Netilat Yadayim upon Waking Up: Difference between revisions

When one wakes up in the morning there is a mitzvah to wash one's hands 3 times with a cup. The details of when and how it should be done are described below:

# One should wash with a cup or some sort of vessel. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 4:7, Kitzur S"A 2:4, Mishna Berura 4:15. </ref> If there is no cup, according to Ashkenazim, if one is in an extenuating circumstance and one wants to pray, one may wash without a cup, with a bracha, however, according to Sephardim, if one washes without a cup, such as if one washes directly from the faucet, one shouldn't make a beracha. <ref> Kitzur S"A 2:6 writes that in an extenuating circumstance when there's no cup available and one wants to pray one should wash without a cup with a bracha. However, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments on Kitzur S"A 2:9) writes that if one washes without a cup one shouldn't make the bracha. Halacha Berura 4:12 also writes that if one washes from the faucet one shouldn't make the bracha.</ref>

# One should wash up to one's wrists. If there's not enough water, it is sufficient to wash up to one's major knuckles (where the finger connects to the hand). <ref> Mishna Brurah 4:9 writes that one should wash up to one's wrists and if there's not enough water, it is sufficient to wash up to one's knuckles. Kitzur S"A 2:3 agrees. Ben Ish Chai (Parashat Toldot #2) writes that one must wash until one's wrists except for on [[Yom Kippur]] and [[Tisha BeAv]] when it is sufficient to wash up to one's knuckles. </ref>

# Before pouring the water the filled vessel should be picked up with the right hand and passed to the left hand. <ref> Ben Ish Hai, Toledot, Halacha 1; Kaf HaChaim 4:12 </ref>

# Even a lefty should begin to wash his right hand first.<Ref>Kaf HaChaim 4:35, Artzot HaChaim 4:10, Halacha Brurah 4:22</ref>

==When should one wash one's hands?==