7. In the Absence of Water

2:6 The morning hand washing should be performed using a vessel, water and human effort, i.e., by pouring the water over one’s hands rather than sticking them into running water. This is similar to the way in which we wash our hands before eating bread (a topic we’ll come to in Chapter 40). In a pinch, one may compromise on these aspects, such as by sticking one’s hands in a river or even in snow. (Even when not using a cup, it is still preferable to immerse one’s hands three time.) In a complete absence of water, one may cleanse his hands with some other material, for example, sand or wood, and this is sufficient to enable him to pray. When cleansing one’s hands without water, one would not say the usual bracha of “al netilas yadayim.” Rather, one would say the text “al nekiyus yadayim,” that God commanded us regarding the cleanliness of our hands. When one gets to a source of water, he should then wash properly, though not recite the blessing at that point (having already recited it with the modified text).

2:7 In Psalm 103, we call upon our own souls to bless God and everything within us to praise His Name (verse 1). Since we are to bless him with our entire being, we must cleanse our insides just as we do our outsides before praying. This means to use the bathroom to expel waste matter (as much as we are able). The proper order of things is to wash one’s hands without reciting the bracha, use the facilities, then wash the hands again (as we do after using the bathroom). At that time, say the bracha “al netilas yadayim,” followed by “asher yatzar” (recited after using the restroom) and the other morning prayers, such as the blessings on Torah study. If one doesn’t need to relieve himself, it’s preferable to wait until he does to recite al netilas yadayim (see Mishnah Brurah 4:4).