For thirty years, I have been following a custom without knowing the true reason for it; I asked dozens of people – what is the reason for not drying our hands after leaving the cemetery and washing? At least twenty people told me it’s because there are never any towels at the entrance! I said to myself, "It cannot be that for hundreds of years we‘ve been following this custom without knowing its source," but this week, Besiyata Dishmaya, a Jew showed me the Ben Ish Chai in Parshat Toldot!
The Ben Ish Chai writes: When leaving the cemetery, it is customary to wash hands and not dry them, to remember where you came from! What does he mean by this answer? If it were permitted to dry his hands, he’d immediately take out his phone and start talking; but this way, his hands are wet, so for two minutes he won’t be busy chatting. During that brief pause, his pants won’t be dancing from the vibrating phone, and he'll think for a moment about his origins and destination.
There is a custom, mainly observed by Bnei Ashkenaz and Eidot Mizrach, and most Yemenite Jews, to wear a Tallit with two corners in the front and two in the back. Why is that? The Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 8:4): One should place two Tzitzit in front and two in the back so that he is fully surrounded by Mitzvot. The source of this practice is found in a Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 963) where David HaMelech says, "I praise You with all my limbs and fulfill the Mitzvot with them.” The Midrash lists each body part and what Mitzvah it connects to, including: From behind and in front, I throw the two corners of the Tallit when I stand in prayer.
There is a Midrash (Yalkut HaMechiri, Tehillim 136) brought by the Da’at Zekainim in our Parsha, as well as by the Rokeach and Vilna Gaon, when Bnei Yisrael descended into the sea, it split for them – 'And the water was a wall for them on their right and on their left.' The angel Gavriel surrounded them and guarded them as a wall within the sea, and proclaimed to the waters on their right, "Beware of Bnei Yisrael, for they are destined to receive the Torah from the right hand of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.“ He then turned and said to the waters on their left, "Beware of Bnei Yisrael, for they are destined to place Tefillin on their left hand.” He then turned and said to the waters in front of them, "Beware of Bnei Yisrael, for they are careful with Brit Milah.” He then turned and said to the waters behind them, "Beware of Bnei Yisrael, for they are destined to be careful with Tzitzit.” The waters guarded them, and they came out in peace. We learn that Tzitzit are a symbol of Kriyat Yam Suf. When we wear Tzitzit in the front and back, it is a reminder of the waters that went before us and behind us at Yam Suf. Additionally, the eight threads on each side are a reminder of Shirat HaYam that was said on the eighth day. Meaning, everything about the Tzitzit – its color, its strings, and even its positioning – are to connect us with Kriyat Yam Suf.
