מיתיבי כיצד סדר הסבה אורחין נכנסין ויושבין על גבי ספסלין ועל גבי קתדראות עד שיכנסו כולם הביאו להם מים כל אחד ואחד נוטל ידו אחת בא להם יין כל אחד ואחד מברך לעצמו עלו והסבו ובא להם מים אף על פי שכל אחד ואחד נטל ידו אחת חוזר ונוטל שתי ידיו בא להם יין אף על פי שכל אחד ואחד ברך לעצמו אחד מברך לכולם
Against this teaching is quoted : What is the procedure of reclining? The guests enter and seat themselves upon stools and chairs until all are assembled. Then water is brought to them, and each washes one hand. Wine is set for them, and each says the benediction for himself. They thereupon ascend [the couch] and recline, and water is brought before them ; and although each one has washed one hand, he again washes both hands. Wine is brought to them, and although each has said the benediction for himself, one may now say it for all !
Tosafot on Berakhot
EVERY ONE WASHES ONE HAND. The Braiso says that as the group gathers before the meal, and they are served a cup of wine, each guest washes one hand and recites a b’rochoh on the wine. The reason for washing at this point is not mentioned in the Braiso. There are three different opinions mentioned in three Tosfos throughout shas about this. Here Tosfos offers the following reason: The reason one must wash is because of the honor of the b’rochoh. And this is not similar to one who washes for fruit, who is considered arrogant, because he washes when the Rabanan did not require him to do so, since he does not wash both hands. He is showing that this hand washing is not to fulfill an obligation. If, in his mind it was a required hand washing he would wash both hands, by washing only one hand he is sending a clear message that this is not a required washing.1Tosfos in פסחים 115a says that the washing is in fact required so that the wine should not become טמא. In חגיגה 18b, Tosfos says that the hand washing here is for hygienic reasons.
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Tosafot on Berakhot
IF WINE CAME BEFORE THEM. After the guests moved to the dining room, they washed both hands. The Braiso says that if wine was then brought before them, one would recite a b’rochoh for all. Why did they have to recite a b’rochoh at all? They had already each recited a b’rochoh earlier. Even though, wine that one drinks before the meal covers the b’rochoh for wine that is drunk after the meal, and by a kal v’chomer it should certainly cover this cup of wine which is also drunk before the meal, so why is another b’rochoh required at all? Tosfos answers: This case is different, since they went into the dining room from the antechamber to recline, which is a change of place1See פסחים 101b for an in depth discussion of the rules of changing one’s place in regards to the laws of B’rochos. and that change of place necessitates a new b’rochoh.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
Buchler, Der galilaische 'Am ha'ares, pp. 134 ff., explains that it is not an ordinary meal that is here referred to, but that of a company of Haberim (see Glossary, s.v.).
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
Which will hold the preliminary cup of wine.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
Because he will touch food with both hands.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
This is the wine before the meal, the other was only introductory.
