Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a person uses the restroom before washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning, he washes immediately after performing his bodily functions, and must then recite two Berachot – "Al Netilat Yadayim" over the hand-washing, and then Asher Yasar over using the restroom. It could happen that the person might intend to recite "Al Netilat Yadayim," but he instead says Asher Yasar. Meaning, he recites "Baruch Ata Hashem Elokenu Melech Ha'olam" with the intention of reciting the Beracha over the hand-washing, but, since he had just left the restroom – and he is not very focused, as he had just woken up – he mindle...

Generally, when a person wakes up in the morning, he needs to relieve himself. The question thus arises as to when he should perform the morning Netilat Yadayim – before using the restroom, or afterward. On the one hand, we might assume that he must wash his hands first, because it is forbidden to touch the openings of one's body before washing Netilat Yadayim, and one is likely to touch an opening when cleaning himself. On the other hand, before drying one's hands, he must recite the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim," and it is forbidden to recite a Beracha when on...

The Kabbalists, based on the teachings of the Zohar, ensure to avoid walking four Amot (approx. 6-8 feet) after waking in the morning before washing Netilat Yadayim. The Zohar is cited as warning that walking four Amot before washing in the morning is a capital offense. Therefore, the Kabbalists have the practice of keeping water next to their beds so they can wash right at their bedside. The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) writes that if a person did not leave water next to his bed, and needs to walk four Amot or more to access water for...

Is one allowed to put on clothing before washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning? Often, during the winter, people want to put socks on their feet before stepping on the cold floor and going to wash Netilat Yadayim. Is this permissible, or must one be concerned that the impurity will transfer from their hands onto their garments, thus causing harm? The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in the work for which he was named (Ben Ish Hai, Parashat Toledot, 6), cites the Arizal's teaching that one may not touch his clothing before washing his hands in the...

Many people are naturally inclined to rub their eyes upon waking in the morning, but this should be avoided. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 4:3) writes that one should not touch any of the openings to his body – his mouth, his nostrils, his ears, or his eyes – in the morning before washing Netilat Yadayim. Hacham Ovadia Yosef cites the Solet Belula as asserting that the Sages forbade this because it could lead to spiritual harm – meaning, touching one's eyes could cause spiritual "blindness," an inability to "see" and understand Torah, and touching one's ears could affect his spiritual "hearing," his ability to lis...

Hacham Ovadia writes in Halichot Olam (vol. 7, p. 209) that one should not store food or beverages underneath a bed while somebody sleeps on it. If a food or beverage was beneath a bed when somebody slept on it, then, according to some Poskim, the product may not be consumed. Most Poskim, however, allow partaking of the food or beverage after the fact, particularly if it was on a tiled or paneled floor, and not directly on the ground. Nowadays, then, as our floors are covered with panels or tiling, although one should not place food underneath a bed, food does...

When a person wakes up in the morning, his hands are considered impure, due to the harmful spiritual forces that descend upon them during the night, and he must wash Netilat Yadayim – three times on each hand, in alternating fashion – to remove them. If somebody touches food or a beverage before washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning, does the impurity transfer to the food and beverage, such that it should not be consumed? Hacham Ovadia Yosef ruled that one should preferably ensure not to touch any food or beverages before washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning. If a food product was...

As we have seen, Kabbalistic sources teach that a spirit of impurity descends upon a person's hands overnight, and it is removed only by washing his hands three times in alternating fashion. If a person does not wash his hands in this manner, the impure forces remain on his hands. This gives rise to the question of whether a person must repeat Netilat Yadayim after shaking the hand of a Jew who most likely did not wash Netilat Yadayim that day. If one knows that the fellow whose hand he shook is not halachically observant, or is not knowledgeable about...

Water that was used for the morning Netilat Yadayim is considered impure, as it contains the impurity that had descended on the hands during the night. Therefore, if this water fell on the ground, one should not step on it. Once the area is dry, there is no longer any concern, and one may walk on the ground where the water had been. If one washed his hands in the morning into a basin, and had yet to discard the water from the basin, may a person learn or pray in the presence of this water while it is exposed...

As discussed in a previous installment, the water with one washed Netilat Yadayim in the morning is considered impure, and could cause harm to those who step on in. Therefore, one must ensure not to wash his hands in a place where people walk, and to wash instead directly into a sink, or into a utensil and then pour the water down a drain. If one mistakenly washed Netilat Yadayim on the ground in a place where it could be stepped on, he must pour more water over it to wash it away, out of concern for the wellbeing of...

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 4:8) writes that one should perform Netilat Yadayim in the morning by washing his hands over a utensil, as opposed to washing them over the ground. The reason is that once the water comes in contact with the hands, it becomes impure, and if it then falls to the ground and people step on it, they can suffer harm as a result. Therefore, one should wash into a vessel, and then discard the water in a place where people will not come in contact with it. Of course, one fulfills his obligation regardless of where he...

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes that mothers should wash the hands of their young children in the morning – even children who have yet to reach the age of Hinuch (training in Misva observance). Firstly, he explains, young children touch food, and if their hands are not washed in the morning, the foods they touch will become contaminated by the Tum'a (impurity) that descends upon the hands overnight. Secondly, washing the hands of young children in the morning has a significant spiritual impact, as it helps to lead them toward the path of purity and ho...

The Gemara (Berachot 51a) lists three rules that were taught by none other than the Angel of Death, one of which is that one cannot fulfill the Misva of the morning Netilat Yadayim by having somebody else pour water over his hands, unless that person had already washed his hands. As long as somebody's hands are still impure, he cannot bring purity to somebody else's hands. Only once a person has washed Netilat Yadayim in the morning can he then pour water on his fellow's hands for his fellow to fulfill the obligation. The Zohar comments that this is the...

The Shulhan Aruch (Yoreh De'a 116:1) writes that the Sages enacted a prohibition against drinking water that had been left exposed, due to the concern that a snake may have drunk some water and deposited venom in it. However, the Shulhan Aruch adds, in his time, snakes were not as common as they were in ancient times, and so this prohibition does not apply. The Tur (Rabbenu Yaakob Ben Asher, d. 1340) writes that when exposed water was forbidden for drinking, it was likewise unsuitable for Netilat Yadayim. Nowadays, however, when such water may be drunk, as there is no concern of...

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in his Od Yosef Hai (Parashat Toledot), writes that one should not wash the morning Netilat Yadayim with water that had been in a restroom, as it is considered contaminated. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in Yabia Omer (vol. 3), disagreed, and maintained that such water may be used. Preferably though, one should not use this water. The Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakov Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939) ruled that water that had been in a restroom may be used for the morning washing, but no Beracha should be recited when washing with this water...

The Poskim debate the question of whether one may use very hot water for Netilat Yadayim before eating bread, and the Shulhan Aruch ruled that such water may be used. There is a general principle that in situations of uncertainty in regard to Netilat Yadayim, the lenient possibility may be followed, and one may even recite a Beracha. Therefore, one who uses very hot water for Netilat Yadayim before eating bread recites the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" as usual. Surprisingly, however, the Yalkut Yosef comments that this rule does not apply regarding the morning Netilat Yadayim which one performs...

If one does not have a utensil with which to wash Netilat Yadayim in the morning, but he has access to a river or sea, or a Mikveh, he should dip his hands three times in that body of water, and he may then recite Berachot and pray. However, he should not recite a Beracha over this washing, since it is uncertain whether one can fulfill the obligation by washing in this fashion. According to some opinions, the impure forces that descend upon one's hands during the night can be removed only with a utensil pouring water on them three...

If one of a person's hands is, Heaven forbid, bandaged or in a cast, and cannot be washed, he washes the other hand upon waking in the morning, pouring water on it three times. Although he washes only one hand, he recites the usual text of the Beracha – "Al Netilat Yadayim," which speaks of washing "Yadayim" – "hands," in the plural form. He does not change the text of the Beracha to "Yad," despite the fact that he washes just one hand. The Beracha over Netilat Yadayim differs in this respect from the Beracha recited over the Misva of immersing new uten...

One cannot fulfill the obligation of Netilat Yadayim in the morning by dipping his hands in a bowl of water, even if he dips both hands three times. The reason, quite simply, is that the moment his hands enter the water, they contaminate it, as the impurity on the hands is imparted into the water. Hence, this water can no longer be used for the second and third washings. According to the teachings of Kabbalah, dipping one's hands three times in a bowl of water is entirely effective, though according to the strict Halacha, this method suffices to allow one...

When washing one's hands in the morning, one should abide by all the requirements that apply to Netilat Yadayim before eating bread. This means washing with a utensil from which one pours from his hands onto each other, and using clean water that had not previously been used for any purpose. The utensil should be complete, without any holes. It appears from the Shulhan Aruch that although one preferably should meet all these requirements when washing his hands in the morning, they are not indispensable for the performance of the Misva. Thus, it seems, according to the Shulhan Aruch, one...

When does one recite the Beracha "Al Netilat Yadayim" over the morning hand-washing? The Tashbatz (Rav Shimshon Ben Sadok, Germany, 13 th century) relates that the Maharam Me'Rutenberg (Germany, 1215-1293) would recite the Beracha over the morning washing in the synagogue, well after he washed his hands. He would wash his hands at home, after waking, but he recited the Beracha "Al Netilat Yadayim" later, together with the other Birkot Ha'shahar (morning blessings) upon arriving in the synagogue. Rabbenu Peretz (France, 13 th century), in his glosses to the Tashbatz, writes that although this was the custom in German communities, in his...

When washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning, one pours water three times on each hand, in alternating fashion. Some, as we have seen, pour four times on each hand. Immediately after the final pouring, one should rub his hands together three times. The fingers should be held upright – without being bent downward – while they are rubbed together. Afterward, one should hold his hands upright parallel to his face – making sure not to lift them above his head – with his elbows in front of his chest, as opposed to at his sides. He should then recite the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim...

When one washes Netilat Yadayim upon waking in the morning, he should use enough water that it covers both sides of each hand, until the wrist. One should move his hand somewhat as he pours the water on it, to ensure that the water covers both sides, the back and the palm. If one has a limited amount of water for Netilat Yadayim, which does not suffice to cover the entire hand, then he should wash the back of the fingers, until the knuckles where the fingers meet the wrist. When one cannot wash the entire hand, this minimum amount...

The accepted practice when washing Netilat Yadayim in the morning is to pour water on each hand three times, in alternating fashion. Meaning, one first pours water on the right hand, then the left, a second time on the right, a second time on the left, and then a third time on the right and then the left. The Seder Ha'yom (Rav Moshe Ben Machir, Sefat, 16 th century) maintained that one should pour three times consecutively on the right hand, and then three times consecutively on the left hand. Due to the difference of opinion, there were those who washed...

Numerous sources emphasize the importance of washing one's hands upon waking in the morning. Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868), in his Kaf Ha'haim, warns that one who neglects this Misva is deserving of excommunication, and his sin is considered as grave as the sin of adultery. Moreover, students of the Arizal taught that one who fails to wash Netilat Yadayim in the morning will be reincarnated in the form of water that flows down the street constantly, without stopping – the same punishment that is given to murderers. Elsewhere, in Torah Ve'haim, Rav Haim Palachi mentions the legend told of the Ba...

Halacha requires washing one's hands each morning, and the Rosh explains that this is because the hands move around during the night, and likely touched an unclean part of the body. According to this explanation of the Rosh, we easily understand why Halacha requires washing only the hands, and not other parts of the body. Other sources, however, give other reasons for this obligation. The Zohar teaches that when one's soul departs as he falls asleep, he is overcome by harmful spiritual forces. Although these impurities leave when a person wakes up, they remain on the hands, and must therefore...

We find in our sources four different reasons for the obligation to wash one's hands upon waking in the morning. The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, 1250-1327) writes that the Sages required washing one's hands in the morning because they likely touched the private parts during the night. As the hands became dirty during the night, they must be washed in the morning. The Rashba (Rav Shlomo Ben Aderet, Spain, 1235-1310) writes that in the morning, Hashem restores our souls which we entrusted to Him when we went to sleep. Not only does He give our souls back – He gives th...

It is forbidden to pray or recite Berachot in a public bathhouse, such as a Mikveh. This applies not only in the interior area of the Mikveh, where people actually immerse, but even in the changing area. Although one is allowed to silently think about Torah matters in the outer chamber, reciting words of Torah, Berachot or prayers is forbidden. (In the inner chamber, it is forbidden even to silently think words of Torah, even if nobody is present.) Therefore, one who wishes to eat or drink in the Mikveh – even in the changing area – may not do so, since he m...

A public bathhouse – such as a Mikveh – is treated by Halacha like a restroom in that one may not think about Torah matters there. Just as it is forbidden to think of Torah matters in a restroom, so must one refrain from such thoughts in the inner room of a bathhouse (as opposed to the changing room outside). Even when nobody is present, one must not think of Torah matters in a Mikveh, as it is considered a place of filth ("Zuhama"). Unlike in a restroom, however, in a Mikveh one is allowed to speak about non-Torah matters. Although speaking is c...

It is clear that one must not eat or drink in the restroom, as doing so is inappropriate. But is it forbidden also to bring food into the restroom? Many people keep sucking candies or other small snacks in their pockets throughout the day. Must they remove these products from their pockets before entering the restroom? For that matter, may food or beverages be stored in the bathroom cabinets? Hacham Ovadia Yosef cites the ruling of the Shalmeh Sibur that although there are harmful forces of impurity in the restroom, these forces affect only the hands (which is why one...

In an earlier installment in this series, we noted that Halacha forbids having a conversation while using the restroom. The question arises as to whether this applies when one is in the restroom for reasons other than performing bodily functions, such as to use the mirror for combing one's hair or putting on makeup, or while bathing a child. Is speaking in the restroom always forbidden, or only when one is performing his bodily functions? Rav Yisrael Bitan answered this question by noting two rulings of the Shulhan Aruch which appear, at first glance, contradictory. In one context, the Shulhan...

Special care must be taken to protect the honor of sacred books, such as Siddurim, Humashim, and all books of Torah literature. It is strictly forbidden to allow bodily waste in the presence of sacred books. When young children are being toilet trained, parents must not allow the children to use the portable "potty" in a room containing sacred books, and doing so constitutes a grave infraction on the honor of these texts. The Mishna Berura writes about a family that kept a bedpan in a small room which they used as a restroom, and the stench spread into the...

It is clear that one may not pray, recite a Beracha, or learn Torah in a restroom or in the presence of bodily waste. But is one allowed to perform a Misva, or to make plans for performing a Misva, in such a place? One example might be Sedaka (charity). Is a person permitted to write checks to charity while in the restroom, or to go over his finances to calculate how much to donate to different organizations? Another example is a person who is in prison, and the toilet is in his cell. If the Jewish chaplain was able...

The Torah commands in Parashat Shoftim (Debarim 23:15), "Ve'haya Mahanecha Kadosh" – "Your camp shall be sacred." The Gemara (Shabbat 150a) interprets the word "camp" in this verse as a reference to any place used for prayer or Torah study, such that the Torah here instructs us to ensure that any such place must be clean, without filth, to preserve the sanctity of our prayers and Torah learning. Accordingly, it is strictly forbidden to even silently think Torah matters in an unclean place, such as the restroom. It goes without saying that one may not speak Torah matters in the restroom. The se...

The Gemara (Berachot 62a) relates that Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Assi would go out to the restroom alone, despite the fact that in those days, restrooms were out in the open fields, where one was exposed to harmful spirits. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Assi explained that by remaining silent and conducting themselves appropriately in the restroom, they ensured their protection from harmful spirits. Later (62b), the Gemara tells that Rabbi Abba made a noise outside to restroom to see if anyone was inside before he entered. Rav Safra was in the restroom, and responded, "Come in." Afterward, Rabbi Abba reprimanded...

The Gemara in Masechet Hagiga (5a) teaches that it is forbidden to do something that revolts one's fellow. The examples given include expectorating or killing a bug in somebody's presence. A modern-day example would be leaving one's used tissues on the table. The Gemara warns that one is liable to punishment for such behavior, for doing things that cause others to feel revolted. By the same token, one is obligated to clean up after himself after using the restroom, to ensure that no filth is left behind that will revolt those who use the restroom after him. This applies both...

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 3:10) writes – based on the Gemara in Masechet Berachot (62) – that when one cleans himself after defecating, he should use specifically his left hand. The Gemara brings several reasons for this rule. One reason is that people ordinarily eat with their right hand, so it would be inappropriate to use the same hand for cleaning oneself. A second reason is that one uses his right hand when writing Torah matters. Another reason is that in the synagogue, the person signaling the cantillation notes for the Torah reader uses his right hand. Others explain this rule based on the...

As mentioned in an earlier installment, it is forbidden for a person to pray, recite Berachot, or learn Torah if there is even a tiny amount of bodily waste on his body. For this reason, a person should clean himself with water, or at least moistened paper, after moving his bowls, to ensure that no traces of excrement remain on the body. Young children, quite obviously, cannot be expected to maintain this strict standard of cleanliness. Nevertheless, it is permissible for parents to learn Torah, pray and recite Berachot with their young child, even if it can be assumed that...

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes (Parashat Vayeseh) that the modern practice of cleaning oneself after defecating with dry paper, without using water, is Halachically incorrect. Halacha forbids praying, reciting Berachot or earning if even a tiny amount of excrement is present on the body, and it is impossible to ensure the complete elimination of all traces of excrement from the surface of one's body without water. It is therefore strongly advisable when possible to have a bidet installed in one's restroom so he can clean himself with water. If one does not have a...

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 3:2) writes that when one uses the restroom, he should not reveal his private parts until he sits down, and he should not stand up until after covering himself. This Halacha was relevant in the time when people would crouch on the ground to perform their bodily functions, and they were thus to lift their robes only after crouching. Nowadays, of course, people move their bowels while sitting on a toilet seat, and it is thus impossible to reveal oneself only after sitting, or to cover oneself before standing up. Nowadays, then, the practical application of...