Beth Shammai dit: Premièrement, les mains sont lavées, puis la coupe de vin est versée. [Car si vous dites que la coupe de vin est d'abord versée, peut-être que des gouttes tomberont à l'extérieur de la coupe et deviendront apprivoisées (rituellement impures) à cause de ses mains. Car les mains, avant qu'elles ne soient lavées, sont de tumah du second ordre (impureté), et elles donnent du tumah de premier ordre aux liquides, qui, à leur tour, rendent l'extérieur de la coupe apprivoisé. Pour les liquides qui sont devenus apprivoisés, donnez du tumah aux vaisseaux par ordonnance rabbinique. Ils étaient indulgents à l'égard de ce tumah en ce que si l'extérieur d'un récipient devenait apprivoisé par des liquides impurs, ni son intérieur, ni ses mains, ni son bord ne devenaient apprivoisés. Et Beth Shammai soutient qu'il est interdit de se servir d'un récipient dont l'extérieur est apprivoisé même si son intérieur n'est pas devenu apprivoisé—un décret de peur que des gouttes ne jaillissent de l'intérieur vers l'extérieur de la tasse et que les gouttes ne deviennent apprivoisées à cause de l'extérieur et ne transmettent à leur tour du tumah à ses mains. Et comme il est interdit d'utiliser un récipient dont l'extérieur est apprivoisé, d'abord les mains sont lavées, puis le vin est versé, de sorte que les gouttes à l'extérieur ne deviennent pas apprivoisées entre les mains et rendent l'extérieur de la coupe apprivoisé et il utilisez la coupe illicitement.] Et Beth Hillel dit: D'abord la coupe est versée et ensuite les mains sont lavées. [Beth Hillel soutient qu'il n'est pas interdit d'utiliser un vaisseau dont l'extérieur est apprivoisé. Par conséquent, il verse d'abord la coupe et la boit, puis il se lave les mains. Car si vous dites qu'il lave d'abord puis verse la coupe, il se peut que l'extérieur de la coupe soit apprivoisé, il est permis d'utiliser un récipient dont l'extérieur est apprivoisé, et il se peut que ses mains ne soient pas complètement séchées, de sorte que l'extérieur du vaisseau donne du tumah à l'eau sur ses mains, et que l'eau, étant devenue tumah de premier ordre, à son tour rend ses mains apprivoisées, et il mange avec des mains «souillées».]
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.
