[Avodah] sweet chalot

[Moshe Yehuda Gluck]

R' Eli Turkel:
BTW in a similar vein we had a discussion in our shul of the ramifications
pf being a "chaver" in the days of the Temple or shortly thereafter. The
case in the gemara is that if one's coat falls and someone else picks it up
then the coat is tameh. One certainly can't 
shake hands with most people. We have discussed the problems of men and
women shaking hands in a business setting. I can just see telling one's boss
or customer than you cannot shake his hand because he is an am haaartez! 
Being a cohen or chaver was quite restrictive to ones social life




Indeed, Tosfos (Kesubos 62b s.v D'havah) explains that this was the reason
why R' Akiva, before he became one, would want to "bite them like a donkey
does" (see Pesachim 49b).

KT,
MYG