Washing our Hands

עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם

The Ramchal teaches us that Hashem gave us His Best, His Illumination [The ability to comprehend and understand a comprehension higher than angels] in the hand of a person. As he says in the opening chapter of Derech Etz Hachaim.

אך הנה טובו בידו, ולו משפט הבחירה, להתחכם ולדעת או לישאר ערום מכל חכמה, Behold, that goodness, [His Best] is in his hands and he has the choice, whether to educate himself and understand or to remain naked of all wisdom.

When we wake up and begin we recite the bracha of עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם,  we can say with the following Kavanah. 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה, Blessed are You Hashem,  (Who is Eternal)

אֱלֹהֵ-ינוּ, Elokeinu, Who empowers us, and is Mashgiach over us.

מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, Melech Haolam, The King of the world.  [When we accept His Malchus, we can be people who expand His Presence in the world.

אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ, Asher Kidishanu, By inserting in us His Kedusha.  We have the capacity as human beings to access that which is eternal

How?

בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, Bimitzvosav, in his Mitzvos.  His Mitzvos are the means for a human being to attach to Hashem

And most particularly…

וְצִוָּנוּ, Vitzivanu, He directed us [an expression of His direct involvement and empowering us]

עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם, Al Nitilas Yadayim, On the lifting of our hands.

We have the choice to attach to Hashem, to develop our Sechel, which is the highest intellectual process of a human being; allowing us to attach to Hashem, to emulate Him and elevate the world, by choosing to lift up our hands; our physicality; by choosing to develop our sechel and attach to Hashem at our highest capacity, or choose to ignore our highest self, and remain in darkness, naked of Chochmah; stuck in a world of darkness.

When we lift our hands, we can have in mind to accept Hashem as The One Who allows us to have a close relationship with Him, so much so we can call Him, The Creator of all, “You”, Hashem, Elokeinu, and accept His Malchus on us, and accept His Directive of Empowerment; to use this day to make choices that elevate ourselves and the world Biezras Hashem.