8. Up All Night

2:8 Consider the following scenarios: (1) A person who awoke during the course of the night, washed his hands upon arising and stayed up past dawn; (2) a person who awoke during the course of the night, washed his hands upon arising, but who fell back to sleep while it was still night; (3) one who was awake all night long. In all of these cases, it is doubtful whether or not hand-washing is required. Because of this doubt, the proper course of action is to wash but not to recite the bracha.

2:9 Things after which a person might wash his hands include: waking up, using the bathroom, cutting one’s hair or nails, touching one’s shoes, scratching one’s head, touching any part of the body that is normally covered, having sex, leaving a cemetery and giving blood. (This list is not exhaustive.) Some of these washings are because of spiritual cleanliness, while others are because of physical cleanliness.