19 December 2011 Dr. Joshua Kulp 4 Comments

Berakhot, Chapter Eight, Mishnah Three [Corrected]

Introduction

Another debate between the two houses, a debate which again connected to matters of purity and impurity.  The mishnah refers to a towel which was used to dry one’s hands after washing them and to clean them off during eating (they ate with their hands since forks had not yet been invented).  The question is where to place the towel after one has used it to dry one’s hands. It is also important to remember that in mishnaic times they ate reclining on cushions and small tables were brought in front of them on which to serve the food.   

 

Mishnah Three

Bet Shammai says: he wipes his hand with a towel and then places it on the table.

Bet Hillel says: on the cushion. 

 

Explanation

After he has washed his hands, he dries them with a towel and he places the towel on the table. Bet Shammai says he shouldn’t place the towel on the cushion upon which he is reclining lest the cushion is impure and the cushion makes the water on the towel become impure and the water in turn impurifies his hands. Bet Shammai does not fear that the table is impure because they hold that it is forbidden to eat off an impure table. 

Bet Hillel holds that he should place the towel on the cushion and even if his hands become impure, impure hands is not a serious form of impurity.  However, he shouldn’t place the towel on the table lest the table is impure and causes the water in the towel to be impure which in turn causes the food on the table to be impure.  While Bet Hillel was not concerned lest one’s hands became impure, they were concerned about the purity of the food.    

Comments

Chasya-Uriel Steinbauer 19-12-2011, 00:15

Josh, I think you have the wrong translation/Mishnah above…

Hope all is well.

Reply
Dr. Joshua Kulp 19-12-2011, 04:12

This should be the correct version. Sorry for the mistake. Josh

Reply
Eli Reich 28-12-2011, 10:53

Hi Josh,
Thanks for the useful, clear and enjoyable study guide. Could you say something about the sources for your translation and commentary? To what extent do you seek to take contemporary academic scholarship into account? Are there any plans of re-formatting the units on Berachot into a single document to facilitate learning (e.g. for adult study groups)?
Eli

Reply
Dr. Joshua Kulp 28-12-2011, 11:32

Eli,
Great question. A few answers are in order.
1) I mostly use Albeck’s commentary. Occasionally I reference other commentaries, such as Kahate, Bartenura and the Rambam.
2) If there are multiple interpretations, I usually choose one. My commentary is meant to be simple and accessible, not expansive or particularly scientific.
3) I have a PhD in Talmud (Bar Ilan) so I can’t but help have a somewhat academic approach to these subjects. However, this is not a scientific or academic commentary. It’s a simple and fairly traditional one. I also hope its somewhat fun and light, as I think is appropriate over the web.
I didn’t have plans to reformat the units into a single document. I’m quite pressed for time, but maybe a volunteer wants to do it?
Thanks for the question. BTW, where are you? It’s nice to get an idea of where people are coming from and who is studying this material.
Josh

Reply

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