Ruach Ra'ah and the Morning Handwashing

What is Ruach Ra'ah and the Morning Handwashing?

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Ru’ach ra’a is most commonly associated with the important mitzva of washing our hands each morning promptly upon waking up.  Ruach ra’a means “impurity” or “evil spirit,” and it is believed that ruach ra’a descends upon a person when sleeping and then leaves the body upon awakening, except for the fingers, which is why the hand must be washed in the ritual manner.

Although there morning washing is halachcilly required, there is an interesting tale that claims that ru’ach ra’a no longer truly exists, or that it only exists in a minimal manner nowadays. This is the tale:

There was a man named Graf Potoczki, born in Poland to aristocratic parents, who wanted to convert to Judaism. As conversion to Judaism was forbidden in that time and place, he converted secretly and engrossed himself in the study Torah. Eventually, the Christians captured him and offered him two options: to return to Christianity or to be burned alive. Graf chose the latter and was burned to death, thereby publicly sanctifying God’s Name. It said that at that moment, the Vilna Gaon decreed that the ruach ra’ah lost some of its strength.

In practice, one should be careful not to walk more than four amot before washing, therefore, one should prepare the cup for washing one's hands next to the bed. If, however, it wasn't prepared, then one should not walk four amot (two meters) in one go; rather, one should walk a little less, then stop, and then continue to walk a little less than four amot until reaching the sink. (this stringency doesn't apply if one fell asleep after chatzot,.)

Due the the Ru'ach Ra'ah one should be sure not to touch any bodily orifices prior to washing one's hands in the morning.

Tosafot, Yoma 77b; Tosafot, Shabbat 141a; Tosafot, Beitza 14a;   Lechem Mishna , Shevitat Ha’asor 3:2;  Maharshal, Chullin 8:31; Mishna Berura 1:2.