Berakhot 46

רבי זירא חלש על לגביה רבי אבהו קביל עליה אי מתפח קטינא חריך שקי עבידנא יומא טבא לרבנן אתפח עבד סעודתא לכולהו רבנן כי מטא למשרי אמר ליה לרבי זירא לישרי לן מר אמר ליה לא סבר לה מר להא דרבי יוחנן דאמר בעל הבית בוצע שרא להו

The Gemara recounts: Rabbi Zeira took ill. Rabbi Abbahu went to visit him and resolved: If the little man with the scorched legs, a nickname for Rabbi Zeira, is cured, I will make a festival, a feast, for the Sages. Rabbi Zeira was cured and Rabbi Abbahu made a feast for all the Sages. When it came time to break bread, Rabbi Abbahu said to Rabbi Zeira: Master, please break bread for us. Rabbi Zeira said to him: Doesn’t the Master hold in accordance with that halakha of Rabbi Yoḥanan, who said: The host breaks bread? Rabbi Abbahu broke bread for them.

כי מטא לברוכי אמר ליה נבריך לן מר אמר ליה לא סבר לה מר להא דרב הונא דמן בבל דאמר בוצע מברך

When the time came to recite the blessing, Rabbi Abbahu said to Rabbi Zeira: Master, recite Grace after Meals on our behalf. Rabbi Zeira said to him: Doesn’t the Master hold in accordance with that halakha of Rabbi Huna of Babylonia, who said: He who breaks bread recites Grace after Meals?

ואיהו כמאן סבירא ליה

The Gemara asks: And in accordance with whose opinion does Rabbi Abbahu hold that he asked Rabbi Zeira to recite Grace after Meals?

כי הא דאמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי בעל הבית בוצע ואורח מברך בעל הבית בוצע כדי שיבצע בעין יפה ואורח מברך כדי שיברך בעל הבית

The Gemara answers: Rabbi Abbahu holds in accordance with that halakha that Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: The host breaks bread and a guest recites Grace after Meals. The host breaks bread so that he will break bread generously, whereas a guest might be embarrassed to break a large piece for himself and other guests; and the guest recites Grace after Meals so that he may bless the host in the course of reciting Grace after Meals, as the Gemara proceeds to explain.

מאי מברך יהי רצון שלא יבוש בעל הבית בעולם הזה ולא יכלם לעולם הבא

What is the formula of the blessing with which the guest blesses his host?
May it be Your will that the master of the house shall not suffer shame in this world, nor humiliation in the World-to-Come.

ורבי מוסיף בה דברים ויצלח מאד בכל נכסיו ויהיו נכסיו ונכסינו מוצלחים וקרובים לעיר ואל ישלוט שטן לא במעשי ידיו ולא במעשי ידינו ואל יזדקר לא לפניו ולא לפנינו שום דבר הרהור חטא ועבירה ועון מעתה ועד עולם:

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi added to it elements pertaining to material success:
And may he be very successful with all his possessions,
and may his possessions and our possessions be successful and near the city,
and may Satan control neither his deeds nor our deeds,
and may no thought of sin, iniquity, or transgression stand before him or before us
from now and for evermore.

עד היכן ברכת הזמון

The Gemara asks: Until where does the zimmun blessing extend?

רב נחמן אמר עד נברך ורב ששת אמר עד הזן

Rav Naḥman says: The blessing extends only until: Let us bless. Rav Sheshet says that the zimmun blessing extends until the end of the first blessing of Grace after Meals: Who feeds all.

נימא כתנאי דתני חדא ברכת המזון שנים ושלשה ותניא אידך שלשה וארבעה סברוה דכולי עלמא הטוב והמטיב לאו דאורייתא היא מאי לאו בהא קמיפלגי מאן דאמר שתים ושלש קסבר עד הזן ומאן דאמר שלש וארבע קסבר עד נברך

The Gemara proposes: Let us say that this amoraic dispute is parallel to a dispute between the tanna’im. As one baraita taught: Grace after Meals is two and three blessings, and another baraita taught: Grace after Meals is three and four blessings. In attempting to understand these conflicting baraitot, the Sages assumed that everyone agrees that the blessing: Who is good and does good, the fourth blessing of Grace after Meals, is not required by Torah law. What then? Is it not that they disagree about this: The one who said that Grace after Meals is two and three blessings holds that the zimmun blessing extends until the end of the blessing: Who feeds all? If there is a zimmun, three blessings are recited; if there is no zimmun, only two blessings are recited, since the blessing: Who feeds all, is not recited. And the one who said that Grace after Meals is three and four blessings holds that the zimmun blessing extends only until: Let us bless, and includes no part of Grace after Meals itself. If there is a zimmun, four blessings are recited, the three blessing of Grace after Meals plus the blessing of the zimmun, while if there is not, only three blessings are recited.

לא רב נחמן מתרץ לטעמיה ורב ששת מתרץ לטעמיה

This explanation distinguishing between the baraitot is rejected: No; Rav Naḥman explains in accordance with his reasoning and Rav Sheshet explains in accordance with his reasoning.

רב נחמן מתרץ לטעמיה דכולי עלמא עד נברך מאן דאמר שלש וארבע שפיר ומאן דאמר שתים ושלש אמר לך הכא בברכת פועלים עסקינן דאמר מר פותח בהזן וכולל בונה ירושלים בברכת הארץ

Rav Naḥman explains in accordance with his reasoning; everyone agrees that the zimmun blessing extends only until Let us bless. According to the one who said that Grace after Meals is three and four blessings, this works out well. And the one who said that Grace after Meals is two and three blessings could have said to you: Here we are dealing with the blessing recited by laborers, as the Master said that when a laborer is working, he is permitted to abridge Grace after Meals, and he begins with the blessing: Who feeds all, and includes the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem, in the context of the second blessing, the blessing of the land.

רב ששת מתרץ לטעמיה דכולי עלמא עד הזן מאן דאמר שתים ושלש שפיר ומאן דאמר שלש וארבע קסבר הטוב והמטיב דאורייתא היא

Rav Sheshet explains in accordance with his reasoning; everyone agrees that the zimmun blessing extends until the end of the blessing: Who feeds all. According to the one who said that Grace after Meals is two and three blessings, this works out well; and the one who said that Grace after Meals is three and four blessings holds that the blessing: Who is good and does good, is required by Torah law.

אמר רב יוסף תדע דהטוב והמטיב לאו דאורייתא שהרי פועלים עוקרים אותה

With regard to the matter of the blessing: Who is good and does good, Rav Yosef said: Know that the blessing: Who is good and does good, is not required by Torah law, as laborers who recite Grace after Meals at work eliminate it. If it can be eliminated, it could not be a Torah obligation.

אמר רב יצחק בר שמואל בר מרתא משמיה דרב תדע דהטוב והמטיב לאו דאורייתא שהרי פותח בה בברוך ואין חותם בה בברוך כדתניא כל הברכות כולן פותח בהן בברוך וחותם בהן בברוך חוץ מברכת הפירות וברכת המצוות וברכה הסמוכה לחברתה וברכה אחרונה שבקריאת שמע יש מהן שפותח בהן בברוך ואין חותם בברוך

Rav Yitzḥak bar Shmuel bar Marta said another proof in the name of Rav: Know that the blessing: Who is good and does good, is not required by Torah law, as one who recites it begins to recite it with: Blessed, but does not conclude reciting it with: Blessed. This is the formula in all comparable blessings, as it was taught in a baraita: All blessings, one begins to recite them with: Blessed, and concludes reciting them with: Blessed, except for blessings over fruit, blessings over mitzvot, a blessing that is juxtaposed to another blessing, and the final blessing after Shema. There are among these blessings those that one who recites it begins to recite it with: Blessed, but does not conclude reciting it with: Blessed;

ויש מהן שחותם בהן בברוך ואין פותח בברוך והטוב והמטיב פותח בברוך ואין חותם בברוך מכלל דברכה בפני עצמה היא

and there are among these blessings that one who recites it concludes reciting it with: Blessed, but does not begin reciting it with: Blessed. The blessing: Who is good and does good, one who recites it begins to recite it with: Blessed, but does not conclude reciting it with: Blessed. This proves by inference that it is an independent blessing.

ואמר רב נחמן בר יצחק תדע דהטוב והמטיב לאו דאורייתא שהרי עוקרין אותה בבית האבל כדתניא מה הם אומרים בבית האבל ברוך הטוב והמטיב רבי עקיבא אומר ברוך דיין האמת

And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Know that the blessing: Who is good and does good, is not required by Torah law, as it is eliminated in the house of the mourner, as it was taught in a baraita according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva: What do they say in the house of the mourner? Blessed…Who is good and does good. Rabbi Akiva says: Blessed…the true Judge.

הטוב והמטיב אין דיין אמת לא אלא אימא אף הטוב והמטיב

The first opinion in the baraita is challenged: Who is good and does good, yes, it is recited in the house of the mourner, the true Judge, no, it is not recited? Rather, say: Who is good and does good, is recited as well.

מר זוטרא איקלע לבי רב אשי איתרע ביה מלתא פתח ובריך הטוב והמטיב אל אמת דיין אמת שופט בצדק לוקח במשפט ושליט בעולמו לעשות בו כרצונו כי כל דרכיו משפט שהכל שלו ואנחנו עמו ועבדיו ובכל אנחנו חייבים להודות לו ולברכו גודר פרצות בישראל הוא יגדור את הפרצה הזאת בישראל לחיים

The Gemara recounts: Mar Zutra happened to come to Rav Ashi’s home when an incident of mourning befell Rav Ashi. Mar Zutra began a combined blessing and recited:
Who is good and does good,
God of truth, the true Judge,
Who judges with righteousness, takes away with justice,
and is the ruler of His world to do in it as He wills,
as all His ways are just,
that all is His and we are His people and His servants,
and in everything we are obligated to thank Him and bless Him,
Who repairs the breaches in Israel,
He will repair this breach in Israel for life.
Mar Zutra included both: Who is good and does good, as well as mourning and acceptance of divine justice.

להיכן הוא חוזר רב זביד משמיה דאביי אמר חוזר לראש ורבנן אמרי למקום שפסק והלכתא למקום שפסק:

Returning to the original topic, it was mentioned above that one interrupts his meal to form a zimmun with two others who finished eating. The question is raised: To where does he return when he finishes his own meal and must begin to recite his own Grace after Meals? Rav Zevid in the name of Abaye said: He returns to the beginning and recites the entire Grace after Meals. And the Rabbis say: He returns to the place that he stopped. And the halakha is: He returns to the place that he stopped, i.e., to the beginning of the second blessing.

אמר ליה ריש גלותא לרב ששת אף על גב דרבנן קשישי אתון פרסאי בצרכי סעודה בקיאי מינייכו בזמן שהן שתי מטות גדול מסב בראש ושני לו למעלה הימנו ובזמן שהם שלש גדול מסב באמצע שני לו למעלה הימנו שלישי לו למטה הימנו

On the topic of meals, the Gemara relates the following: The Exilarch said to Rav Sheshet: Although you are elderly Sages, the Persians are more expert than you with regard to the required etiquette at meals. The Persian custom is that when there are two divans on which they would recline, the greater of the two people reclines first and the person second to him in importance reclines on the divan above him, alongside his head. When there are three divans, the greatest of the three reclines on the middle divan, the one second to him in importance reclines on the divan above him, and the one third to him in importance reclines on the divan below the greatest of the three.

אמר ליה וכי בעי אישתעויי בהדיה מתריץ תרוצי ויתיב ומשתעי בהדיה אמר ליה שאני פרסאי דמחוי ליה במחוג

Rav Sheshet said to the Exilarch that the custom is flawed. If the greater wishes to speak with the one second to him in importance who is reclining above his head, he must straighten up and sit and only then will he be able to speak to him. The Exilarch answered: The Persians are different, as they signal and communicate with hand gestures, especially during mealtimes, so there is no need to sit up.

מים ראשונים מהיכן מתחילין אמר ליה מן הגדול

Rav Sheshet asked the Exilarch about the Persian practice with regard to the first waters. When washing hands before the meal, from where do they begin? The Exilarch said to him: They begin from the greatest.

ישב גדול וישמור ידיו עד שנוטלין כולן אמר ליה לאלתר מייתו תכא קמיה

Rav Sheshet asked: If that is so, should the greatest person present sit and keep his hands clean and wait until everyone has washed so that they may all be served? The Exilarch said to him: They bring him his table [takka] immediately, as the custom was that each person ate at his own private table, and they brought the table before the greatest person present immediately after he washed so that he need not wait for the others.

מים אחרונים מהיכן מתחילין אמר ליה מן הקטן

Rav Sheshet asked the Exilarch about the Persian practice with regard to the final waters. When washing hands after the meal, from where do they begin? The Exilarch said to him: They begin with the least significant of the attendees.

וגדול יתיב וידיו מזוהמות עד שנוטלין כולן אמר ליה לא מסלקי תכא מקמיה עד דנימטי מיא לגביה

Rav Sheshet said: If so, should the greatest person present sit with dirty hands until everyone washes his hands? The Exilarch said to him: They do not remove the table from before him until the water reaches him; he can continue eating while the others are washing.

אמר רב ששת אנא מתניתא ידענא דתניא כיצד סדר הסבה בזמן שהן שתי מטות גדול מסב בראש ושני לו למטה הימנו בזמן שהן שלש מטות גדול מסב בראש שני לו למעלה הימנו שלישי לו למטה הימנו מים הראשונים מתחילין מן הגדול מים אחרונים בזמן שהם חמשה מתחילין מן הגדול ובזמן שהם מאה מתחילין מן הקטן עד שמגיעים אצל חמשי וחוזרין ומתחילין מן הגדול ולמקום שמים אחרונים חוזרין לשם ברכה חוזרת

Rav Sheshet said: In terms of conduct at a meal, I know a baraita, as it was taught: What is the order of reclining? When there are two divans on which they would recline, the greater of the two people reclines first, and the person second to him in importance reclines on the divan below him. When there are three divans, the greatest of the three reclines first, on the middle divan, the one second to him in importance reclines on the divan above him, and the one third to him in importance reclines on the divan below the greatest of the three. The first waters before the meal, they begin with the greatest person present. The final waters; when they are five people, they begin with the greatest person present. When they are more than that, even one hundred, they begin the final waters with the least significant of the attendees until they reach the five greatest present, at which point they return and begin with the greatest present. And to the place that the final waters return the blessing also reverts, and the greatest present, the first among the final five to wash his hands, recites Grace after Meals.

מסייע ליה לרב דאמר רבי חייא בר אשי אמר רב כל הנוטל ידיו באחרונה תחלה הוא מזומן לברכה

This baraita supports the opinion of Rav, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ashi said that Rav said: Whoever washes his hands first at the end of the meal is designated to recite the blessing of Grace after Meals.

רב ורבי חייא הוו יתבי בסעודתא קמיה דרבי אמר ליה רבי לרב קום משי ידך חזייה דקא מרתת אמר ליה בר פחתי עיין בברכת מזונא קאמר לך

Similarly, the Gemara relates: Rav and Rabbi Ḥiyya were seated at a meal before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to Rav: Stand, wash your hands. Rabbi Ḥiyya saw that Rav was trembling in fear that perhaps he had conducted himself improperly during the meal and therefore had to wash his hands. Rabbi Ḥiyya said to him: Son of noblemen, he is saying to you to review Grace after Meals, as the first to wash his hands after the meal is honored with leading the blessing.

תנו רבנן אין מכבדין לא בדרכים ולא בגשרים

The Gemara continues to discuss the topic of washing after a meal. The Sages taught: Although it is customary to defer to greater people, nevertheless, one shows deference neither on roads nor on bridges,