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Berachos 11b

ברכות י״א ע״ב

Berakhot 11b

Learn Berachos 11b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 11b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The ברכות before קריאת שמע (יוצר אור and אהבה רבה) and the rules and wording of ברכת התורה

Overview

The גמרא asks why the morning ברכה says 'יוצר אור ובורא חשך' and mentions darkness instead of the nicer word 'נוגה'. The answer 'we follow the פסוק' falls apart, because we already change 'רע' to 'הכל'. So רבא explains that each ברכה mentions the opposite time: darkness by day, and light at night, as אביי shows from 'גולל אור מפני חשך'. The second morning ברכה is אהבה רבה, though the רבנן in a ברייתא say אהבת עולם. שמואל rules that אהבה רבה can count as ברכת התורה, which leads to a debate about which kinds of learning need that ברכה, from only מקרא up to רבא's view that even תלמוד needs it. Then the גמרא gives several wordings of ברכת התורה and concludes we say them all. Finally, it asks which 'one blessing' the כהנים said in the בית המקדש. שמואל says אהבה רבה, and ריש לקיש's view of יוצר אור turns out to be worked out from his rule that the ברכות do not hold each other back. That reasoning continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ״.

"Who forms light and creates darkness."

לֵימָא: ״יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא נוֹגַהּ״!

Let him say: "Who forms light and creates brightness"!

כְּדִכְתִיב קָאָמְרִינַן.

We say it as it is written.

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה ״עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע״,

But if so, "Who makes peace and creates evil":

The steps (29)

  1. StatementThe opening words of the morning blessing
  2. ChallengeWhy not say a nicer word than darkness?
  3. ResolutionWe follow the exact words of the verse
  4. ChallengeBut we do change the next words of that same verse
  5. Resolutionרבא gives a new reason: mention night by day and day by night
  6. ChallengeWhere is day mentioned at night?
  7. Resolutionאביי finds day mentioned in the night ברכה
  8. QuestionWhat is the second morning ברכה?
  9. ResponseThe second ברכה is אהבה רבה
  10. ProofA ברייתא supports saying אהבה רבה
  11. StatementThe רבנן say אהבת עולם, based on a פסוק
  12. Statementאהבה רבה can cover ברכת התורה
  13. Statementרב הונא: only מקרא needs a ברכה
  14. Statementרבי אלעזר: מקרא and מדרש need a ברכה, משנה does not
  15. Statementרבי יוחנן: משנה also needs a blessing
  16. Statementרבא: even תלמוד needs a blessing
  17. Proofרב would bless before teaching his students
  18. QuestionWhat is the wording of the blessing?
  19. Responseשמואל: Who commanded us to engage in Torah
  20. Responseרבי יוחנן's ending for the blessing
  21. Responseרב המנונא's version of the blessing
  22. Statementרב המנונא praises this blessing as the finest
  23. ConclusionConclusion: say all the versions
  24. StatementThe משנה about the כהנים' morning blessings in the בית המקדש
  25. QuestionWhat is the one blessing the כהנים said?
  26. Responseשמואל says the blessing was אהבה רבה
  27. Responseריש לקיש says the blessing was יוצר אור
  28. Rejectionריש לקיש never said it outright; it was worked out
  29. ProofHow ריש לקיש's rule points to יוצר אור