Berakhot 46b — the Talmud in English

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

such as a blessing adjacent to another blessing, which relies on the “Blessed” with which he began the blessing preceding it.

And

from here Rav proved, since in the blessing of

“Who is good and bestows good” one begins with “Blessed” but does not conclude with “Blessed,” it follows

that you learn

that it is a blessing in its own right,

and it is not part of Birkat HaMazon, which is from the Torah.

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

and they say another blessing in its place.

As it was taught: What do they say

in Birkat HaMazon

in the house of mourning? —

The first tanna says that they bless as usual,

“Blessed is He who is good and bestows good,”

whereas

Rabbi Akiva says

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

“Blessed is the True Judge,”

and necessarily it was instituted only by the Rabbis, for if its obligation were from the Torah, it could not have been removed.

The Gemara was astonished at the words of the first tanna: Is it so that

“Who is good and bestows good”—yes,

[they say it,] but

“True Judge”—no,

they say it? But in the house of mourning it is impossible to give thanks for the good without mentioning the judgment.

Rather, say: “also ‘Who is good and bestows good,’”

and regarding this Rabbi Akiva disagreed and said that in the house of mourning they do not say “Who is good and bestows good” at all.

Mar Zutra happened to come to the house of Rav Ashi, and a misfortune occurred to him,

one of Rav Ashi’s family died.

Mar Zutra began

Mar Zutra the fourth blessing of Birkat HaMazon

and blessed

as follows: “

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

who is good and bestows good, the true God, the True Judge, the Judge with justice,

who takes in judgment,

and rules over His world to do in it according to His will, 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 thank Him and bless Him. He who fences the breaches of Israel, may He fence this breach in Israel for life.”

The Gemara discusses: If one interrupted for the sake of two who wish to conduct the zimmun, and waited until they finished the blessing of “Who feeds” [according to Rav Sheshet], and afterward finished his meal and wishes to bless,

to where

[to which blessing]

does he return?

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

and begins from the beginning of Birkat HaMazon, because he became obligated in the blessing of “Who feeds” when he ate with three,

whereas the Rabbis say

that he returns only

to the place where he stopped,

that is, he blesses only from “We thank You” onward.

The Gemara’s conclusion:

And the halakha

is that he returns

to the place where he stopped.

The Exilarch said to Rav Sheshet: Although you are elderly Rabbis, the Persians are more knowledgeable than you in the arrangements of a meal,

for this is their practice:

When they are

reclining on

two couches,

the

greatest

of those reclining

reclines

on his couch

at the head

[first], and

the one second to him

they place his couch

above him

[beside the head of the greatest].

And when they are three

couches,

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

they place his couch

below him

[beside the feet of the greatest].

He said to him

Rav Sheshet:

And

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

when the

greatest

wishes to speak with him

the one second to him, he must

raise himself up and sit

[straighten himself from his reclining position and sit]

and speak with him,

for the second one reclines beside his head; it would be preferable for him to recline at his feet, so that the second one could hear him while turned toward him?

He said to him

the Exilarch:

The Persians are different, for he shows him by a gesture.

Their practice is to converse through signs made with their fingers, and the second one need not see the face of the greatest when speaking with him.

Rav Sheshet asked the Exilarch about the Persians’ practices:

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 greatest.

Rav Sheshet was astonished: Is it proper that the

greatest

should

sit and keep his hands until they have all 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 the table

[a small table with the food upon it]

before him,

the greatest, and he begins to eat.

Rav Sheshet further asked him about the Persians’ practices:

The latter waters—from where do they begin? —

He said to him,

they begin

with the smallest.

Rav Sheshet was astonished:

And

is it so that

the greatest sits with his hands soiled until they have all washed? —

The Exilarch said to him:

The Exilarch

does not remove the table from before him

the greatest

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’ meal practices were superior to those of the Jewish Sages:

I know a Mishna,

and

from it they learned the proper practices at a meal.

As it was taught: What is the order of reclining? When they have two couches, the greatest

of those reclining

reclines at the head

[first],

and the one second to him below him

beside his feet, so that the greatest can speak with him comfortably.

When they have three couches, the greatest reclines at the head, the one second to him above him,

beside his head, for this is the most honored place after the first; and if the greatest 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,

the first waters begin with the greatest,

and they bring the table before him, so that he will not have to wait for the others to begin the meal.

The latter waters —

when they are

up to

five

diners,

they begin with the greatest,

because the one who washes first is the one who leads the zimmun,

and when they are

more than five, even

one hundred, they begin with the smallest,

who generally sits last at the table,

until they reach the fifth, and they return and begin with the greatest,

and only then do they remove the table from before him

. And to the place to which the latter waters return, to there the blessing returns,

meaning that the one who washes first is the one who leads the zimmun; and if the greatest wishes, he may instruct one of those reclining to wash first and lead the zimmun.

meaning that the one who washes first is the one who leads the invitation to Grace. If the most distinguished person wishes, he may instruct one of those reclining at the meal to wash first and lead the invitation.

It supports Rav, for Rabbi Hiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: anyone who washes his hands for the final washing first

the first among the five who wash last

is prepared for a blessing.

And this is what happened:

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

with the final waters!

He saw

Rabbi Hiyya

that he was trembling,

because he thought that Rabbi wanted to reprimand him that his hands were dirty, or that he was prolonging the meal too much.

He said to him

Rabbi Hiyya said to Rav:

Son of nobles

son of great men

“Look into the blessing of food,” he is saying to you

Rabbi, and his intention is to honor you by having you lead the zimun, and therefore he told you to wash your hands first, so that you would be able to look into the Birkat Hamazon before leading the zimun.

The Sages taught: One does not honor

a person by having his fellow go before him,

not

when they meet

on the roads,

and not on bridges

because of the danger in lingering on the bridge,