Berakhot 59b — the Talmud in English

The Sages taught: One who sees the sun in its season,

when it returns to the place from which it began its circuit at the time of the hanging of the luminaries during the six days of Creation, at that same hour and on that same day when it stood there then,

and

likewise one who sees

the moon in its strength,

at the time when the moon stands at the beginning of the new month, at the beginning of the constellation “Aries,” and it is inclined neither to the north nor to the south,

and the stars in their paths,

when one of the planets—Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, or Saturn—returns to the beginning of the constellation “Aries,” and is not inclined from it to the north or south ,

and the constellations in their order,

at the time when they appear in the place where they were hung at the time of the creation of the world ,

says: “Blessed is He Who performs

an act

of Creation.”

The Gemara clarifies:

And when is the sun in its season,

the sun in its season?

Abaye said: Every twenty-eight years,

the sun returns to the place where it was at the time of the hanging of the luminaries, precisely on the same day and at the same hour when it stood there then,

and

from then onward

it again

and begins

a cycle

a new cycle of twenty-eight years, until it again returns to the place of its hanging at that time. And this is the day of the beginning of the season of Nisan. For once every twenty-eight years

the season of Nisan fell

the season of Nisan at

the first hour of the night, which is an hour in which the star

Saturn rules,

and in the days of the week it occurs

on the evening of the third, the light of the fourth

on the night following Tuesday, the light of Wednesday], for on this day and at this hour the luminaries were hung at the creation of the world.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Judah says: One who sees

the

Great Sea,

the great one, says: “Blessed is He Who made the Great Sea,” when he sees it

from time to time.

The Gemara discusses:

How long

a period without seeing it is called “from time to time” with regard to the blessing over seeing it?

Rami bar Abba said that Rabbi Isaac said: Until

he has not seen it for

thirty days,

he does not recite the blessing, and if he has not seen it for a longer period, he is considered to have seen it “from time to time,” and he recites the blessing.

And Rami bar Abba said that Rav Isaac said: One who sees

the river

Euphrates from the bridge of Babylon

from the place of the bridge of Babylon] and above,

says: “Blessed is He Who performs an act of Creation.”

But if he saw it only from the place of the bridge and below, he does not recite a blessing, since blessings are recited only over something that has remained from the six days of Creation without alteration. And we hold that from the bridge of Babylon and above, the Euphrates has not changed from its course. But from there and below, people diverted it to another route.

But nowadays, since they altered it

they altered it]

the Persians

the Euphrates even above the bridge of Babylon, one recites the blessing over it only

from Bei Shavor and above

and above]. For only this section of the Euphrates has not changed.

Rav Yosef said:

One recites a blessing over the Euphrates only

from “Aihi de-Kira”

a district on the Euphrates

and above.

And Rami bar Abba said: One who sees

the river

“Diglat

the Tigris]

from the bridge of Shabistana

and above,

says: “Blessed is He Who performs an act of Creation.”

For we hold that from there onward it has not changed.

What is the meaning of “Tigris”

— For what reason is it called so?

Rav Ashi said: Because its waters are sharp and light.

They are sharp, and their weight is also light, and for that reason they are good for drinking, since they do not burden the body.

What is the meaning of “Euphrates”?

Because its waters are fruitful and multiply.

And Rava said: The reason that the people of Mehoza are sharp,

that is

because they drink the water of the Tigris

the Tigris], whose waters are sharp.

And

the reason that

the people of Mehoza are

red

red], that is

because they engage in intercourse

in their beds

during the day.

Therefore their children are red like the redness of the day.

And the reason that their eyes move

that they blink their eyes frequently], that is

because they live in a dark house.

We learned in the Mishna:

For rains

and for good tidings, one says: “Blessed is He Who is good and does good.”

The Gemara raises an objection:

And

is it so that

for rains one recites “Who is good and does good”?—

But did Rav Abbahu not say—and some say that it was taught in a beraita: From when does one recite a blessing over rains—

when the groom goes out toward the bride.

And it is a metaphor: the rains have fallen to such an extent that the water has already gathered on the ground, and when a drop falls upon it from above, it rises and goes upward toward it.

And

what blessing does one recite

over the rains?—

Rav Judah said: “We thank You for every drop and drop that You have brought down for us.”

And Rabbi Yohanan concludes it as follows: “If our mouths were full of song like the sea, and so forth, we would not suffice to thank You, Hashem our God,”

and he continues

until “every stature will bow before You,”

and he concludes it with

“Blessed are You, Hashem, abundant in thanksgivings.”

The Gemara wonders about the wording of the conclusion: Is one to thank the Holy One, blessed is He, only for

“the abundance of thanksgivings,” and not

for

“all thanksgivings”?

Rather,

Rava said: Say

“Blessed is

the God of thanksgivings.”

Rav Pappa said: Therefore, let us say both

versions, and let him say

“the abundance of thanksgivings and the God of thanksgivings.”

And the Gemara concludes its question concerning the wording of the blessing:

But this is difficult:

from what we learned in our Mishna: “For rains, he says: ‘the good and the One who does good.’”

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult. This

blessing, “the good and the One who does good,” is said only in a situation

that he hears that he hears

that rains have fallen—that is, when he was informed of this, but did not see it with his own eyes. Whereas

this

one who blesses, “We thank You,” refers to a situation

that he sees that he sees

with his own eyes the falling of the rains. The Gemara again asks: Surely the situation

that he hears that he hears

that rains have fallen

is good tidings,

and

we learned

in our Mishna

“For good tidings, he says: ‘Blessed is the good and the One who does good.’”

Why did the tannaitic authority divide them into two separate laws?

The Gemara answers:

Rather, both this and that

[our Mishna and Rav Yehuda] deal with a situation

that he sees that he sees

with his own eyes the falling of the rains,

and

nevertheless

it is not difficult,

for

this

one who blesses “We thank You” is in a situation in which he saw

that there came

rain

a little,

that is, “from when the groom went out to meet the bride,” whereas

this

one who blesses “the good and the One who does good” is in a situation in which he saw

that there came much.

But when he heard about the falling of rains, whether much or a little, he blesses “the good and the One who does good,” just as for hearing any good tidings.

And if you wish, say: both this and that: that much

rain came,

and

nevertheless

it is not difficult,

for

this

one who blesses “the good and the One who does good” is in a situation

that he has land,

and the rains benefit him, whereas

this

one who blesses “We thank You” is in a situation

that he does not have land.

For then he does not have so much benefit from the rains.

The Gemara asks: But if

he has land, does he bless “the good and the One who does good”? But it was taught: He built

a new house

and purchased

new vessels, he says: “Blessed is He who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

And likewise, when he sees rains falling on his fields, should he bless “who has kept us alive” and not “the good and the One who does good”?

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult; this

one who blesses “the good and the One who does good” is in a situation

that he has

a field in

partnership,

for the blessing “the good and the One who does good” was instituted for something that benefits several people together, and its meaning is that he gives thanks to God, “the good” to me, the one blessing, and “the One who does good” to others. Whereas

this

one who blesses “who has kept us alive” is in a situation

that he has no partnership

in the field, but it is entirely his. And since the benefit is only his and not that of others, he does not bless “the good and the One who does good.”

The Gemara proves this distinction:

But it was taught

[as an agreeable statement]:

In brief

[its general principle]:

over

benefit

that is his, he says: “Blessed is He who has kept us alive and sustained us,”

whereas

over

benefit

that is his and his fellow’s

together,

he says: “Blessed is the good and the One who does good.”

The Gemara asks:

And

is it so that

wherever there is not

also

for another

benefit

together with him, he does not bless “the good and the One who does good”? But it was taught: They said to him

that

his wife gave birth to a male,

he says: “Blessed is the good and the One who does good”?

The Gemara explains:

There too

there is benefit to others,

for

behold,

his wife is together with him, for she is pleased with a

male

child.

Come and hear,

that one blesses “the good and the One who does good” even over his own benefit alone, for we learned: One who was informed that

his father died, and he is his heir,

at first

says: “Blessed is the Judge of truth”

over the evil tidings,

and afterward

he says: “Blessed is the good and the One who does good.”

over the tidings of the inheritance, even though there is benefit in it only to him and not to others.

The Gemara rejects this:

There too

the case is one in which

there are

additional

brothers, who

also

are inheriting

[heirs] their deceased father

together with him.

Come and hear

that one blesses “the good and the One who does good” even over his own benefit alone, for we learned: One who drank wine during a meal, and they brought him another wine better than the first, over that

change

of

the wine he need not bless

again “who creates the fruit of the vine.” But over

a change of place

[that he left here and went to another house, and they brought him wine there]

he must bless

again.

And Rav Yosef bar Abba said that Rabbi Yohanan said: Even though they said, “for a change of wine one need not bless

again “who creates the fruit of the vine,”

but

he

says

over drinking the second wine:

“Blessed is the good and the One who does good.”

over the increase of the benefit that the Holy One, blessed is He, bestowed upon him. Thus, he blesses even over drinking wine, although the benefit is only his and not that of others.

The Gemara explains:

There too

it is speaking of a situation

where there are members of the group drinking

with him.

We learned in the Mishna:

If he built a new house

or acquired new vessels,

he says: “Blessed is He Who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this time”.

Rav Huna said: They taught this only

that he recites this blessing

but

when

he does not have

other vessels similar to them;

but

if

he has

vessels similar to them already,

he need not recite the blessing.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: Even if he has

vessels by inheritance

similar to them, he must recite the blessing.

Because with regard to acquisition, they are new for him.