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Is this a chiyuv. I know there is a segulah attached but I can’t remember what it is.
The Shulchan Aruch says that you have to wash before walking 4 Amos. The later Poskim (I believe it’s one of the first Simanim in the Chelkat Ya’akov, but I could be mistaken about what he says; saw it a while ago) discuss reasons why nowadays people don’t do it immediately and why that might be ok.
In Europe, people were very makpid to have water and a basin next to the bed.
old man: In America and Eretz Yisroel people are also very makpid to have water and a basin next to the bed.
It is said from the Vilna Gaon, that after the Ger Tzedek, Avraham ben Avraham zt”l was martyred in Vilna in 1749, that the spiritual constitution of the world has become altered in such a way that a Jew was no longer bound to wash his hands in te morning within 4 amos of his bed. Rather, the entire house would be considered as 4 amos for this regard. This is why most non-chasidic ashkenazi Jews follow this custom now.
So are the Chasidim here!!
em0616 – do you have a mekor for that?
em0616: Source, please?
Those who consider the whole house as Daled Amos only quote the Shita of Rebbi Shimon ben Elozor who said that a room is like Daled Amos — by a Meis.
The Daled Amos comes from a Zohar Hakadosh that the Beis Yosef quotes. Otherwise the basic Halacha would require that you wash your hands before Davening.
By Chabad Chassidim, it is accustomed to be very strict with washing negel vasser before getting out of bed, and before putting one’s feet on the floor (unless one was sleeping in a bunk bed, in which case, if necessary, one may climb down before washing).
However, in other circles people are accustomed to be lenient, because the whole room is like daled amos (it is prohibited to learn Torah within 4 amos of a meis, and even outside his 4 amos it’s prohibited in the entire room – so we learn out from here that the whole room is like 4 amos).
If people will be woken up as a result of washing negel vasser by the bed, there is additional room for leniency, if there is a real need to be lenient.
@Nechomah – See Halichos Shlomo;Tefilah;Perek 20, Orchos halacha footnote 49) for the story with the Ger Tzedek, may the Almighty avenge his blood. HaRav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach zt”l said this over in the name of the saintly Gaon of Vilna.
What the Vilna Gaon said quoted above is amazing! I must think on this further…
In the book A Path for Life, a collection of wisdom from many Chassidic Rebbeim, it said not to let your legs touch the ground before netilat or impurity will follow you around the rest of the day.
It’s tricky, but do-able.
That’s right. Do-able. It’s a semi-legitimate word.
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