Gemara Clarity

Berachos 38a

ברכות ל״ח ע״א

Berakhot 38a

Learn Berachos 38a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 38a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

ברכות on borderline foods (ground-baked dough, date honey, crushed dates, שתיתא) and the wording ״הַמּוֹצִיא״ versus ״מוֹצִיא״

Overview

The amud opens with the end of a ברייתא about חלה, then turns to the ברכות on borderline foods. רב יוסף rules that כּוּבָּא דְאַרְעָא, dough baked in the ground, is only kneaded dough and gets בורא מיני מזונות. However, מר זוטרא made a full meal on it and said המוציא and ברכת המזון. מר בר רב אשי adds that such bread counts as לחם עוני for מצה on פסח. He also rules that date honey gets שהכל, because it is only moisture from the fruit, following רבי יהושע's view on fruit juices of תרומה. In contrast, crushed dates (טרימא) keep בורא פרי העץ because they are still the fruit. רב and שמואל argue about שתיתא, and רב חסדא explains that thick שתיתא is food and gets מזונות, while thin שתיתא is medicine and gets שהכל. A challenge from the laws of שבת leads to the rule that anything a person enjoys needs a ברכה, even when he eats it for health. Finally, the גמרא explains the dispute between the חכמים (״הַמּוֹצִיא״) and רבי נחמיה (״מוֹצִיא״) and begins a story about רבי זירא that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

כְּעָבִין — חַיָּיבִין,

If he made them thick — they are obligated,

כְּלִמּוּדִין — פְּטוּרִים.

If like boards — they are exempt.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרַב יוֹסֵף:

Abaye said to Rav Yosef:

הַאי כּוּבָּא דְאַרְעָא

This dough of the ground (baked in the earth)

The steps (26)

  1. StatementEnd of the ruling on thick versus board-shaped dough for חלה
  2. Questionאביי asks which ברכה to say on ground-baked dough
  3. Responseרב יוסף answers: it is only kneaded dough, so the ברכה is מזונות
  4. Statementמר זוטרא made a meal on it and said המוציא
  5. Statementמר בר רב אשי: such bread can be used for מצה on פסח
  6. StatementThe ברכה on date honey is שהכל
  7. QuestionWhose opinion supports the date honey ruling?
  8. Responseרבי יהושע's view on fruit juices of תרומה
  9. QuestionA student asks רבא about טרימא
  10. Questionרבינא asks which kind of טרימא is meant
  11. Responseרבא understands: crushed food
  12. Statementרב אסי: טרימא may be made from תרומה dates, but not beer
  13. ConclusionThe הלכה: crushed dates get בורא פרי העץ
  14. Statementרב and שמואל disagree about שתיתא
  15. Resolutionרב חסדא: thick versus thin
  16. Challengeרב יוסף challenges from the laws of שבת
  17. Resolutionאביי: food eaten for healing is allowed on שבת
  18. ResolutionAnother version: healing just happens by itself
  19. ResolutionWhy the ruling of רב and שמואל is still needed
  20. StatementThe wording of the bread blessing: a dispute
  21. Statementרבא explains what the dispute is really about
  22. ChallengeHow do the חכמים handle רבי נחמיה's verse?
  23. ResolutionThe חכמים reread the verse as past tense
  24. StatementA scholar praised as an expert in blessings
  25. StatementThe scholar says ״מוֹצִיא״ over bread
  26. Challengeרבי זירא is disappointed