Beth Shammai say: First the hands are washed and then the wine cup is poured. [For if you say that first the wine cup is poured, perhaps drops will fall on the outside of the cup and become tame (ritually unclean) because of his hands. For hands, before they are washed, are of second-order tumah (uncleanliness), and they impart first-order tumah to liquids, which, in turn, render the outside of the cup tame. For liquids which have become tame impart tumah to vessels by rabbinical ordinance. They were lenient in respect to this tumah in that if the outside of a vessel became tame through unclean liquids, neither its inside, nor his hands, nor its rim become tame. And Beth Shammai hold that it is forbidden to make use of a vessel whose outside is tame even though its inside has not become tame — a decree lest drops spurt from within it to the outside of the cup and the drops become tame because of the outside and in turn impart tumah to his hands. And because it is forbidden to use a vessel whose outside is tame, first the hands are washed, and then the wine is poured, so that the drops on the outside not become tame through the hands and render the outside of the cup tame and he use the cup illicitly.] And Beth Hillel say: First the cup is poured and then the hands are washed. [Beth Hillel hold that it is not forbidden to use a vessel whose outside is tame. Therefore, first he pours the cup and drinks it, and then he washes his hands. For if you say that he washes first and then pours the cup, it may be that the outside of the cup is tame, it being permitted to use a vessel whose outside is tame, and it may be that his hands are not thoroughly dried, so that the outside of the vessel imparts tumah to the water on his hands, and that water, having become first-order tumah, in turn makes his hands tame, and he eats with "sullied" hands.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
בית שמאי אומרים: נוטלין לידים ואחר כך מוזגין את הכוס – For if you say “pour the cup” first, as a preventive measure, lest they defile the liquids that fell on the back of the cup on account of one’s hands, for hands prior to washing them are considered impure in the second-degree, and they defile liquids to become impure in the first-degree, and these liquids would come back and defile the outer surface of the cup, for the liquids that were defiled, defile utensils, according to the Rabbis, but they were lenient in this defilement for the utensil whose back was defiled by liquids [which] are impure, what is inside [the utensil] is not defiled nor one’s hands nor its (the utensil’s) rim. And the School of Shammai thinks that it is forbidden to use the cup whose back is impure, even though the inside was not defiled, as a preventive measure, lest splashing [of liquid] of drops from inside [the cup] touch the outer surface of the cup , and the liquids would acquire defilement on account of the outside of the cup, and would defile the hands, and since it is forbidden to use a utensil whose outside are impure, therefore, we wash our hands first and thereafter pour the cup [of wine], in order that the liquid on the outside of the utensil would not receive defilement on account of the hands – and the outside of the utensils would be found to be [ritually] impure, on account of those liquids and we would be using something that is in a forbidden state; but the School of Hillel thinks that there is no prohibition to use a utensil whose external parts are impure; therefore, we pour the cup [of wine] first and drink it and afterwards wash the hands, for if one would say that we wash the hands first and afterwards pour the cup, as a preventive measure lest the external parts of the cup would be impure, for it is permitted to handle a utensil whose external parts are impure, even if one’s hands are not dried well , which would defile the external parts of the utensil, the liquids on his hands and those liquids that had been made “first-degree” impure would defile the hands and it would be found that he would be eating with unclean hands.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
Our mishnah contains another debate between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel about table manners.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Bet Shammai says: they wash their hands and then they pour the cup [of wine]. Bet Hillel says: they pour the cup [of wine] and then they wash their hands. According to Bet Shammai first they wash their hands in order to purify them and only afterwards do they pour the first cup of wine. Bet Shammai fears that if they pour before the hands are washed and purified, some of the wine might get on the outside of the cup and when the person drinking touches the cup he will make them impure and they will then cause the cup to be impure. Bet Hillel holds that first the cup should be poured and then the hands washed. It seems that they hold that the hands must be washed immediately before the food is eaten and that there shouldn’t be any break in between. Today on days on which Kiddush is recited most people pour the wine, say Kiddush and then wash their hands before they say “Hamotzi,”, the blessing over the bread, and begin the meal. However, there are some whose custom it is to wash hands before Kiddush and then proceed directly from Kiddush to Hamotzi.
