Chullin

Should you say it means this: Beth Shammai say: One must clean [the mouth] and not rinse it,1 and Beth Hillel Say. One must rinse [the mouth] and not clean it, then the statement of R. Zera viz., Cleaning the mouth must be done with bread only, would agree with the view of Beth Shammai, would it not?2 And if you say it means this: Beth Shammai say: One must clean [the mouth] and not rinse it, and Beth Hillel Say. One must also rinse it, then it is a case in which Beth Shammai adopt the lenient ruling and Beth Hillel the strict ruling; why then is this not taught among the cases3 in which Beth Shammai adopt the lenient ruling and Beth Hillel the strict ruling? — Rather this must be the interpretation: Beth Shammai say: One must clean [the mouth], and also rinse it; Beth Hillel say. One must rinse [the mouth], and also clean it. But one [school] mentions one [requirement], the other [school] another, and they do not really differ.4 The [above] text [stated]: ‘R. Zera said: Cleaning the mouth must be done with bread only’. This means only with wheaten bread but not with barley bread.5 And even with wheaten bread it is allowed only if it is cold, but not if it is still warm, for it cleaves [to the palate]. And it must be soft and not hard.5 The law is: Cleaning [the mouth] may be done with everything except flour, dates and vegetables. R. Assi enquired of R. Johanan: How long must one wait between flesh and cheese?6 — He replied. Nothing at all. But this cannot be, for R. Hisda said: If a person ate flesh he is forbidden to eat [after it] cheese, if he ate cheese he is permitted to eat [after it] flesh! — This indeed was the question. How long must one wait between cheese and flesh? And he replied. Nothing at all. The [above] text [stated]: ‘R. Hisda said: If a person ate flesh he is forbidden to eat [after it] cheese, if he ate cheese he is permitted to eat [after it] flesh’. R. Aha b. Joseph asked R. Hisda: What about the flesh that is between the teeth?7 — He quoted [in reply] the verse: While the flesh was yet between their teeth.8 Mar ‘Ukba said: In this matter I am as vinegar is to wine9 compared with my father. For if my father were to eat flesh now he would not eat cheese until this very hour to-morrow, whereas I do not eat [cheese] in the same meal but I do eat it in my next meal. Samuel said: In this matter I am as vinegar is to wine compared with my father. For my father used to inspect his property twice a day, but I do so only once a day. Samuel here follows his maxim, for Samuel declared: He who inspects his property daily will find an istira.10 Abaye used to inspect his property daily. One day he met his farmer-tenant carrying away a bundle of twigs. Said to him [Abaye]. Where is this going to? He replied. To my master's house. Said Abaye. The Rabbis have long ago anticipated you.11 R. Assi used to inspect his property daily. He exclaimed: Where are all those istiras of the Master Samuel? One day he saw that a pipe had burst on his land. He took off his coat, rolled it up and stuffed it into the hole. He then raised his voice and people came and stopped it up. He exclaimed: Now I have found all those istiras of the Master Samuel.12 R. Idi b. Abin said in the name of R. Isaac b. Ashian: The first washing13 [of the hands] is a meritorious act, the last washing14 is a bounden duty. An objection was raised from the following: The first and last washing [of the hands] are bounden duties,15 the middle washing16 is a matter of free choice. — A meritorious act as compared with a matter of free choice can well be termed a bounden duty. [To return to] the main text: ‘The first and last washing [of the hands] are bounden duties, the middle washing is a matter of free choice’. The first washing may be performed either over a vessel or over the ground; the last washing must be performed over a vessel. Others read: The last washing may not be performed over the ground. (What is the real difference between these [two versions]? There is a difference, [where one washes over] twigs.)17 The first washing may be With either hot or cold water; the last washing must be with cold water only, because hot water softens the hands and does not remove the grease.18 ‘The first washing may be with either hot or cold water’. R. Isaac b. Joseph said in the name of R. Jannai. They said this only of [hot] water wherein the hand is not reading which omits the words ‘need not’ before ‘rinse it’ in cur. edd. V. MS.M. v. also Tosaf. s.v. tnhkht view. the hands v. Asheri a.l. and Tur, Yoreh Deah, LXXXIX. be removed before one may eat cheese. he will be able to see that everything is in proper order, and no workman of his could take advantage of his absence. second version this would be allowed, according to the first version it would not.