Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot

M.: R. Joshua says.

This is the reading of M. Edd.: "and not refer to the rebuilding of Jerusalem."

When saying the third benediction, he omitted either "upon Israel Thy people" or "upon Jerusalem Thy city," but concluded "Who savest Israel and... rebuildest Jerusalem."

The conclusion of the second benediction, which contains two items.

Hence they are really one idea.

See Singer, p. 289 top.

Ibid. p. 229 bot.

Ibid. p. 226 bot.

In being permitted, whereas "Who savest Israel and... rebuildest Jerusalem" is not.

I.e. we must have a separate benediction for each religious act.

M. adds : b. Isaac.

Therefore it is the rebuilding of Jerusalem which should be the constant prayer, since the rest depends upon that.

M.: Zeira.

To express astonishment.

Who require these references to be included.

That is why Rab Sheshet showed astonishment.

See fol. 40 b, p. 267.

M.: Ze'ira.

To constitute it a benediction.

Therefore the reference to the Kingship at the beginning of the first benediction governs this one also.

In addition to the opening formula, "Blessed art Thou. ..King of the Universe" (Singer, p. 283 line 1) we have "our Father, our King" (ibid. line 2) and "O King Who art kind" (line 4).

In the third benediction ; Singer, p. 281.

Ibid. p. 282.

Pinner (in his edition of this Tractate) suggests to insert here the following from fol. 44 a : When Rab Dimai came he said : Rab concluded on the New Moon thus, "Blessed...Who sanctifiest Israel and the beginnings of the month." See p. 287.

M.: sitting.

Viz. Shela b. Abina ; cf. Hyman, iii. p. 1112 b.

M. omits : in the name of Samuel.

See Singer, p. 50.

Ibid. p. 282.

M.: Rab Iddi b. Abin.

It is obligatory to have three full meals on those days.

See the preceding paragraph.

I.e. flesh of a sacrifice which must nut be eaten outside Jerusalem.

Mt Scopus, on the North outskirt of Jerusalem.

Viz. holy flesh or leaven, of which the quoted Mishnah also treats ; i.e. if when on his way to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover, he recalls that he has left leaven in his house.

The standards required here, so far as the two Rabbis are concerned, are the reverse of those mentioned in our Mishnah.

In the quoted Mishnah, the minimum of the olive must be ascribed to R. Meir and vice versa.

On the question of Grace after meals.

Of the holy flesh.

Nothing less than the size of an egg can cause defilement.

To eat leaven on Passover less than the size of an olive does not constitute a breach of the law.

This is R. 'Akiba's view which has been adopted. See Singer, p. 279. What follows is the opinion of R. Jose.

E.g. in the benediction over the Torah, Singer, p. 68 ; and the formula does not vary with the size of the Congregation.

By, e.g., saying "Bless ye" not "We will bless." See fol. 30 a, p. 196.

Into two parties of three, so that each arranges Zimmun.

Ten should not be divided up, because ten are required for the addition of "our God" to the formula.

If the six are divided into two parties of three, there will not be four for the formula "Bless ye."

Viz. that in our Mishnah, the phrase "Bless ye" means "Bless ye also."

Because both phrases include the speaker.

On the word נוקרן, see Krauss, p. 357, and Low's note in loc.

Because "from" implies only part of the Divine goodness, as though we were not entirely dependent upon His goodness.

We must be humble in asking for the Divine blessing and not, as it were, demand the whole of it ; therefore the use of "from" is justifiable. But in the Grace we make a declaration, and so "from" is out of place.

In asking for the Divine blessing, i.e. ask for much and there is no need to be humble in petitioning God.

This request is for spiritual things, not material good.

According to Neubauer, p. 395, it is a contraction of Nahr Bull, a Babylonian town on the river Divalah. Wiesner, p. 109, identifies it with Nahr Obolla, a tributary of the Euphrates near ancient Basra.

Their objection to "we live" was that it excluded the rest of mankind, whereas "they" means humanity generally.

Because this formula might be referred to the host, not God.

M. omits : b. Raba.

In the Passover Ritual.

By specifying "food," it might be thought that he is referring to the host ; but we have to thank God for much else beside food.

With ten the formula is "Blessed be our God" ; therefore it cannot possibly be understood of the host.

Here "food" is mentioned ; but no exception can be taken because the Deity is explicitly referred to.

For the purpose of the Zimmun formula.

Meaning everybody present, without exception, even the unborn babes.

R. Jose, whence does he derive this teaching, since he uses "full assemblies" as in the Mishnah ?

As implying the womb.

So that ten or ten myriads have the same formula.

The assembly being very large and the meal prolonged, when three who sit together finish, they say Grace quietly between themselves.

So as to add "our God" to the formula.

If they had said Grace in parties of ten, it would have been more conspicuous and a louder tone of voice would have been required. The Exilarch might then have noticed what they were doing and regard it as a slight that they had not waited for him to say Grace.

And include one who has already said Grace.

M.: Gobar. An uncertain locality. Wiesner, p. 110, conjectures that it is Edessa on the ground that its ruler had the title of Abgar.

Uncomely scholar (Jastrow).

E.g., if there were five in each party, they could add "our God" to the formula.

It was also the practice of the Greeks and Romans to dilute their wine. See D.C.A. pp. 384 f.

In the first sentence of Mishnah lV.

See fol. 45 a, p. 291.

M.: Raba.

I.e. three parties which have had the meal but not yet said Grace.

Consequently the three who have come together were originally under the obligation of Zimmun.

If, e.g., each party had consisted of four persons, and one of each party came together, then these three men must have Zimmun for themselves.

I.e. each party started to say Grace and after the Zimmun formula had been said, one man left. Should three of these come together, they cannot finish their Grace with Zimmun.

An incomplete article cannot contract defilement.

The original defilement does not return when the article is made whole.

In the circumstance described in note 5 above.

I.e. one attendant serving both parties.

Even though one party be not visible to the other.

In the same way that the juice of fruits may be used for that purpose.

If, e.g., his hands are stained and he has nothing else with which to wipe them, he may rub them with a piece of bread. The Greeks also wiped their hands with bread, but the Romans had water passed round for the purpose ; D.C.A. p. 384.

Since he allowed undiluted wine for washing the hands. The Rabbis object because it involves spoiling foodstuff, and for the same reason they would object to bread being used for cleaning the hands.

And undiluted wine in ancient times was very strong and was improved by the addition of water ; see D.C.A. p. 384.

A species of date, the brew of which was used for medicinal purposes.

So as not to spoil it.

M. adds : and oil.

Usually explained as a symbol of prosperity. But see Buchler's exhaustive article in M.G.W.J. xlix. pp. 12 ff. where he shows that it was done to pay honour to any distinguished person, for the purpose of diffusing a pleasant odour. Cf. Josephus, Antiq. vIII. iv. 1.

The streets being then dry, the corn and nuts will not be spoilt by mud.

Because these would be spoilt even when the streets are dry.

This surname is uncertain. M. reads Sakkaah, perhaps "the sack-maker"; and there are other variants quoted by D. S., "of Ctesiphon" and "of Circesium."

M. omits : in the name of R. Johanan.

I.e. when saying the benediction, the mouth should (if possible) not contain food.