Halacha Series part#7 Home2Torah with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[Music] good evening good afternoon good morning whoever's joined us from around the world world chapter 4 the laws of washing your hands in the shelf and aro your thoughts yoga first we wash our hands and we make a blessing on the till see volume the truth is we don't really make the blessing right away anymore we wait until ready to go to synagogue and pray but there's not a whole lot of time between the time we wake up and get ready to go pray and if there is there'll be a little bit of a discussion whether or not you should say it now after you wash your hands or later when you're on your way to shul because perhaps we're going to discuss the different ideas the reasons why we wash your hands the why and the reason why we make the blessing and that would make a practical difference in when we will make the blessing ok so it said to wash your hands then make this blessing and then we say of special blessing after having gone to the bathroom sounds like really kind of funny right seriously we are so grateful and and they just added it we do go to the bathroom when a regular basis more than once a day if we're lucky and that means a number one and a number two and we're just so grateful that the body parts work that from the lungs and the holes and right we all have orifices and sometimes they'll just be closed and they are actually closed and sometimes this closely open and buffa shed thank God that they're open as opposed to the other way around where they're supposed to be open and they get closed or vice versa and also the the the organs that we have that are fully glue the lungs are full of let's say spaces and perhaps the the heart which has a space for the blood to flow through and when we think about this seriously we think about we should be thinking about it not just when we make the blessing and not just when we go to the bathroom but when we breathe and when we were able to walk and were able to talk we're able to function ok so it's to have it constantly what our minds minds a attitude of gratitude okay Misa you got it okay so if you're familiar with the blessings that's the issue yasar and in the admission of work he also mentions the al-qaeda neshama blessing which meat which is the which is the blessing about having the fact that God returned to us a pure soul our soul is pure and it was returned to us and we were extremely grateful these are the three major blessings that we say in order the first several and that's why it's all in a unit here and mentioned that way we'll get to the other blessings later right now we're just focusing on the one idea of washing our hands and interesting ly enough the mission of Guru says there are two reasons I personally have broken down for four reasons and we'll see what they are so the rush rights after the mission of reeds now there's two reasons so according to the rush I'm just gonna read it in English over here because what happens when a man sleeps a person sleeps his hands are very busy now unless you're in a straitjacket or you have a hermetically sealed pajama you're likely to scratch your armpit or any place that's normally covered okay and it would be impossible for men to not touch any of these places while he's asleep because he's not conscious of where his hands are so the rabbi's instituted a blessing on our washing our hands in order that we should be able to pray they should say the Shema rights my Israel unification of God and our silent prayer which is to leave the two most important prayers of the day now so the one thing we learn is when your hands are dirty you're not allowed to make lessons you can't use a shams name you can't say it can't pronounce it you can't say okay we don't learn Torah also when your hands are dirty so why did I say any any place is normally covered because and I'm talking about for me okay and basically women as well we're talking about you know from the neck collar the neck bone for men were a little bit more lenient but for women it's the elbow at least in America many men wear shorter sleeves so it's normally covered and and obviously where the pants are covering because the sweat that usually would evaporate stays close to the skin if you have clothes on the clothes don't allow the sweat to that right and we call I know women don't sweat they perspire no so the sweat is considered dirty so at least women know that but guys don't know it so we're telling you guys okay so if you touch places with the sweat does it's not allowed to evaporate then your hands are dirty and you cannot pray so like in the middle of the day if you scratch yourself inside your shirt before you pray or make lessons or learn Torah one would have to wash their hands again okay so that's the first opinion the rosh bob says that in the morning after one has slept we'd become kit brief of the shop i love this work it's as if we are born again we are brand new creature never have been on the planet before this is our first and only opportunity right now we're living living in the now we didn't have yesterday we don't know what someone's gonna bring but we were just created so as a new creation we wash our hands now he doesn't really explain more than that other than the verse we should we saw before for the sheen of the buckram raba a moonlit Emma how grateful we are that Hashem has given us another chance so as if he created us anew and based on that we need to praise a sham we need to thank God for what ready for these words why did God create us to honor him and to serve Him and to bless his name that's the reason we are created and the albers that because of this that's why the I've established that in the morning we make these blessings every every morning those blessings we say every morning now I read this as a cough gum de vars that tequila shots are as if it's a third reason it could be overlapping the second reason but I honestly see it as a brand new reason and that is to sanctify the hits Kadesh big du chateau to sanctify in holiness therefore we wash our hands from a vessel just like the Culhane gud or high priest who goes in to the okay same the any of the cody the go into the temple to do what to serve to serve the lord they wash from a special keyword and a special I know but it's a large vessel that's full with water and truth be told it's very probably very trippy they have to have their hands and their feet extended and they're washed at the same time through this letter some type of a it has many faucets around it it's full filled with holy water that came out of the mix in the morning and this vessel was lowered it down into the mikveh and brought up and that holy water is then I don't know where it is it's not sprinkled it's awkward but basically this is thinning this is kind of this spigot they open the spigot and their hands and feet and you'll see later on there's an opinion that holds we also have to wash our hands and feet in the morning okay that's pretty easy to do when you're gonna take a shower okay I mean for the feet anyway okay where are we so I see that it could be that one was being thankful and this is toward service so I see them as two different things one may say that's how we are print which are thanks by acting as but I think I believe that it's to another idea to have on your mind and when you wake up in the morning number one cleanliness number two thankfulness and number three servitude okay and we're going to see a fourth reason so I don't know why he brings down just two reasons and he says there's two reasons and the fourth reason which we'll discuss is called rock rock okay so maybe that's because it's more spiritual and maybe esoteric and maybe not in depth brought down in the in the the post-game in the same way as these are okay now let's say for example Lyle offered on a toke simcha snaked Emil homra the Indian Mithila he claims that we're going to be strict and hoped by both opinions so again he is still holding it's two totally different things one is cleanliness and the other one may be stupid maybe one opinion one concept with two sub categories to be thankful and to serve so we're gonna have in mind both now if for some reason one didn't bless on the washing in the morning let's say they washed but they didn't make the blessing later on they realized they already went to synagogue and they prayed and they realized they never made the broth of the blessing before and it's too late you lost out on an opportunity to praise a chef with God's holy name that we would be uplifted by mentioning okay because why because it would be a blessing in vain you mentioned in God's name the a very important rule is that the blessings in 98% of the time to home it's the general rule right every rule has exceptions the general rule is that we always make the blessing before the action immediately before an action like I'm gonna put a mezuzah on my door so I get it ready I kind of make the holes and everything everything's ready got the hammer and the nail and everything's ready to go then I make the blessing before that it's too much in advance and afterwards it's too late so there was a whole idea of making that blessing immediately hopefully we'll get into more detail when we talk about blessings and generally okay so he mentions the word and we should bless when now he says immediately after we wash our hands and you don't need to wait until you drive your hands and this whole idea now gets into the rock rock okay because if we're trying to remove this rock raaah rich ion called evil spirit upon us so it could be that just because you wash with water that still the water is still holding onto some of this contamination and until you get rid of it entirely you can't bless and that's going to be a whole discussion we believe the basic premise here is that even if your hands are wet it's okay cuz it's gone we wash three times could be if you only wash twice it wouldn't be enough but the third time should have washed all that water away I just want to reiterate why what we talked about rora in Judaism we do speak about holiness and that God is all good and all goodness comes from God and at the same time no evil can actually come from God yet at the same time it says that God created evil so how can that be so what we understand is like this that God allows evil into the world when he removes himself as if to say right as if so our holy soul is really very godly and we have five levels of our song and when we sleep the highest level of our soul disconnects and goes up to God therefore there's a vacuum that's caused anytime there's a vacuum of holiness what could possibly enter the opposite of holiness and therefore that while we're asleep we experience will call one sixtieth of death which really means when we say one sixtieth it's a term meaning it's negligible it's almost you can't even feel it but we know that you're sleeping your your body is resting obviously they say it's not really resting it's recharging but there's certain rest going on and even your soul is recharging and that's why that highest level result is actually connecting into the highest levels of godliness whatever that sphere may be leaving this this world and my Russia shivay dimensions you guys before the best thing before you go to sleep this have a great question in Torah and philosophy and in what life is about and by the next morning it doesn't mean you'll be conscious of it you maybe if you're lucky but at least you would have on a subconscious level some answers oh wow yeah sir of North Weinberg there's five levels of yourself nice okay where we at so he says that if it's still bad it could be that the rock rock this is the first time the rock rods me mentioned because we want to get rid of the rock rock from our hands okay now why their fingertips because what happens is when your higher level of soul goes in again we don't know where that is let's assume rightfully so that it's the essence of who you are and therefore the extremities the most extreme the leaves through the extremities and the most extreme place will be your fingertips so since it's leaving through your fingertips there may be a little bit of residue left and you want to get rid of that residue may fine you with us no good take them leave it off but if you have any questions please turn it back on and shout out okay he does discuss a little bit I don't want to go too much into it about taking the clothes from your servant if you have a butler right we all have Butler's who may not have washed their hands or may not be Jewish who touched your clothes and handling you close to you it may be damaging we're not going to go to the moment then he does mention that one should wash their face right the face is whether it's the window of God and it's the thing that other people see the most and you should have a pleasant countenance so we wash our hands in the morning we should wash our face in the morning and he mentions here we should wash our feet as well now he mentions and why do we do it he says we should vote kono it's for the honor of our Creator that's why we're watching ourselves I mean yes I'm sure it's more comfortable it's convenient you feel good you know what I mean you know what you know what I mean when you go camping you don't shout for there too it's like a little bit of kick see but we are here on this planet to give honor to God therefore we should wash our face which is really very unique of who we are and we're showing who our soul is through our face obviously through our actions in our speech but our face also reflects God in a second sense now there are places he's writing in Europe North Eastern Europe Central Europe where people would not go barefoot but imagine if you live in the Middle East like in Israel maybe I don't know California right people walk there from California but anyway so let's say the Middle East in Israel so I guess pick maybe maybe you mean sandals but he says barefoot what's your theme ok so then he says for those people they don't have to wash their feet no no sorry all right so our countries who don't care don't go bare feet don't walk barefoot there's no strictness in washing your feet but those who do walk barefoot I guess it's a little bit more strict in terms of washing their feet and then we say assure us are as I mentioned because in the morning he mentioned the same thing we're a bria had the shop were like a brand new being and therefore he stresses because your brief had the shine you need to thank a shaman and then he mentions the Kashima that were so grateful and thankful to a Shem that he gave us our pure souls our souls are pure you get that our souls are pure when they were when we were created and our souls are pure every morning when we wake up unfortunately it's us through our actions and our thoughts that dirty them but God gives us a clean slate ok so the idea of saying as I mentioned this blessing on after going to the bathroom he's mentioned two ideas one is the the it sirasa goof was so we're so grateful that he created the body the way he did but you show Tommy Tommy mockery he does mention there are gonna be other reasons see in the up running science when I remember having to go there right now but he again he mentions this whole idea Bria cut the shop so what happens if you slept if you would if you were awake the entire night you didn't sleep what are you gonna do so you're not able to bless he says I share your thumb people saying which means the feet time debrief of the shot amaya know our close ally law the ozlowe not said riah for the shuttle bulkhead if you were awake the whole night you're not considered a brand-new a creature in the morning in your the varnishes are you lawsuits are half okay so what we just learned really was that even if you didn't go to the bathroom in the morning you still make the blessing ash a guitar because the only way you could say a shameless are because it's also going Andreea to the shop is if you went to the bathroom now there's a whole idea about getting up in the middle of the night and having to go to the bathroom I'll tell you if you're conscious you're aware you're right you're not just sleepwalking so you actually should say they show us are we after you leave the bathroom and wash your hands but if you have to sleep I don't really see any reason to say the brothel shirts are you asleep so I think that people should obviously not know themselves I want to get to there so he says someone who's your Shania but is a year sure my if someone who has the proper and healthy fear of God should be strict on themselves and he should wash his hands and then when he gets dressed or puts his belt on was on right and the proper thing is to separate now women have a natural separation okay we're not going to get too graphic here but a man should put on a belt there should be a separation between his heart and what we call his nakedness the the member down below and a woman has a natural separation so she doesn't need a belt she doesn't need any type of separation a artificial separation between her heart and her air but before we make any blessings so as an example if the person who didn't have any underwear on that had a long shirt so that would not be appropriate for him to make blessings he would have to have either other way which has elastic or custom kind of belt that would separate if you notice there'll be many men in synagogues that when they come to pray even though they may be wearing elastic underwear even though they may be wearing a regular belt on their pants they add an additional belt because not because I love this in Prophet Amos so it says prepare to meet your maker but for some reason with you know everything we grew up in the West you might not think of Amos but Clint Eastwood when he takes the 45 and puts it up to someone's face and says prepare to meet your maker but Amos he's the one who who invented it right so when we are about to pray we what's the idea let's say you have a regular belt take it one much cuz you're hurting yourself you're getting ready for something you know what I mean like the Khans pulling up your bootstraps getting ready so even though the law says you have to have a natural separation will you out of her but many of us go out of her way to add that extra boost power to prepare ourselves come on you've heard all this before you just like the way I talk okay so for example let's say in the old days they used to have what you would call a [Music] now I know a pan by the bed I forget what it's called a bed pan let's say for example so if he says like this however Europe but a table Rafa at the time you make the broth ah lahar ki maja beats shell may rely on Arba almost if you have some kind of a bed pan you get you know what a bed pan is okay a little bucket here in your room where you can't you don't want to go to the outhouse or you're you have a problem with the plumbing so you have this little thing so make sure to stay a distance of 6 to 8 feet away from it now if what what actually is okay let's say it's not a regular bed pan but it's just a bucket so then if you add a certain amount of water they knows you're diluting the the urine then it should be okay to make a blessing nearby you notice we don't want to make blessings where things have feces and the smell of the feces and then this comes in problematic with children not the children of problematic god forbid children are lovely but sometimes they leave little packages around so before we pray and if you especially if you're bringing children to synagogue then we have to check to make sure that the child is clean and that the diaper is empty or we have to bring them out the room and and change it we just it's an abomination hashem calls it an abomination to make blessings in such an environment where you have these these species so what do they do right now I know that is going on for a long time and we're going to continue we're going to stop right now on this part we're going to move over to the parsha okay guys you could turn your microphones on I just want to know if you have any questions at this point [Music]