Netilas Yadayim - Before Davening

QUESTION: Are the rules of washing hands the same for tefillah, for berachos, and for studying Torah?

ANSWER: Shulchan Aruch (92:4) writes that one is obligated to wash his hands for davening, even if he does not know that they are dirty. If he knows that they are dirty and he does not have water, he must travel up to a mil (18 minutes) to find water. If even at this distance there is no water available, he should wipe his hands on a cloth and daven. If he does not know his hands to be dirty, he is not obligated to travel to get water and should just wipe his hands instead. But if water is readily available, he should wash his hands for davening unless this will cause him to miss davening with a minyan.

However, for berachos and studying Torah, so long as one does not know that his hands are dirty (or touched an unclean area), he can recite berachos and study Torah. Moreover, the Mishnah Berurah (4:61) cites the Pri Megadim and Vilna Gaon who write that for berachos and Torah study, even if one knows that his hands are dirty, one may clean his hands with a cloth and need not look for water—though if one has water available that is preferable, since certain unclean areas also convey ru’ach ra’ah, and only water removes ru’ach ra’ah. Although one can recite berachos and study Torah with ru’ach ra’ah on his hands, it is proper to wash it away as soon as possible.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.