Points you don’t want to miss:

The Shulchan Aruch (4:18) rules that when one leaves a restroom hand washing is required. At first glance that would mean that after washing hands in the restroom with soap, one must still wash hands upon leaving the restroom. In practical Jewish law this is indeed practiced by many. But most people observe that the hand washing in the restroom is sufficient. (This is independent of another discussion if one needs to wash 3 times or basic washing is sufficient.)

The primary source to appreciate this discussion of whether or not the hand washing done in the restroom is sufficient, is a passage in the Talmud on this page. “The Persian restrooms are considered closed.” Rashi explains that their restrooms were designed that the dirt would fall into the hole and the area was on a slant so that the dirt would fall away. Many say, that our restrooms have a similar status because our toilets are designed to totally remove the waste from the area. In fact, once the waste is removed, it is even better than “closed” off; it is truly gone. Thus it would be permitted to rely on the hand washing that is done in our restrooms.

Even such status doesn’t change the fact that a restroom is absolved of a Mezuzah. In is not an honorable room, as it a place to relieve ones self. But its cleanliness would be satisfactory to allow us to rely on the hand washing done there.

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“Vasikin” is a term used to describe people who recite Shema precisely moments before sunrise, and then daven the Amida at sunrise. This is the ideal time to fulfill these Mitzvos. Rashi explains that the term “Vasikin” actually means people who do Mitzvos promptly, at their ideal time, which means that in its truest definition, the term “Vasikin” is not limited to the time of morning prayers.

As a practical matter, most people observe these Mitzvos at an acceptable time, typically later that sunrise, as long as they are fulfilled within their acceptable times (3 variable hours into the day for Shema, and 4 such hours for Amidah).

There are times that people will fulfill these Mitzvos earlier than “Vasikin” such as when sunrise is “late” and people need to daven before sunrise to travel to work. In such cases/ times of year, we pay attention to specific defined times which are the earliest times for Tallis and Teffilin.

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There is a fascinating rule regarding someone who missed a prayer accidentally, which enables him to “make it up”  during the next service. He davens the current Amida fist, and then “piggybacks” the missed prayer by praying the current type of Amida a second time.

For example: If one misses Mincha on Erev Shabbos (Friday) by accident, he prays the Friday night service, and “piggybacks” a second Shabbos Amida. Similarly, if one misses Mincha of Shabbos by accident, he would pray the service after Shabbos including the Havdalah paragraph (as that is the current Amida text), and then he would “piggyback” to it a second weekday Amida, without the paragraph of Havdala.

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The 3 daily prayers are linked to the Patriarchs: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yakov. Each inaugurated a time for prayer: Morning, afternoon, and night. The background of their initiation of the prayer gives us a sense of the the type of tone that prayer is often associated with.

Shacharis (by Avraham) is in the morning, and is recorded as the prayer that Avraham recited the morning after Sedom was destroyed. Two themes are associated with this. Firstly, that even though Avraham’s prayers on their behalf were not accepted, the new day dawns, and we strive to connect with Hashem despite the percieved setback. Secondly, with the destruction of Sedom (which was the antithesis of Avraham’s morality) a new dawn arose, and Avraham steps forward into the new reality of challenge and opportunity.

Mincha (by Yitzchak) was prayed midday at a time when all is not lost, but a salvation is needed, because we cannot do on indefinitely in this holding state. Yitzchak was praying for success in finding his Bashert (destined wife). He was not in imminent danger, but the ongoing state since his mother’s passing was untenable. Likewise, Eliyahu’s great experience at Har HaCarmel is at Mincha. The situation in his time was deteriorating. No one day was the final straw to break anything, but a showdown was needed to force some serious soul searching and a change of direction away from idol worship.

Maariv (by Yakov) was prayed in the darkness of night both literally and figuratively. The time was nighttime, but it was also a scary time for Yakov as he left his parent’s home and headed off to find a wife with whom to build the Jewish family.

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