1. There is a rabbinical obligation to wash one’s hands upon arising. A number of different reasons are given for this obligation:
   1. There is a good chance that one’s hands became dirty during the night (by touching some of the covered places of the body) and it is proper to wash them before davening.
   2. In the morning, upon arising, it is as if a person became a new being, and it is proper that he wash his hands as he begins again his service to Hashem. (Similar to the Kohen who washes his hands before his service.)
   3. During the night, a Ruach Raah rests upon one’s hands and it can be removed only via washing the hands. (A related, but slightly different, reason is mentioned in the name of the Zohar: during the night a certain kind of Tumah rests upon one’s hands and has to be removed via washing.)

2. When a person awakes:
   1. As soon as a person awakes he should say Modeh Ani. This may be said even before one washes his hands. However, one should refrain from saying any other pesukim or tefillos until after washing one’s hands.
   2. If one is in a situation where he has no water available, he can clean his hands in any manner possible and say any tefillos required.
   3. One should be careful not to walk four amos (2.5-3 meters) without washing. Some Poskim say that the entire house is considered as one 4-amoh unit, however other Poskim disagree.
   4. If no water is available within this distance and nobody is available to bring water, then one can walk to the place where the water is to wash one’s hands.
   5. Some Poskim say that a person who gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and intends to go back to sleep, need not be careful about walking four amos without washing; other Poskim disagree.
   6. Because of the Ruach Raah that is on one’s hands in the morning, one should refrain from touching certain parts of the body before washing: the mouth, nose, ears, eyes, and all other orifices of the body.
   7. The "hands" are considered up to the wrist as far as this halacha goes.
   8. There is an opinion in the Poskim that a person who has washed his hands and then touched the hands of a person who did not yet wash his hands, the first person should rewash his hands to remove the Ruach Raah.
   9. A woman who gets up in the middle of the night to nurse her baby and did not wash her hands should be careful not to touch the baby’s mouth with her hands. The same applies if one gets up to change a baby’s diaper: he should be careful not to touch any of the orifices of the baby’s body. One is permitted to touch these places indirectly, i.e. if a cloth or garment separates the place from the direct touch of the hands.
   10. Similarly, one should refrain from touching any foods before washing. If one did touch foods before washing, the foods may be eaten. If possible, the food should be rinsed three times before use.
   11. Some Poskim say that if one touched the water prepared for washing before he washed his hands, the water is no longer fit for this purpose and new water should be prepared. Other Poskim disagree.
   12. It is important that children wash their hands as well, as soon as they reach the age of chinnuch. This is particularly significant because they touch food and the Ruach Raah will rest upon the food. There are those who are careful to wash the hands of children of even an earlier age for reasons of added Kedusha.

3. The Washing Process:
   1. Because of the Ruach Raah, the hands must be washed in a special manner: each hand must have water poured on it three times (and some poskim say four times) alternately.
   2. The utensil should be picked up with one’s right hand and handed to the left hand.
   3. The left hand should pour the water over the right hand and the utensil should be handed to the right hand.
   4. The right hand then pours water over the left hand, and then hands the utensil over to the left hand where the process is repeated either three or four times, as above.
   5. A lefty should also follow this routine. When washing someone else’s hands, one should pour the water with his right hand.
   6. Certain kinds of water should not be used for this purpose:
      1. Water whose color has changed as a result of foreign materials.
      2. Water that has already been used for some other purpose, i.e. water that has been used to heat up a baby’s bottle or put in a hot water bottle.
      3. Water that is salty, bitter or foul, to the extent that a dog would not drink it.
      4. Hot water (that has reached the temperature of yad soledes bo).
      5. Some Poskim say that mayim megulim are not to be used for netilas yadaim. This means water that was uncovered during the night. According to them, the water should be covered when left by the bed. Other Poskim disagree.

7. A utensil (kli) must be used for netilas yadaim. This utensil should be whole and should contain at least a revi’is (90-150 cc). A revi’is of water should be used for the washing process.
8. The hands should be free of any foreign items that would stop the water from reaching all parts of the hands (chatztita).
   1. Therefore a person who wears rings should remove them before washing.
   2. A person who has a sore or a wound on his hand and has a bandage on it need not remove it when he washes his hands.
   3. A person who cannot wet one of his hands (i.e. it is in a cast) should nonetheless wash his other hand and this will also serve to remove the Ruach Raah from that hand at least.

9. Each hand should be washed, on both sides, until the wrist. In case of need, i.e. there is not enough water available, it is sufficient to wash each hand until the end of the fingers (This is also what we do on Yom Kippur).
10. If any or all of the above conditions cannot be fulfilled, one should still wash his hands as best he can. If, afterwards, he can fulfill the conditions, then he should wash his hands again.
11. One can wash his hands in the morning in the sink, even in the bathroom.
    1. However, it will be necessary to wash one’s hands after leaving the bathroom as one would do during the day if he entered it.
    2. There is, however, an opinion in the Poskim that it is better to pour from one utensil into another and not pour into the sink.
    3. If the kitchen sink is used, it is a good idea to rinse it out after use in order to make certain that all of the water has gone down the drain and won’t come into contact with any food.

12. There is a Ruach Raah on the water that is used for washing hands. Therefore the water should not be used for any purposes, not even for watering plants. The water can be used for flushing the toilet.

4. Halachos Concerning Sleeping.
   1. Generally speaking, a person who wakes up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, should wash his hands afterwards as he would in the morning ("neigelvasser") and say "Asher Yatzar." In case of need, he can go back to sleep without doing either and rely on the bracha that he will say in the morning when he wakes up.
   2. A person who wakes up in the middle of the night in order to give a baby a bottle, can do so without having to wash his hands. (This is because he is only touching the container.)
   3. A person who is sleeping alone in a house, should light a night-light in his bedroom.
   4. One should be very careful not to store foods or beverages under the bed. The same applies to vitamins, but not to medicines that are not considered food. Similarly, foods and beverages should not be placed on top of the lower bed in a bunk bed.
   5. Foods or beverages that were under a bed at the time that someone was sleeping in the bed should be thrown out. (HaRav Heineman from Baltimore has written that they may be eaten.)
   6. One should not use an alarm clock that plays a song in order to wake up in the morning.

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