Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email - 5 Adar II/March 8

 

Must one wash upon arising from a nap during the day? The poskim are not sure whether ruach ra’ah rests on the hands of a person who wakes up from a daytime nap. It is unclear whether it is nighttime itself which causes ruach ra’ah or whether the negative force is brought on by sleeping. To be stringent, one should wash without a brocha after a nap.  Ruach ra’ah can only come if a person sleeps at least shitin nishmei (this term will be explained below). It is not necessary to wash if one slept less than that, even if the sleep took place at night. The poskim disagree about whether a person must be careful not to touch food or openings in the body upon arising from a daytime nap. All agree that one may walk more than four amos before washing after a daytime nap.   [שו"ע ד, טו, ומשנ"ב לד; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 43] Is napping during the day encouraged? Chazal state that sleep is a sixtieth of death. Dovid Hamelech was careful not to sleep a full shitin nishmei at a time. To avoid bitul Torah, some Amoraim observed the stringency of not sleeping this long during the day. A scrupulous person should also follow this dictum. On Shabbos, however, napping is a sanctioned form of oneg Shabbos. The Achronim qualify that if a nap is necessary for a person to remain functional for optimal avodas Hashem, taking one is fine even on a weekday. [שו"ע ד, טז, משנ"ב לה-לו, וביה"ל ד"ה דוד; בהרחבה ע"פ המקור; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 45] How long must a person sleep to be able to say Elokai Neshama? With respect to numerous halochos (e.g. those which pertain to ruach ra’ah, daytime naps, reciting Elokai Neshama and Hama’avir Sheinah in the morning, etc.), sleep is defined by sleeping a full shitin nishmei. The poskim disagree on the exact measure of shitin nishmei. Some say that it is three hours. Others say that it is slightly more than a half-hour. A third opinion maintains that it is slightly more than three minutes. The halacha follows the middle view. Regarding napping during the day, one who is able should follow the stringent view. [ביה"ל ד, טז, ד"ה דוד; וראה משנ"ב מו, כד; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 44 ו־47] All credit goes to Dirshu | 911 County Line Rd. , Suite 205, Lakewood, NJ 08701