Chullin 106a

חולין ק״ו ע״א

Learn Chullin 106a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Washing hands: the dangers of skipping it, which water may be used, why we wash before bread, and washing before fruit

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a story about a שד and the household of רב פפא, who poured off water from the pitcher before drinking. Then רב דימי and רבין each tell how skipping מים ראשונים and מים אחרונים once led to disaster. רב נחמן בר יצחק gives a memory trick for their two versions, and רבי אבא teaches the harsher story of each. Next, חזקיה and רבי יוחנן argue about washing hands with water heated by fire and with the hot springs of טבריא. רב פפא explains that their real dispute is about water led into a ditch, and the גמרא finds the same dispute among תנאים. The גמרא then gives the reasons for washing before bread: a safeguard for תרומה, and a מצוה hinted at in a פסוק about a זב. Washing before fruit turns out to be only for cleanliness. A story about רבי אמי and רבי אסי teaches rules about fruit, זימון, and two people who ate together. The amud ends as a ברייתא begins to give how much of the hand must be washed, and the rule continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. StatementThe demon sees the household pour off water from the pitcher
2. Statementרב דימי's report: the dangers of skipping the washings
3. StatementRavin's different version of the same teaching
4. StatementA memory trick for the two versions
5. Statementרבי אבא teaches the stricter version of each story
6. StatementCan you wash hands with water heated by fire?
7. Proofרבי יוחנן brings support from the great sages of the גליל
8. StatementThe hot springs of טבריא
9. ChallengeIf the whole body is allowed, surely the hands are too
10. Resolutionרב פפא: the dispute is only about water in a ditch
11. ProofThe same argument appears in a ברייתא
12. ChallengeHow can the whole body be allowed but not the hands?
13. ResolutionThe argument is about water led into a ditch
14. StatementWhy we wash hands before ordinary food
15. QuestionWhich מצוה is meant?
16. Responseאביי: listening to חכמים
17. Responseרבא: the hint in the תורה
18. QuestionHow does the פסוק about a זב hint at hand-washing?
19. ChallengeThe plain reading of the פסוק cannot be right
20. ResolutionThe פסוק is hinting at someone else who has not washed
21. StatementWashing before fruit is only for cleanliness
22. StatementPeople understood: not required, but still a מצוה
23. Rejectionרבא: it is only optional
24. Statementרב נחמן disagrees: washing for fruit is arrogant
25. StatementThe story of רבי אמי and רבי אסי eating fruit
26. ConclusionThree lessons from the story
27. ProofA ברייתא supports: two who ate should separate
28. StatementWhen one is learned and one is not
29. StatementHow much of the hand to wash: regular food versus תרומה