Question: Should we wash our hands in the bathroom with soap and water, or by pouring water from a vessel with handles three times, alternating hands? I have heard it said that a vessel is used only in the morning upon awakening. What are the rules pertaining to young children? What is the protocol if no vessel is available? Additionally, may we dry our hands via an electric dryer?
Harry Koenigsberg
(Via E-Mail)
Summary of our response up to this point: The Mechaber (Orach Chayyim 4:1) rules that upon arising in the morning, a person must wash his hands three times in order to remove the evil spirit that rests upon them at night and recite the blessing “Al Netilat Yadayim.”
The Rashba explains that in the morning, our souls return to our bodies and we are created anew. The Zohar elaborates that at night, when we sleep, our holy souls ascend to heaven and an evil spirit descends on our bodies in their absence. When the souls return in the morning, the evil spirit leaves but lingers on our hands. The Zohar specifies that water must be poured on our hands from a vessel.
The Rishon LeTzion, HaRav Yitzhak Yosef tells us that one who sleeps with gloves can say blessings and study Torah in the morning without performing Netilat Yadayim since the evil spirit does not really rest on gloved hands. One should therefore perhaps wear gloves when going to sleep if no water is nearby. The Beit Yosef, though, writes that food left under the bed, even in a sealed iron container, is vulnerable to contamination by evil spirits. Surely gloves therefore cannot really prevent all contamination.
The Mishnah Berurah notes that one should alternate pouring water on the right and left hands, three times each. The Ma’aseh Rav suggests a total of four times: three to eliminate the evil spirit and a fourth to rinse away the water that has become defiled.
Last week, we discussed the Machebar’s list of times at which one must ritually wash one’s hands and mentioned his admonishment that a person who forgets to do so will forget what he learned or go out of his mind.
The Sha’arei Teshuvah explains that the reason for washing in the morning is due to the evil spirit lingering, but sometimes the washing is simply for purposes of cleanliness. Washing three times is only required upon arising from sleep.
The Mishneh Halachot, Rabbi Menashe Klein, discusses the importance of teaching small children to perform netilat yadayim, for cleanliness (purity) reasons and also for educational reasons.
* * * * *
Let us turn to your last question. Interestingly, the Mechaber and Rema (Orach Chayim 4:1) do not mention the necessity to wipe or dry one’s hands following washing them. However, we might extrapolate a source for such a requirement from the following citation of the Ba’er Heitev (O.C. 4:1), who states: “The Seder Hayom [Rabbi Moshe b. Machir, Venice 5359/1599] writes that immediately after washing, one should say the blessing [of Al Netilat Yadayim] and not wait until after wiping them. We find that the Birkat Avraham [Rabbi Shlomo Troyes (Zarfati), 16th century] writes this as well.”
Even though the Seder Hayom rules that a person should recite the blessing immediately after washing and not wait until he dries his hands, it is obvious that wiping one’s hands is part of the process of washing them.
The Sha’arei Teshuvah (Orach Chayim 4:1) refers to this ruling of the Ba’er Heitev but also cites an opposing view, that of the Machzik Berachah (Rabbi Chayim Yosef David Azulai, also known as the Chidah), who states in the name of the sefer Ohr Tzadikim by Rabbi Meir Papiras, who in turn states the following in the name of Rabbi Moshe Nigrin (Salonica 1568): “The ruach ra – the evil spirit – does not depart one’s hands in the morning until after they are wiped. Therefore, one should not make the blessing until after the hands are wiped, and not as cited in the name of the Seder Hayom and the Knesset Hagedolah” (Rabbi Chayyim Benvenisti, Constantinople 1711).
The Sha’arei Teshuvah also notes that a person should first wipe his hands and then wash his face, in accord with the Zohar’s statement that there is a ruach chadah – a sharp spirit – i.e., a foul odor in the lavatory. He writes, “In the event that he wiped his hands but failed to wash his face and then proceeded to the lavatory and washed his hands there [upon taking care of his personal needs], he must wash his face. However, he is not to do so until after he has wiped his hands; then he is to wash his face.”
The Sha’arei Teshuvah then cites his own view: “And it is our custom to wash one’s face without requiring one to wipe one’s hands first. However, a person who wishes to opt for strictness nevertheless, may go and fetch a towel to wipe his hands even if doing so entails going some distance away – more than four cubits – for in this matter there is no reason to be strict.”
The Mishnah Berurah (O.C. 4:2) posits: “A person should say the blessing [of Al Netilat Yadayim] immediately after he has washed his hands and he need not wait until after he wipes them. The wiping is not a hindrance [to properly performing Netilat Yadayim].” He continues, “There are those who are strict and rule that a person should not say the blessing until after he has wiped his hands for they reason that the evil spirit does not depart one’s hands until they have been wiped. Hence, they rule that a person is forbidden to make the blessing while his hands have the ruach ra’ah upon them. However, the view of the poskim is not in accord with that view.”
It seems that your question is thus rather moot and, as such, in the case of Netilat Yadayim of Shacharit, an electric dryer would be permitted. However, not all ritual washings are treated in the same manner.
(To be continued)