Rabbi Yoel Lieberman
Question
I am not sure that I am following, please excuse my confusion. My understanding is that there are 3 categories, one is the obligation to wash netiyas yodayim in the morning (and it is only for this that there is a brocho), there are 2 opinions as to why, the rashba (to be mekadaifh yourself in the morning to serve hashem being that you are like a new creation, and Rosh, because you touched covered place in the night, the other reason for netilas yodayim is because of ruach rah, and lastly that one must always was his hands before a brochoh if he knows that he touched a sweaty/dirty part of his body (normally covered). When one uses the bathroom in middle of the night he certainly must wash his hand before making a brochos, because of the last category, as always, and the discussion as to when to wash in the morning is dependent of the opinion of the rosh and rashba. I was looking for a reference as to the need to wash netilas yodayim, when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, for the ruach ah. Do you have such a reference in the mishna brurah? Thank you so much
Answer
ב"ה Shalom For the sake of clarity it is best to make your questions concise and elaborate only upon points which otherwise would remain unclear without details. So if I understood correctly, you are simply asking if someone gets up in the middle of the night just to go to the bathroom for example ,does he have to do Netlilat Yadayim because of the ruach ra'ah on his hands even before going to the bathroom and where is this written? The answer to that appears already in my answer upon which you originally questioned and that is :" The Mishna Brura (4:4) says that upon getting out of bed in the middle of the night even to go to the bathroom requires netilat yadayim without a bracha before using the bathroom because of the "ruach ra'ah" on his hands. However, the Eshel Avraham (4: 1) says that one who wakes up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom with the intention of returning to sleep, does not have to do Netilat Yadayim because the requirement for Netilat Yadayim is meant for one who gets up in the morning." All the best
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