Belief of: כחי ועוצם ידי. Therefore, it was instituted that the hands be washed and purified in the waters of chesed and then raised upwards toward heaven. This gesture demonstrates that we believe wholeheartedly – be’emunah sheleimah – that all acts that we perform with our hands come only from HKB”H – the One Who gives us the ability and means to succeed.
We can suggest that this is what our blessed sages were hinting at when they instituted the practice of netilas yadayim on account of סרך תרומה – establishing a routine for terumah. They wanted to ensure that the kohanim would be able to fulfill the following directive properly (Devarim 12, 6): והבאתם שמה עולותיכם וזבחיכם ואת מעשרותיכם ואת תרומת ידכם ונדריכם ונדבותיכם ובכורות בקרכם וצאנכם – and there shall you bring your olah-offerings and your sacrifices, and your tithes and that which is elevated with your hand, your vow offerings and your free-will offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle and your flocks. Rashi explains in the name of the Sifrei that תרומת ידכם is a reference to “bikkurim” – the first fruits--about which it is said: “The kohen shall take the basket from your hand.”
We can suggest that this is why bikkurim are referred to as תרומת ידכם; it comes to teach us that it is necessary to elevate all work done with our hands to Hashem. This also explains the reason given for tumah being decreed on the hands – because ידים עסקניות הן – hands are active (busy). Since hands are involved in all sorts of activities, they are susceptible to the tumah of the doctrine of כוחי ועוצם ידי. Therefore, they must be cleansed and purified with water. Thus, the two reasons found in the Gemara for netilas yadayim go hand in hand magnificently: (1) to safeguard the routine of terumah and (2) for the sake of cleanliness and kedushah.
We can now shed some light and comprehend to some degree the profound intent of Rabeinu HaKadosh’s gesture – straightening his ten fingers and directing them upwards toward the heavens. The Gemara (Berachos 57b) teaches us that both Antoninus and Rebbe were extremely wealthy: שלא פסק משלחנם, לא צנון ולא חזרת ולא קשואין, לא בימות החמה ולא בימות הגשמים – for neither radish nor horseradish nor cucumbers ceased to be found on their tables neither in summer nor in winter. Furthermore, they taught (Gittin 59a): מימות משה ועד רבי לא מצינו תורה וגדולה במקום אחד – from the times of Moshe until Rebbe, we do not find Torah and greatness (material wealth or authority) in one place.
Therefore, being a nitzotz of Yaakov Avinu, he always took great care not to rely on the fruits of his own handiwork. Yaakov demonstrated this when he took all the possessions he had acquired as a result of his own handiwork while living with Lavan and sent them to Eisav. We learned this from the passuk: ויקח מן הבא בידו מנחה לעשו. Emulating him, Rabeinu HaKadosh straightened his ten fingers and directed them toward the heavens. Thus, he demonstrated that despite his greatness in Torah and his extreme wealth, he did not attribute his success to his own doing – כוחי ועוצם ידי. On the contrary, throughout his life, he raised his ten fingers upwards symbolizing that everything he had accomplished was for Hashem and attributable to Hashem, Who gave him the strength and wherewithal to succeed.
