Berakhot 46b (מו:) — the Talmud in English

And there are some that conclude with “Blessed,” but do not begin with “Blessed,”

such as a blessing that follows another blessing, as it relies on the “Blessed” with which the preceding blessing began.

And

from here Rav proved, since in the blessing of

“the good and the beneficent” one begins with “Blessed” but does not conclude with “Blessed,” it follows

that you learn

that it is an independent blessing,

and it is not included among the blessings of Grace after Meals, which are by Torah law.

And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Know that “the good and the beneficent” is not by Torah law, for they remove it in the house of mourning,

and they recite another blessing in its place.

As it was taught in a beraita: What do they recite

in Grace after Meals

in the house of mourning? —

The first tanna says that they recite it as usual:

“Blessed is the good and the beneficent,”

whereas

Rabbi Akiva says

that it is not recited; rather, they recite in its place:

“Blessed is the true Judge.”

It necessarily follows that only the Sages instituted it, for if its obligation were by Torah law, it could not be removed.

The Gemara raises a difficulty concerning the words of the first tanna: Is it so that

“the good and the beneficent,” yes,

[they recite,] whereas

“the true Judge,” no,

they do not recite? Yet in a house of mourning it is impossible to give thanks for the good without mentioning the judgment.

Rather, say: “Even the good and the beneficent,”

and Rabbi Akiva disagreed with this, saying that in a house of mourning “the good and the beneficent” is not recited at all.

Mar Zutra happened to come to Rav Ashi’s house, and a tragedy occurred there;

one of Rav Ashi’s family died.

Mar Zutra began

the fourth blessing of Grace after Meals

and recited

as follows: “

Blessed are You, Lord … the God, our Father, our King, our Creator, our Sanctifier, the Sanctifier of Jacob, the King,

the good and the beneficent, the true God, the true Judge, the righteous Judge,

Who takes according to judgment,

and rules over His world to do with it as He wills, for all His ways are judgment,

for everything is His, and we are His people and His servants, and in everything we are obligated to give thanks to Him and bless Him. He who repairs breaches in Israel, may He repair this breach in Israel for life.”

The Gemara discusses the case of one who interrupted his meal for the sake of two who wished to recite the zimmun, and waited until they had completed the blessing of sustenance [in accordance with Rav Sheshet’s view], and afterward completed his meal and wishes to recite Grace.

To where

[to which blessing]

does he return? —

Rav Zevid said in the name of Abaye: He returns to the beginning,

and begins Grace after Meals from the start, because he became obligated in the blessing of sustenance when he ate as part of a group of three.

And the Sages say

that he returns only

to the place where he stopped,

meaning that he recites only from “We thank You” onward.

The Gemara concludes:

And the halakha

is that he returns

to the place where he stopped.

The Exilarch said to Rav Sheshet: Although you are elderly Sages, the Persians are more knowledgeable than you in matters of dining,

as their practice is as follows:

When they are

reclining on

two couches,

the

most distinguished

of those reclining

reclines

on his couch

at the head

[first],

and the one second to him

has his couch placed

above him

[beside the head of the most distinguished].

And when there are three

couches,

the most distinguished reclines in the middle, the one second to him above him, and the one third to him

has his couch placed

below him

[beside the feet of the most distinguished].

He said to him,

Rav Sheshet:

But

if the arrangement is made in this manner, it turns out

that if

the most distinguished person wishes

to converse with him

the one second to him, he must

straighten himself up and sit

[rise from his reclining position and sit upright]

and converse with him,

for the second person reclines beside his head. It would be preferable for him to recline beside the most distinguished person’s feet, so that the second person could hear him while turned toward him.

The Exilarch said to him:

Rav Sheshet:

The Persians are different, for they indicate to him with gestures.

Their practice is to converse through signals made with their fingers, so the second person need not see the most distinguished person’s face while speaking with him.

Rav Sheshet asked the Exilarch about the Persians’ customs:

The first waters

before the meal,

from where do they begin

—which of those reclining washes first?

He said to him:

They begin

with the most distinguished.

Rav Sheshet expressed astonishment: Is it appropriate that

the most distinguished should sit

with

his hands unwashed until everyone has washed?

[For they bring the food only after those reclining have washed their hands.]

The Exilarch said to him:

The Persians’ practice is that

immediately they bring a table

[a small table with food upon it]

before him,

the most distinguished, and he begins to eat.

Rav Sheshet further asked him about the Persians’ dining practices:

The final waters—from where do they begin? —

He said to him:

They begin

with the least distinguished.

Rav Sheshet expressed astonishment:

But

is it so that

the most distinguished should sit with his hands soiled until everyone has washed? —

The Exilarch said to him:

The practice of the Persians is:

They do not remove the table from before him

the most distinguished

until the water reaches him,

and until then he can continue eating and need not wait.

Rav Sheshet said,

in response to the Exilarch’s claim that the Persians’ dining customs were superior to those of the Jewish Sages:

I know a teaching,

and

it was from it that they learned the proper dining practices.

As it was taught in a beraita: What is the order of reclining? When there are two couches, the most distinguished

of those reclining

reclines at the head

[first],

and the one second to him below him,

at the side of his feet, so that the most distinguished can converse with him comfortably.

When there are three couches, the most distinguished reclines at the head, and the one second to him above him,

beside his head, since this is the most honored place after the first. If the most distinguished wishes to speak, he can do so with

the one third to him,

whose place of reclining is

below him.

And when there is a separate table before each one,

When there is a separate table before each person,

the first waters begin with the most distinguished,

and the table is brought before him so that he will not have to wait for the others before beginning the meal.

The final waters—

when there are

up to

five

diners,

they begin with the most distinguished,

because the one who washes first is the leader of the zimmun.

And when there are

more than five, even

one hundred, they begin with the least distinguished,

who generally sits last at the table,

until they reach the fifth person, and then they begin again with the most distinguished,

and only then do they remove the table from before him

. And to the place to which the final waters return, the blessing returns,

meaning that the one who washes first is the leader of the zimmun. If the most distinguished wishes, he may instruct one of those reclining to wash first and lead the zimmun.

This supports Rav, as Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: Anyone who washes his hands last first

the first among the five who wash last

is designated to lead the zimmun.

And this is what happened:

Rav and Rabbi Hiyya were sitting at a meal before Rabbi. Rabbi said to Rav: Rise and wash your hands

with the final washing.

Rabbi Hiyya saw

Rav

trembling,

because he thought that Rabbi wished to reprimand him for having dirty hands or for prolonging the meal too much.

He said to him

Rabbi Hiyya said to Rav:

Son of distinguished men

[son of great men],

“Consider the blessing of food,” Rabbi is telling you

and his intention is to honor you by having you lead the zimmun, and therefore he told you to wash your hands first, so that you could consider the Birkat HaMazon before leading the zimmun.

The Sages taught: One does not honor

a person’s fellow by having him walk ahead of him,

not

when they meet

on the roads,

and not on bridges

because of the danger of remaining on the bridge,