Berachos 8:3 - 8:4

מקנח ידיו במפה – From his first hand-washing and place it on the table and wipe his hands with it throughout from the filth of the cooked food; and he should not place it [the napkin] on the cushion on which he sits, as a preventive measure, lest the cushion becomes defiled in the first-degree, and the liquid comes in close contact with the napkin on account of the drying of the hands, and that liquid when it comes in contact with the cushion becomes [defiled] in the first-[degree], and the liquids become [defiled] in the first-[degree], and defile the hands when one wipes [one’s hands] with it continuously during the meal, but concerning the table [itself], there is no preventive measure made, for it is forbidden to use a table which is defiled in the second-degree. But the School of Hillel holds that it is permitted to use a table which is impure in the second-degree. Therefore, he should not leave the napkin on the table, lest the liquids become defiled that are on the napkin on account of the table and in turn would defile the food there, and if he leaves [the napkin] on the cushion, everyone should not suspect lest his hands became defiled; better that his hands become defiled – since they are not an essential principle from Torah law, since the washing of the hands for unconsecrated objects is not from the Torah and they don’t defile foods which have an essential principle from the Torah, for [something that is] unclean from the first-degree makes something unclean in the second-degree for unconsecrated objects from the Torah [perspective].

בית שמאי אומרים: מכבדין את הבית – A place where they ate [a meal], we put the room in order (i.e. clean it/sweep it} from the remnants of the food that became crumbled on it, and afterwards, we wash our hands with מים אחרונים/The Latter Waters, since there are times when the attendant is an עם ארץ/ignoramus (and someone not necessarily punctilious in the separation of tithe) and he leaves the crumbs of an olive’s bulk there, and if one says that one should wash one’s hands first, you might lose the foods from the “Latter Waters/מים אחרונים” that spray on them and become detestable. The School of Hillel holds that it is prohibited to use an attendant who is an ignoramus (of Jewish law, especially, the laws of ritual purity), since an attendant who is a Torah scholar would not leave crumbs of an olive’s bulk, but would remove them, and if the water ( מים האחרונים) sprays upon the crumbs, it is meaningless, since those crumbs do not add up to an olive’s bulk, it is permitted to get rid of them with one’s hand. But the Halakha is in accordance with the School of Shammai in that it is permissible to use an attendant who is an ignoramus.