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Drinking at Night

If you wake up in the middle of the night and want to drink water- do you need to wash your hands first and if yes, do you need to make a al nitelas yadayim and do you make the bracha again in the morning?

Answer:

If you wake up in the middle of the night, and wish to drink, if there is no concern that your hands are sullied by touching unclothed parts of your body — which is usually the case if pajamas are worn — you can simply make a berachah, drink the water, and, if need be, recite a berachah acharonah. You should be careful not to eat directly from your hands, but only from a cup/bottle. If there is a concern that one’s hands are sullied, one should clean them before reciting the blessing. In the absence of water, this can be done by rubbing them against the sheet/wall.

Those who wish to follow kabbalistic principles should wash netilas yadayim first, without a berachah.

Sources: From the Gemara and Rishonim it is clear that there is no prohibition of reciting blessings before washing one’s hands in the morning (see Berachos 9b; Rosh; ibid.; Teshuvos Ha-Rashba 153; Rambam, Tefillah 7:3; Shulchan Aruch 4:23, 46:1; Rema 47:13. However, according to Zohar (1:10) one should not mention the name of Hashem before washing netilas yadayim.

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