[Avodah] Practical Psak: Washing before/after Kiddush

[Danny Schoemann]

Pursuant to the threads about the process of Paskenin.

In 271:12 the Shulchan Aruch paskens one must wash after Kiddush. The
Remo says that the accepted Minhag is to wash before Kiddush.

The SA follows the Tur who follows the Rambam. The Remo follows the
Rosh, Mordechai and others.

Reading the Tur is eye-opening and somewhat disconcerting. He states
that his father (the Rosh) washed before Kiddush and then goes on
about how wrong that is and makes it clear that he doesn't follow his
father's Minhag!

It's also clear that many of the early commentators had never heard of
somebody actually washing before Kiddush, (besides for reading about
it in the Rambam).

The underlying argument seems to be how to learn the Gemoro, with the
"revolutionists" spearheaded by the Tur wanting to do it according to
everybody.

This puzzles me since we often pasken davka to prove a point, like the
Nussach of Hamotzi, which should be Motzi if you want to "play it
safe".

Also puzzling is the fact that everybody seems to pasken that the
above argument applies to the MeKadesh whereas the MeSubim should wash
beforehand. Somewhere along the line this detail seems to have gotten
lost by those who wash after Kiddush.

How could the Tur reject his father's way of doing things? Compare
this to the Beis Yosef's analysis of the Nussach of Kaddish (in Siman
55) where he writes (maybe more than once) that we don't change a
Nussach based on a Sevoro, no matter how good the Sevoro is.

- Danny, trying to get back to basics