being, to serve the Creator, Blessed be His Name. He, therefore, must sanctify himself and wash his hands from a vessel, [just] as a Kohein washed his hands each day from the special basin [located in the Temple] prior to his service. This washing is indicated in the Scripture as it is said: "I will wash my hands in purity and I will encircle Your altar, Hashem, to proclaim a sound of thanks, etc."¹Psalms 26:6,7. There is also another reason for this washing. When man is asleep, his holy soul departs from him, and an unclean spirit comes and dwells upon his body. When he awakens from his sleep, the unclean spirit departs from his entire body except from his fingers, from which it does not depart until he pours water upon them three times alternately.²See paragraph 3 for exact procedure. It is forbidden to walk a distance of four amohs³It is also forbidden to lie in bed without washing your hands. Within the house you may walk even more than four amohs to get water for washing. (See glossary for equivalent of amah.) without washing the hands except in cases of extreme necessity.

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§2

The first garment you should don⁴This is said for males only. is the small tallis⁵The four-cornered, fringed garment, known as Arba Kanfos. in order not to walk four amohs without fulfilling the mitzva of tzitzis. However, since your hands are still unclean, you should not [yet] recite the berachah.

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§3

The procedure for washing hands in the morning is as follows: take the vessel in your right hand and then place it in your left hand, and then first pour on the right hand; and then take the vessel in your right hand and pour upon the left hand. This procedure is repeated three times.⁶Others say that you should follow this procedure a fourth time. It is preferable to wash your hands until the wrist. However, in extreme circumstances it is sufficient to wash them until the knuckles. You should also wash your face in deference to the Creator, as it is said: "For in the image of God He created Man."⁷Genesis 9:6. You should also rinse your mouth because of the spittle in it, for you must pronounce the great Name [of God] in holiness and purity. After this dry your hands and be careful to dry your face well.

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§4

The hands must be washed only into a vessel. It is forbidden to derive benefit from the water used for washing because of the foul spirit that rests upon it, and [therefore] you should pour it in a place where people do not walk.

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§5

Before washing you should not touch your mouth or nose, your eyes or ears or anus, or food,⁸It is important, therefore, to see that even small children wash their hands in the proper manner. Nevertheless, food touched by those who have not washed their hands according to halacha, is not forbidden. See Mishnah Berurah 4:14 and Aruch HaShulchan 4:15. Thus, it is permissible to buy bread and other things even though we are not sure that the bakers have washed their hands. or the place where blood was let; because the foul spirit that rests upon the hands before washing is damaging to these things.

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§6

It is preferable to be careful to wash your hands in the morning with water poured from a vessel with human effort, similar to the washing of hands before a meal (See Chapter 40). However, in extreme circumstances, where you do not have suitable water and you wish to pray, you may wash your hands from any [vessel], with any kind of water, even if the water is not poured with human effort, and you may still recite the berachah: al netilas yadayim.⁹I.e., “Upon washing the hands.” If there is a river close by it is preferable to dip your hands in it three times, or even [to dip them] in snow. However, if there is no water at all you may wipe your hands on anything and recite the berachah, al nekiyas yadayim,¹⁰I.e., “Upon cleaning the hands,” but not the berachah “Upon washing the hands.” and this is sufficient [preparation] for prayer. Afterwards, upon finding water and proper vessels you should wash your hands again properly, but without pronouncing an additional berachah.

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§7

It is written: "My soul, bless Hashem and all that is within me [bless] His holy Name."¹¹Psalms 103:1. It follows that since a person needs to bless God with all his innards, he is forbidden to recite the berachah until he cleans his intestines from excrement and urine. In the morning when a person awakens he probably has a need to relieve himself or at least to urinate; therefore he should not recite the berachah over the washing of the hands at the time of washing, but rather after he relieves himself. He then washes his hands again and then recites the berachah al netilas yadayim, and then the berachah of asher yatzar, followed by the berachos on the Torah and then the berachah of Elokai neshamah.¹²According to Mishnah Berurah, the berachah of Elokai neshamah should be said after the berachah of Asher yatzar.

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§8

If you awakened and washed your hands while it is still night, as required, and remained awake until daybreak, or if you slept a second time while it was still night, or if you slept during the day [long enough] for sixty breaths (which is about one half hour),¹³Others say after three hours, while others say a bit more than three minutes. or if you are awake all night [without sleeping long enough for sixty breaths,] in all of these cases it is doubtful if there is a requirement to wash the hands or not. You should, therefore, wash three times in the alternate manner (as mentioned in paragraph 3) but without reciting the berachah.¹⁴According to Rabbi Akiva Eiger, one who is up the entire night but goes to the lavatory to relieve himself during the night, should recite the berachah “Al netilas yadayim.” See Mishnah Berurah (Bi’ur Halachah) 4:13.

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§9

These following situations require the washing of hands with water: upon rising from bed [after sleeping], when leaving the lavatory or bathhouse,¹⁵There is a question among the Poskim [halachic authorities] about the ritual washing of hands in a bathroom. Some hold that in today’s bathrooms it is permissible. (Rav Henkin, Eidus L’Yisrael) after cutting nails or hair, after removing shoes, after sexual intercourse, after touching vermin, or delousing a garment even without touching vermin, after a head shampoo, or touching parts of the body that are usually covered [out of modesty], after leaving a cemetery, or walking after a funeral procession, or leaving a room in which there was a corpse, or after blood-letting.