I have a few questions on this Daf:
13A
(a) Why wouldn't we have the same concerns for when one checks himself
for zov as we do for when one checks himself for shichvas zera? Is it
a different type of bedika?
(b) Why doesn't the gemara here include the bedika that the man is
supposed to do after tashmish, as we learned on daf 5A? What catagory
would that bedika fall under (e.g. kol hamarbe harei zeh meshubach)?
Also, same question as above re the shichvas zera issue. (Perhaps tha
answer to this last part is that right after tashmish we are not
choshesh for further chichvas zera.)
(c) If Rava allows one to use a soft cloth to grab the eiver because he
is not choshesh that more zera will come out, why can';t one just use
his hand?
Thanks, Shabbat shalom.
Chaim Stepelman
(a) One answer given by the commentaries is that the Gemara is referring to someone who already saw one day of Zivah, and therefore is Halachically obligated to check if he has another day of Zivah. In such a case the Rabanan certainly did not decree that he should not do so, as it is clearly the Torah's will that he should check (see Sefer Aizheu Mekomon for more answers).
(b) The Bedikos of Tashmish are not applicable to "Kol ha'Marbeh," as one is only supposed to be Bodek close to the time of Tashmish. The Bedikos referred to here include anytime throughout the day. The same answer as given in (a) applies to the reason why the Rabanan were not Gozer regarding Shichvas Zera, as they only said this was a bad practice when there was no clear Halachic reason for one to check.
(c) The Chochmas Betzalel at first says that the advantage is that the person would not have to wash his hands (for touching covered places) while he was eating (as the Beraisa says he was) if he used a cloth. However, he concludes that according to Rava it indeed would be permitted to use one's hand. Rava only said even a soft cloth because of Abaye's statement regarding a hard cloth. It seems to me that Rava would agree that it is definitely regarded as more Tzanua for one to use a cloth. This is apparent from the Gemara in Shabbos (118b), which explains that Rebbi was called "Rabeinu ha'Kadosh" for not even putting his hand underneath his belt. I would think that a similar element of Tznius is present when faced with the choice of a cloth versus one's hand, which could be an additional reason for Rava's not saying that one can use one's hand. Even according to my answer, however, Rava would definitely hold it would be permitted.
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose