THE RIGHT HAND IS NOT USED FOLLOWING DEFECATION

Daf Ditty Berachot 62

SINISTER VS DEXTRA

Sinistral and dextral, in some scientific fields, are the two types
of chirality ("handedness") or relative direction. The terms are derived from
the Latin words for "left" (sinister) and "right" (dexter). Other disciplines use
different terms (such as dextro- and laevo-rotary in chemistry,
or clockwise and anticlockwise in physics) or simply use left and right (as
in anatomy).
Relative direction and chirality are distinct concepts. Relative direction is from the
point of view of the observer; a completely symmetrical object has a left side and a
right side, from the observer's point of view, if the top and bottom and direction of
observation are defined. Chirality, however, is observer-independent: no matter
how one looks at a right-hand screw thread, it remains different from a left-hand
screw thread. Therefore, a symmetrical object has sinistral and dextral directions
arbitrarily defined by the position of the observer, while an asymmetrical object that
shows chirality may have sinistral and dextral directions defined by characteristics
of the object, regardless of the position of the observer.

Historically, the left side, and subsequently left-handedness, was considered

negative in many cultures. The Latin word sinistra originally meant "left" but took
on meanings of "evil" or "unlucky" by the Classical Latin era, and this double
meaning survives in European derivatives of Latin, and in the English word
"sinister".
Meanings gradually developed from use of these terms in the ancient languages. In
many modern European languages, including English, the word for the direction
"right" also means "correct" or "proper", and also stands for authority and justice.
In most Slavic languages the root prav is used in words carrying meanings of
correctness or justice.1

11474 Rolls of Parl. VI. 110/1 Contynuyn in habundaunce of goodes and havour, to their sinister pleasure.
1477 Earl Rivers tr. Dictes or Sayengis Philosophhres (Caxton) (1877) lf. 7, Leste ye be let or withdrawen ther fro by eny sinistre
or euil temptacion.
RAV NACHMAN argues the reason not to use the right hand due to its use
for cantillation notes.

Rashi suggests the following:

The cornerstone of rabbinic associations of fire and the Torah is based upon a
biblical verse that is found near the start of Moses' farewell song; that is, ve-
zot ha-berakhah, in Deuteronomy 33. The key phrase transliterated reads:
mimino eshdat lamo (33:2).

2 And he said: The LORD came from Sinai,

‫ ְיהָוה ִמִסּיַני ָבּא ְוָז ַרח‬,‫ב ַויּ ֹאַמר‬ and rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth
,‫הוִֹפיַﬠ ֵמַהר ָפּא ָרן‬--‫שִּׂﬠיר ָלמוֹ‬ ֵ ‫ִמ‬ from mount Paran, and He came from the
,‫ְוָאָתה ֵמ ִרְבֹבת ֹקֶדשׁ; ִמיִמינוֹ‬ myriads holy, at His right hand was a fiery law
.‫אשדת )ֵאשׁ ָדּת( ָלמוֹ‬ unto them
According to the masoretic tradition "eshdat" is to be read as two words. This results
in the traditional rendering of the verse as: from His right [hand] a fiery law [was
given] to them. Targum Onkelos translates this phrase into Aramaic somewhat
differently:

His right [hand] wrote [it]; from amidst the fire He gave the Torah to us. Moreover,
connecting eshdat with the Torah also makes sense contextually, as Verse 4
specifically mentions that the Torah was transmitted to us.

There is an interesting halakhic prescription that comes from Deuteronomy's stress

on God's right Hand. Since the Torah was written and transmitted with the right
hand, it is customary to assign a special status to it.
Our Daf poses the following question: "Why do not people wipe themselves with
their right hand, but rather with their left [after defecating]?"

Rava said: "Because the Torah was given with the right hand, as is said: From His
right a fiery law to them" (Deut. 33:2)

The right hand of the Divine gave the Torah (eshdas) and now Rav Nachman
amplifies this to including the halachic requirement to refrain from using that hand
to point to the cantillation marks.

Rav Nachman however refers to music as the glue that binds the hard law eshdas,
the fire of torah and the practitioner of the musical art of cantillation.

The musicality of intonation

The addition of chant to the words
The difference between poetry and prose,
The midrashic added value of prosidy,
The zoharic references to privileging music over language

In the spiritual hierarchy (TANTA, Taamim, Nekudot, Tagin, Otiot)

This higher form of interpretation beyond the ritual recitation of the Torah Text,

Requires the use of the right hand, the dextra,

Mirroring the divine use of the right hand in giving the law

Rava points to the divine when thinking of the right hand and imitato dei we also
respect that right hand out of deference.

R. Nachman however points to the majesty of the individual. The hand that points
to the cantillation marks is the the hand of the soul that interprets the text
musically. Out of deference to the sanctity of the task of interpretation and to the
individual human part of Torah interpretation, we maintain the sanctity of the right
hand, our hand, the hand that points to a higher form of interpretation, the musical
one.