חולין 107:2 — Soncino English Talmud

Is it right to do so? And Rab replied. I am very sensitive. When R. Zera went up [to Palestine] he found R. Ammi and R. Assi eating food with leather rags around their hands; he exclaimed, ‘Two great men like you to be in error about the incident of Rab and Samuel! Did not Rab reply. "I am very sensitive"’ ? — In truth he [R. Zera] had forgotten the statement of R. Tahlifa b. Abimi in the name of Samuel, viz., They permitted those that eat terumah the use of a cloth, but they did not permit those that eat [common food] in conditions of cleanness the use of a cloth. And R. Ammi and R. Assi were priests. The question was raised: Must he that is being fed by another wash his hands or not? — Come and hear. R. Huna b. Sehora once was standing before R. Hamnuna and put some meat into R. Hamnuna's mouth which he ate. Said [R. Huna]. If you were not R. Hamnuna I would not have fed you. Now what was the reason [for the exception in R. Hamnuna's case]? Was it not because he was very careful not to touch [the food]? — No, it was because he was most scrupulous and had certainly washed his hands previously. Come and hear. R. Zera said in the name of Rab: One should not put a piece [of bread] into the mouth of the waiter unless one knows that he has washed his hands. The waiter must say a Benediction for each cup [of wine that he receives], but does not say a Benediction for each piece [of bread]. R. Johanan said: He must also say a Benediction for each piece [of bread]. And R. Papa said: In fact there is no contradiction [between Rab and R. Johanan], for one refers to the case where a notable person [is sitting at the table] and the other to a case where there was no notable person [at the table]. Nevertheless it expressly says. ‘Unless one knows that he has washed his hands’! — In the case of a waiter it is different because he is kept busy. Our Rabbis taught: A man should not give any bread to the waiter while the cup [of wine] is in the hand [of the waiter] or in his host's hand, lest there occur a mishap at the table. If the waiter has not washed his hands, one may not put bread into his mouth. The question was raised: Must he that feeds another wash his hands or not? — Come and hear: It was taught in the school of Manasseh: R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says. A woman may wash one hand in water and give some bread to her small child. It was said of Shammai the Elder that he would not feed a child even with one hand, and the Sages ordered him that he feed it with both hands! — Abaye answered: There it was on account of evil spirits. Come and hear [from the following incident]. The father of Samuel once found Samuel crying and asked him, ‘Why are you crying’? ‘Because my teacher beat me’. ‘But why’? ‘Because he said to me, "You were feeding my son and you did not wash your hands before doing so"’.’ And why did you not wash’? [He replied:] ‘It was he that was eating, so why should I wash’? Said [the father of Samuel:] ‘It is not enough that he [your teacher] is ignorant [of the law], but he must also beat you’! The law is: He that is fed by another must wash his hands; he that feeds another need not wash his hands. MISHNAH. A PERSON MAY WRAP UP FLESH AND CHEESE IN ONE CLOTH, PROVIDED THEY DO NOT TOUCH ONE ANOTHER. R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS: TWO PEOPLE AT AN INN MAY EAT AT THE SAME TABLE, THE ONE FLESH AND THE OTHER CHEESE, WITHOUT HESITATION. GEMARA. And what does it matter if they do touch one another? It is only cold [food] with cold [food]? — Abaye answered: I grant you that it is not necessary to scrape away the surface, but surely each must be washed. R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL SAYS: TWO PEOPLE AT AN INN MAY EAT AT THE SAME TABLE etc. R. Hanan b. Ammi said in the name of Samuel: This is permitted only if they do not know each other, but if they know each other it is forbidden. It has also been taught to the same effect: R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says. If two guests stay at the same inn, one having come from the north and the other from the south, the one with his piece of flesh and the other with his cheese, they may eat at the same table, the one flesh and the other cheese, without hesitation. They only forbade it where the two eat from one parcel. ‘From one parcel’! You surely cannot mean that! — It means, if it appears as [though they are eating from] one parcel. R. Yemar b. Shelemya asked Abaye: What is the law in the case of two brothers who are particular with each other! — He replied, Then people will say: All cakes are forbidden but the cakes of Boethius are permitted. Then according to your argument, what of the statement of R. Assi in the name of R. Johanan viz.: One who possesses only one shirt may wash it on the intermediate days of the festival! There, too, people will say:^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ

^ᵃnote:He assumed that he had not washed his hands.
^ᵇnote:He had in fact washed his hands yet he would not touch his food with his fingers but always wrapped a cloth around them. It is however apparent that both Rab and Samuel are of the opinion that the use of a cloth does not dispense with the need for washing the hands.
^ᶜnote:Like gloves.
^ᵈnote:Without having washed their hands.
^ᵉnote:I.e., priests, for they are most scrupulous and would avoid touching the food with their hands.
^ᶠnote:Together with bread (Tosaf.).
^ᵍnote:Hence where one is careful not to touch the food there is no need to wash the hands.
^ʰnote:The waiter can expect to receive from the diners a morsel of bread from time to time, therefore the benediction for the first piece would serve also for the subsequent pieces. He cannot however be certain that he will receive wine from time to time, therefore each time he must make a benediction.
^ⁱnote:Only in this case, Rab holds that the waiter should not make several benedictions, for he can reasonably expect to receive bread from time to time.
^ʲnote:In such circumstances there is a danger that he will actually touch the food that he is eating; but with an ordinary person there is no such apprehension. It must be noted that the serving of food by the waiter with his hands does not impose upon him the duty of washing the hands, v. infra.
^ᵏnote:The host may be annoyed at it and may choke while drinking, or he may look with anger at the waiter who might get frightened and spill the wine and thus cause an unfortunate incident.
^ˡnote:On the Day of Atonement when it is forbidden to wash.
^ᵐnote:It is evident from these cases that even when feeding another it is necessary to wash the hands!
^ⁿnote:The washing of the hands referred to on the Day of Atonement is that which has to be performed in the morning on account of the evil spirit that clings to unwashed hands. But once the hands have been washed in the morning there is no further need to wash them when about to feed others; v. Yoma 77b.
^ᵒnote:Lit., ‘two strangers’.
^ᵖnote:Of the flesh and cheese where they came into contact.
^ᵠnote:But this is forbidden even when one is not sitting at the table. V. our Mishnah.
^ʳnote:I.e., they are intimate with each other and it appears that what one has is shared by the other.
^ˢnote:Not to share each other's food. May they both eat at the same table, the one flesh and the other cheese, as strangers, or not?
^ᵗnote:Cf. Pes. 37a. It is forbidden to make cakes of fancy shapes on the Passover for, in the time spent in shaping, the dough might become leavened. A certain baker Boethius had moulds of various shapes, and the question was asked: May one eat the cakes of Boethius on the Passover or not? It was resolved that no distinction can be made; all cakes in fancy shapes are forbidden whether made in moulds or not, and the law does not admit of any exceptions. Here, too, the law is clear, that strangers may eat at the same table but friends or brothers may not. It will not alter the law the fact that the brothers are unfriendly or particular with each other.
^ᵘnote:Ordinarily this is forbidden, cf. M.K. 14a.