Tefilah: Waking Up Jewish

Understanding the Halachos of Getting Out of Bed

Kindness and Justice

The halacha rules that one should wash his right hand first. The Zohar explains the deeper meaning of this practice. "A person should wash his right hand with his left, in order that the right [representing kindness] should overpower the left [representing justice]" (Vayeshev 184b).

However, in another section, the Zohar tells us: "The water for netilas yadayim should be taken with one's right hand" (Teruma 154b). If the water is in the right hand, then the implication is that the left hand should be washed first. How can we understand this seeming contradiction?

These two passages are practically reconciled as follows: first, the cup of water is taken in the right hand, then it is passed to the left hand, showing that kindness represented by the right hand] overpowers justice [represented by the left hand] (Shulchan Aruch 4,10). Washing the right hand first further demonstrates the superiority of kindness over justice (Mishna Berura 4,21). This simple action helps ensure that Hashem's Kindness will be showered on us throughout the forthcoming day.

Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Daniel Travis and Torah.org