בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נוֹטְלִין לַיָּדַיִם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹזְגִין אֶת הַכּוֹס. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, מוֹזְגִין אֶת הַכּוֹס וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹטְלִין לַיָּדָיִם:
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.]
Tosefta Berakhot
Workers that were doing [work] by the owner of the house [when they have to say Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals)] they say [only] two Berachot (blessings) [instead of the four usual Berachot]. [The way they say Birkat Hamazon is as follows.] He (i.e. the worker) says the first Beracha [in the regular fashion]. [Then] he combines [the Beracha] of Jerusalem (i.e. the 3rd Beracha) with [the Beracha] of the land (i.e. the 2nd Beracha) [into one Beracha], and he seals it off with [the ending of the Beracha] of the land. If [the workers] were doing [the work] for him [and receiving] their meal [as pay, instead of money], or the owner of the house was saying the Birkat Hamazon for them [because he ate together with them, even if they were getting paid money for their work, then] they (i.e. the workers) say [all] four Berachot. [These are] the things during meals regarding which Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel argue. Bet Shammai say, “[When a person makes Kiddush on Friday night,] he says the Beracha for the day [first] and [only] after that he says the Beracha on the wine, because the day causes the wine to be brought out, and since the day already began, however the wine has not been brought out yet [until later that evening].” And Bet Hillel say, “[When a person makes Kiddush on Friday night,] he says the Beracha for the wine [first] and [only] after that he says the Beracha on the day, because it is the wine that causes the holiness of the day to be discussed. [Besides this there is] another explanation. The Beracha for the wine is common and the Beracha for the [Shabbat] day is not common.” And the law follows the words of Bet Hillel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosefta Berakhot
Bet Shammai say, “We wash hands [before the meal] first, and [only] after that we pour the cup [of wine for Kiddush, because] may be the liquid outside of the cup will become Tameh (ritually impure), because of the [Tameh] hands, and in turn it will make the cup Tameh.” And Bet Hillel say, “The outside of the cup is always Tameh, [so therefore it does not matter if the liquid on the outside of the cup will make it Tameh.] [Besides this there is] another explanation. Hands should be washed as close to the meal as possible.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
