BSD

Brochos – 14a

Mar Cheshvan 2, 5787.  10/14/2026

Short notes on a few topics discussed.

1 – The גמרא talks about if just tasting food, but not swallowing it, is considered eating or drinking?

A – In regards to tasting food on a fast day.

Prohibited on all public fast days. But may be permitted on fast days that one takes upon himself.

B – In regards to reciting a ברכה.

See here (OC 210) that some allow tasting and swallowing as well if his intention is only to taste!

2 – We discussed when tasting, although it may not be considered eating, there is the aspect of הנאה. So why not make a ברכה on just the  הנאה (of tasting)  just as we recite a ברכה on בשמים?

On this topic we mentioned the famous מגן אברהם that discusses smoking tobacco .

Smoking in  general is a topic that has been discussed for ages by the אחרונים.

Is it considered eating?

Or eating and spitting it right out i.e. tasting, as above?

Or is it a הנאה similar to smelling בשמים or reciting שהחיינו when meeting a  friend that one has not seen for 30 days?

3 – Reb Akiva Eiger has an interesting footnote to our גמרא related to ‘tasting’.  He directs one e to check out a מדרש about a story in תנ”ך.

 

The story with שאול המלך and his son יהונתן.

Here is synopsis created by AI:

In 1 Samuel 14, Israel is pinned down by the Philistines. Saul waits near Gibeah with about 600 men, and the Israelites have almost no weapons.

Jonathan’s raid. Without telling his father, Jonathan and his armor-bearer climb toward a Philistine outpost. Jonathan says God can save “by many or by few,” and they set a sign. If the Philistines tell them to come up, God has given the outpost into their hands. The Philistines call out mockingly, “Come up to us,” so the two climb the cliff and kill about twenty men. An earthquake follows, and panic spreads through the Philistine camp.

The rout. Saul’s lookouts see the Philistine army dissolving, and a roll call shows Jonathan is missing. Saul begins to consult God through the priest Ahijah but breaks off as the uproar grows. Israel attacks, and the Philistines turn their swords on one another. Hebrews who had sided with the Philistines switch back, and Israelites who had been hiding in the hills join the chase.

Saul’s oath. Saul puts the army under a curse: no one may eat until evening, “until I am avenged on my enemies.” The troops grow exhausted. Jonathan hasn’t heard the oath, so he eats some honey in the forest and is refreshed. When told about the curse, he says his father has troubled the land, since a fed army would have won a bigger victory. That evening the famished soldiers slaughter captured animals and eat the meat with the blood, which is forbidden. Saul sets up a stone for proper slaughter and builds his first altar to God.

The lots. Saul wants to pursue the Philistines through the night, but God gives no answer. Saul concludes someone has sinned and swears the guilty one will die, even if it is Jonathan. Lots are cast, and they fall on Jonathan, who admits he tasted the honey. Saul is ready to execute him, but the people refuse: “Shall Jonathan die, who has brought about this great salvation in Israel?” They ransom him, and the pursuit is called off.

How did they ‘ransom’ יהונתן?

The above-mentioned מדרש offer 2 opinions.

1- The has שאול המלך revoke his oath.

2- יהונתן was ransomed since he only tasted  the honey! As per our גמרא.

4 – Spoke about the wording in the above story when it describes the honey that יהונתן tasted.

honey in the forest. What is honey doing in a forest?

This expression is the source of Reb Eliezer’s opinion that hives of bees are considered like קרקע. Thus removing honey, produced by bees, from the honeycombs is like picking an apple from its tree (forest). Thus on Shabbos, such harvesting is from the 39 מלאכות!

Mishna Shviis and Uktzin.

(י) כַּוֶּרֶת דְּבוֹרִים, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, הֲרֵי הִיא כַּקַּרְקַע, וְכוֹתְבִין עָלֶיהָ פְּרוֹזְבּוֹל, וְאֵינָהּ מְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, וְהָרוֹדֶה מִמֶּנָּה בַשַּׁבָּת, חַיָּב חַטָּאת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינָהּ כַּקַּרְקַע, וְאֵין כּוֹתְבִים עָלֶיהָ פְּרוֹזְבּוּל, וּמְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, וְהָרוֹדֶה מִמֶּנָּה בַשַּׁבָּת, פָּטוּר.

 

 

Translation?

 

Other topics discussed which we’ll bl”n write up next week.

245 words  in שמע.

The need for 3 more to equal 248.

When saying a מי שברך לחולה why are the heart and other organs not mentioned?

Do women repeat ה’ אלוקיכם אמת? Minchas Elozor.

BSD

Brochos 12b (2)

Elul 5, 5786.  08/18/2026

Short notes on one topic.

1- The גמרא  states that one should not pause in the middle of a פרשה. Meaning that once you start saying a פרשה, you must finish it.

 גְּמִירִי: כָּל פָּרָשָׁה דְּפַסְקַהּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, פָּסְקִינַן; דְּלָא פַסְקַהּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, לֹא פָסְקִינַן.

Any portion that משה רבינו, divided, we too divide and read separately. However, a portion that Moses, our teacher, did not divide, we do not divide and read separately.

 The issues discussed:

A -What is a פרשה?

Generally, it means the פרשיות or paragraphs in the תורה, (not the 53 סדרות) of which there are 669 in the חומש.

Image of an עמוד showing 3 פרשיות created by פתוחות וסתומות.

That would mean that an entire פרשה must be said. So saying a single פסוק is surely not proper!

B- Does it apply to נביאים? What about כתובים?

C- Why is this הלכה not mentioned in the רמב”ם and also not in the שלחן ערוך!

See below from the מגן אברהם.

D – In practice, there are many instances during davening where we recite not only parts of a parsha but even fragments of a פסוק. Examples include:

A few examples:

• ה‘ מלך. ה‘ מלך. ה‘ ימלוך לעולם ועד . The only full פסוק here is  ה‘ ימלוך לעולם ועד.
• ה’ אלקיכם אמת
• נֹצֵר^[2] חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה [לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים.]
• Every time we say only ‘half’ of הלל.
• שש זכירות.
• Kiddush – יום השישי.
• הגדה של פסח- we begin in the middle of a Pasuk! וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם- וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה.

E – Ditto for קריאת התורה when every ראש חודש and many time on Shabbos, we pause in middle of a פרשה.

E- The מגן אברהם suggests that when said as a תחינה ובקשה, this rule does not apply.

 

F – There is much more on this perplexing topic.

 

G – Regarding this subject, we noted a fascinating footnote written by the Rebbe.

We discussed the well-known booklet קונטרס compiled by the Rebbe in 1954 on the occasion of the Tanya’s second printing in the United States (edition #48).

In the foreword to this קונטרס– which has been included at the back of every edition of Sefer HaTanya printed since 1954 – the Rebbe highlights a noteworthy pattern:

• When the Alter Rebbe cites only a partial verse (פסוק), he adds a ‘וגו׳.
• Conversely, when quoting a partial passage from a מאמר חז״ל, he adds a ‘וכו׳.

The Rebbe explains that this distinction stems from our Gemara, which raises a concern regarding reciting or quoting only a portion of a פסוק. Therefore, when one omits the remainder of a פסוק, adding וגומר) וגו׳) indicates that the verse ought to be completed.

H –  We discussed the Rebbe’s vision to publish a תניא styled like a גמרא, featuring cross-references, a concise פירוש, and a compilation of explanations on תניא from the Chabad Rebbes.

Although this initiative was not originally brought to fruition, the recently published תניא השלם represents an effort to fulfill the Rebbe’s vision.

See here. Here.

BSD

Brochos – 13b (3)

Tishrei 11, 5787.  09/22/2026

A few brief notes from last week and this week’s Shiur.

1 – We mentioned that our גמרא is the basis for a fundamental idea in Tanya.

עד כאן מצות כוונה, מכאן ואילך מצות קריאה

Discussed briefly the 6 פרקים spanning from 35-40 where the Alter Rebbe explains how the שכינה comes to dwell in the physical world through practical mitzvot.

Now, chapters 35–37 emphasizes the importance of the  מעשה part of תורה ומצוות and chapters 38–40 emphasizes the importance thought and intention כוונה ומחשבה.

Having established in chapter 35-37 the importance of מעשה בפועל, at the beginning of chapter 38, the Alter Rebbe quotes our גמרא where it says that with מצות  that need to be verbalized, כוונה is not  מעכב. The exception is with the first פסוק in קריאת שמע and the first ברכה in  שמונה עשרה. Thus, we see that מעשה בפועל is the more important part of any מצוה.

כוונה ומחשבה

The Alter Rebbe continues to explains that although just the מעשה המצוה fulfills one’s obligation, however, the כוונה  is the mitzvah’s נשמה of the מצוה, without which it is like a body without life.

1b – We discussed what position one should recite the שמע – the meaning of פרקדן – face up or down – and the story of רבה בר בר חנה with one of the מתי מדבר see ב”ב עד and the little people known as כפתורים.

Cappadocia, Turkey

2 – We discussed the תוספות about being מפסיק in middle of קריאת שמע to answer אמן or Kaddish.

3 – Being מפסיק In the middle of הלל and מגילה.

Mentioned the 3 types of הלל.

1- The original הלל  said during שחיטת קרבן פסח. This was recited only בציבור.

2 – הלל said on 21 days a year which is one on the שבע מצוות דרבנן. [Since it can be said ביחידות as well, it is called הלל ביחיד].

3 – Another type of הלל ביחיד is the one that is said only partly – meaning that we skip 2 portions in the middle. This type is said on ראש חודש and חול המועד פסח.

Now, this type 3  הלל is a wide topic on how exactly to describe it and whether one says a ברכה  on it.

The opinions vary from ‘no obligation to say it all all’ to a very strong מנהג.

The ברכה issue is also much discussed.

4. We discussed a fascinating רבינו בחיי: Why are משניות written so cryptically? Why wasn’t the תורה given to משה רבינו with a full set of משניות (with the ברטנורא)?

ולא נתן רשות למשה לכתבה כי יהיה בזה גלוי מסתורים ויהיו שאר האומות שלא קבלו התורה ולא רצו בה שוים עם ישראל

5. חסורי מחסרי – והכי קתני – why didn’t the גמרא simply correct the text of the משנה to avoid future confusion and misunderstanding?

See here.

We mentioned the תפארת ישראל –  in order to assist in the memorization, משניות were repeated in a particular song. The words of every Mishna fit to a particular tune, thereby easing the memorization.

6. Trivia:

When do you say הלל nine days in a row?

When do you say הלל ten days in a row?

(Hint: הלל in Tehillim is יום כ”ד)

To be continued.

Gut Yom Tov to all.

BSD

Brochos – 13b (2)

Tishrei 4, 5787.  09/15/2026

Short notes

1- כל המאריך באחד –

יאריך במחשבתו

We discussed the Alter Rebbe who writes that this means not the verbal stretching of the word  אחד, but rather to lengthen the contemplation of the meaning of אחד.

2 – Saying שמע  while walking is fine, since the הלכה is like בית הלל. However, when saying the first פסוק, one must stop.

Why? Tosfos says that it’s hard to concentrate when in motion. The רא”ש says that saying שמע while walking shows a lack of respect. ארעי.

Someone asked about sitting in a moving car.

AI image וד”ל

Here is the answer:

ואם רצה לקרות כל הג’ פרשיות כשהוא מהלך הרשות בידו מלבד פסוק ראשון^כב שצריכין לעמוד מהילוכו^כג (או לישב^כד) ולקרותו כדי לכוין היטב והוא הדין אם היה רוכב על גבי בהמה צריך להעמידה שאינו יכול לכוין כל כך שהוא טרוד בהליכתה אבל אם יושב בעגלה א“צ להעמידה^כה:

However, that may apply only to a passenger in the car.

What about the driver? Doesn’t driving require more concentration than walking?

If yes, the driver would need to stop the car to say the first פסוק.

3 – Our גמרא mentions בר קפרא. The son of קפרא.

We spoke about who קפרא was and what was בר קפרא’s name.

אלעזר or  שמעון?

From the תוספתא (and in מדרש) in the beginning of ביצה it would seem that he is indeed:

“רבי אלעזר בנו של רבי אלעזר הקפר אומר”

and

“…הֵשִׁיב רַבִּי [א]לְעָזָר בְּנוֹ שֶׁלְּרַבִּי [א]לִיעֶזֶר הַקַּפָּר  ”

See here. Here

גמר חתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה.

 

BSD

Brochos – 13b

Elul 27, 5786.  09/8/2026

Brief points.

1 – We mentioned last week the קדושה of לשון הקודש and the interesting idea from the חתם סופר.

Why is it, he asks, that within a short period of 70 years in גלות בבל , half of כלל ישראל forgot to speak לשון הקודש that when they returned to ארץ ישראל they needed to relearn it?

His answer is that קדושה of לשון הקודש is only retained by those who are at a level of personal קדושה.

 שפלא גדול הוא בגלות בבל בזמן שבעים שנה נשתכח לשון הקודש’ והי’ העם חציים מדבר כשדית ואשדודי’. יען כי לא שמרו עצמם בקדושה.

He continues that when יוסף הצדיק needed to prove to the שבטים that he is their brother he says ‘’it’s me speaking לשון הקודש’ – which is proof that he still kept his קדושה.

כי פי המדבר אליכם, פירש”י כי פי המדבר בלשון הקודש,

ולזה נתן להם יוסף אות על דרכו הטוב במה שלשון הקודש מורגל ושגור בפיו:

2 – Discussed the רש”י that gives an example of a מצווה דאורייתא that can be said in any language  – קריאת התורה.

Tosfos take issue with this (on our Daf and in מגילה יז, ב) since קריאת התורה was established by משה רבינו or עזרא הסופר. (see מגן אברהם below).

They suggest פרשת זכור.

Mentioned that the בית יוסף in his version of his ש”ס Tosfos added also the words פרשת פרה!  See מגן אברהם there.

Chalitza in english:

3 – We discussed at length different opinions of what exactly are the פסוקים that comprise the מצווה of קריאת שמע מדאורייתא.

Additionally, which of these פסוקים one must have כוונה.

Here is a brief chart. To be continued.

כוונה בקריאת שמע

4 – We spoke about the Alter Rebbe’s mention of our גמרא in Tanya chapter 38.

Discussed the topics of chapters 35-37 (on the importance of מצוות מעשיות)  and the flip side (the importance of כוונה) in chapters 38-40.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה

————————————————

 

 

 

 

הלכות קריאת ספר תורה קלה סדר קריאת התורה  מג”א

 

BSD

Brochos – 13a (2)

Elul 19, 5786.  09/1/2026

Topics discussed.

1- Prior to starting פרק ב we mentioned 2 interesting points.

Firstly, last week we spoke of the מקובלים that say that the נשמה of רבי אלעזר בן עזריה (who said  הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה)  was a גלגול of שמואל הנביא who passed away at 52,  thus the number 70. We posted a link to the ספר that quotes this.  Here. Page 27.

This link is to a Haggadah של פסח with an interesting history.

The author was a Chasidisher Rov from Brisk that, together with thousands of other Jews, left their homeland to escape the battles of WWI.

Jewish Refugees, WWI

Reb Moshe Chaim Kleinman spent some time in Dnieper –  Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, where he met the Rebbe’s father.

It was at that time, in the early 1920s that he published a הגדה של פסח, that is a compilation of מפרשים on the הגדה. He named it צוף אמרים and received many הסכמות from prominent רבנים and Rebbes and published them in this הגדה.

One of the הסכמות is from Reb Levi Yitzchok! See page 4.

 

[On a personal note, a הסכמה from my great grandfather, Reb Aharon Tumarkin of Charkov, whom I’m named after, is also printed there. Page 5]

Fast forward to 1958 and someone sends this הגדה to the Rebbe who then mentioned it in a שיחה. LS 3 page 1016ה.

2 – Second point:

Speaking of גלגולים and רבי אלעזר בן עזריה,  we mentioned the great רבי of Dinov whose name was Reb צבי אלימלך Schapiro but named his famous book בני יששכר, because his רבי, the חוזה of Lublin told him that he is a גלגול of the original יששכר!

Anyway, to come full circle, in his ספר called והיה ברכה he writes that רבי אלעזר בן עזריה

is sometimes written in ש”ס as רבי אליעזר, with a יו”ד.

 

See here for his explanation.

 

3 – The second פרק begins with הָיָה קוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה, וְהִגִּיעַ זְמַן הַמִּקְרָא; אִם כִּוֵּון לִבּוֹ, יָצָא

The גמרא explains it to mean that this fellow is being מגיה a ספר תורה, and if, when reading the שמע in פרשת ואתחנן, he has the intention to be יוצא קריאת שמע, he is indeed יוצא.

On the topic of being מגיה a ספר תורה we related the story of the ספר תורה of משיח which was commenced in  תש”ב – 1942 by the previous Rebbe and concluded in תש”ל – 1970.

Reb Yitzchok Groner ע”ה related that when the writing of this Sefer Torah began, people were invited to participate by writing a letter — on condition that they first go to the mikvah that day.

Reb Yitzchok continued: there was one individual who, despite not having gone to the mikvah, wrote a letter anyway.

Interestingly, for whatever reason, that first יריעה (parchment panel) was never used and had to be replaced!

4 – After the סיום ספר תורה  in 1970, issues were found with some of the letters.

The Rebbe instructed Rabbi Matlin ע”ה, who was the סופר of 770, to check the ספר תורה letter by letter.

So they arranged for someone to read from the ספר תורה while another person was  looking into a  חומש – letter by letter!

5 – The גמרא continues discussing the saying of  שמע and [other קריאות like פרשת  or חליצה ,סוטה] in  languages other than לשון הקודש.

بشنو ای اسرائیل، خداوند خدای ماست، خداوند یکتاست»

We spoke about the famous רבי אפרים זלמן מרגליות and his many ספרים.

In one of them (שפה נאמנה להריא”ז מרגליות ע’ לב)   he suggests that where any of the ‘70 languages’  שבעים לשון,  are indeed permitted, it applies only to the original 70!

Any other language that is a mixture of other languages is not permitted. “For if any language is allowed, that would include the secret language worthless bums use to talk among themselves in order not to be understood.”

Others disagree with his reasoning. See חתם סופר חו”מ קצג.

BSD

Brochos 12b (3) – 13a

Elul 12, 5786.  08/25/2026

Short notes and links on topics discussed.

1 – The 5 (or 6) reasons for choosing פרשת ציצית to fulfill the daily מצווה of זכירת יציאת מצרים.

2 –  The famous מחלוקת if this מצווה is just once during the day, or one needs to say it again at night.

מתני’ מזכירין יציאת מצרים בלילות א”ר אלעזר בן עזריה הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה ולא זכיתי שתאמר יציאת מצרים בלילות עד שדרשה בן זומא שנא’ למען תזכור את יום צאתך מארץ מצרים כל

ימי חייך ימי חייך הימים כל ימי חייך הלילות וחכ”א ימי חייך העוה”ז כל להביא לימות המשיח:

3 – Reb אלעזר בן עזריה says that he ‘like a seventy years old’  when in reality he was only 18.

In addition to all other explanations there is one from the מקובלים that his נשמה was a גלגול of שמואל הנביא who passed away at 52. Thus the number 70.  Here.

4 – The various versions – גרסאות in our גמרא and the unique oldest (completed in 1342!) handwritten ש”ס now in Munich. Here. Here. Here.

The phenomenal work of Reb Rafael Nathan Rabinovitch

In 1862, hundreds of years after the invention of printing, Rabbi Rafael Nathan Rabinovitch was able to see the actual Munich Manuscript of Shlomo ben Shimshon in the State Library of Munich. From that moment he decided to dedicate his life to comparing the famous manuscript with later printings of the Talmud in an attempt to increase knowledge regarding the different versions of the text of the Talmud.

The overall aim of this project, to which he dedicated more than twenty years of his life and which was published under the title Dikdukei Sofrim (“דקדוקי סופרים”), was to present to the readers and scholars of the Talmud the changes, adaptations and omissions in the ancient manuscripts, the lost treasure which printing—in its propensity for textual consolidation—abandoned with the generations.

 5 – The other מצווה pertaining to זכירת יציאת מצרים – on the first night of פסח.

We discussed

• The difference of these two מצוות, as enumerated by the Rebbe in his הגדה.
• Why is the פסח one counted as one of the תרי”ג מצוות and not the daily one?

6 – We concluded the פרק where at the very end there seems to be a response to a question (and he answered to him) but the questionnaire’s name is not mentioned!

We discussed as to who was the narrator of the ש”ס.

See here Tosfos חולין ב, ב.

 

 כבן שבעים. רש״י י״ח. ראב״ע ושמואל הנביא. צוף אמרים. 

 

זכירת יצ״מ כל יום לעומת ליל פסח. הגש״פ כמה תירוצים. צל”ח ומנ”ח שלמדין מב’ פסוקים.למען תזכור אינו מפורש ולכן חלה עליו שבועה. משא”כ בפסח לא חל כ”א בכולל. 

 

כל להביא הלילות. https://www.nli.org.il/he/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/munich-95

אמר לי’. זכור לדוד להאדר”ת ע’ יא. הכל שוחטין. 

 

למה לא מנה הרמב״ם ממצוות יצי״מ בכל יום. למרות שכותב שמצווה היא. ק”ש א, ג. צל”ח. מנ״ח כ״א. בשם הגר״ח אומרים שבשרש השלישי כותב הר״מ שלא מונים מצווה שאינה נוהגת לדורות, והרי פסקינן כראב״ע  ובימות המשיח תתבטל לכן לא מנאה. 

 

BSD

Brochos 12b

Menachem Av 27, 5786.  08/11/2026

גמרא topics discussed:

• The proper method of bowing during שמונה עשרה.

• Saying המלך הקדוש and המלך המשפט from Rosh Hashanah until the end of Yom Kippur.
• An error on the first night of Rosh Hashana and the unique opinion of Rabbi Abba (Abele) Paslover.
• Praying for a friend in need.

Brief points of interest.

1- The first topic has Shmuel relating to his friend’s son, Rav Chiya the son of Rav on the proper way to bow down and straighten up during  שמונה עשרה, as he, Shmuel heard it from Rav himself.

Mentioned that Rav and Shmuel were from the 11 students that attended the בית מדרש of רבי, and are considered the ‘first generation אמוראים’. Rav is actually a hybrid, being both תנא and אמורא.

תנא הוא ופליג – see references here to others who held this special distinction.

2 – We related the story of Reb Yochanan who lived in Israel and was a contemporary of Shumel and Rav.

Here is the story from Chulin 95b.

During all the years when Rav lived in Babylonia, Rabbi Yoḥanan, who lived in Eretz Yisrael, would write to him and begin with the greeting: To our Master who is in Babylonia. When Rav died, Rabbi Yoḥanan would write to Shmuel and begin with the greeting: To our colleague who is in Babylonia.

Shmuel said: Does Rabbi Yoḥanan not know any matter in which I am his master? Shmuel wrote and sent to Rabbi Yoḥanan the calculation of the leap years for the next sixty years. Rabbi Yoḥanan was not impressed by this and said: Now he has merely demonstrated that he knows mathematics, which does not make him my master.

Shmuel then wrote and sent to Rabbi Yoḥanan explications of uncertainties pertaining to tereifot that had to be transported on thirteen camels. Rabbi Yoḥanan was impressed by this and said: I have a Master in Babylonia; I will go and see him.

Before departing on his journey, Rabbi Yoḥanan said to a child: Recite to me your verse that you studied today. The child recited the following verse to Rabbi Yoḥanan: “Now Samuel was dead” (I Samuel 28:3). Rabbi Yoḥanan said to himself: Learn from this that Shmuel has died. Therefore, Rabbi Yoḥanan did not go to see Shmuel.

3 – In relation to the previous Shiurim about ברכות we touched on the topic of ‘do ברכות change with the times’? Many ברכות are based on the ‘norm’, meaning that most people eat it in a particular fashion, like cooked or raw.

What happens if the ‘norm’ changes? Eating habits evolve, like who ate raw fish in the USA prior to 1985 when Sushi was introduced?

“…and so the pilgrims turned around and went home.”

We mentioned that Reb Zalman Shimon Dvorkin’’s opinion was to make a שהכל when eating raw carrots.

Why? Because that is the  הלכה as per the שלחן ערוך! The ‘norm’ at that time was that most carrots were consumed only after they were cooked.

“that carrot is שהכל”

However, the average person today makes a האדמה on raw carrots because eating raw carrots is the norm today.

4- This leads to an even larger issue. After we wash for bread, we do not say a ברכה on whatever is served. Such as fish, meat and soup.

The reason being is ‘these items are served because they are part of the meal’. Meaning, that the ‘norm’ is to eat these food items only after washing for bread, thus the המוציא applies on what follows.

א דברים הבאים בתוך הסעודה אם הם דברים הבאים מחמת הסעודה דהיינו דברים שדרך לקבוע סעודה עליהם^א בין ללפת בהם את הפת^ב כגון בשר ודגים^ג וירקות^ד וגבינה וביצים^ה ומיני מלוחים^ו בין למזון ולהשביע^ז כגון כרוב ותרדין^ח ודייסא וכל מעשה קדרה שאינן באין ללפת אלא לתבשיל ולמזון^ט א“צ ברכה לפניהם אפילו אוכלם בלא פת שברכת המוציא פוטרתם ולא לאחריהם שברכת המזון פוטרתם^י (א) (שכיון שאין דרכם^יא לאכול אותם כל היום כמו הפירות אלא בשעת סעודה בלבד הרי הם טפלים לפת שהוא עיקר הסעודה ולכן נפטרים בברכת הפת אע”פ שאוכלם בלא פת^יב). .

‘these items – fish, meat, vegatbles, chesses, egg… (unlike fruits which are  eaten all day) are eaten only during a meal…’

Today the entire idea of washing to eat fish or meat hardly exists. Soup in consumed not necessarily while eating a סעודה. We nibble on slices of cheese, we eat French fries all the time.

So why do we not make a ברכה on them when eating these items during a סעודה?

4 – Spoke briefly about the idea that potatoes, introduced to Europe only in the sixteenth century, is to be considered a bean and prohibited to eat it on פסח.

See here  (and נשמת אדם ב כ, שכן המנהג באשכנז.)  

5- Concluded with the peculiar ,מנהג חב”ד’

BSD

Brochos  12a (2)

Menachem Av 20, 5786.  08/05/2026

Brief notes

1- We engaged in a new topic that is discussed at length in the ראשונים and אחרונים.

The issue here is a ברכה with an error. Say one is holding a cup thinking it’s full of wine and begins the ברכה – saying ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו, with the intent of finishing this ברכה  with בורא פרי הגפן. However, prior to finishing this ברכה, he realizes that the cup is filled with beer and finishes with שהכל נהי’ בדברו!

What does one do? Drink the beer or not?

Our גמרא explains this question: What part of the ברכה is considered ‘primary’ – עיקר? The beginning or the end?

If the עיקר is the beginning, since it contains ה’s name, then this ברכה was a ‘wine ברכה’, and not proper for the beer. Thus, he cannot drink the beer.

If the end of the ברכה is the עיקר, then his ברכה is a proper שהכל and… לחיים!

Another, more common example is by ספירת העומר. One says the ברכה thinking it’s the 23rd day and before he finishes, he realizes it’s the 24th. 

Story of the four ראשי ישיבות attending a חופה each one expecting to be called up for the ‘most important ברכה‘. So, the first one gets סידור קידושין, the other 3 are anxious and nervous. The second one gets reading the כתובה. The third one gets the last ברכה. 

What did the fourth one get? ….

2- We discussed that this query remains unanswered/unresolved in the גמרא which resulted in a מחלוקת among the ראשונים as to what the הלכה is.

Before we continue we need to emphasize that the שלחן ערוך rules that it is a proper ברכה and he may drink the beer.  See here. OC 209 1. This follows the ruling of the Rif.

3 – However, Tosfos quotes the R”I that rules that one is not יוצא. And that means that he needs to make another new ברכה of שהכל before drinking the beer. .

The obvious question is how this jives with the universal rule the ספק ברכות להקל. Since all ברכות are מדרבנן, when we have a doubts – ספק, we do not recite the ברכה. Just as we do not say a ברכה on the Sukkah on שמיני עצרת. [There is more to this IYH].

4 – We read the רבי עקיבא איגר in the גליון הש”ס  that discusses this issue. First he quotes the מגן אברהם that asks this question on the R”I.

He then brings the מהרש”א that establishes an interesting rule. (albeit, not accepted by all).

The idea of ספק ברכות להקל applies only to ברכת המצות. For example, if someone is unsure if he made the ברכה of להניח תפילין. He does not have to repeat the ברכה since ספק ברכות להקל and the מצווה is done. Actually, even if he never said the ברכה he is יוצא the מצווה of תפילין regardless. ברכות אינן מעכבות.

However, when we encounter a ברכת הנהנין, like בורא מיני מזונות , the ברכה is ‘asking permission’ from הקב”ה to eat it. So if he is in doubt if he made the ברכה, or if he made the proper ברכה, he cannot eat it!

A new  ברכה must be made for him to eat it. So there is no חשש ברכה לבטלה, since it’s not לבטלה at all – it’s for the purpose of eating. Otherwise he cannot eat it.

גליון הש”ס ברכות יב, א.

תוס׳ ד״ה לא כו׳ לחומרא כו׳ ולא שייך הכא לומר ספק ברכות לקולא [ובמג״א סימן ר״ט ס״ק ג׳ הקשה כן] דכבר כתב הרש״א בפסחים קב ע״א בפי׳ רשב״ם ד״ה להודיעך כחו. דל״ש כן אלא בברכת המצות דהברכות אינן מעכבות. אבל בברכת הנהנין אסור לאכול בלא ברכה ע״ש. ולא הוי כאן חשש ברכה לבטלה. דאם לא יברך יהא אסור לו לשתות. אח״ז ראיתי באבן העוזר (סימן רי״ד) שכ״כ מסברא דנפשיה ולא הביא דברי הרש״א. ועי׳ מ״ש לקמן (מ״ט ע״ב) בתוס׳ ד״ה ר״מ:

5 – We mentioned the פני יהושע who offers another explanation to the question above #3.

The general accepted rule is that מצוות אינן צריכות כוונות. So what is the issue, says the פני יהושע if when one began he thought it was wine? Why to we take his כוונה into consideration?

Briefly, he suggests that מצוות אינן צריכות כוונות is fine as long as he didn’t have an opposite כוונה. Like not to be יוצא.

In our case, his thinking that it was wine, negates the ברכה on beer! He is מתכוון not to make this ברכה.

There is a long תשובה from the צמח צדק on this topic. שו״ת צ״צ או״ח ג, ו.

To be continued… with the carrots of Reb Zalman Shimon Dvorkin OH. 😀.

BSD

Brochos 11b (3)  12a

Menachem Av 14, 5786.  07/28/2026

Brief notes.

1- Our גמרא quotes the משנה in Tomid about the daily schedule of the כהנים of the who were part of the revolving משמורות.

 אָמַר לָהֶם הַמְּמוּנֶּה: ״בָּרְכוּ בְּרָכָה אַחַת!״ וְהֵם בֵּרְכוּ, וְקָרְאוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, שְׁמַע, וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ, וַיֹּאמֶר, וּבֵרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם שָׁלֹשׁ בְּרָכוֹת: אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב, וַעֲבוֹדָה, וּבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. וּבַשַּׁבָּת מוֹסִיפִין בְּרָכָה אַחַת לַמִּשְׁמָר הַיּוֹצֵא.

 We learned there, in a משנה  in tractate Tamid: In the morning the deputy High Priest appointed to oversee activity in the Temple, said to the priests who were members of the priestly watch [mishmar] on duty that week:

1- Recite a single blessing. The members of the priestly watch said either יוצר אור or אהבת עולם, and read the

2- Ten Commandments,

3- Shema, VeHaya im Shamoa and VaYomer, the standard recitation of Shema. Additionally, they blessed the people with three blessings. These blessings were:  

4– אמת ויציב , the blessing of redemption recited after Shema; Avoda, service, the special blessing recited over God’s acceptance of the sacrifices with favor, similar to the blessing of Temple Service recited in the Amida prayer; and the priestly benediction, recited in the form of a prayer without the outstretched hands that usually accompany that blessing (Tosafot). And on

5 – On Shabbat  one blessing is added to bless the outgoing priestly watch, as the watch serving in the Temple was replaced on Shabbat.

2- We mentioned that the  גמרא on the next page clarifies this last ברכה recited by the  outgoing משמר to the incoming one.

 מִשְׁמָר הַיּוֹצֵא אוֹמֵר לַמִּשְׁמָר הַנִּכְנָס: ״מִי שֶׁשִּׁכֵּן אֶת שְׁמוֹ בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה, הוּא יַשְׁכִּין בֵּינֵיכֶם אַהֲבָה וְאַחְוָה וְשָׁלוֹם וְרֵיעוּת״.

 On Shabbat a single blessing is added to bless the outgoing priestly watch. The Gemara asks: What is that single blessing?

Rabbi Chelbo said: As they finished their service, the outgoing priestly watch would say to the incoming priestly watch: May He who caused His Name to dwell in this house cause love and brotherhood, peace and camaraderie to dwell among you.

 What is the meaning of this ‘peace’ ברכה? How does it fit in here?

The מהרש”א elucidates that this refers to those notorious disputes (occurring before the institution of the פייס / lottery system) which broke out among the כהנים due to their intense fervor to perform the עבודה correctly.

הוא ישכין ביניכם אהבה וכו׳. אפשר דזו הברכה נתקנה קודם שנתקן הפייס במקדש דאנשי משמר שהיו באין לידי קטטה ומריבה ולידי סכנה. כדתנן בר״פ בראשונה (כב) מעשה שהיו שנים רצין כו׳ ודחף אחד מהן את חברו ונפל ונשברה רגלו. ובברייתא שם (כג) שאחד מהם הרג את חבירו. ולכך היו צריכים לברכה זו אהבה ואחוה ושלום כו׳ וק״ל:

The head of the Mishmar conducts a lottery

3 – We spoke about the famous דרשה of the של”ה  (p 54, לא תבערו). on the פסוק

לֹא־תְבַעֲר֣וּ אֵ֔שׁ בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם בְּי֖וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת

It refers to the אש המחלוקת that ‘burns’ on Shabbos (when people gather in Shul)…..

4 – Our גמרא discusses the עשרת הדברות recited every day by the משמר. It says that the חכמים wanted to institute this also outside the בית המקדש but refrained from doing so to counter the Christians who would have proclaimed ‘victory’ over כלל ישראל. By reciting the עשרת הדברות daily it would seem that all have agreed that the תורה consists only of these ‘Ten Commandments’.

Say these only in the Holy Temple!

See here  להלכה  that a ציבור is actually prohibited to say the עשרת הדברות!

Additionally, even printing a pamphlet of just the עשרת הדברות is improper.

 Alter Rebbe:

י טוב לומר בכל יום פרשת העקידה^לח כדי לזכור זכות האבות לפני הקב”ה^לט וגם כדי להכניע יצרו לעבוד[ת]^מ השי”ת כמו שמסר יצחק נפשו ופרשת המן^מא כדי שיאמין שכל מזונותיו באין לו בהשגחה שכן היה במן^מב שהשגיח הקב”ה לתת לכל אחד עומר לגלגולת לכל נפשות ביתו כמ”ש^מג וימודו בעומר ולא העדיף המרבה והממעיט לא החסיר ועשרת הדברות^מד שע”י כן יזכור מעמד הר סיני בכל יום^מה ותתחזק אמונתו ובקשו חכמים לקבוע עשרת הדברות בקריאת שמע^מו ובטלום מפני המינים שלא יאמרו לעמי הארץ שאין שאר תורה אמת ותדעו שאין קורין אלא מה שאמר הקב“ה ושמעו מפיו בסיני^מז לפיכך אסור לאומרם בצבור דרך קביעות בכל יום^מח אפילו שלא בתוך ברכות קריאת שמע^מט אלא קודם ברוך שאמר^נ רק כל יחיד מותר לקרותם לעצמו^נא ולכן אין נוהגים ג“כ לכתבם על קונטרס^נב מיוחד^נג לציבור מפני המינים:

5 – Mentioned the opinion that writing the עשרת הדברות on the wall of a Shul is also something that is prohibited.

 

 

 

Reb BK brought this up:

Visual Aseres Hadibros Card

6 – There is an interesting Rashi here:

מפני תרעומת המינין – שלא יאמרו לעמי הארץ אין שאר תורה אמת ותדעו שאין קורין אלא מה שאמר הקדוש ב״ה ושמעו מפיו בסיני.

בקשו – THEY SOUGHT TO – [They sought] to establish [the reading of] the Ten Commandments in the recitation of Shema.

מפני תרעומת המינין – DUE TO THE GRIEVANCE OF THE HERETICS – [They decided not to institute it] so that [the heretics] would not say to the ignorant people [that] “the rest of the Torah is not true, and know [that this is so] for we only read what the Holy One, Blessed is He, said that we heard from His mouth at [Mount] Sinai [i.e. the Ten Commandments]”.

 Rashi seems to be saying here that all 10 of the עשרת הדברות were heard by כלל ישראל.

 The obvious question: We all grew up with the understanding that we only heard 2 of the  עשרת הדברות directly from הקב”ה and the remaining  8 from משה רבינו. This is based on the גמרא at the end of מכות:

דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שַׁמְלַאי: שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִצְוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה, שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ לָאוִין, כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, וּמָאתַיִם וְאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה עֲשֵׂה, כְּנֶגֶד אֵיבָרָיו שֶׁל אָדָם. אֲמַר רַב הַמְנוֹנָא: מַאי קְרָא? ״תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה״ (דברים ל״ג:ד׳), תּוֹרָה בְּגֵימַטְרְיָא שִׁית מְאָה וְחַד סְרֵי הָוֵי, אָנֹכִי וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה שְׁמַעְנוּם.

“ok, so those were only the first 2…”

As Rashi explains there: מפי הגבורה שמענום – דכתיב אחת דבר אלהים ושתים זו שמענו. במכילתא.

We mentioned the צל”ח and other explanations and the suggestion by others that the גמרא above is not universally accepted.