5. Tzitzis and Hand-Washing

2:2 The first garment a man puts on should be his “tallis katan,” AKA tzitzis, as he should not walk four cubits without fulfilling this mitzvah. However, since he has not yet washed his hands, the blessing on the tzitzis may not yet be recited. The Mishnah Brurah (8:1) says to put on the tzitzis immediately after washing one’s hands.

2:3 The order of washing one’s hands in the morning is as follows: (1) Pick up the cup of water with your right hand and transfer it to your left hand. (2) Using your left hand, pour water onto your right hand. (3) Transfer the cup to your right hand and pour water on the left. (4) Repeat for a total of three times. (There are those who say to wash a fourth time, in order to rinse off the impure water.) The water should be poured up to the wrists but in a pinch, it is sufficient if it reached the first knuckle joint. (This is what we do on Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, when most forms of washing are prohibited.) One should also wash one's face in honor of God, in Whose image we are made. The mouth should also be rinsed as we need to pronounce God’s Name in a state of purity. Finally, one should dry his hands and face.