Question: What does this mean?

Version #1 (Rashi) Suggestion: Beis Shamai say that he must clean his mouth, but he need not wash. Beis Hillel say that he must wash, but he need not clean his mouth.

Version #2 (Tosfos) Suggestion: Beis Shamai say that it suffices to clean his mouth (or he may wash, which is better). Beis Hillel say that he must wash. Cleaning the mouth does not suffice. (end of Version #2)

Rejection: R. Zeira taught that bread must be used to clean the mouth. Does he teach according to Beis Shamai?!

Answer #1: Rather, Beis Shamai say that he must clean his mouth, but he need not wash. Beis Hillel says that he must also wash.

Question: If so, this should be taught (in Maseches Idiyos) among the laws in which Beis Shamai are lenient and Beis Hillel are stringent!

Answer #2: Rather, Beis Shamai say that he cleans his mouth. The same applies to washing (he must do both; Rashba - he may do either);

Beis Hillel say, he washes. The same applies to cleaning;

Each said a different law. They do not argue.

(R. Zeira): Bread must be used to clean the mouth.

It must be wheat bread, but not barley bread.

The bread must be cold. If it is hot, it will stick to his palate.

It must be soft, and not hard.

The Halachah is, anything may be used, except for flour, dates and Yerek.

Question (R. Asi): How long must one wait between meat and cheese?

Answer (R. Yochanan): He need not wait at all.

Question: Rav Chisda taught that if one ate meat, he may not eat cheese (right away). If one ate cheese, he may eat meat!

Correction: Rather, R. Asi asked how long must one wait between cheese and meat. R. Yochanan answered that he need not wait at all.

(Rav Chisda): If one ate meat, he may not eat cheese (right away); if one ate cheese, he may eat meat.

Question (Rav Acha bar Yosef): Is meat stuck between teeth considered meat (to forbid one to eat cheese)?

Answer (Rav Chisda): "The meat was still between their teeth." (It is still considered meat.)

(Mar Ukva): I am (distasteful) like vinegar that comes from wine (my virtuous father). My father would not eat cheese for 24 hours after eating meat, but I eat cheese at the next meal! (Mar Ukva held that because his general level of piety was much lower than his father's, it was improper for him to be as stringent as his father.)

(Shmuel): I am much worse at caring for my property than my father. He would oversee his property twice a day, I only oversee it once a day.

(Shmuel): If one oversees his property every day, he profits from this.

Abaye would oversee his property every day. One day, he caught his sharecropper trying to steal wood.

(Abaye): Where are you taking this wood?

(The sharecropper): To your house.

(Abaye): The Rabanan anticipated your actions.

Rav Asi would oversee his property every day. He was disappointed that he was not profiting from this;

One day he saw water flowing out of an irrigation ditch, about to ruin his fruit. He was able to dam it up. He realized that it was worth looking every day for this one savings.

(Rav Idi bar Avin): Washing before the meal is a Mitzvah. Washing after the meal is (more) obligatory.

Question (Beraisa): Washing before and after the meal is obligatory. Washing during the meal is Reshus (optional).

Answer: Washing before the meal is really a Mitzvah. The Tana calls it obligatory in comparison to Reshus (washing during the meal).

(Beraisa): Washing before and after the meal is obligatory. Washing during the meal is Reshus;

One may wash before the meal into a Kli, or on the ground;

Version #1: Washing after the meal must be done into a Kli.

Version #2: One may not wash after the meal on the ground.

Question: What is the difference between the two versions?

Answer: They argue about washing over pieces of wood. (They are not Kelim, yet this is not considered washing on the ground.)

Washing before the meal may be done with hot or cold water. Washing after the meal must be with cold water, because hot water causes the filth to be absorbed in the hands.

Version #1 (Beraisa): Washing before the meal may be with hot or cold water...

(Rav Yitzchak bar Yosef): One may not use water that is Yad Soledes Bo (one who touches it withdraws his hand).

Version #2 (Beraisa): Washing after the meal may not be done with hot water.

(Rav Yitzchak bar Yosef): If the water is not Yad Soledes Bo, it may be used.

Inference: Yad Soledes Bo water may be used to wash before the meal.

(Beraisa): Washing during the meal is Reshus.

(Rav Nachman): This is only between similar courses (e.g. both meat). Washing between dairy and meat courses is obligatory.

(Rav Yehudah brei d'R. Chiya): Washing after the meal is obligatory due to Sodom salt, which blinds the eyes.

(Abaye): A miniscule amount of such salt is found in a large amount of ;salt.

Question (Rav Acha brei d'Rava): If one measures out salt, must he wash his hands?

Answer (Rav Ashi): He certainly must!

(Abaye): I used to think that we do not wash after the meal onto the ground due to the filth. My Rebbi (Rabah) taught that it is due to the evil spirit that rests on the water.

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we do not take something from the table in front of someone who is drinking is lest he get angry. Rabah taught that it is due to the spirit of Tzarda (dazing spells).

This is a problem only if the object is taken more than four Amos from the table, it is not returned, and it is something needed for the meal.

Mar bar Rav Ashi was careful about grinders, because spices are needed for the meal.

(Abaye): I used to think that we gather crumbs for the sake of cleanliness. Rabah taught that it is to avoid poverty.

A certain man was always careful with crumbs. The angel appointed over poverty was never able to overcome him. One day, the man ate bread over grass. He dug up the area and threw the earth (including the crumbs) into the river. He heard the angel despair over its defeat.

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we do not drink froth (on top of a liquid that was poured) is because it is repulsive. Rabah taught that it is because it leads to Karsam (a nasal drip and inflammation);

Drinking the froth leads to Karsam. Blowing it is bad for the head. Pushing it to the side leads to poverty.

Questions: What should one do with it, and what is the remedy for Karsam?

Answer - part 1: One should press the froth into the liquid until it settles;

Answer - part 2: If the Karsam was caused by froth of wine, he should drink beer; if it was caused by froth of beer, he should drink water;

If it was due to froth of water, there is no cure.

Poverty pursues a poor man! (Due to his poverty, he had only water to drink, and due to this he cannot be cured from the Karsam.)

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we do not eat a vegetable straight from the bundle is because it appears gluttonous. Rabah taught that it makes one susceptible to witchcraft.

Rav Chisda and Rabah bar Rav Huna were on a boat. A woman wanted to sit by them, but they refused. She said something that stopped the boat. They said something that allowed the boat to go.

The woman: I cannot harm you, because you do not clean yourselves (in the privy) with pottery, you do not kill lice on your clothing, and you do not eat vegetables straight from the bundle.

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we do not eat a vegetable that fell on the tray is because it is repulsive. Rabah taught that it leads to mouth odor.

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we don't sit under gutter pipes is due to the water that flows down. Rabah taught that Mazikim (Shedim, which are beings with similarities to people and to angels) frequent the area.

Two men were carrying a barrel. They rested it under a gutter pipe. A Mazik broke it. Mar bar Rav Ashi excommunicated the Mazik. It came in front of Mar bar Rav Ashi.

Mar bar Rav Ashi: Why did you break the barrel?

The Mazik: I had no choice. I was sleeping there. They put it on my ear!

Mar bar Rav Ashi: What were you doing in a place where many people go?! You acted improperly, so you must pay.

Mar bar Rav Ashi agreed to give it time to pay. The Mazik was late. It explained 'we may not take from what is wrapped, sealed, measured or counted.'

(Abaye): I used to think that the reason we spill water from the top of a barrel is due to chips of wood that float on top. Rabah taught that it is lest Mazikim drank from it.

There was a Shed that used to serve Rav Papa. It went to get water from the river. It delayed a long time, until the water on top flowed away. When it returned, it saw that in Rav Papa's house, they would spill out the top water. It had waited for naught.