al nitilat yadaim:the blessing of washing our hands:
after we say the modai ani we proceed to wash our hands. in the siddur the blessing of netelot yodaim is recorded.
in practice the custom is to wash our hands twice.
first while still in bed with the waters placed near our bed the night before.right after the modai ani , without a brocho;blessing.
Then we go to the bathroom get dressed and wash again , this time with the brocho of al nitilat yadaim:
"boruch ata hashem elokanu melech holam asher kiddishonu vmitzvosos v'ztvovno al nitelot yodaim. "
blessed are you lord our g-d king of the universe who has sanctified us with his mitzvot and commanded us to wash (literally -take) our hands.
the hands are raised to our side burns pais harosh when we say this blessing (custom chabad).
what are the reasons giving for washing the hands? the sulchan oruch gives a few explanations:
1- during sleep we experience 1/60th of death when we awake this impurity leaves us but clings to our nails. we wash our hands to remove this vestige of impurity.
2- being the purpose that we awake each morning is to serve g-d hence as soon as we awake and the service of the day begins we must wash our hands . we learn this from the kohanim how they kohnaim washed their hands and feet before they did the temple service, we too wash our hands in the morning as we begun our service to g-d for the day, which is prayer.
perhaps today we can say that both reason apply; the first washing while in bed is to wash off the impurity the second washing after we are dressed and before prayer is like the washing of the kohnaim before the service, however here we are the kohan and the service is prayer which is in the place of sacrifices.
on a deeper level washing hands is not only about impurity or a holy cleaning but a spiritual preparation; the washing here represent the elevation of the emotions to the intellect. and the intellect being drawn down into the emotions.
this explains why the blessing is not ; "rehcitzas yodaim-washing of the hands but "nitilat yodaim" taking of the hands .
hands represent emotions (the right hand represent chesed and the left gevuro) we see a person expresses his feelings through his hands. when one is angry or hates they hit with their hands while when they love another they embrace and caress with their hands.
however the emotions as they are on to them selves can be too forceful they need the intellect to temper and guide them.
hence the intellect serves as a guide to evaluate the information and to see what type of emotions should be born, with how much force and the best way to express it and get the proper and desired effect.
meaning first we must remove from the emotions the aspect in it that it is uncontrollable. the irrational emotional part of emotions, not to allow ourselves to feel without concern or care but rather to raise up the emotions.
then we need to bring the intellect into the emotions to insure that which the emotion are feeling is true and correct, only then can we act upon it.
the need to analyze the emotions is bringing down the intellect into it.
hence first we raise our hands; emotions, up to the intellect to raise the emotions to the intellect. to temper them afterward we bring the intellect down into the emotions in order for the emotions to be guided by them .
perhaps this is the reason why we only raise our hands to the paos to the head -side burns not above the head, while when we wash our hands for bread after prayers the hands are raised above the head.
perhaps we can say the reason is that at this stage of the day before we have concluded the actual morning prayers we are not yet at the level to accomplish the full elevation of the emotion to the intellect and certainly not above the intellect.
however after we have actually prayed and connected with the Divine and revealed the full extant of our soul into our body we have the power to elevate the emotions fully up to the intellect and even above it. meaning at the beginning stage of the day when we first wake up we need to be wary that our emotions do not take us over, so we wash our hands and raise them to the level of the intellect; to control them.
however when we have drawn some holiness upon ourselves we can work on making the emotions do what the intellect understands even against its own nature.
this is similar to how before we pray the talmud says that our neshomo; soul, is bapo:nose, how ever once we have prayed the neshomo soul enters and spreads throughout the entire body.
hence we have three levels that we go through each day hinted by washing the hands:
1-before prayer at the side of the bed when we wash our hands; the focus is the removal of the negativity, specific the unbridled emotions, to elevate them and ourselves from being as if only an animal that has awoken from bed. to control the emotions from being like a beast.
2- after the first washing and dressing for we wash again before prayer . this is to become a human being and have emotions that are right and proper justified by our understanding of the situation and events. the washing helps us understand before whom we stand in prayer: G-d!
3- the washing before eating bread; the table being a "mizbach" alter; as if in the holy temple. as our rabbis explain that the table we eat upon at home is like an alter, here the washing is to bring holiness upon us. it to elevate the emotions even above the intellect. to reach the divine.
more so to reach the point where we not only elevate ourselves but can even elevate the physical world and food around you.
How? by the G-dly soul explaining to the intellect and animal soul withing us that it should do even more then just go above its emotional nature bit and beyond its intellectual limits.. but be totally nullified to the will of Hashem. complete self sacrifice.
this process occurs every day. the first moment of the morning effects the whole day.
by beginning with the washing of the hands we at least achieve that we are not like a beast all day roaring at all who pass our way. others reach higher they wish not only not " bite" people all day but wish to be kind and do goodness, to be a "mensch". however the jew is supposed aim higher, with G-d's help he or she is to transform them selves and the world around them into a home a temple for G-d.
