Netilas Yadayim - Before Davening (Cont'd)

QUESTION: If someone was learning prior to davening, must he still wash his hands before davening?

ANSWER: The Rema (233:2) writes that even if someone davens immediately after learning, he must wash his hands prior to davening. The Biur Halacha explains that this is because the standard for cleaning one’s hands for learning is different from the standard for davening. For learning, it is sufficient to clean one’s hands with a cloth, but for davening one needs to wash their hands with water. Therefore, when he begins to daven, he must wash his hands. The Biur Halacha suggests that therefore if one washed his hands for bread and knows that his hands are still clean, he does not have to wash again for davening. However, the Biur Halacha notes that the Magen Avrohom does not hold this way. According to the Magen Avrohom, even if one washed his hands for bread, he must still wash again for davening. Biur Halacha notes that the ruling of the Magen Avrohom is was widely accepted by other poskim. However, the Magen Avrohom adds that if one washed for davening, even if he interrupted to learn, he does not have to wash again, since in this case the washing was done for the purpose of davening.

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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.