Commentary for Yoma 154:7

ת"ר ההולך להקביל פני אביו או פני רבו או פני מי שגדול ממנו עובר עד צוארו במים ואינו חושש

It was reported about the older Shammai<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The colleague of Hillel in the Sanhedrin under King Herod.');">⁶</span> that he would not [hand food] to be eaten even with one hand, whereupon the Rabbis decreed that he must do so with both hands.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shammai did not wish to allow himself the concession made by the Rabbis, since he always took the severer view for himself, when two interpretations of ritual obligations were involved. But the Rabbis decided that their permission to wash one's hand was a matter of safeguarding the child's health, and Shammai's unwillingness to accept their rule was unjustified. To emphasize that they imposed upon him the obligation to wash both his hands before handing food to his infant.');">⁷</span>

Explore commentary for Yoma 154:7. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.