English translation — תשא א

Sicha 1<pg>184</pg>

A.

The Rambam wrote in the Laws of Prayer<sup>1</sup>

"Five things delay the prayer..

Cleansing of the hands etc.",

and later there<sup>2</sup>

he explains: In what matter is it said that he cleanses for prayer only his hands alone in the rest of the prayers except for the morning prayer, but in the morning he washes his face, hands, and feet and afterwards prays.

And in the glosses there: I do not know why feet.

In Migdal Oz on the Hasagot of the Ra'avad "And I, his student, found it changed in a Baraitha in the latter discourse of the chapter Bameh Tominin<sup>3</sup>

That we conclude they hold like this that which is taught: A person washes his face, hands, and feet every day for the sake of his Maker, as it is said<sup>4</sup>

Everything that God does is for His sake."

And on this the Kesef Mishneh wrote: And it seems to me that this Baraitha did not escape the Ra'avad..

For this Baraitha was taught not regarding prayer but regarding whether it is permitted to wash one's face and feet in order to beautify oneself, as Rashi explained<sup>5</sup>.

And according to this, the dispute between the Rambam and the Ra'avad is in the interpretation of the aforementioned baraita<sup>6</sup>,

for according to the opinion of the Rambam<sup>7</sup>

this baraita was taught regarding prayer<sup>8</sup>,

and according to the Ra'avad it was not taught regarding prayer, but rather whether it is permitted to wash one's face and feet to beautify oneself.

And the later authorities<sup>9</sup>

added to explain the opinion of the Rambam according to the manuscript version<sup>10</sup>

in the Talmud Shabbat there "one washes..

his face, hands, and feet because it is said<sup>11</sup>

Prepare to meet your God, Israel..

all who act etc.'",

that the Rambam reads thus in the Talmud,

that this washing is "because it is said 'Prepare to meet your God, Israel'",

and therefore he explains that the baraita was taught regarding prayer,

whereas according to the Ra'avad the version is as we have before us, where only the verse "All that God does is for its purpose" is brought,

and therefore he explains that the intention of the baraita is not regarding an obligation before prayer, but rather a permission to beautify oneself.

And it requires explanation:

A)

Why did the Rambam not bring the verse that is the source for the innovation of this law — "Because it is said, 'Prepare to meet your God, O Israel'"

(And as brought in the commentary of the Geonim¹²

and in the books of the students of Rashi¹³),

in the manner that they brought below¹⁴

regarding the prayer of a ba'al keri?

<pg>185</pg>

b)

According to this version in the baraita,

there is no difference apparently between the morning prayer and the afternoon prayer etc.,

since "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel" applies also to the other prayers¹⁵,

and if so, the reason of the Rambam who wrote that this law is only¹⁶

in the morning¹⁷ is not understood.

2.

In the responsa Veshov HaKohen¹⁸

he explained,

that the reason of the Rambam is like the words of the Rashba¹⁹

who wrote regarding the distinction between the morning prayer and the afternoon and evening prayers,

"Because in the morning we become a new creation, as it is written²⁰

new every morning, great is Your faithfulness..

we need to thank Him, blessed be He, for having created us for His glory and to serve Him and to bless in His name²¹

And for this matter they instituted in the morning all those blessings that we recite every morning and morning, and therefore we need to sanctify ourselves with His holiness and wash our hands from a vessel like a kohen who sanctifies his hands from the laver before his service"²².

And based on this he explains²³,

that since every priest had to sanctify his hands and his feet before the service in the morning, therefore one must wash his hands and his feet in the morning prayer, and since the officiating priest, once he washes his hands in the morning, no longer needs to sanctify all day,

therefore they did not institute in the other prayers only washing of hands because hands are busy

(And based on this he writes there that the version in the Rambam is "he washes his hands and his feet",

omitting the word "and his face",

since a priest sanctifies only his hands and his feet,

and so it appears from the objection of the Ra'avad who objected only to "his feet" and not also to what the Rambam wrote "and his face"²⁴).

And the law of washing hands before prayer according to the reason of the Rashba,

brought by our master the Elder in the Shulchan Aruch in the laws of washing hands²⁵,

and this is its language: All<pg>186</pg>

A person who rises from his bed in the morning, whether he performed his needs or did not perform his needs, must wash his hands..

from a vessel, and even if he does not want to pray until after several hours, because every person, when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns his soul to him, becomes a new creation, as it is said, "new every morning" etc., that a person deposits his soul weary, and the Holy One, blessed be He, returns it to him new and refreshed, in order to serve the Almighty with all his ability and to serve Him all this day, for this is the whole of man,

therefore we need to sanctify ourselves with His holiness and wash our hands from a vessel, in order to do His work and serve Him, like a priest who would sanctify his hands from the laver every day before his service.

And behold, from the words of the Alter Rebbe that this obligation of washing exists "even if he does not want to pray until after several hours" it is proven,

that this washing is not related to prayer,

but rather it is a preparation for the entirety of the service of the Almighty "all this day"

(And it is also understood from that which the Alter Rebbe brought this law in the laws of washing the hands,

unlike the Rambam who brought it in the laws of prayer²⁶).

And another difference we find in the words of the Alter Rebbe there regarding the Rambam — that the Rambam also brought the obligation of washing the feet,

according to the above explanation

(from the responsa of VeShev HaKohen)

its source is in the sanctification of the feet of the Kohen; while the Alter Rebbe

(like the Rashba)

did not bring except the obligation of washing the hands — even though he also stated the reason that this obligation is related to the sanctification

(of hands and feet)

of the Kohen²⁷.

And it can be said,

that these two differences are dependent on each other,

as follows.

3.

The obligation of "And Aaron and his sons shall wash etc. and they shall wash etc."²⁸

— has two aspects:

a)

According to its simple meaning,

the reason for this washing is

(as the Ramban wrote²⁹)

"a way of respect for the upper realm,

for whoever approaches the king's table to serve him etc. washes his hands because the hands are busy etc."

And it can be said that this includes not only cleanliness in its simple sense but also the category of purity³⁰,

like purity from impurity which is through immersion.

And according to this, the sanctification of hands and feet is akin to the matter of immersion³¹

which must be done before entering the courtyard for the service,

even though he is pure³².

b)

From the language of the Targum³³

"Veyikadshun etc."³⁴

And from the language of Chazal³⁵

"Kiddush yadayim v'raglayim" implies,

that this is not a matter of purity alone,

but there is here an addition of holiness through this washing.

And the practical difference between them one could say,

that regarding the law<pg>187</pg>

Regarding the purification of the sanctification of hands and feet, there is one law for the hands and feet,

for just as in immersion one must immerse his entire body,

so too it is regarding the matter of sanctification of hands and feet,

that the hands and feet in this regard are like one entity³⁶,

and there is no purification in parts,

whereas the law of holiness in the sanctification of hands and feet its essence is in the hands,

for with them the service of the Temple is actually performed³⁷

(and the feet are only as a kind of aid — need to say standing on the floor etc.)³⁸.

[And it can be said that these two matters are hinted at in the two verses in the portion³⁹,

"And Aaron and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet",

"And they shall wash their hands and their feet and they shall not die": the second verse refers to the law of purification in the sanctification of hands and feet,

and therefore it says "their hands and their feet" together without interruption,

for regarding purification they are like one body and entity; but the first verse refers to the matter of holiness,

concerning which it says "And Aaron and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet"⁴⁰,

that the hands and feet are not in the category and entity of one,

and the sanctification of feet comes as an addition to the sanctification of hands]

4.

And one can say,

that this is the difference between the halacha in the Rambam

(according to the interpretation of the responsum "Veshev HaKohen")

and the law in the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe:

According to the Rambam,

washing the hands etc. in this era is akin to the law of purity in the sanctification of the hands and feet,

and as is explicit in his language in "Five matters

(that)

delay the prayer" — "purity of the hands etc.",

and on this he adds,

that for the morning prayer purity of the hands is not sufficient,

but one must also wash

(his face and)

his feet,

like the sanctification of the hands and feet of the kohen before his service in the Temple⁴².

However, the Alter Rebbe holds in the explanation of the words of the Rashba,

that this enactment is not from the aspect of the matter of the <pg>188</pg>

purity,

but from the aspect of the law of holiness⁴³,

and as emphasized in the language of the Rashba "therefore we need to sanctify ourselves with His holiness and wash our hands from a vessel like a kohen who sanctifies etc.",

and he did not mention the language of purity.

And therefore he holds that this is also fulfilled with hand washing alone,

since also in the sanctification of hands and feet in the Temple, the main sanctification was with the hands.

And the foundation of the difference between them we must say:

According to the Rambam,

this that they instituted washing of hands and feet corresponding to the sanctification of hands and feet of the priest is because prayers⁴⁴

corresponding to the sacrifices they instituted them⁴⁵,

and since prayer is like the service of the priest in the Temple therefore they need to sanctify hands and feet before the morning prayer.

And behold, the foundation of the difference between the law of purity in the sanctification of hands and feet and the law of holiness in it,

one can say,

that the law of purity is primarily from the aspect of the person,

that one who is not pure is not fit for the service,

but the law of holiness is from the aspect of the holiness of the Sanctuary,

that before one enters or performs service in the Sanctuary, he must be in a state of additional holiness.

And this is the reason that the Rambam holds that washing hands etc. before prayer is only in the manner of the category of purity in the sanctification of hands and feet of the priest,

because that prayer is in place of sacrifices does not draw upon it holiness as in the Sanctuary⁴⁶,

and the comparison is only from the aspect of the person,

that the service of the one who prays is like the service of the one who offers a sacrifice⁴⁷.

But the Alter Rebbe holds that the similarity to the service of the priest is not because prayer is in place of a sacrifice,

but rather because "a person deposits his weary soul and the Holy One, blessed be He, returns to him a new and rested one in order to serve the Almighty with all his ability and to minister to Him all this day, for this is the entire man; therefore we need to sanctify ourselves with His holiness and wash our hands from a vessel in order to do His work and minister to Him";

And for this reason he holds that this washing is not related to the category of purity,

for the category of purity is possible only as preparation for a specific service

(prayer,

study of Torah,

performance of a commandment and the like),

but not this, that a person serves God "all the day...

for this is the entire man",

which includes all his actions throughout the entire day

(including also "all your deeds for the sake of Heaven",

even

(in the language of the Rambam&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;)

that "he serves God constantly")

— therefore he holds that this is akin to the law of sanctity in the sanctification of hands and feet,

that this sanctity is not about purifying oneself to be separate from one's previous state,

in order to be able to work and minister,

but rather it is like a qualification for work and service.

5.

And behold it was brought above that according to the common version in the Rambam⁴⁹

washing of the face was also mentioned,

which was not in the sanctification of hands and feet of the priests in the Temple.

And one must explain the difference

(according to this version)

<pg>189</pg>

Between the washing before the morning prayer

(which includes also the washing of the face)

and the washing of the hands and feet of the priests — according to the inner dimension of the matters:

The distinction between the face and the hands and feet is,

that in the hands and feet dwells the power of action of the person,

but not so the face, they are the place of dwelling of the superior powers within him,

the power of intellect,

the sense of sight and hearing and speech etc.

And their meaning in the service of man is,

that hands and feet indicate the external powers in the soul,

which are clothed in the matters of this world,

whereas the face, that is the internal powers,

which are not occupied

(so much)

with worldly matters,

for worldly matters must be done without a heart and a heart,

without putting into them one's head and one's heart,

only "the work of your hands, for you shall eat"⁵⁰,

the work of your hands specifically and not the work of the brain and heart⁵¹.

And it can be said that this is the difference according to the Rambam

(according to this version)

between the sanctification of hands and feet in the time of the Temple before the service of the priests in the Sanctuary,

and the washing which is preparation and purification before the morning prayer,

which also includes the washing of the face:

In the time of the Temple,

when the service of Israel in general was as required,

namely that the inner [aspects],

the inner powers of intellect and emotions,

were always separated from mundane actions and worldly matters,

and especially in the Kohen who is separated to stand and serve before HaShem⁵²,

there was no need for purification of the inner [aspects],

only sanctification and purification of hands and feet⁵³,

namely the external powers of man with which he eats and drinks — matters that belong to "your works".

But in the time of exile,

and in each and every Jew who is obligated in prayers,

it is necessary to rectify the matter of purification also for people whose involvement in worldly matters is in a manner that they bring into this also their intellect and heart,

their inner [aspects],

therefore there must also be purification of the inner [aspects],

purification of the inner powers,

every day before the morning prayer.

6.

But all this is according to the Rambam,

that this washing is a kind of aspect of purity of the sanctification of hands and feet.

But according to what the Alter Rebbe said that "we need to sanctify ourselves with His holiness..

in order to do His work and serve Him",

the category of holiness for the entirety of the day's service,

then even in this time there is no need for washing the face.

And the explanation of this:

This washing is immediately in the morning when he rises from his bed,

as the language of the Alter Rebbe at the beginning of the paragraph,

and it comes in continuation of the saying of "Modeh ani lefanecha Melech chai vekayam shehechezarta bi nishmati bechemlah rabbah emunatecha"⁵⁴,

that even though the reason in simplicity that this saying can be with impure hands is "because there is no holiness in the words of this formulation,

since there is in it no [Divine] Name"⁵⁵,

behold it is explained in the Magen Avraham⁵⁶

that the inner reason for this is that all the impurities in the world cannot defile the "Modeh ani" of a Jew,

that even if there is a lack in this matter or in another matter,

but his "Modeh ani" remains always in perfection.

<pg>190</pg>

And this is that the acknowledgment in saying "Modeh Ani" its root is in the simple will of each and every one of Israel,

which exists always in every soul of Israel, whoever it may be and in whatever state it is,

and as the Rambam rules⁵⁷

the well-known [principle] that every Jewish person always wants to fulfill the will of his Creator.

And this matter is emphasized immediately upon his rising from his sleep,

because "every person, when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns his soul to him, becomes a new creation, as it is said 'new every morning...' that a person deposits his soul weary and the Holy One, blessed be He, returns it to him new and refreshed, in order to serve the Almighty with all his ability and to serve Him all this day, for this is the whole of man",

and this is that every Jewish person, immediately when he rises from his sleep, is ready to serve the Almighty with all his ability and to serve Him all the day.

[And this is the content of this statement of "Modeh Ani,"

"to contemplate immediately before Whom he is lying—before the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He,

as it is said&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;

Do I not fill the heavens and the earth, says the Lord,&lt;sup&gt;59&lt;/sup&gt;

— "so should he think in all his dealings and affairs"&lt;sup&gt;60&lt;/sup&gt;,

"And this is a great principle in the Torah and in the virtues of the righteous who walk before God, as it is said&lt;sup&gt;61&lt;/sup&gt;

I have set the Lord before me always"&lt;sup&gt;62&lt;/sup&gt;,

and this means that in this manner it should be the entire day].

And consequently, there is no need here for the matter of purity in the washing of the hands and feet

(since it is in the manner of something that does not receive impurity

(for example — everything in the sea&lt;sup&gt;63&lt;/sup&gt;)),

but only the category of holiness,

and this means that this preparation and qualification of the person to serve Him and minister to Him must be brought into action,

"to be sanctified with His holiness" in actuality — and therefore there is no need and no place for washing the face.

(From sichos of 18 Elul 5745,

Shabbos Parshas Devarim 5746)