4. Netilas Yadayim in morning:[1]

* See our corresponding Sefer “Awaking like a Jew” Chapter 3 for the full detailed laws relating to washing hands in  the morning.

It is accustomed not to be careful to wash the hands of children upon awakening, until they reach the age of Chinuch.[2] [However, once the child has reached the age of Chinuch one must be careful to educate them to wash hands after awakening in the morning.[3]] (Furthermore one who is careful to wash their hands from the day of the child’s circumcision and onwards is doing an act of holiness[4].)[5] [Practically, the Poskim[6] rule that one is to beware to wash a child’s hands in the morning. This applies even if the child is of a very young age such as a nursing baby.[7] Doing so is a good Segula that one’s children grow up with purity and holiness.[8] Some are accustomed to do so from age one. Others are accustomed to do so from when the child knows to take food in his hand.[9] The Rebbe Rashab[10] wrote that one is to be careful to begin washing a child’s hand starting from when the child is no longer in diapers. The Rebbe[11] stated that one is to be careful in washing hands starting at the very least from age three, and so should be followed by all to be particular to wash the child’s hands each morning at the very latest starting from age three.[12] The Rebbe’s mother, based on a directive of her husband, was accustomed to wash the Rebbe’s hands each time he awakened from sleep in order to nurse.[13]] 

Summary: Until the child reaches the age of education there is no obligation to wash the child’s hands, although one who does so starting from the day of the Bris, is doing a holy act. Once the child has reached the age of Chinuch he must wash his hands. [The Rebbe Rashab wrote one is to be careful to wash the hands of the child starting from when the child is out of diapers. The Rebbe stated that one is to be careful in this starting at the very least from age three.] Q&A What is the age of Chinuch regarding the obligation to wash hands?[14] As already stated, it is best to wash the hands of children even before they reach the age of Chinuch. Once the child has reached the age of Chinuch he must be educated to wash hands in the morning.[15] The age of Chinuch in this regard is from when the child begins to understand the concept of washing hands to remove impurity. Every child is different in this regard.   Must children be careful in the pre-washing restrictions prior to washing?[16] Until the age of Chinuch[17] they do not have to be careful to follow the pre-washing restrictions. [The age of Chinuch in this regard is seemingly from the time they need to begin washing as explained above.[18]] Nevertheless, one who is careful to avoid letting them touch food until they wash is doing an act of holiness.   Should girls have their hands washed prior to the age of Chinuch just like was said by boys?[19] Seemingly it is proper to begin washing the hands of girls from the time the name is given. There is room to learn that it is proper to begin washing their hands even beforehand, starting from the day of birth. Washing Neigal Vaaser for baby before nursing:[20] Unlike the morning washing that takes place upon awakening from sleep, there is no source for being particular to washing the baby’s hands each time prior to nursing, and on the contrary, one should not be particular to do so. [The rumors existing regarding such a practice being followed by the Rebbe’s mother with regards to the Rebbe, are not fully accurate. While indeed the Rebbe’s mother washed the Rebbe’s hands upon him awakening from sleep in order to nurse, she did not do so prior to him nursing every time.[21] The washing was related to the rebbe’s sleep, and not to the Rebbe’s nursing.]

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^[1] See Basra 4:2 regarding children touching food as seemingly the intent of Admur there is with regards to washing their hands and not simply to not let them touch food. So also understands Kaf Hachaim 4:22; Shevach Habris 3:2; Nitei Gavriel 16:8

^[2] Admur Basra 4:2; So brings also P”M 4 M”Z 7 that the world is not accustomed to be careful to wash the hands of children. He however does not differentiate between whether the child has reached the age of Chinuch or not.

The reason for the leniency: As the G-dly soul only completely and mainly enters into a person when he reaches the age of Bar or Bas Mitzvah, and it is for this reason that when they reach this age they become Biblically obligated to keep the commands, and are punished for transgression. Now the beginning of the entrance of the G-dly soul into a child’s body is from the age that the Sages obligated the child to be educated in Torah and Mitzvos. [Basra ibid; Thus before the age of Chinuch, since the G-dly soul has not even begun to enter their body, this impurity does not desire to seek nurture in their bodies upon them sleeping].

[3] See previous footnote

^[4] lit. “Kadosh Yomar Lo”

[5] Admur ibid [Parentheses in original]; Nitei Gavriel 16:8 footnote 20

The reason: As in truth the G-dly soul begins to enter into the child’s body from the day of his Bris Milah. [Admur ibid; Thus the evil spirit has reason to reside in his body when sleeping starting from after the Milah.]

[6] Ben Ish Chaiy Toldos 10; Kaf Hachaim 4:22; P”M 4 M”Z 7: “It is proper to wash their hands every morning as Sakana is more severe than even prohibitions”. Chida in Moreh Baetzba 2:60: “It is proper to wash the hands of the small children properly in order to prevent them from placing impurity on all the items they touch.” ; Nitei Gavriel 16:8 footnote 20

[7] Ben Ish Chaiy Toldos 10

[8] Ben Ish Chaiy Toldos 10 in name of Chesed Lialafim 13; Kaf Hachaim 4:22

[9] Nitei Gavriel 16:8

[10] The will of the Rebbe Rashab to the general public printed in Ishkavta Direbbe p. 136

[11] Toras Menachem 7 [1953]  p. 194

[12] See Mishmnas Chachamim Maaleh 23; Nitei Gavriel 16:8 footnote 23; 17:14

[13] Toldos Levi Yitzchak 2:30; Nitei Gavriel 16:8 footnote 20; See Beiyn Halev p. 43; Keitzad Nichaneich Es Yiladeinu p. 210

[14] Admur 343:3

[15] It is a Rabbinical command for a father to educate his son and daughter in both negative and positive commands, beginning from when the child reaches the age of education. [ibid]

[16] Ashel Avraham Butchach 4; Piskeiy Teshuvos 4:8; See also Admur Basra 4:2; Divrei Yatziv 1:1; Tzitz Eliezer 21:20; Mishneh Halachos 7:1

[17] See Ashel Avraham ibid that possibly until the age of Bar Mitzvah one does not have to be careful in the above.

[18] Vetzaruch Iyun as the age of education differs between positive and negative commands. Washing the hands is considered a positive command while not touching orifices is like a negative command.

[19] Based on Likkutei Sichos 14 p. 250; Toras Menachem 5750 Vol. 3 p. 364; See Shulchan Menachem 5 p. 158-159 [Shaareiy Halacha Uminhag 3 p. 297] Darkei Chaim Veshalom 219

Background: Admur in Basra 4:2 states that it is proper to begin washing the hands of a child from the time of his Bris being that at that time the

G-dly soul begins to enter. No mention is made regarding when the G-dly soul begins to enter a girl and consequently from when it is proper to begin washing the hands of a girl. Chazal state [Avoda Zara 27a] that a girl is considered already circumcised. The intent of this is that the moment a girl is born she is already considered circumcised. [Likkutei Sichos ibid; Igros Kodesh 22 p. 260] Thus the

G-dly soul begins to enter a girl as soon as she is born, just as we say regarding a boy on the day of his Bris. Nevertheless, perhaps the actual entrance is when she is given a name. [Likkutei Sichos ibid] The reason for this is because the letters of a name is what connects the soul to the body. [Toras Menachem ibid] It is for this reason that we are particular to name a girl at the first opportunity, at the first available Kerias Hatorah, and do not delay it at all as is the custom of others, as who has the right to delay the soul from entering. [Shulchan Menachem ibid; Darkei Chaim Veshalom ibid] From the above it is implied that just like by a boy one begins to wash his hands starting from the day of the Bris, so too by a girl one is to begin washing the hands from the day her name is given, and perhaps even beforehand starting from the day she is born.

[20] See Admur Basra 4:2; 158:11

[21] Toldos Levi Yitzchak 2:30; Nitei Gavriel 16:8 footnote 20 [Unlike what writes Professor Branover in Beiyn Halev p. 43 for which I have found no source; nor like Rav Yosef Hartman in Keitzad Nichaneich Es Yiladeinu p. 210 who goes as far as to suggest that perhaps even Admur Hazakein intended to say that one should wash even before eating food and nursing. This to me is completely negated and makes no sense neither to say in Admur nor in the tradition of the Rebbe’s parents. To note that he quotes the tradition in name of Rav Rav Shalom Vilenker from the Sefer Toldos Levi Yitzchak p. 153. I have not found this on the page he quoted, and the Sefer Toldos Levi Yitzchak specifically writes as we stated above.]

The rumor regarding the Rebbe: Chassidim record in the name of Rav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chanah that the Rebbetzin was accustomed to wash his hands each time prior to nursing the Rebbe. Some even say that this was a directive of the Rebbe Rashab. There are no known written records on the subject from either of the Rebbe’s parents and hence we have to judge based on what Chassidim have testified to have heard from them.

The questions: In general, the entire concept seems puzzling, as we all know that a) the Jewish custom is not to be particular for a child to wash his hands for bread until he reaches a certain age. b) even after he reaches that age, Halacha is only particular that one wash his hands for actual bread and not for any other food. In fact, one who washes his hands for other foods besides bread is considered arrogant and it is a discouraged act. So, this custom seems to make no sense! Likewise, there is no firsthand testimony which claims to have heard from the Rebbe’s parents that this matter was a directive of the Rebbe Rashab.

The true tradition: Seemingly however the answer to this lies within the testimony of Rav Yitzchak Goldshmitd who transmitted what he personally heard from the Rebbetzin Chana that her husband [and not the Rebbe Rashab] instructed her to wash his hands every time he wakes up from sleep in order to nurse, starting from the day of birth. This falls right in line with the ruling of Admur in his Shulchan Aruch Basra 4:2 that whoever is particular to wash the hands of a baby who awakens from sleep from the day of the circumcision is called holy. Thus, we can conclude that the hands were washed only after waking up from sleep, and not necessarily prior to each time that he ate. In other words, the washing has nothing to do with washing for bread but rather with washing from after sleep which is something that we all do today.

A mistaken custom: Accordingly, those mothers who are particular to wash their child’s hands before they eat anything in order to follow the custom of the Rebbe’s parents are seemingly following a mistaken custom, not to mention that as a known rule we’re not meant to copy the personal Hanhagos of the Rabbeim, and there’s no greater proof of this than in this case where the Rebbetzin concludes and testifies that this was only done by the Rebbe and not by any of their other sons.