הדר ביה רבי עקיבא לגביה דרבי יהושע. ואי מכללא, מאי? דילמא הני מילי במתניתין, אבל בברייתא — לא. אמר ליה: אנא בפירוש שמיע לי.
R' Akiva reconsider and adopt R' Yehoshua’s opinion? In the dispute over the laws of bathing as well, the ruling should have been in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda because his is the compromise opinion. Therefore, Rav Yosef asked whether the ruling was based on that principle alone. The Talmud asks: And if the halakha was derived by inference, what of it? It is legitimate to draw conclusions by inference. The Talmud responds: Perhaps this principle, that the halakha is established in accordance with the compromise opinion, applies only in a Mishnah; but in a baraita, no, it does not apply. Perhaps the baraita is not a sufficiently reliable source to establish the halakha in accordance with the compromise opinion based on its formulation. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said to Rav Yosef: I heard it explicitly.
אתמר: חמין שהוחמו מערב שבת, רב אמר: למחר רוחץ בהן כל גופו, אבר אבר. ושמואל אמר: לא התירו לרחוץ אלא פניו ידיו ורגליו. מיתיבי: חמין שהוחמו מערב שבת, למחר רוחץ בהן פניו ידיו ורגליו אבל לא כל גופו. תיובתא דרב. אמר לך רב: ״לא כל גופו״ — בבת אחת, אלא אבר אבר. והא ״פניו ידיו ורגליו״ קתני! כעין פניו ידיו ורגליו.
An amoraic dispute was stated: With regard to hot water that was heated on Friday before Shabbat, Rav said: The next day, on Shabbat, one may wash his entire body with it; however, not all at once. Rather, he washes one limb at a time, in a departure from the standard practice, to remind him that it is Shabbat. And Shmuel said: They only permitted washing one’s face, his hands, and his feet with hot water, even if it was heated on Friday; however, they did not permit washing his entire body, even in increments. The Talmud raises an objection from what was taught in a baraita: Hot water that was heated on Friday, the next day one may wash his face, his hands, and his feet with it but not his entire body. This is a conclusive refutation of Rav’s opinion. Rav could have said to you: When the baraita says: Not one’s entire body, it means not his entire body at once, but one limb and then another limb until he washes his entire body is permitted. The Talmud asks: Doesn’t it say one’s face, his hands, and his feet, and no more? Rav answers: It means that one washes his body in a manner similar to the manner that one washes his face, his hands, and his feet, i.e., each limb separately, and they were cited as examples of washing one limb at a time.