The Shulchan Aruch clearly details the laws with regards to washing one’s hands in the morning after arising. Though that be the case, Rabbi Chaim Vital brings down the same process but also adds a reason as to the way washing should be done – which is not included in the Shulchan Aruch. Naturally – the Shulchan Aruch is a book about Jewish law – Halachah. As a result, only the law is dealt with. However, Rabbi Vital is here to teach us the hidden mysteries behind the law and therefore shares a reason for the process of washing as well. He also adds another point not mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch which adds further blessing to the way the washing should be done.
Rabbi Chaim Vital in Shaar HaKavanot (Inyan Birchat HaShachar) writes:
Now let us describe the manner of washing one’s hands in the morning. To start, one takes the vessel which is filled with water in one’s right hand. One passes it to the left hand and after this, pours water from the left hand onto the right hand. After this one should pour water from the right hand onto the left hand – making one time.
One then repeats this order a second and a third time in a way that one washes both hands 3 times. One should not wash them three times each one at a time, but rather one time on one hand and another time on the other hand in an alternate fashion. By means of doing it this way, one removes the impure spirit known as Shib… who is the daughter of the King and is particular to skip and jump. If one doesn’t do it in this way, the impure spirit will not leave – and so it is written in the Zohar.
(When making the blessing of על נטילת ידים we must raise and stretch out the hands.) One should join the arms (hands) together in a manner that the joints of the hands are directed backwards. One should also spread out the palms of the hands like a person who wants to accept something in them – and this hints to the reception of purity.
INSIGHTS
Just as the Halachah requires, Rabbi Chaim Vital tells us the process of washing our hands in the morning when we arise. The Shulchan Aruch explains that when we sleep at night, an impure spirit (see above) rests upon a person’s body. When we awaken after a night of rest, the spirit leaves, except for the ends of the hands where it remains. As a result, this impure spirit can actually affect us during the day.
Many might scoff at this idea thinking it to be ridiculous, but much like poisons and bacteria which may not be detectable to the naked eye and that get upon one’s hands can cause devastation to one’s body if – for example one touches one’s eyes or other parts of the body with hands that are filled with them, so too the Torah teaches us that this spirit remains behind us in an invisible way and can cause similar damage. There is only one real way to remove this impure spirit.
Halachah tells us that we should prepare for ourselves a “neggel vasser” with a basin next to our beds. The vessel contains two handles on it to make passing from one hand to the other easy. It will also prevent the impure hand from touching the pure hand while passing the vessel. The vessel should be filled up to the very top. One should keep a towel over the top of the vessel so as not to leave the waters revealed throughout the night (another topic.) Some units can be purchased with lids. Either way, the towel is a great idea, because one will have to dry one’s hands after washing!
When one awakens, the first thing one does is to recite Modeh Ani (the prayer for thanking God for returning our souls.) Then one should take the basin that is by the bed and place it on the bed, or lean over the bed to where the basin is. One takes the vessel with water in the right hand and washes on the left all the way up until the wrist. Then one passes it to the left and pours over the right (as above) and one does so three times in total.
Rabbi Chaim Vital teaches us that the impure spirit has its own way of remaining behind and will not leave until removed by a “special code”. When one washes on one side, it simply jumps to the other. If however one washes alternatively three times, the strength of this spirit is weakened and it then leaves.
Some have the custom of washing a fourth time to remove any impure water resting on the hands at the time of the third wash. One can then dry the hands.
After concluding this washing, Halachah tells us that we begin the day by going to the bathroom, and relates the order for the morning blessings. One should not bless the handwashing when still in bed. One reason being is that in all likelihood, one will need the bathroom and one may not bless when in a state of discomfort like this. One’s body is not yet “clean” for the day and one also feels uncomfortable.
When one blesses, one should raise the hands to the level of one’s head but not higher! One should have the palms facing towards one, though Rabbi Chaim may be telling us something different. One should place one’s hands with the palms placed in a manner that when the hands are placed together, the hands turn into the shape of a vessel which is able to hold the spiritual blessing that begins to flow into it at the time the blessing is said.
This is a vital Halachah in Jewish law – brought at the very beginning of the Shulchan Aruch and sets the stage for the remainder of the day. We should do well to appreciate the importance of preparing our bodies and our souls for the service of God each morning. When we choose not to follow this Halachah – God forbid – we allow the hands to remain in a state of impurity throughout the day which creates further problems – many which cannot even be seen or understood in terms of how they relate back to this morning washing.
One should also be careful to teach one’s young children to wash correctly and prepare their basins for them each night too. For children too small to understand, one should manually wash the hands for them by holding each hand and pouring water three times alternatively as above. Even though the child may not be obligated in Mitzvah observance, this education and spiritual purity will have an effect on them throughout their lives – in ways many could not even imagine.
