Berakhot 51a (נא.) — the Talmud in English

The Gemara asks:

Even with regard to something that is not repulsive,

why does he need to spit it out?

Let him move it to one side

as he does with something that is repulsive,

and recite the blessing?

Rav Yitzḥak Kaskasa’a explained before Rabbi Yosei bar Avin in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Because it is stated: Psalms 71:8]

Psalms 71:8]

“My mouth shall be filled with Your praise,”

meaning, he should recite the blessing with his entire mouth, and not with a mouth that contains food [and only with regard to something repulsive does he move it to the side, because he cannot spit it out].

They raised a question before Rav Ḥisda: One who ate and drank and did not recite

the first blessing,

what is the ruling as to whether he should return and recite the blessing

now, before continuing his eating? -

He said to them:

Is it so that

one who ate garlic and its odor is exuding should return and eat another garlic so that its odor will be exuding?!

This is an analogy for one who has already sinned, who certainly should not return and sin again; and it is obvious that he may not eat again without a blessing.

Ravina said: Therefore,

since Rav Ḥisda required him to recite a blessing in the middle of his eating, we learn from this that

even

if he has already

finished his meal

without a blessing, he

should return and recite the blessing

afterward—the first blessing. And this is likewise demonstrated by that

which was taught in a beraita: One who immersed and emerged says upon his emergence

from the ritual bath:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning immersion.”

Just as one may recite the blessing after completing the mitzva, so may one recite it after completing the eating.

The Gemara rejects this:

That is not so. There,

with regard to immersion,

initially,

before he immersed because he was a ba’al keri,

the person was not fit,

as it is forbidden for him to recite a blessing before purifying himself, and therefore he recites it immediately after immersion. But

here,

with regard to one who ate and did not recite a blessing,

initially,

when he began eating,

the person was fit; and once it was deferred

when he ate without a blessing,

it was deferred,

and he can no longer recite the blessing. [

Since we were discussing the laws of “undiluted wine,” the Gemara cites a matter involving a virtue of undiluted wine ]:

The Sages taught in a beraita: Asparagus

—a beverage made from wine mixed with cabbage—

is beneficial for the heart and good for the eyes, and all the more so for the intestines. And one who is accustomed to it

—to drink it every morning before eating as a remedy—

benefits in every part of his body, whereas one who becomes drunk from it suffers throughout his entire body.

The Gemara infers:

Since it teaches

that this asparagus is

“beneficial for the heart,” this proves that

we are dealing with asparagus made from

wine, as is explained below, that asparagus made from beer is harmful to the heart.

And

therefore the Gemara wonders: If so, how

does it teach, “and all the more so

that it is beneficial

for the intestines,” when it was taught in a beraita

with regard to asparagus made from wine:

“For the heart, the eyes, and the intestines it is beneficial; for the head, the intestines, and the lower abdomen it is harmful”? [The terms are acronyms:

L

for heart,

E

for eyes,

T

for intestines; and

R

for head,

M

for intestines,

T

for lower abdomen.]

Is it harmful?

is harmful”?

The Gemara answers:

When that was taught

—that it is beneficial for the intestines—this refers to asparagus

made from

wine

that is aged,

which has already stood for three years.

As we learned [Nedarim 66a]: One who says,

in the Mishna [Nedarim 66a]: One who says,

“Konam, I will not taste wine,

because

wine is harmful to the intestines.” They said to him, “But

aged

wine is beneficial for the intestines,” and he remained silent—he is prohibited from

new

wine but permitted to drink aged wine.

Learn from this

that aged wine is beneficial for the intestines, and likewise asparagus made from aged wine is beneficial for the intestines.

The Sages taught in a beraita: Six things were stated with regard to asparagus:

1.

One drinks it only when it is made from

wine that is

undiluted

and not mixed with water,

and

specifically from a

full cup.

2.

He receives it with his right hand and drinks it with his left.

3.

One does not converse after it, and one does not interrupt while drinking it,

but drinks the entire cup at once [and this is not considered gluttonous, because he does so for medicinal purposes]. 4.

One does not return it

—the cup in which he received it—

except to the one who gave it to him.

5.

Only after it

[after drinking it, one must spit]. 6.

One accompanies it

—one does not eat immediately after drinking it—

only with its own kind.

The Gemara asks:

But it was taught in a beraita: One accompanies it only with bread.

And bread is not of its own kind?

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult. This

case, in which it is accompanied by eating bread, concerns

asparagus

made from

wine,

whereas

that

case, in which it is accompanied only by its own kind, concerns

asparagus

made from

beer. If it is made from fig beer, one eats only figs afterward; and if it is made from date beer, one eats only dates afterward.

One teaching states: “For the heart, the eyes, and the intestines it is beneficial; for the head, the intestines, and the lower abdomen it is harmful,” and another teaching states the opposite:

lamed

bet,

ayin

eye,

tet

abdomen]

“For the head, the intestines, and the lower abdomen it is beneficial; for the heart, the eyes, and the intestines it is harmful.”

resh

head,

mem

intestines,

tav

lower organs]

is harmful,” while another teaching says the opposite,

namely,

“Resh-mem-tav is beneficial; lamed-ayin-tet is harmful.”

It is not difficult,

for

this

teaching, which says “for the heart, the eyes, and the intestines it is beneficial; for the head, the intestines, and the lower abdomen it is harmful,” refers to

asparagus

made from

wine,

whereas

that

teaching, which says “for the head, the intestines, and the lower abdomen it is beneficial; for the heart, the eyes, and the intestines it is harmful,” refers to asparagus

made from beer.

One teaching states: “Only after it, one is afflicted”

with illness,

and another teaching states: “Not only after it, one is afflicted”? -

It is not difficult.

For

this

teaching, which says “only after it, one is afflicted,” refers to

asparagus

made from

wine,

after which one must not spit. Whereas

that

teaching, which says “not only after it, one is afflicted,” refers to asparagus

made from beer.

Rav Ashi said: Now that you have said that not only after it one is afflicted, its liquid

that remains in his mouth after drinking

must be cast out

[he must spit it out]

even in the presence of the king,

so that he will not become dangerously ill.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said: Three things were related to me

by an angel called

“Suriel,”

who is

the minister of the Divine Presence

[important and worthy of appearing before the Holy One, blessed be He]: 1.

Do not take your garment in the morning from the attendant

who serves in your home

and put it on;

rather, take it yourself from its place. 2.

Do not wash your hands

in the morning

from one who

has still

not washed his hands.

3.

Do not return a cup of asparagus except to the one who gave it to you, because “Taksafit”

[a band of demons],

and some say “Astalganit”

[a band of angels],

of the destructive angels lie in wait for a person and say, “When will a person fall into the category of one of these things, so that we may ensnare him?”

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Three things were related to me by the Angel of Death:

1.

Do not take your garment in the morning from the attendant and put it on.

2.

Do not wash your hands from one who has not washed his hands.

3.

Do not stand before women when they return from

the funeral procession of

the deceased, because I dance and come before them with my sword in my hand, and I have permission to cause harm.

The Gemara teaches:

And if he encounters

women returning from the funeral procession of the deceased,

what is his remedy

[what should he do so that the Angel of Death will not encounter him]? First,

he should leap

[jump]

four cubits from his place.

And afterward,

if there is a river, he should cross it; and if

there is no river, but

there is another road, he should go on it; and if

there is no other road, but

there is a wall,

[a wall],

he should stand behind it; and if not

—if he finds none of these options—

he should turn his face away

from the women

and say, “And the Lord said to the Satan: ‘May the Lord rebuke you,

[who also serves as the Angel of Death],

may the Lord rebuke you, etc.’” until they pass by him.

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rabbi Abbahu—and some say that this was taught in a baraita: Ten things were stated with regard to the cup of blessing,

over which one performs kiddush or recites Birkat HaMazon

requires 1.

1.

rinsing; 2.

2.

washing; 3. It must contain

3. one must put undiluted

undiluted wine; 4.

4.

and

the cup must be

full. 5.

5.

decoration

[as explained below]; 6.

and wrapping

[as explained below]; 7.

one takes it with both hands; 8.

8.

and places it in his right hand; 9.

9.

and raises it one handbreadth from the ground; 10.

10.

and

when reciting the blessing over it,

he directs his eyes toward it. And some say that he also sends it as a gift to the members of his household.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: We have only four

of these matters

alone: 1.

1.

rinsing; 2.

2.

washing; 3.

3.

undiluted wine; 4.

4.

and full.

A tanna taught: “Rinsing”

means washing

the inside, and

whereas

“washing”

means washing

the outside.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who recites a blessing over a full cup is granted an inheritance without boundaries, as it is stated: Deuteronomy 32:23]

Deuteronomy 32:23]

“And I will fill it with the blessing of the Lord

and inherit sea and south.”

They interpret this to mean that one who blesses the Lord over a full cup will inherit in Eretz Yisrael on the side of the “sea,” where there is no settlement, and likewise on the side of the “south,” which is the desert region of Eretz Yisrael; and where there is no settlement, there is no boundary.

Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina says: He merits and inherits two worlds, this world and the World to Come.

The Gemara explains how one performs

“decoration”: Rav Yehuda decorated it with students,

who would sit around him when he recited the blessing.

Rav Ḥisda decorated it with cups

—he would place full cups of wine around the cup.

Rabbi Ḥanan said: And

he fills the cups with which he decorates it

with

wine

undiluted,

because they are not intended for drinking like the cup of blessing; rather, through them he displays the praise of the Land, which produces this wine.

Rav Sheshet said: And

he fills them with wine

during the blessing of the Land,

because it is the blessing over satiety; therefore, he does not dilute the wine to make it fit for drinking until after the blessing.

“Wrapping”: Rav Pappa wrapped himself

in his tallit

and sat

when reciting the blessing over the cup.

Rav Asi spread a cloth over his head.

“He takes it with both hands”:

Rabbi Hinnana bar Pappa said: What is the verse

that teaches this law? – [Psalms 134:2

“Lift up your hands in holiness, and bless the Lord”]

and thus, for the purpose of blessing, he should raise it with both hands.

“And he gives it to his right hand”:

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yohanan said: The earlier authorities asked:

whether the left

hand may assist the right hand

in holding the cup?

Rav Ashi said: Since the earlier authorities raised this question and it was not resolved for them,