When washing one's hands in the morning, one should abide by
all the requirements that apply to Netilat Yadayim before eating bread. This means washing with a utensil from which
one pours from his hands onto each other, and using clean water that had not
previously been used for any purpose. The
utensil should be complete, without any holes.
It appears from the Shulhan Aruch that although one
preferably should meet all these requirements when washing his hands in the
morning, they are not indispensable for the performance of the Misva. Thus, it seems, according to the Shulhan
Aruch, one who does not have a utensil for washing in the morning may run his
hands under the faucet, and may even recite a Beracha when washing in this
fashion. Since a utensil is not strictly
required, one fulfills his requirement even without a utensil, and so one who
washes without a cup can recite a Beracha.
However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef ruled that since many disagreed
with the Shulhan Aruch on this point, and maintained that one cannot fulfill
the obligation of the morning washing without using a utensil, we must apply
the rule of "Safek Berachot Le'hakel" – that a Beracha should not be recited in
situations of doubt. The Aruch
Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, 1829-1908) challenges the Shulhan
Aruch's position, noting that both the Rambam and the Rashba (Rav Shlomo Ben
Aderet, Spain, 1235-1310) rule stringently, that the morning hand washing
requires all the conditions that are required when washing before a meal. Therefore, given the uncertainty surrounding
the possibility of fulfilling the obligation without a utensil, one who does
not have a utensil should wash his hands, but without reciting the Beracha of
"Al Netilat Yadayim." This was the view
also of Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868).
Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Jerusalem, 1924-1998) ruled that one who
washes Netilat Yadayim in the morning without a utensil recites a blessing, but
Hacham Ovadia disagreed with this position, as discussed.
The Yalkut Yosef writes that if one washes from a faucet
without a utensil, he should place his hands under the water three times in
alternating fashion, just as one normally pours water over his hands three
times in alternating fashion.
If a person washes in the morning without a cup, he should
wash again later once he has access to a cup.
If a long time has passed since his first washing, then he does not
recite the Beracha over the second washing.
If, however, he has access to a cup not long after he had washed
straight from a faucet, then he recites a Beracha over the second washing. Although he might have fulfilled the
obligation through his initial washing, nevertheless, he may in this case rely
on the opinions who allow reciting the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" after
the morning hand-washing. As we saw in a
previous installment, some communities had the practice of reciting "Al Netilat
Yadayim" together with the morning blessings in the synagogue. Although we do not follow this practice, one
may rely on this opinion if he washes without a utensil and then soon
thereafter is able to wash with a utensil.
Summary: One must wash his hands in the morning with a
utensil, just as one must when washing before eating bread. However, if one does not have a utensil for
the morning hand-washing, then he washes his hands by placing them under the
faucet three times in alternating fashion, but without reciting the Beracha of
"Al Netilat Yadayim." If soon thereafter
he has access to a cup, he should wash again with a cup and recite the
Beracha. If he is able to wash from a
cup only after a considerable amount of time has passed since the initial
washing, then he washes again but without reciting a Beracha.
