M. VIII. 3, T. VI. 4. Tidying the Room

Tractate Berakoth, by , by A. Lukyn Williams, [1921], at sacred-texts.com

Tidying the Room.

M.VII I. 3 (4). The School of Shammai say: They tidy the room and afterwards wash their hands. But the School of Hillel say: They wash their hands and afterwards tidy the room. ²

T. VI. 4. The School of Shammai say: They put the room tidy to prevent spoiling the food, and afterwards they wash their hands. And the School of Hillel say: If the attendant is skilled in the Law he gathers up the pieces which are as large as an olive, [and] they wash their hands. And after that they put the room tidy.

Footnotes

67:2 The point is, that in sweeping up the crumbs perhaps a piece of food as large as an olive may be found among them, which would have been rendered unclean by water having been spilt on it. Hence the order according to the School of Shammai. But the, School of Hillel argues that to proceed on the supposition that so large a piece will be found on the floor implies that the attendant is an ‘am ha’aretz, who ought not to be so employed. The Halaka, however, follows the School of Shammai, thus permitting the use of an attendant who is an ‘am ha’aretz.