Midrash su Salmi 26:6
אֶרְחַ֣ץ בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן כַּפָּ֑י וַאֲסֹבְבָ֖ה אֶת־מִזְבַּחֲךָ֣ יְהוָֽה׃
Mi laverò le mani con innocenza; così comporterò il tuo altare, o Eterno,
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ib. b) Ulla said: "Whoever reads the Sh'm'a without wearing Tephilin, is like one who testifies falsely against himself." R. Chiya b. Abba in the name of R. Jochanan says: "It is as if he had offered a burnt offering without the meal offering, or a sacrifice without the accompanying wine offering." R. Jochanan said: "He who desires to take upon himself the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom perfectly (Fol. 15a) must first ease himself, wash his hands, lay Tephilin, read the Sh'm'a and pray [the Eighteen Benedictions]: this is the perfect acknowledgment of the Heavenly Kingdom." R. Chiya b. Abba said: "Whoever eases himself, washes his hands, lays Tephilin, reads the Sh'm'a and prays [the Eighteen Benedictions], is considered as having built an altar and offered a sacrifice upon it, for it is said (Ps. 26. 6.) I will wash in purity mine hands, and I will compass thy altar. O Lord." Raba said unto him (R. Chiya b. Abba): "Does not the master consider the washing of the hands just as if he bathed? For it is written I will wash in purify [which indicates for the whole body], and it is not written I wash my hands."
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Vayikra Rabbah
Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 26:6), "I wash my hands in innocence" - with a purchase and not with theft, as we have learned there (Sukkah 29b): A stolen or dry lulav is disqualified, of a tree-god or a condemned city is disqualified. "And walk around Your altar, O Lord" - like that which we learned there (Sukkah 45a): Each day they would circle the altar one time and say, "O Lord, please save us; O Lord, please save us" (Psalms 118:25). Rabbi Yehudah says, "Ani vaho, please save us." And on [the seventh] day, they would circle the altar seven times. "Raising my voice in thanksgiving" - these are the sacrifices. "And telling all Your wonders" - Rabbi Avin said, That is Hallel, as it has of the past within it, and it has of the future within it, and it has these generations within it and it has the days of the Messiah within it, and it has the days of Gog and Magog within it: "In the coming out of Israel from Egypt" (Psalms 114:1) is of the past; "Not to us, O Lord" (Psalms 115:1) is of these generations; "I have loved that You heard, O Lord" (Psalms 116:1) is for the days of the Messiah; "All the nations surrounded me" (Psalms 118:10) is for the days of Gog and Magog; "You are my God and I will praise You, my God and I will exalt You" (Psalms 118:28) is for the future to come.
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Shemot Rabbah
Another explanation for zeh hadavar: “Take with you words. . .”(d’varim, Ho 14:3). This is what is meant by what is written: “I wash my palms with cleanliness and circle your altar, Yahh, to voice thanks aloud and to tell of all your miracles.” (Ps 26:6f) One might also offer bulls and rams, but exegesis says to voice thanks aloud. Accordingly, Jews say, “Ribon HaOlam (“master of the universe”), leaders sin and bring and bring a korban (“offering”) and it atones for them. The mashiach sins and brings a korban and it atones for him. We, we have no korban.” He said to them: “And if all the congregation of Yisrael stray–and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the community–and they are guilty of doing one of the negative commandments of Yahh, then, if the sin guilt for which they sinned becomes known, the community shall offer a bull of the herd as a sin offering.”(Lev 4:13f) They say to him, “We are poor and we have not what to bring for korbanot.” He says to them, “Words, I request, as it is said, ‘Take with you words and return to Yahh’ and I annul all your misdeeds.” These words are none other than divrey Torah, as it is said, “These are the d’varim that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael.(Dt 1:1) They said to him, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Weep and pray before me and I accept it. Your ancestors, when they were enslaved in Mitsrayim, it wasn’t for prayer that I redeemed them, as it is said, ‘The B’neiYisrael groaned from the work and cried out.’(Ex 2:23)In the days of Y’hoshua it wasn’t for prayer that I made miracles for them, as it is said, ‘Y’hoshua tore his garment and fell on his face before the ark of Yahh till evening.’(Jos 7:6) So what did I say to him? ‘Hold out the spear which is in your hand towards The Ai, for I give it into your hand.’(Jos 8:18) In the days of the Judges, with weeping I heard their outcry, as it is said, ‘It happened, when the B’neiYisrael cried out to Yahh on account of Midyan.’(Ju 6:7) In the days of Sh’muel it was not in prayer that I heard them, as it is said, ‘Sh’muel cried out to Yahh on behalf of Yisrael and Yahh responded to him.’(Sam 7:9) And similarly the men of Y’rushalayim, even though they had angered me, because they wept before me I had mercy on them, as it is said, ‘For thus said Yahh, “Sing out joy to Ya’akov. . .”(Jer 31:7) Oh, I request from you not sacrifices and not korbanot but words, as it is said, ‘Take with you words. . .’ This is why David said, ‘I wash my hands with cleanliness’ not intending to make an offering but to voice thanks aloud, for I am thankful to you for divrey Torah.
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