Question about Chabad

[Israel Chai]

Did Chabad with wrapping people on the street allow you to allow a Jew who is essentially doing several sins (by not being properly cleaned and not having said blessings over the Torah) in a mitzvah to do any lesser mitzvah while improperly preprepared for the purpose of kiruv?

[muman613]

I believe they have the person say the blessings on the Tefillin although I have never seen it happen in real life...

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/81815/jewish/Some-Laws-of-Tefillin.htm

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mishna-berura/S25.html

http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/tefillin.html

[muman613]

LKZ,

Did you ever get your own pair of Tefillin?

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Did Chabad with wrapping people on the street allow you to allow a Jew who is essentially doing several sins (by not being properly cleaned and not having said blessings over the Torah) in a mitzvah to do any lesser mitzvah while improperly preprepared for the purpose of kiruv?

 Your sentence isn't coherent but I think you mean- Is Chabad or anyone else for that matter allowed to have someone wear Tefillin without washing with a cup in the mourning? I would say definitely YES.
 First off almost everyone washes their hands in the morning. Bdiavad under the faucet is ookay.
 + The whole idea of "Ruach Ra" (I know Muman will attack me on this) isn't Halacha, it is Kabalistic.
- We wash in the morning for preparation of saying the Shema and Tefilla (Shemono Esri) I also believe for wearing Tefillin as well.
 Of-course it would be better for the person to wash with a cup, but if not at least they do a Misswah Deorita + they are engaged in something Jewish and positive and a step in doing Teshuva.

[muman613]

Your sentence isn't coherent but I think you mean- Is Chabad or anyone else for that matter allowed to have someone wear Tefillin without washing with a cup in the mourning? I would say definitely YES.
 First off almost everyone washes their hands in the morning. Bdiavad under the faucet is ookay.
 + The whole idea of "Ruach Ra" (I know Muman will attack me on this) isn't Halacha, it is Kabalistic.
- We wash in the morning for preparation of saying the Shema and Tefilla (Shemono Esri) I also believe for wearing Tefillin as well.
 Of-course it would be better for the person to wash with a cup, but if not at least they do a Misswah Deorita + they are engaged in something Jewish and positive and a step in doing Teshuva.

Tag,

We also say and do 'Netilat Yadayim' (Washing hands) before eating a meal.

There is a requirement to have clean hands during davening and studying.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/655978/jewish/Washing-Hands-Before-Praying-and-Studying.htm

Question:

Is it necessary to wash one's hands prior to the daily prayers? And how about before studying Torah?

Answer:

During the course of the day, chances are that our hands have touched areas of our bodies that are normally covered. After touching such areas, after using the restroom, or after scratching hair, we are required to wash hands before reciting prayers—this applies to all three of the daily prayers.

If you have used the bathroom or are aware of the fact that your hands have wandered to any of the aforementioned areas, then you must wash your hands before prayer even if it requires some effort, even if you must go a distance of eighteen minutes to find water. If you have not used a restroom since you've last washed your hands, and you don't recall touching any covered area or scratching your head, then you should still wash your hands—but only if water is readily available.

If water is unavailable, then you should simply wipe your hands on a cloth or any other available substance.

The pre-prayer hand washing does not require a washing cup, nor is any blessing recited afterwards. The only requirement is that the water cover the entire hand until the wrist.

Before studying Torah one should also wipe his hands—this is sufficient even if water is readily available.

Yours truly,

Rabbi Menachem Posner

In general a Jews body should be clean before donning Tefillin according to the Halacha of Tefillin.

http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/tefillin.html

When putting on tefillin it is very important to have a clean body. In addition to general cleanliness, one must be especially careful to be clean after going to the bathroom.

[muman613]

http://www.ravkooktorah.org/TEFILLIN-71.htm

Elisha, the Master of Wings
A Clean Body

Rabbi Yannai said that one should follow the example of Elisha Ba'al Kenafayim (the 'Master of Wings'), and only wear tefillin with a guf naki, when one's body is clean. The Sages taught that wearing tefillin requires a strict standard of hygiene and control over one's bodily functions.

Who was this Elisha, the 'Master of Wings'? The Talmud in Shabbat 49a relates the story of how he arrived by this unusual title.

"Once the Roman government proclaimed a decree against Israel, that anyone laying tefillin will have his brains pierced through. Nonetheless, Elisha put on his tefillin and went outside to the marketplace. A Roman official spotted him, and Elisha ran away. The official chased after him. When Elisha saw that he would soon overtake him, he removed the tefillin from his head and held them in his hand.

"The officer demanded, 'What is that in your hand?' Elisha replied, 'The wings of a dove.' Then he opened up his hand — and inside were the wings of a dove."

Why does the mitzvah of tefillin require that one's body be clean? And how does the story of Elisha corroborate this requirement?

Two Levels of Morality

The Torah calls tefillin an oht, a sign. They are a sign of the special covenant between God and the Jewish people. By wearing tefillin, we testify to Israel's mission as 'a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation.' Due to this special role, the moral path and ethical ideal of Israel is higher than that which is expected of other peoples. "God did this for no other nation; they do not know His laws" (Ps. 147:20).

There is a basic level of morality, a standard of conduct that is the inheritance of all nations. All peoples are expected to comply with the ethical code of Bnei Noah, the foundations of natural morality. All peoples should aspire to a basic integrity, a love of justice and a hatred of evil. This standard of morality does not presuppose great spiritual aspirations. It is sufficient that one's character is not defiled by the unbridled cruelty of predatory beasts. This level, when one's natural inclinations are not soiled by malevolence and greed, may be called guf naki.

Those who wish to ascend God's mountain — those aspiring to the higher moral level as represented by the elevated holiness of tefillin — must first have a 'clean body.' They must first acquire the fundamental level of natural morality, and not have lost their innate purity through coarseness and dark deeds.

Only after fully acquiring the level of natural morality may one ascend to the elevated morality that corresponds to the unique holiness of Israel. Then one may proudly wear tefillin, and "God's name will be called on him" (Deut. 28:10).

This is the significance of Elisha's wings. Wings enable one to ascend, to scale the mountain of elevated morality, to uplift the soul that has already acquired the basic level of morality.

But one should not think that it is possible to attain this higher level while one's heart is impure and drawn to injustice. One must first have a 'clean body,' a basic level of integrity. The Sages related the story of a student who deposited his money with a person who wore tefillin. When the student came to collect his money, the man denied ever having received it. The student responded, "I did not deposit the money with you. I deposited it with the tefillin on your head" (see Tosaphot, ad loc).

Wings to Soar

But what does all this have to do with the story of Elisha Ba'al Kenafayim?

The ability to remain stalwart in our beliefs, even in the face of hardship, indicates that we have fully internalized the holy message to which our soul aspires. According to the degree by which we have absorbed this message, we will find within ourselves the inner strength to withstand the turbulent waves of the sea raging around us.

To be tightly bound to the holiness of tefillin, one must first acquire the preliminary level of natural morality, a guf naki. And yet one must sense that this level, with all of its purity, cannot satisfy the soul's higher aspirations. The soul seeks to scale the heights of the Torah's elevated morality.

The Master of Tefillin will also be a Master of Wings. His physical nature will be unable to confine his spirit to the earth. Such an individual will find inner resources of strength and dedication, even in a hour of trial. Elisha, in his stand against evil, was worthy of the title 'Master of Wings.' The dove wings that appeared in his hand testified to the purity of his body and the loftiness of his soul.

(Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. III sec. 1 on Shabbat 49a)

[muman613]

I don't really know why 'Ruach Ra' was discussed, it seems to be unrelated to the question.

http://blog.webyeshiva.org/student-contribution-larry-cohen/

[muman613]

http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5764/bamidbar.html

AL NETILAS YADAYIM -The Rishonim offer two basic reasons for the Talmudic law(2) of washing our hands in the morning and then reciting the proper blessing:

1.The Rosh tells us that washing is necessary because a person's hands move around in his sleep and will inevitably touch some unclean part of the body.

2.The Rashba says that since each one of us becomes a biryah chadashah -a "new person" -each morning, we must sanctify ourselves anew in preparation to serve Hashem. This sanctification is similar to that of a kohen who washes his hands before performing the avodah in the Beis ha-Mikdash. [In addition to these two reasons, there is still another reason for washing one's hands in the morning - because of ruach ra'ah, the spirit of impurity that rests on one's body at night and does not leave the hands until water is poured over them three times(3). Indeed, touching various limbs or organs of the body is prohibited before hand-washing, due to the danger which is caused by the spirit of impurity(4). This third reason alone, however, is insufficient to warrant a blessing(5), since a blessing is never recited on an act which is performed in order to ward off danger (6).]

Does one who remains awake all night long need to wash his hands in the morning? If we follow the Rosh's reason, then washing is not necessary, for as long as one remains awake he knows that his hands remained clean. If we follow the Rashba's reason, however, washing may be required, since in the morning one becomes a "new person," whether he slept or not(7). [In addition, it is debatable if the spirit of impurity that rests on the hands is caused by the nighttime hours - regardless of whether or not one slept- or if it rests upon the hands only during sleep.(8)]

Since this issue remains unresolved, the Rama suggests a compromise:washing is indeed required, as the Rashba holds, but a blessing is not recited, in deference to the view of the Rosh. Not all the poskim agree with the Rama's compromise. In their view, the blessing should be recited(9). Since we again face a difference of opinion, it is recommended that one of the following options be exercised:

1. Immediately after alos amud ha-shachar, one should relieve himself and then wash his hands, followed by Al netilas yadayim and Asher yatzar. In this case, all poskim agree that washing is required and a blessing is recited(10). This is the preferred option.

2. One should listen - with intent to be yotzei -as another person, who did sleep, recites the blessing.

[muman613]

See what Rambam says concerning the reason we wash our hands.

http://www.torah.org/learning/rambam/kriatshema/ks3.1.html

[Israel Chai]

My question was that if a major mitzvah is permissible to do with a Jew who is not prepared for it (no washing of the hands or morning blessings or blessings over the words of Torah), did they essentially allow one to perform any lesser mitzvah (tzit-tzit, an aliyah to the torah, etc.) with Jews who are making several sins by doing them unprepared, for the purposes of kiruv?