The Sabbath ritual water is known as Mayim Chaim or Living Water, and must consist of flowing water poured from a pitcher three times over each hand. The blessing speaks of the lifting of hands. At the Tabernacle, priests would turn and lift their hands towards heaven to show that they had clean hands before they could do service in the Temple. This ceremony currently symbolizes that the hands are "lifted" to a higher level and are being consecrated for nobler deeds of human kindness.

“Blessed are You, Creator of the universe, who has commanded us to wash our hands.”