[Avodah] Mayim Acharonim, Chova?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Jul 08, 2019 at 01:39:06PM +0000, Prof. L. Levine via Avodah wrote:
: Please see https://ohr.edu/this week/insights into halacha/5285
...
:> Insights into Halacha
:> Mayim Acharonim, Chova?
:> by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz

: Mayim Acharonim has an interesting background, as it actually has
: two entirely different sources and rationales mandating it. The first,
: in Gemara Brachos[3], discussing the source for ritual handwashing,
: explains that one can not make a bracha with dirty hands, and cites
: the pasuk in Parshas Kedoshim[4] "V'hiskadeeshtem, V'heyisem Kedoshim",
: "And you shall sanctify yourselves, and be holy". The Gemara clarifies
: that "And you shall sanctify yourselves" refers to washing the hands
: before the meal, Mayim Rishonim, and "and be holy" refers to washing
: the hands after the meal, Mayim Acharonim. In other words, by washing
: our hands before making a bracha (in this case before Bentching), we
: are properly sanctifying ourselves.

: The second source, Gemara Chullin[5], on the other hand, refers to Mayim
: Acharonim as a "chova", an outright obligation. The Gemara elucidates that
: there is a certain type of salt in the world, called 'Melach S'domis',
...

Back when R Rich Wolpoe introduced me on-list to the work of Prof
Agus's position on the origins of Ashkenazi pesaq, nusach and minhag,
I noted something about mayim acharonim that could explain why Tosafos
and the SA end up with different positions.

According to Agus's theory (and further developed by Prof Ta-Shma and
others), the bulk of Ashkenaz originated in EY. Captives from EY ended up
in Rome and Provence, and when Charlamaign tried to moved the economic
center of the Holy Roman Empire north, the Jews converged on the land
we call Ashkenaz.

Sepharad, however, is more directly a chlid of Bavel and the Ge'onim.

This explains why there are often divergences in Ashk pesaq from the
conclusion in the Bavli -- but position that end up having support in
the Y-mi or medrashei halakhah. Because those sources more accurately
reflect the ancestors of Ashk.

(Which is why, as another quick example, when Ashk adopted Seder R Amram
Gaon, it preserved the Nusach EY LeDor vaDor for use after Qedusah,
and Shalom Rav for evenings.)

Well, turns out the Y-mi only mentions malach sedomis, and doesn't have
the comparison to mayim rishonim or the notion of qedushah.

So I found it unsurprising that Ashk, comng from a community that saw
mayim acharonim only in terms of avoiding blindness or other injury,
would minimize it once the risk is gone. However, in Seph, it's a matter
of qedushah too, so the SA's sources will be machmir even without melach
sedomis being served anymore.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 The waste of time is the most extravagant
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   of all expense.
Author: Widen Your Tent                              -Theophrastus
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF