If a person has no water for Netilat Yadayim in the morning, then he should wipe his hands on some object or material, such as on a piece of furniture or cloth, or even one's pajamas. In such a case, the Shulhan Aruch writes that one recites the Beracha "Al Nekiyut Yadayim" instead of "Al Netilat Yadayim." The Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, d. 1682) questioned the Shulhan Aruch's ruling, noting that later (Orah Haim 159), the Shulhan Aruch rules that one who washes for bread by dipping his hands in a Mikveh recites the normal Beracha, "Al Netilat Yadayim." It is unclear what the Magen Abraham meant by making this comment. The more straightforward interpretation of the Magen Abraham's remarks is that one who cleans his hands in the morning without water recites the usual Beracha – "Al Netilat Yadayim" – and not "Al Nekiyut Yadayim," just as one who washes for bread by immersing his hands does not change the text of the Beracha. This is how the Gaon of Vilna (1720-1797), cited by the Mishna Berura, understood the Magen Abraham's comments. By contrast, the Yeshuot Yaakob (Rav Yaakob Meshulam Ornstein, 1775-1839) understood the Magen Abraham to mean that no Beracha is recited at all when one cleans his hands in the morning without water. The Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939) concluded that in light of the view of the Yeshuot Yaakob, we must apply the rule of "Safek Berachot Le'hakel" – that a Beracha is not recited when it is uncertain whether it is required. We should also note that according to the view of the Kabbalists, that Netilat Yadayim is performed in the morning to eliminate the impure forces that descend upon the hands when one sleeps, wiping one's hands without water does not suffice. For this reason, too, this situation is one of "Safek" – where it is uncertain whether a Beracha is required, since the Misva is not being fulfilled according to the position of the Kabbalists. Therefore, one who has no water and cleans his hands in the morning by wiping them does not recite any Beracha. This situation resembles that of one who has water but no utensil, who washes his hands by running them three times under the faucet, but without reciting a Beracha, given the uncertainty as to whether this suffices to fulfill the Misva. One who does not have water similarly wipes his hands to clean them, but without reciting a Beracha. After one wipes his hands, he is allowed to pray, despite the fact that the impurity still rests on his hands. However, once he has access to water, he must wash Netilat Yadayim properly, though without a Beracha, in deference to the opinions that he satisfied his obligation when he wiped his hands. When one cleans his hands by wiping them, he must wipe the entirety of each hand, and both sides of each hand. If one cleaned only his fingers, until the knuckles (where the fingers join with the hand), this suffices after the fact. He needs to wipe the hands only once, though one who wishes to be stringent can wipe them three times. Summary: If one does not have access to water for Netilat Yadayim in the morning, he should clean his hands by wiping them on some object or material, and he may then pray. He should wipe the entirety of each hand. No Beracha is recited after wiping the hands. When he later has access to water, he should wash Netilat Yadayim as usual, without reciting a Beracha.
