Mesorat%20hashas for Berakhot 8:3

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, מְקַנֵּחַ יָדָיו בַּמַּפָּה וּמַנִּיחָהּ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, עַל הַכֶּסֶת:

Beth Shammai say: One wipes his hands on a towel [after washing for the meal] and places it on the table. [And he uses the towel throughout the meal to wipe food-grease from his hands. He may not place it on the pillow he sits on — a decree, lest the pillow be of first-order tumah and water from the drying of the hands wet the towel and, on contact with the pillow, become first-order tumah (as is always the case with liquids), and the towel, which he uses constantly in the course of the meal, impart tumah to his hands. But there is no cause for such a decree vis-à-vis a table, it being forbidden to use a table of second-order tumah.] And Beth Hillel say: (He places it) on the pillow. [Beth Hillel hold that it is permitted to use a table of second-order tumah. Therefore, he may not place the towel on the table, lest the water in the towel become tame via the table and, in turn, impart tumah to the food. If he places it on the pillow, however, the only cause for concern is that tumah might be imparted to his hands — Better that his hands become tame (there being no Scriptural basis for such tumah, the Torah not requiring washing of hands for non-consecrated food) than that food become tame, there being Scriptural basis for this, first-order tumah imparting second-order tumah to non-consecrated food.]

Explore mesorat%20hashas for Berakhot 8:3. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.