1) It is a Mitzvah to wash the hands,
until the wrists, before each Tefilah.
If one washed Negel Vasser in the morning,
and is davening Shacharis soon thereafter, an additional washing is not
necessary. However, if a significant amount of time elapsed between washing
Negel Vasser and starting to daven, an additional washing is indeed
necessary.
If no water is available (something which isn't very
common today, Baruch Hashem) before Mincha or Maariv it isn't necessary
to travel to find water (Up to a "Mil" as it is by Shacharis;
see below for discussion about the "Mil") and rubbing the hands on a
stone, wood, article of clothing or similar item that can clean hands is
sufficient.
However, since the Mitzvah is L'Chatchilah
with water, it is praiseworthy to travel to find water even before Mincha and
Maariv (Bais Yosef based on the opinion of Tosefos Brachos
15b)
If the restroom was used before Mincha or Maariv,
and no water is available, then one must travel up to a "Mil" to find
water.
2) The Halachic measurement of a
"Mil" (not to be confused with a "mile") is 1,152 Meters (3779.53 feet) , according to the Chazon Ish. The Poskim
have determined that it takes around 18 minutes to walk a "Mil".
Therefore, whenever one is halachically obligated to walk a
"Mil" (for water for davening, a minyan to daven with or water
to wash for bread) it is only necessary to walk for 18 minutes.
There is a discussion amongst the contemporary Poskim
whether one who is driving in a car, needs to drive 18 minutes to find water,
or simply drive the distance it would take to walk the 18 minutes
(which is obviously a much shorter ride than 18 minutes).
Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita seems to hold
that one would have to drive for 18 minutes. Rav Shmuel Wosner Shlita holds that
for washing before eating bread, one must drive up to 18 minutes, whereas for
washing before davening, as well as for traveling to find a minyan, one must
only drive the distance it would take to walk 18 minutes.
(See Shu"t Shevet Haleivi Vol. 8 Siman 19 and
Vol. 8 Siman 37. Also see Shu"t Teshuvos V'Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 98 for further
discussion on this topic)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER:
(Reader Submitted
Questions of interest and my Answers taken from the Q & A page on the Halacha For Today website. For
study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha. )
Reader's Question:
Q: First of all I
would like to thank you for this wonderful service of being mezaka the Rabbim
with 2 halachos a day. I would like to confirm what you wrote in todays
halacha,that no hilchos nitilas yodoyim apply until you are ready to get up for
the day.For example if one would like to take a drink in middle of the night he
is not required to wash negel vaser? if one has to use the bathroom and will
touch a part of his body he does not need to wash? What determines end of
sleep?if one sleep till noon these halochos don't apply until
then?
My Answer:
You are the second person to ask this question today!
Regarding your question: Yes, it seems that many Poskim (Eishel avraham
and others) allow a drink in the middle of the night, withouth a complete Negel
Vaser, rather a quick Netilah would work, no different than drinking during the
day after touching a Mokom Mechusah.
Likewise, one should indeed wash their hands after using the bathroom in
the middle of the night. However, that hand washing doesnt require a utensil
(Aliba D'Hilchasa) and even when being stringent and using a utensil, it doesnt
require three (or four, according to the Gra) times per hand like Negel
Vasser.
Also, there is no problem of walking 4 Amos without the Netilah, during
the night. There are poskim that are machmir,but it seems that we go with the
Mekilim.
Regarding Asher Yatzar when using the bathroom during the night, there are
poskim that say to make it during the night, and other poskim that say that the
Asher Yatzar you make in the morning will exempt this use of the bathroom too.
As far as your last question, i am not sure exactly, as all the sefarim
discuss is "waking in middle of the night, with intention of going back to bed".
I would guess, that if by going back to bed one will miss zman krias shema
and/or zman tefilah, that would constitute going to sleep B'Issur and thus not
be allowed and therefore not exempt from hilchos Negel Vasser. I will see if I
can find a clearer answer though.
Our holy sages, the Chazal tell us
תנא דבי
אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא, שנאמר הליכות עולם
לו, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות - one who
studies [at least two] Halachos daily is assured a portion in Olam Haba - the
world to come. (:מגילה כ"ח )
Important Numbers
