Berakhot 51a — the Talmud in English

The Gemara asks:

Even with something that does not become repulsive,

why does he need to spit it out?

Let him move it to one side

as he does with something that becomes repulsive,

and bless?

Rav Yitzhak Kasקסאה explained before Rabbi Yosei bar Avin in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: Because it is stated [Psalms 71:8]

Psalms 71:8]

“My mouth shall be filled with Your praise,”

that is, he should bless with his entire mouth, and not with a mouth in which there is food [and only with something that becomes repulsive does he move it to one side, because he cannot spit it out].

They asked Rav Hisda: One who ate and drank and did not recite

the first blessing,

what is the law: should he return and bless

now, before he continues his eating? -

He said to them:

But

does one who ate garlic and its odor is spreading return and eat another garlic so that its odor will spread?!

This is an analogy concerning 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 Hisda obligated him to bless in the middle of his eating, we learn from this that

even

in a case in which he has already

finished his meal

without a blessing,

he should return and bless

the first blessing afterward. And this is likewise proved by what

was taught in a beraita: “He immersed and emerged, he says upon his emergence

from the immersion pool:

‘Blessed are You, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning immersion,’”

and just as it is possible to bless after completing the mitzva, so it is possible to bless after completing the eating.

The Gemara rejects:

It is not so; there—

in immersion—

from the outset,

before he immersed for his seminal emission,

the person was not fit,

for it was forbidden for him to bless before purifying himself, and therefore he blesses immediately after the immersion, whereas

here—

in the case of one who ate and did not bless—

from the outset,

when he began to eat,

the person was fit, and since he was rejected

when he ate without a blessing,

he was rejected,

and he can no longer bless.

Since we were occupied with the laws of “undiluted wine,” the Gemara brings a matter in which there is an advantage to undiluted wine

The Sages taught: asparagus—

a beverage made from wine mixed with cabbage—

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

drinking it every morning before eating for medicinal purposes—

it is beneficial for his entire body, while one who becomes drunk from it, it is harmful for his entire body.

The Gemara infers:

Since it teaches

that this asparagus is

“good for the heart,” it follows that

we are dealing with asparagus made from

wine, [A0102]as is explained below, that which is made from beer is harmful to the heart,

and

therefore the Gemara asks: If so, how

does it teach, “and all the more so

that it is beneficial

for the intestines,” while it was taught,

concerning asparagus made from wine:

“For the heart, eyes, and intestines

the

heart,

the

eyes,

the

intestines—

it is beneficial; for the head, intestines, and lower organs

the

head,

the

intestines,

the

lower organs—

it is harmful”?

The Gemara answers:

When that was taught

that it is beneficial for the intestines, it was

with

wine that was

aged,

which had already stood for three years.

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

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

“Konam, the wine that I taste,

because

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

wine that is

aged is beneficial for the intestines,” and he remained silent, is forbidden in

wine that is

new and permitted in aged wine.”

Learn from it

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

The Sages taught: Six things were said concerning asparagus:

1.

One drinks it only when it is

from

undiluted

wine and not diluted,

and

specifically in a

full cup.

2.

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

3.

One does not speak after it, and one does not interrupt it

during its drinking; rather, he 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, he must spit]. 6.

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

One does not eat after it [one does not eat immediately after drinking it]

[one does not eat immediately after drinking it]

except of its kind.

The Gemara asks:

But it was taught: One eats after it only bread.

And is bread of its kind?

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult; this

case, in which one eats bread after it, speaks

of

asparagus

of wine,

whereas

that

case, in which one eats only its kind after it, speaks

of

asparagus

of beer; if it is made from fig beer, he eats only figs after it, and if it is made from date beer, he eats only dates after it.

One teaching states: “For the heart, eyes, and intestines

the

heart,

the

eyes,

the

intestines—

it is beneficial; for the head, intestines, and lower organs

the

head,

the

intestines,

the

lower organs—

it is harmful,” and another was taught

the opposite:

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

It is not difficult,

for

this

statement, which said “for the heart, eyes, and intestines it is beneficial, and for the head, intestines, and lower organs it is harmful,” is

with

asparagus

of wine,

whereas

that

statement, which said “for the head, intestines, and lower organs it is beneficial, and for the heart, eyes, and intestines it is harmful,” is

with that of beer.

One teaching states: “Only after it, one becomes ill,”

with illness,

and another was taught: “Not only after it, one becomes ill”? -

It is not difficult,

for

this

statement, which said “only after it, one becomes ill,” speaks

of

asparagus

of wine,

after which one must not spit. Whereas

that

statement, which said “not only after it, one becomes ill,” speaks

of that of beer.

Rav Ashi said: Now that you have said, “Not only after it, one becomes ill,” the liquid

remaining in his mouth after drinking,

is to be cast out [he must spit it out]

[he must spit it out]

even in the presence of the king,

so that he should not become dangerously ill.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said: Three things the

angel called

“Suriel,”

who is

the minister of the Presence [important and fit to enter before the Holy One, blessed be He],

told me: 1.

Do not take your garment in the morning directly from the sun

who serves in your house

and put it on,

but take it yourself from its place. 2.

And do not take your hands

in the morning

from one who

still

has not washed his hands.

3.

And 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 come into my hands through one of these things, and be caught?”

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Three things the angel of death told me:

1.

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

2.

And do not take your hands from one who has not washed his hands.

3.

And do not stand before women when they return from

the escorting of

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

And the Gemara teaches:

And if he encounters

a person women returning from escorting the dead,

what is his remedy [what should he do so that the angel of death will not encounter him]?—At first,

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

he should leap [jump]

[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],

[a wall],

he should stand behind it, and if not

he finds any of these possibilities,

he should turn his face

away from the women,

and say, “And the Lord said to Satan,

who also serves as the angel of death,

‘May the Lord rebuke you, etc.,’ until they pass from him.

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rabbi Abbahu—and some say that it was taught in a teaching: Ten things were said concerning the cup of blessing

over which one makes kiddush or over which one recites the blessing after a meal

It requires 1.

1.

rinsing; 2.

2.

washing; 3. one must place in it

3. one must put undiluted

undiluted wine; 4.

4.

and

the cup must be

full. 5.

5.

Adornment [as follows]; 6.

[as explained below]; 6.

wrapping [as follows]; 7.

[as explained below]; 7.

he takes it with both hands. 8.

8.

And he gives it into his right hand, 9.

9.

and raises it a handbreadth from the ground, 10.

10.

and

when he blesses 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 Yohanan said: We have only four

of these matters

alone:

1.

rinsing;

2.

washing;

3.

undiluted;

4.

and full.

It was taught: “Rinsing”

is washing

inside, and

whereas

“washing”

is washing

outside.

Rabbi Yohanan said: Whoever blesses over a full cup is given an inheritance without boundaries, as it is stated [Deuteronomy 32:23]

Deuteronomy 32:23]

“And full is the blessing of the Lord

—he shall inherit sea and south,”

and they expound that one who blesses the Lord over a full cup will inherit in the Land of Israel on the side of the “sea,” where there is no settlement, and likewise on the side of the “south,” which is the desert region in the Land of Israel; and where there is no settlement, there is no boundary.

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

The Gemara explains how they perform

“adornment”: Rav Yehuda adorned it with students,

who would sit around him when he blessed.

Rav Hisda adorned it with cups—

he would place around the cup full cups of wine.

Rabbi Hanan said: And

he fills the cups with which he adorns it

with

wine

undiluted,

because they are not intended for drinking like the cup of blessing, and 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 wraps himself

in his prayer shawl

and sits

when he blesses over the cup;

Rav Asi spreads a cloth over his head.

"He takes it with both hands":

Rabbi Hinnana bar Pappa said: What is the verse

that teaches about this law? — [Psalms 134:2

"Raise your hands in holiness, and bless the Lord"

and this means that for the purpose of a blessing, he should raise it with both hands.

"And he gives it to the right":

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: The early ones asked:

hand

what is the status of the left hand assisting the right

in holding the cup?

Rav Ashi said: Since the early ones had the question posed to them and it was not resolved for them,