Beth Shammai dice: Prima si lavano le mani e poi si versa il bicchiere di vino. [Perché se dici che prima viene versato il bicchiere di vino, forse le gocce cadranno all'esterno del bicchiere e diventeranno addomesticati (ritualmente impuri) a causa delle sue mani. Le mani, prima di essere lavate, sono di tuma di secondo ordine (impurità) e impartiscono tuma di primo ordine ai liquidi, che, a loro volta, rendono domare l'esterno della tazza. Per i liquidi che sono diventati docili impartire tuma ai vasi mediante ordinanza rabbinica. Erano indulgenti rispetto a questo tuma in quanto se l'esterno di una nave si addomesticava attraverso liquidi impuri, né l'interno, né le sue mani, né il suo bordo diventavano addomesticati. E Beth Shammai sostiene che è vietato l'uso di una nave il cui esterno è addomesticato anche se il suo interno non è diventato addomesticato—un decreto per non far cadere gocce dall'interno all'esterno della tazza e le gocce diventano addomesticate a causa dell'esterno e a loro volta impartiscono tumah alle sue mani. E poiché è vietato usare una nave il cui esterno è addomesticato, prima si lavano le mani e poi si versa il vino, in modo che le gocce all'esterno non si addomestichino attraverso le mani e faccia domare l'esterno della tazza e lui usa la tazza illecitamente.] E Beth Hillel dice: Prima viene versata la tazza e poi le mani vengono lavate. [Beth Hillel sostiene che non è vietato usare una nave il cui esterno sia addomesticato. Pertanto, prima versa la tazza e la beve, quindi si lava le mani. Perché se dici che prima lava e poi versa la tazza, può darsi che l'esterno della tazza sia addomesticato, che gli sia permesso di usare una nave il cui esterno è addomesticato e che le sue mani non siano completamente asciugate, cosicché l'esterno della nave impartisce tuma all'acqua sulle sue mani e quell'acqua, divenuta tuma di primo ordine, a sua volta fa domare le sue mani e mangia con le mani "imbronciate".]
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.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
Our mishnah contains another debate between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel about table manners.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
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.
