עברית
Faith
Handwashing at the Western Wall
Question
Rav, hello. I wanted to ask what can be done if my family and I have been doing this for some time, because we were told from time to time that this is how we did it: we used to wash our hands at the Western Wall after prayer, when we left the Western Wall plaza. Now I have understood that this is not correct and that one should wash before. The question is whether something needs to be done for all these years in which we entered without washing beforehand before prayer at the Western Wall. And presumably we will change our ways, because now I understand that we followed a mistaken opposite custom.
Thank you very much, and I would be glad for a response.
Answer
Greetings,
There is no special law requiring one to wash hands before arriving to pray at the Western Wall. Rather, anyone who goes to pray Shacharit, Mincha, or Ma'ariv at the Western Wall, or in a synagogue, or even at home alone, must wash hands, since according to halacha one must wash hands before every prayer, as explained in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim (siman 92, se'if 4).
And now to the matter itself - what has been done has been done, for it is a matter of general inadvertence. The main thing is that from now on, bli neder, you should be careful to wash hands before every prayer you pray - not just when you arrive at the Western Wall.
With blessings,
Hillel Meirs
