[Avodah] Where Bread Comes From

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:

> You (nor RRW) don't address what I tried to make my basic premise. You
> can't rail against people who like the notion of shlissel challah, and
> not rail against the first of your ancestors to wash neigl vasr three
> times on each hand (or 4) in a particular sequence. Or one of any of
> hundreds of other practices that someone did because it inspired him
> and since got enshrined as minhag.

Who says that's to inspire anyone?  The gemara says explicitly that
it's because only this sequence will induce the Ruach Ra'ah to go away.
The gemara assumes that the Ruach Ra'ah is a real thing, and has a
will of its own, and is a "princess" who must have things exactly her
way and won't leave without this specific ritual.

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                     - Margaret Thatcher