# 1728 A Good Old Hand
A group visits an elderly ill patient in a retirement home. He sits on a wheelchair, while they put tefilin on him, and have him read shema. Is it enough to clean his hands with a wet paper towel? Does cleaning his hands three times each, with the same wet paper towel remove the ruach ra on them after sleeping?
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that when in need, cleaning the elderly ill patient’s hands with a wet towel would suffice for donning tefilin and reciting shema. However, even cleaning his hands with different wet paper towels will not remove the ruach raah present on them after waking up from a sleep. Pouring three times on each hand from a vessel is required.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
Answered by: Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Published: May 25, 2018