Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot

The flame of the burning oil is distinct from the torch which ignited it; and the law only considers an infraction of the Sabbath the carrying of the same thing from the private to the public way or vice versa. Since then, in that circumstance, the man is deemed guilty of an infraction of the law, the ignited oil must be considered identical with the torch.

Viz. the original torch of the gentile which may have been used for work on the Sabbath.

The light kindled by the Israelite.

Who may have kindled his light on the Sabbath, which is forbidden.

Which may have been ignited on the Sabbath. If, however, the light of the gentile had not been kindled on the Sabbath, it would be allowed.

This clause is only inserted for completeness and is not to be pressed for any deductions.

M. : Rab said.

I.e. very soon after sunset.

Because a Jew would not be found holding a torch then, since it is a forbidden act on the Sabbath.

It is then worthy of being considered an illumination.

When it is in full blaze and gives forth illumination.

In whose honour the light had been kindled; and since it is not an ordinary illumination it cannot be used for the benediction.

Who may be having his meal there, and consequently the light is for illumination and the benediction may be said.

By whose light the beadle could have his meal ; therefore the illumination is in honour of a distinguished visitor and cannot be used for the benediction.

I.e. the religious devotion of a Congregation is better than that of an individual.

All those studying would have to stop to listen, perhaps in the middle of a difficult passage; whereas each could say the benediction when most convenient for him.

An exclamation meaning "healing," when somebody sneezed. J. T. Chap, vi, has the Greek word ἴησις in place of the Hebrew marpe'. See J. E. II. p. 255. In Tosifta Shab. viii. 5, it is denounced as a superstitious custom. On the Eastern etiquette in the event of one sneezing, see Lane, p. 210.

And not as illumination.

And not for smelling.

M.: Rab said.

I.e. at the burial of an eminent person to pay him honour. This was the Roman custom; cf. D. C. A. p. 103.

If the funeral takes place at the conclusion of the Sabbath.

Because it is used as illumination.

Because it is used as a disinfectant and not for smelling.

On the hands after a meal, the oil being mixed with spices. In the case of the oil, it means that the benediction is not "Who createst fragrant wood" but "Who createst fragrant oil"; see fol. 43 a, p. 280.

I.e. the perfume is not there for one to smell but to be sold.

In 'Erubin 64 b, the Rabbis deplore that the Jewish women are addicted to sorcery. Hillel declared : "The more women, the more witchcraft"; Abot ii. 8 ; Singer, p. 188. Roman writers also refer to this fact ; cf. Radin, Jews among the Greeks atid Romans, p. 325. For the Talmudic references, see Blau, Das altjudische Zauberwesen, pp. 28 ff.

See p. 46 n. 6.

Sepphoris is identified by the Talmud (Megillah 6a) with Kitron (Judges i. 30); but it is improbable. Josephnu (Vita, § 67) places it in Galilee. It is now identified with the village of Sefuriyeh, five miles N.W. of Nazareth.

M.: Assi.

Which give out no light.

There is a difference in the initial letter.

M.: Isaac.

Hence the correct spelling is 'omemot.

Before pronouncing the benediction.

M. omits: 'Ulla said.

Roman coins, the as being half the value of the other.

Melozma, according to Jastrow (so also Krauss) a corruption of νόμισμα. Rashi gives it the meaning "a weight."

Which was at some distance from Rab Judah's house. This was in conformity with his view in the last paragraph but one.

M.: Rabbah; but the reading of edd. is preferable, because it follows on Raba's statement in this paragraph.

M.: Goda. His house was near Raba's, so that the latter could use the light.

M.: Habo.

So as to say the benediction.

We have here reflected a state of poverty where artificial light was rare in a house. See fol. 2b, p. 3 n. 6.

M.: Judah b. Abin, and omits : another version, etc. According to D. S. the correct reading is Rab Iddi b. Abin.

I.e. the two Schools differ.

That according to Bet Hillel also, he must return to his place if he omitted Grace deliberately.

Lit. honour.

I.e. although he omitted the Grace by accident, he acted according to the stricter view of Bet Shammai and was rewarded.

He left his table previous to Grace deliberately having to go somewhere else, with the intention of saying it there.

In the opinion of Rashi, this means a walk of four Mil for a heavy meal; but Tosafot explain four Mil for a light meal.

This is meant of one who was among the diners. He must hear the Grace said in order to comply with the requirements of the law.

M.: Hiyya b. Shela.

He entered the room while Grace was being said.

M. omits : Rab Nahman in the name of.

M.: Raba.

He meant, be eager to have the privilege of saying Grace for the whole company.

M. omits : Rabbah.

Otherwise why did Rab and Rab Huna give such advice to their sons?

M. omits the name, thus making R. Judah the Prince the author.

The "common soldier" is here the one who starts the Grace, the "veteran" he who rounds it up with the responses. M. omits the second "go down." The translation would then be : The common soldiers go down to do the fighting and the officers claim the victory.

In Nehem. ix. 5 which refers to those who "stand up and bless" and those who respond "Blessed be Thy glorious name." According to the Rabbis, this latter phrase was used in the Temple as the equivalent of "Amen"; cf. fol. 63 a, p. 416.

Who are learning the benedictions.

I.e. removing the food-stains from the hand by means of oil is an essential preliminary to the Grace.

M. inserts here : R. Meir, which yields no sense. According to D. S. the probable reading is : R. Ziwai, the son-in-law of R. Meir says.

Lit. "the first water" — "the latter water."

The Hebrew text omits "the Lord your God." There is some confusion between Lev. xi. 44 and ibid. xx. 7.

Lit. great sea.

A fortified town is here intended in which is a military governor, who is usually a tyrant and does not rule justly.

It has been suggested that this exhortation is directed against Sadducean teaching; cf. Lehmann in R. E. J. xxxi. pp. 31 ff.

The idea of two is derived from the spelling of the word for "heart" — לבבך instead of לבך; see A. P. A. ii. p. 15 n. 3.

Lit. for a world.

Some edd. read "Sadducees"; and they are intended here as they denied the future life. See p. 100.

Lit. "from the world to the world" — two worlds.

Viz. the Tetragrammaton J H W H, usually rendered "the Lord" which the Jews pronounced Adonai. Wiesner, pp. 118 f., conjectures that this is directed against the Samaritans who substituted for JHWH the word ha-Shem "the Name." Hence by using the word Adonai in his salutation, it would be recognised that it was a Jew, not a Samaritan, who was speaking.

The application of this verse to the subject-matter will be explained on fol. 63 a, p. 417.

That a benediction is required when one beholds a place where a miracle occurred. According to Rashi the reading is : Whence is it that we have to say a benediction for a miracle?

M.: 'Eber Jardena; i.e. "the other side of the Jordan." Rashi explains : A district to the S. of the Euphrates. Wiesner, p. 120, connects 'Eber with the Babylonian river Chabor ; hence the phrase means : the right, or N. bank of the Chabor.

The district between the Chabor and the canal of Is; Wiesner, p. 121.

A town on the Tigris, identified with the fortified Maogamalcha; Neubauer, pp. 356 f .

The question above whether a benediction is to be said for the miracle which happens to an individual.

Even if he had not experienced it himself.

Isaac Alfasi (the medieval Talmudist) reads : He, his son and his grandson.

See Josh. x. 11.

M. and some edd. read: Moses.

See Exod, xvii. 12.

See Gen. xix. 26.

This word, occurring in the Hebrew text, is omitted in edd. M. inserts it.

R.V. "Vaheb in Suphah"; marg. "in storm."

The first word is read ashad instead of eshed, "the slopes of," in the Biblical text. As rendered here, the verse means that the hills on the Ar side of the valley inclined towards the hills on the Moab side, so that the Amorites were crushed in between. Wiesner, p. 122, points out that this Aggadah seems to have been known to the author of the Vulgate: Unde dicitur in libro bellorum Domini : Sicut fecit in Mari rubro, sic faciet in torrentibus Arnon, Scopuli torrentium inclinati sunt ut requiescereut in Ar, et recumberent in finibus Moabitarum.

"For the sake of a man" in Hebrew 'al gab ish.

I.e. they were descending but stopped half-way.

The Talmud inserts here "the children of" which is not in the Biblical text.

About 15 feet.

Which was accordingly 45 ft. from the ground.

The words in brackets are not in edd., but are added by M. They are to be found in the Mekilta ad loc. (ed. Friedmann, p. 54 b), Ta'anit 11a.

The existence of this salt-pillar is referred to in the Apocrypha, Wisdom of Solomon, x. 7. Josephus (Antiq. i. xi. 4) claims to have seen it. Edd. insert here: And the wall of Jericho which was swallowed up; as it is written, "And the wall fell down flat" (Josh. vi. 20). But it disturbs the connection and is dealt with in the following paragraph.

That a benediction should be said on beholding their site.

And a benediction would be out of place.

Usually said on hearing bad news.