Spiritual Hygiene

The Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) is like an iceberg: The statutes that teach proper conduct in every facet of our lives are only a mere manifestation of deep spiritual causes and effects that transcend time, place, and matter. What you see is only a tiny portion of the spiritual benefits you get.

During the period between Rosh Hashana and Yom kippur - what we call the "Ten Days of Repentance" - we can do wonders in mitigating harsh judgments. This is a propitious time for prayer and self-improvement. All Hashem expects of us is that we're a tiny bit better today than we were yesterday.

If up until now, you weren't careful about washing your hands first thing in the morning, here's a great chance to perform an easy mitzva that could save your life, literally.

Jewish law dictates that you should wash your hands as soon as you wake up in the morning, pouring water three times alternately on each hand from a large cup, a minimum of approx. 150ml on each hand. The apparent reason for the hand washing is that one inadvertantly touches or scratches unclean parts of the body at night, and before saying G-d's name, the hands must be clean. Yet spiritually, the explanation is much deeper, as follows in a nutshell:

When you sleep at night, your soul leaves the body and enters upper spiritual realms. A body without a soul is tantamount to dead, even if the basic life forces continue functioning. When the soul leaves the body, as in the case of a dead person, the body is rendered ritually impure. Evil forces of the "Sitra Achra", or the dark side, easily control a person who is spiritually and ritually impure. That's why many people - especially Chassidim - put a pail with a large plastic or tin cup that holds a liter of water immediately beside their bed, so they can wash their hands even before taking their first step of the day, thus cleansing themselves from ritual impurity at their very first opportunity of the day. Why the hands? Spiritual impurity is especially concentrated in the fingertips, the point where the soul leaves the body.

One who harbors ritual impurity has difficulty believing in G-d or understanding the Torah, since ritual impurity acts as a barrier against Divine Illumination, thus preventing Divine light from reaching the soul. Only Divine light can nourish the soul. Therefore, an undernourished soul is easily vanquished by the animal urges of the body. The minute the body reigns, the person becomes a slave to base inclinations, and that's bad news, both in this world and in the next. You can study Kabbala day and night, but if you don't wash your hands in the morning, you're spiritually in the mud.

If you don't do so already, start washing your hands every morning, and within a week, you'll feel a marked change within yourself - LazerBeam guaranteed.

Comments

[JewishTale.com]

Interesting and important article! I learnt in Rosh Hashana about how David HaMelech only slept about 30 minutes at once in order not to enter the state of "touching" death. He would do it by not laying down but just let his head drop like a horse.

[JewishTale.com]

Washing husbands is also a great idea when it is allowed! We must just be careful to dry them well behind the ears now that the weather is getting colder! :0)

[D]

What's the significance of "pouring water three times alternately on each hand from a large cup, a minimum of approx. 150ml on each hand." as opposed to 1 or 2 times or simply going straight to the shower in the morning?

[Robert G van Dijk]

I heard this explanation of the nagelwasser ritual before but I always wondered: if the body is rendered ritually unclean after dreaming as the rabbi says, how about the bed sheets etc.? Do they become ritually unclean too by having been in contact with a ritually unclean body? And if so, is one then expected to change/clean these everyday?
I also heard of other explanantions of the ritual which concentrated more on the notion that after the soul re-entered the body the vulnerability for the SA / YhR 'remains' only on the 'white' outer edges of the fingernail plates because these indeed are (in terms of biology) 'death' - i.e. consist of layers of death, flattened, cells (keratine). And that these therefor are to be immersed/washed. Hence the term nagelwasser (litt. fingernail water). I always found the whole concept a bit hard to understand, but the notion of the whole body being ritually unclean instead of the mere dead ends of one's fingernails makes it even more so, i.m.o.?
Maybe the honoured rabbi would be kind enough to explain a bit further?
I understand it is a mere detail of the concept, but it has boggled me for quite some time now. Thanks in advance.

Blessings always,

Rob van Dijk
Amsterdam

[Robert G van Dijk]

B"H
I have done some further explorations on the Netilat Jadaim ritual. To the above poster 'D': I think the 'threefold' immersion is analog to other cleansing rituals and that the volume or amount of water advised is to ensure an actual immersion in water. I'm still boggled about the ritual uncleansiness that is possibly transferred unto bed linnen etc... Anyway, a very informative essay on the subject was written by Rabbi Martin Gordon and can be found here: http://www.atranet.co.il/gordon/netilat.pdf

Hope that helps,

Blessings always,

Rob van Dijk
Amsterdam