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What are the laws surrounding washing your hands on Yom Kippur? If you must eat on Yom Kippur, do you wash your hands before doing so?
There are a handful of activities one may not do on Yom Kippur, which represent enjoyment. So of course we know you’re not allowed to eat and drink on Yom Kippur, and included in that list is that one is not allowed to wash himself.
There are two questions that come up when we speak about washing. One is we know that every morning when we wake up, we’re supposed to wash “Negel Vasser,” we’re supposed to wash each hand three times to remove the ruach rah, the bad spirit that is on our hands after we sleep all night. So what’s the halacha regarding hand washing on Yom Kippur morning? It says in Shulchan Aruch that if one’s hands get dirty on Yom Kippur, you’re allowed to wash off the dirt – not with soap, but you’re allowed to wash off the dirt. So, similarly, since we wash our hands in the morning to remove the ruach rah, which is like dirt, just like you’re allowed to wash off the dirt, you’re allowed to wash off the ruach rah. However, although when we wash our hands all year in the morning, we wash our entire hand, on Yom Kippur, since the halacha is to fulfill the obligation of negel vasser you only need to wash till your knuckles, til the palm of your hand, on Yom Kippur morning, we only wash Negel vasser till our knuckles.
What Foods Should You Eat on Erev Yom Kippur?
When Must You Stop Eating on Erev Yom Kippur?
Do You Say Borei Me’orai Ha’eish after Yom Kippur?
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