Eating with your fingers

On cultural differences, hygiene, and visceral appreciation

In Nedarim 49b, some Amoraim eat with bread, others with their fingers, while others are surprised at the finger-practice.

אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: דִּמְשַׁאֵיל לְהוֹן לְהָלֵין נַקְדָּנֵי דְּהוּצַל: הָדֵין דַּיְיסָא, הֵיכֵין מְעַלֵּי לְמֵיכְלַהּ? דְּחִיטֵּי — בְּלַחְמָא דְחִיטֵּי, וְדִשְׂעָרֵי — בְּלַחְמָא דִשְׂעָרֵי, אוֹ דִּלְמָא: דְּחִיטֵּי — בְּדִשְׂעָרֵי, וְדִשְׂעָרֵי — בִּדְחִיטֵּי?

In that context, Rav Ḥisda said that those fastidious residents of Huzal, Babylonia were asked: How is it best to eat this porridge? Should wheat porridge be eaten with wheat bread and barley porridge with barley bread, or perhaps wheat porridge should be eaten with barley bread and barley porridge with wheat bread?

רָבָא אַכְלֵיהּ בַּחֲסִיסֵי. רַבָּה בַּר רַב הוּנָא אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לְרַב הוּנָא דְּקָאָכֵיל דַּיְיסָא בְּאֶצְבְּעָתֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַמַּאי קָאָכֵיל מָר בִּידֵיהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָכִי אָמַר רַב: דַּיְיסָא בְּאֶצְבְּעָתָא בְּסִים, וְכֹל דְּכֵן בְּתַרְתֵּין, וְכֹל דְּכֵן בִּתְלָת.

The Gemara relates: Rava would eat his bread with ḥasisei, a porridge made of toasted barley grains. Rabba, son of Rav Huna, found Rav Huna eating porridge with his fingers. He said to him: Why is the Master eating with his hands? Rav Huna said to him: This is what Rav said: Porridge eaten with a finger is tasty, and all the more so if it is eaten with two fingers, and all the more so with three. It is more enjoyable to eat porridge with your hands.

There’s an old joke about nine chassidim and one yekke at a Shaleshudes. They are all eyeing the last piece of herring, sitting on a plate center-table, but each is embarrassed to take the last piece. Suddenly, the lights go out, and there is a sharp cry. The lights come back on, and there are nine hands grabbed onto the plate… and a fork piercing through all of them.

This isn’t just a joke playing on stereotypes to poke fun at chassidim and yekkes. Forks were an innovation in Europe, and just as Christians in Europe initially deemed the fork unnecessary and impious, chassidim also considered it modern. Using our hands is minhag avosainu beyadeinu. And for consumption of fish in particular, the pasuk says, no joke, (Bereishit 9:2) וּֽבְכׇל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ.

I’m reminded of this recent WSJ article, On the Pleasures of Eating With Your Fingers, about how in India and other countries, people eat with their fingers, and it adds to the experience. Much as Rav declared.

It seems that the particular practice varied by location (and perhaps time) in Bavel in Amoraic times. Regarding Hutzal, Rav Chisda reports how they ate porridge with bread, probably using it as a scoop. Rav and his student Rav Huna would use their fingers, in this was surprising to that latter’s son, Rabba bar Rav Huna. This took place in Sura, but maybe customs changed over time.

The gemara also relates a similar story with two Tannaim, where one uses his fingers and the other a fork. Each find the other’s practice unhygienic.

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, חַד אָכֵיל דַּיְיסָא בְּאֶצְבְּעָתֵיהּ וְחַד אָכֵיל בְּהוּצָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ דְּאָכֵיל בְּהוּצָא לִדְאָכֵיל בְּאֶצְבְּעָתֵיהּ: עַד מָתַי אַתָּה מַאֲכִילֵנִי צוֹאָתְךָ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ דְּאָכֵיל בְּאֶצְבְּעָתֵיהּ לִדְאָכֵיל בְּהוּצָא: עַד מָתַי אַתָּה מַאֲכִילֵנִי רוּקְּךָ!

The Gemara relates more incidents: Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Yehuda dined together. One of them ate porridge with his fingers, and the other one ate with a fork [hutza]. The one who was eating with a fork said to the one who was eating with his fingers: For how long will you keep feeding me your filth? Must I keep eating off of your dirty fingernails? The one who was eating with his fingers said to the one who was eating with a fork: For how long will you keep feeding me your spittle, as you eat with a fork which you then put back in the common bowl.

I suppose they didn’t have the concept of separate plates and a serving fork.