Orah Haïm קס״ד · Level 4 · שיטת אדמו״ר הזקן

דעת הרב

Level 4 — Daat HaRav (Alter Rebbe) — Siman קס״ד · שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה

The Alter Rebbe’s way on the תְּנַאי עַל הַנְּטִילָה : washing in the morning and stipulating for the whole day ; guarding the hands and gloves ; a netila not for bread ; and re-washing during the meal after touching a מָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף — in the Habad sensibility.

Why a Level 4 devoted to the Alter Rebbe ? The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mehaber (מחבר) — it is a complete, self-standing Shulchan Aruch, written by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Habad, disciple of the Maggid (מגיד) of Mezeritch). Its singularity : it combines halakha (הלכה) + טעמי המצוות + inner dimension in one work, and rules with a unique Talmudic rigor.

For Habad, the Alter Rebbe is הפוסק האחרון — his psak is the deciding authority. This page gathers the Rav’s way on siman קס״ד — שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה, which unfolds in the Rav over ב׳ סְעִיפִים (two seifim) : one may wash his hands in the morning and stipulate a condition (תְּנַאי) valid for the whole day — provided he does not divert his mind (הֶסֵּחַ הַדַּעַת) from guarding them ; and one who, mid-meal, recalls he touched a מָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף must re-wash and bless ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״.

→ Read the general preface on the Alter Rebbe’s shitah

Source note. The Hebrew text reproduced on this page is the complete, real text of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, Orah Haim siman קס״דב׳ סְעִיפִים (two seifim) from the Rav’s own hand — per the Kehot edition as digitized on Sefaria (Shulchan Arukh HaRav, Orach Chayim קס״ד). The Alter Rebbe treats there the תְּנַאי עַל הַנְּטִילָה. The translations are ours. No passage is cited beyond this verifiable text.
1 · טקסט אדמו״ר הזקן

שולחן ערוך הרב — סימן קס״ד — שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה

The full text of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch

שולחן ערוך הרב, סימן קס״ד — שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה — וּבוֹ ב׳ סְעִיפִים
The Alter Rebbe’s own text (Sefaria source Shulchan_Arukh_HaRav,_Orach_Chayim.164), followed by our English translation. The siman comprises two seifim (ב׳ סְעִיפִים ; seif k → .164.k).

סעיף א נוֹטֵל שַׁחֲרִית וּמַתְנֶה לְכָל הַיּוֹם — תְּנַאי עַל הַנְּטִילָה.

שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה, וּבוֹ ב׳ סְעִיפִים:נוֹטֵל אָדָם יָדָיו שַׁחֲרִית וּמַתְנֶה עֲלֵיהֶם לְכָל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִשְּׁמִירָתָן מִנְּגִיעָה בְּמָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף. וְאִם הִנִּיחָן בְּבָתֵּי יָדַיִם — אֵין לְךָ שְׁמִירָה מְעֻלָּה מִזּוֹ. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אִם נִזְדַּמְּנוּ לוֹ מַיִם מוּכָנִים לְפָנָיו וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לִטְרֹחַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם — טוֹב שֶׁיַּחֲזֹר וְיִטֹּל, וְלֹא יְבָרֵךְ. וְלֹא בִּנְטִילַת שַׁחֲרִית לְבַד מוֹעִיל תְּנַאי, אֶלָּא כָּל הַיּוֹם, בְּכָל זְמַן שֶׁנּוֹטֵל יָדָיו שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ אֲכִילַת פַּת, כְּגוֹן לְדָבָר שֶׁטִּבּוּלוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה, אוֹ שֶׁיּוֹצֵא מִבֵּית הַכִּסֵּא — מַתְנֶה עֲלֵיהֶן לַאֲכִילַת פַּת שֶׁיֹּאכַל אַחַר כָּךְ, לְפִי שֶׁנְּטִילַת יָדַיִם צְרִיכָה כַּוָּנָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קנ״ח. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁטָּבַל בְּמַשְׁקֶה וְיוֹצֵא מִבֵּית הַכִּסֵּא לֹא יְבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״, וּבִשְׁעַת אֲכִילָה גַּם כֵּן לֹא יְבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״ עַל זֶה שֶׁנָּטַל כְּבָר — אֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם, שֶׁהֲרֵי פָּטוּר הוּא מִן הַנְּטִילָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּדָיו שְׁמוּרוֹת. אֲבָל אִם אֵינוֹ נוֹטֵל אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ אֲכִילַת פַּת שֶׁיֹּאכַל אַחַר כָּךְ — אָסוּר, כִּי תַּקָּנַת חֲכָמִים הִיא שֶׁתְּהֵא תֵּכֶף לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם סְעוּדָה, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן כְּשֶׁנּוֹטֵל שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ אֲכִילַת פַּת אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּתְנֶה עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁיּוּכַל לֶאֱכֹל עַל יְדֵי זֶה אַחַר כָּךְ, אֵינוֹ מְחֻיָּב כְּלָל לֶאֱכֹל עַכְשָׁו, וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּשֶׁבָּא לֶאֱכֹל — כְּבָר הוּא פָּטוּר מִן הַנְּטִילָה, וְלֹא חָלָה עָלָיו תַּקָּנַת הַחֲכָמִים כְּלָל, שֶׁלֹּא תִּקְּנוּ אֶלָּא בְּנוֹטֵל לַאֲכִילָה שֶׁיֹּאכַל מִיָּד, וְזֶה לֹא נָטַל לַאֲכִילָה, אֶלָּא לְדָבָר אַחֵר. וְאִם נָטַל יָדָיו לַאֲכִילָה — מוֹעֶלֶת נְטִילָה זוֹ גַּם לַאֲכִילָה אַחֶרֶת אִם שָׁמַר יָדָיו. וַאֲפִלּוּ תְּנַאי אֵין צָרִיךְ, שֶׁהַתְּנַאי אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם כַּוָּנָה, וְזֶה נִתְכַּוֵּן (לִנְטִילָה בַּאֲכִילָה) [לַאֲכִילָה בִּנְטִילָה] זוֹ. וְעַכְשָׁו נָהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין תְּנַאי מוֹעִיל אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק, לְפִי שֶׁחָשְׁשׁוּ שֶׁמָּא יָבוֹאוּ לְהַאֲכִילוֹ דָּבָר הָאָסוּר כְּשֶׁיִּרְאוּהוּ אוֹכֵל בְּלֹא נְטִילָה, שֶׁיִּסְבְּרוּ שֶׁהוּא נָכְרִי. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אִם יוֹשֵׁב בַּעֲגָלָה עִם נָכְרִי וְאֵין מַמְתִּינִים עָלָיו — הֲרֵי זֶה שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק:

Washing in the morning and stipulating. One washes his hands in the morning (shacharit) and stipulates a condition (תְּנַאי) over them valid for the whole day, even not at a time of pressure (שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק) — provided only that he does not divert his mind (הֶסֵּחַ הַדַּעַת) from guarding them against touching a dirty place (מָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף). And if he placed them in gloves (בָּתֵּי יָדַיִם) — there is no better guarding than this. Nonetheless, if prepared water presents itself before him and he need not trouble himself to seek it — it is good that he re-wash, without a blessing. And the condition profits not only the morning netila but the whole day: whenever he washes his hands not for eating bread — for instance for a food dipped in liquid (דָּבָר שֶׁטִּבּוּלוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה), or on leaving the bathroom — he stipulates over them for the bread he will eat later, since netilat yadayim requires intention (כַּוָּנָה), as explained in siman קנ״ח. And although he dipped in liquid or left the bathroom, he will not say “al netilat yadayim”; and at the time of eating too he will not bless “al netilat yadayim” over the netila already done — this is of no consequence, for he is exempt from netila, his hands being guarded. But if he washes only for the bread he will eat afterward — it is forbidden, for it is an ordinance of the Sages that the meal follow immediately upon the netila (תֵּכֶף לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם סְעוּדָה); which is not so when he washes not for eating bread but stipulating a condition: he is under no obligation to eat now, and when he later comes to eat — he is already exempt from netila, the Sages’ ordinance not applying to him at all, for they ordained it only for one who washes for an immediate meal, whereas this one did not wash for eating but for something else. And if he washed his hands for eating — this netila is effective also for another eating if he guarded his hands, and even a condition is not needed, the condition being only for the sake of kavana, and this one already had the required intention through this netila. Nowadays the custom is not to stipulate over the netila, since there are those who say (יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים) that a condition profits only at a time of pressure, out of concern that one might come to feed him something forbidden upon seeing him eat without netila, thinking he is a gentile. Nonetheless, if he is seated in a wagon with a gentile and they do not wait for him — this is a time of pressure (שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק).

סעיף ב נָגַע בְּמָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף בַּסְּעוּדָה — חוֹזֵר וְנוֹטֵל וּמְבָרֵךְ.

מִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּסְעוּדָה וְנִזְכַּר שֶׁנָּגַע בְּמָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף — צָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וְלִטֹּל יָדָיו, וִיבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״. וְאִם נָגַע בְּעוֹד הַפְּרוּסָה בְּפִיו — לֹא יִבְלַע עַד שֶׁיִּטֹּל יָדָיו. וְלֹא מְקוֹם הַטִּנֹּפֶת מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ שׁוֹק וְיָרֵךְ וּמְקוֹמוֹת הַמְכֻסִּים בָּאָדָם, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מִלְמוּלֵי זֵעָה. וְכֵן אִם חִכֵּךְ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה (אֲבָל אִם שִׁפְשֵׁף יָדָיו עַל רֹאשׁוֹ מִלְּמַעְלָה, כְּגוֹן לְנַגְּבָהּ, וְלֹא חִכֵּךְ בָּהּ תּוֹךְ הַשֵּׂעָר בְּרֹאשׁוֹ מַמָּשׁ — אֵין לָחֹשׁ). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין לְבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״ בְּאֶמְצַע הַסְּעוּדָה, כִּי לֹא תִּקְּנוּ אֶלָּא בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִפְסִיק סְעוּדָתוֹ וְהָלַךְ לְהַפְלִיג בְּדָבָר אַחֵר וְהִסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִשְּׁמִירַת יָדָיו, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וְלִטֹּל וּלְבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״, כִּי כִּסְעוּדָה אַחֶרֶת הִיא הוֹאִיל וְהִפְלִיג בֵּינְתַיִם, אֲבָל מִשּׁוּם נְגִיעָה בִּמְקוֹם הַטִּנֹּפֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ עָשָׂה צְרָכָיו — אֵין לְבָרֵךְ ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״. (שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת ב׳ פְּעָמִים — אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר וּמְבָרֵךְ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִפְלִיג בֵּנְתַיִם, אוֹ שֶׁהִסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִמֶּנָּה וְחָזַר וְנִמְלַךְ, אוֹ שֶׁפָּסְקָה הַמִּצְוָה מֵעַצְמָהּ וְחוֹזֵר לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁמְטָה וְנָפְלָה טַלִּיתוֹ מֵעָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר סִימָן ח׳. אֲבָל זֶה שֶׁהִפְסִיק טָהֳרַת יָדַיִם בְּיָדַיִם עַל מְנָת לַחֲזֹר וּלְטַהֲרָן, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעַת כְּלָל, וּבְדַעְתּוֹ לֹא הָיָה מְטַמְּאָן כִּי אִם עַל דַּעַת לַחֲזֹר וּלְטַהֲרָן — אֵין זֶה חָשׁוּב הֶפְסֵק בְּטָהֳרָתָן לַחֲזֹר וּלְבָרֵךְ כְּשֶׁחוֹזֵר וּמְטַהֲרָן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הִסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִלְּטַהֲרָן, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁמֵּסִיר טַלִּיתוֹ מִדַּעְתּוֹ בִּסְתָם — אֵין צָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וּלְבָרֵךְ אִם נִשְׁאַר עָלָיו טַלִּית קָטָן, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּזֶה גִּלּוּי דַּעַת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִמִּצְוָה זוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בְּדַעְתּוֹ כְּלוּם עַל טַלִּית זוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אִם יַחֲזֹר וְיִתְעַטֵּף בָּהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר שָׁם, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן זֶה שֶׁהַדָּבָר יָדוּעַ שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי יַחֲזֹר לְמִצְוָתוֹ לְטַהֵר אֶת יָדָיו, שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא מֵסֵב בַּסְּעוּדָה וְדַעְתּוֹ לֶאֱכֹל). (וְיֵשׁ לָחֹשׁ לְדִבְרֵיהֶם לְהָקֵל בִּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת):

One standing at a meal. One who is in the middle of a meal and recalls that he touched a dirty place (מָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף) — must re-wash his hands and bless “al netilat yadayim.” And if he touched while the morsel is still in his mouth — let him not swallow until he washes his hands. And this is not only the actual dirty place, but even the shin (שׁוֹק), the thigh (יָרֵךְ) and the covered places of the body, since there are traces of sweat on them; likewise if he scratched his head, and all that is similar (but if he only rubbed his hands over the top of his head, for instance to dry it, without scratching within the hair on his scalp itself — there is no concern). And there are those who say (יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים) that one does not bless “al netilat yadayim” in the middle of the meal, for they instituted it only at its start — unless he interrupted his meal and went off to occupy himself at length with something else and diverted his mind from guarding his hands: then he must re-wash and bless “al netilat yadayim,” for it is like another meal, since he interrupted at length; but for a mere touching of a dirty place, and even if he relieved himself — one does not bless “al netilat yadayim.” (For whoever performs a single mitzvah twice does not repeat the blessing, unless he interrupted at length, or diverted his mind from it and then reconsidered, or the mitzvah ceased of itself and he does it again — such as when his tallit slipped and fell off him, as explained in siman ח׳. But one who interrupted the purity of his hands deliberately intending to re-purify them, or altogether unintentionally, and in his mind he did not render them impure except with the intent to re-purify them — this is not considered an interruption of their purity requiring him to re-bless when he re-purifies them, since he did not divert his mind from re-purifying them; for even one who removes his tallit deliberately, without qualification, need not re-bless if a tallit katan remains on him, which reveals that he does not divert his mind from this mitzvah, even though he decided nothing regarding this tallit and does not know whether he will wrap himself in it again, as explained there — all the more so this one, of whom it is certain that he will return to his mitzvah of purifying his hands, since he is reclining at the meal and intends to eat.) (And it is fitting to defer to their words to be lenient in a doubt concerning blessings — סְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל.)

Source : Sefaria — Shulchan Arukh HaRav, Orach Chayim קס״ד (Kehot edition, ב׳ סְעִיפִים). English translation : DAAT. No passage is cited beyond this verifiable text.

2 · למעשה

הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד

The Habad practical conduct

Points of conduct flowing directly from siman קס״ד in the Alter Rebbe’s and Habad sensibility — presented at the level of the principle, referring to the Rav for the detail of the cases.

For the Habad Hassid — Siman קס״ד (שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַתְנוֹת עַל הַנְּטִילָה)

  • ① Morning tenai. One washes his hands in the morning and stipulates a condition (תְּנַאי) for the whole day, even not at שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק — provided he does not divert his mind from guarding them. Basis: seif א.
  • ② Guarding the hands. Guarding by gloves (בָּתֵּי יָדַיִם) is the most perfect; nevertheless, if prepared water presents itself without trouble, it is good to re-wash, without a blessing. Basis: seif א.
  • ③ Netila not for bread. The condition is effective all day (a dipped food, leaving the bathroom); the netila requires כַּוָּנָה. One does not wash solely for a deferred bread (תֵּכֶף לִנְטִילַת יָדַיִם סְעוּדָה). Basis: seif א.
  • ④ Present-day custom. One no longer stipulates over the netila, except at שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק — e.g. traveling, seated in a wagon with a gentile who does not wait. Basis: seif א.
  • ⑤ Touching a מָקוֹם מְטֻנָּף. One who touches a dirty place mid-meal re-washes and blesses ״עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם״; if he touched with the morsel in his mouth, he does not swallow until he washes. Basis: seif ב.
  • ⑥ Covered places. Shin (שׁוֹק), thigh (יָרֵךְ), scratching the hair → re-wash (traces of sweat); rubbing the top of the head to dry it → no concern. Basis: seif ב.
  • ⑦ Blessing mid-meal. Per the יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, no berakha mid-meal — except a real interruption (הֶפְסֵק / הֶסֵּחַ הַדַּעַת); in doubt, סְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל. Basis: seif ב.

⚠ This section presents the Habad conduct based on the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman קס״ד (the real text reproduced in §1). It does not replace a rabbinic ruling for a particular case. For any concrete question — the תְּנַאי, the שְׁמִירַת הַיָּדַיִם, the בְּרָכָה בְּאֶמְצַע הַסְּעוּדָה — consult your Rav, and for Habad, a Rav of Habad.