Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz
I see many people washing their hands three times with a cup next to their beds when they wake up in the morning, which they call negel vasser. What is this ritual all about?
Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:
The Mitzvah of Negel Vasser
We are required by Jewish law (Shulchan Aruch O”C Ch. 4) to wash our hands every morning upon waking up. There are a number of reasons for this ritual, one of them being to remove the spiritual impurity that rests on a person’s hands when he wakes up in the morning. Our rabbis (Shabbat 109a) tell us that the only way to remove this impurity is by washing each hand three times with a cup, alternating between the right and the left.
Hands – The Conductors of Sanctity and Impurity
Where does this impurity come from? Man is made of a soul and a body. The soul is very holy, while the body is mundane. During the day, the soul is contained within the body, and it raises the spiritual level of the body, protecting it from tumah – spiritual impurity. However, as the kabbalists tell us, while a person sleeps, most of the soul leaves the body and goes up to the spiritual realm. This leaves the body on a much lower spiritual level, and more vulnerable to impurities. This is especially true at night, when the evil spirits prevail.
When we wake up in the morning and the soul returns to the body, the holiness of the soul once again reigns over the body, causing the impurity to leave. However, the impurity lingers on the hands, because, as the holy sefarim (books) teach us, all kedushah – sanctity – and tumah enters and leaves the body through the hands, which is why our hands must be clean when we daven. In order to remove the tumah, we wash our hands three times each, which is why it is called negel vasser, a Yiddish term, which literally means “water for the nails.”
Preventing the Spread
A person must be extremely careful not to touch any bodily openings, such as the eyes or ears, or any food, before washing, as these parts are particularly prone to becoming contaminated with tumah. And ideally, a person should not even walk around before ridding himself of this impurity, which is why many people wash negel vasser next to their bed.
The Source: Night or Sleep?
There is a difference of opinions as to the source of this tumah. Some say it comes from sleeping, while according to others, it is due to nighttime itself, as impure forces are more active during the night. Consequently, after a regular night’s sleep, all agree that we must wash our hands. However, if someone took a nap during the day or was awake the entire night, it is questionable if he is required to wash his hands, and it is preferable that he do so, but it need not be at the bedside.
Not at the Expense of Others
It should be noted that while washing next to the bed is an admirable practice, it cannot be done at the expense of others, and a person must be careful not to cause any damage in the process. My rebbi (Torah teacher), Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, rosh yeshivah (head of school) of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, told me that although Rabbi Boruch Ber Leibowitz generally placed negel vasser near his bed, when he was a guest at the home of Rabbi Ruderman’s father-in-law, he refrained from doing so out of concern that he might damage the nice carpets. Similarly, Rabbi Ruderman did not permit the students of his yeshivah to wash next to their beds, out of concern that it might damage the property of the yeshivah.
In short: We wash our hands “negel vasser” when we wake up to remove the impurities that come to a person while sleeping. Ideally, it should be done immediately, which is why many people do so next to their beds.
Have another question to ask a rabbi? You can ask Rabbi Mintz your own question at asktherabbi@oorah.org, or head to oorah.org/asktherabbi/ to watch the latest Q&As or join Ask the Rabbi Live, Tuesdays at 9PM ET.
