Day #1 - Siman 001 - Seif 001
OVERVIEW
One should rise in the morning like a lion to serve the Creator.
One should not remain in bed so that he will miss tefilla be’tzibbur.
One should conduct himself with an awareness of Hashem’s presence.
One should not let the mocking of others deter him from serving Hashem properly.
One should behave with modesty and wake up quickly to serve the Creator.
❖ A person should consider: “If I had to wake up to serve an earthly king how careful would I be to get up early to prepare,” all the more so when serving the Creator must one get up early to prepare. (M.B. 1)
❖ As soon as one wakes up and will not sleep any more, he should wash his hands even if he will remain in bed. Certainly, he should not walk four amot without washing. (M.B. 2). However, if he wants to go back to sleep, he is allowed to think of Torah without washing his hands (Yabia Omer O”H 8, Siman 4)
❖ If water is not ready nearby, some opinions maintain that one should walk in increments of less than four amot whereas others maintain that one should walk quickly to remove the tumah on his hands. (M.B. 2). Our Custom is like the first opinion. (Hida, Ben Ish Hai, K”H) However if he wakes up before Hatzot (midnight) he doesn’t have to be careful not to walk four amot. (K”H 4:4)
❖ According to some opinions one’s house is considered to be only four amot [and thus it is acceptable to walk to where water for washing is available] but that opinion should be relied upon only in difficult circumstances. (M.B. 2) However if he went to sleep after hatzot (midnight) there is room to be lenient (Halacha Berurah 4:3)
❖ One must be cautious not to get into arguments even in the service of Hashem. (M.B. 5)
❖ A person should not be afraid to learn or perform a mitzvah even in the presence of those who are greater. (M.B. 6)
❖ One should not rise too quickly since that is damaging to the body. (M.B. 8)
❖ As soon as one wakes up, he should recite Modeh Ani. (M.B. 8)
❖ One should pause after the word בחמלה and the words רבה אמונתיך should be read together. (M.B. 8)
❖ One is not required to wash his hands before reciting Modeh Ani. (M.B. 8)
HALACHA HIGHLIGHTS
AT WHAT AGE DO CHILDREN BEGIN TO WASH THEIR HANDS IN THE MORNING ?
Mishna Berura, Seif Katan 2
(ומיד כשיתעורר משנתו... יטול ידיו (מ“בס“קב׳
And immediately upon waking from one’s sleep… he should wash his hands Poskim discuss the age at which one should begin to wash Netilat Yadayim for a child. Although young children are not obligated in mitzvot there is a concern, that the tumah on their hands will defile the food that they touch. Accordingly, Pri Megadim ( משב״ז ד"ז) wonders why people are not more careful to wash Netilat Yadayim for their children when the matter involves potential danger, which halacha treats more stringently than matters of prohibition. Mishna Berura (ד"י) also writes that one should wash their children’s hands since they touch their food. Sefer Orchot Rabbenu reports that in the Steipler’s home they would start washing Netilat Yadayim for their children when they were capable of putting their hands to their eyes, which was when they were three or four months old. Shulchan Aruch HaRav (מהדו״ק נ"ד) adopts a lenient approach and writes that it is unnecessary to begin washing a child's hands before they reach the age of chinuch. The rationale is that the presence of tumah is the consequence of kedusha leaving a person. Therefore, for example, there is no issue for a gentile to touch food since tumah does not adhere to their bodies being that they do not possess kedusha. When a child reaches the age of chinuch the kedusha associated with Torah and Mitzvot begins to develop, consequently the presence of tumah is also introduced. Therefore, one should begin to wash Netilat Yadayim for their children when they reach the age of chinuch. The precise age of chinuch is not clearly defined. Some Poskim mention that the obligation begins as late as between the ages of five and seven. The Ben Ish Hai (Toldot 10) writes a person should preform Netilat Yadayim even to young infants because they might touch food and defile it. Also, it is a segulah that the children will grow up with purity and become holy.