Published January 28, 2010
BARUCH ATA HASHEM ELOKEINU MELECH HAOLAM, ASHER KIDSHANU B’MITZVOTAV; V’TZIVANU AL NETILAT YADAIM.
Simple translation: Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
Halachic Q&A:
WHEN I WASH my hands in the morning, I often forget to remove the ring from my finger. I know that if the ring is tight on my finger and will stop the water from reaching my finger, it must be removed or the washing is invalid. But my ring fits loosely and the water comes in contact with the finger. Must I remove it before I wash?
The halacha (Siman 4:7) states that when you wash your hands in the morning, you should to be careful to adhere to the same rules that apply to washing hands for a meal. The Rema (Siman 161:3) rules that for a meal, even a loose-fitting ring should be removed. However, if a person forgets to do so, the washing is still valid.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky rules (Daas Noteh, Teshuva 251, F\N 249) that the requirements for washing for a meal do not apply with equal stringency to washing in the morning, and therefore, you need not remove a loose-fitting ring which allows the water to come in contact with the finger.
Take it with you: Your personal connection to the prayer…
What will your hands do today? Will they hold a siddur? Wrap tefillin on your arm and head? Touch a mezuza? Lift a crying child? Repair a broken object? Prepare a meal? Earn your livelihood? Each day on awaking, you have the opportunity to elevate your hands to the service of G-d. Our hands are our agents for all the good and all the harm we do in the world. When you pour “negel vasser” over your hands each morning, you raise them and purify them, readying them to perform the tasks G-d sets before you that day.
Towards better KAVANA: Before you wash your hands in the morning, imagine that your hands are like a drooping, dried out houseplant. Now pour the water over them, and feel them coming back to life, absorbing purity and vitality from the water. As you say the words “netilat yadayim,” raise you hands up slightly and hope in your heart that today, your hands will indeed be instruments of holiness.
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