When two sit at one table, the senior of them puts forth his hand first¹, p. 148. and then the junior; if the junior puts forth [his hand first] he is a glutton.

footnotes: ¹ To pick his portion from the dish. On the Oriental mode of dining, cf. Lane, Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians

The story is told of R. ‘Aḳiba who prepared a meal for his disciples. They² served them with two dishes, one raw and the other cooked. First they served them with raw foods. The bright [pupil] among them took hold of the stalk with one hand and with the other tried to break a piece off, and when it did not come off he withdrew his hands from it and ate his bread dry.³ The foolish [pupil], however, took hold of the stalk in one hand and bit into it with his teeth. R. ‘Aḳiba said to him, ‘Not so, my son; place your heel on it in the plate!’ After that a cooked dish was served to them, of which they ate their fill. Then [R. ‘Aḳiba] said to them, ‘My sons, I only did this to test whether you have good manners or not’.

footnotes: ² The waiters. ³ He realized that he could only break off a piece by using much force and that would be unmannerly.

A man should begin his mealtime at the fourth hour of the day⁴ and enter the bath-house only at the fourth hour of the day.⁵

footnotes: ⁴ i.e. 10 a.m., the beginning of the day being 6 a.m. ⁵ Not earlier.

Hot baths in large quantities are harmful to the body and beneficial in small quantities; wine is harmful in large quantities and beneficial in small quantities.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Cf. Giṭ. 70a (Sonc. ed., p. 334).

The following three things are of equal importance, viz. wisdom, fear [of God] and humility.

When entering a privy one should not face west or east⁷ but only the sides.⁸ He should not expose himself until he sits, and should not wipe himself with the right hand but only with the left.⁹, p. 150, n. 2. It is related of R. ‘Aḳiba that he went into a privy behind R. Joshua to watch his behaviour. He noticed that he entered the privy only on the side, exposed himself¹⁰ only after he had sat down, and wiped himself only with the left hand. What is the reason that we do not wipe with the right hand? R. Eliezer said: Because one eats with it. R. Joshua said: Because one writes¹¹ with it. Rabban Gamaliel said: Because one points with it to the cantillations of the Torah.¹²

footnotes: ⁷ So as not to expose himself towards the Holy of Holies. ⁸ i.e. north and south, which are not in line with the Holy of Holies; cf. Ber. 61b (Sonc. ed., p. 387). ⁹ The Moslems have a similar practice and do not touch food with the left hand; cf. Lane, op. cit. ¹⁰ In Ber. 62a (Sonc. ed., p. 388) ‘evacuated’. ¹¹ So GRA. V has ‘drinks’. ¹² [In a copy of the Heb. Bible when reading it aloud; cf. N.Y.]

A man should not rejoice when among people who weep or weep when among those who rejoice. He should not stay awake among people who sleep or sleep when among those who are awake. He should not be standing when all others are sitting or sit when all others are standing. This is the general rule: A man should not deviate from the custom of his companions or from society.¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Cf. DEZ V 5, p. 581. This paragraph is omitted here in H.