Berachos 38b

ברכות ל״ח ע״ב

Berakhot 38b

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

Open Berachos 38b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The ברכה over bread (המוציא) and whether cooked vegetables keep בורא פרי האדמה

Overview

This amud begins by finishing the discussion of בר רב זביד, who said "מוציא" over bread to stay out of a מחלוקת. The הלכה is to say "המוציא", like the רבנן. The גמרא then turns to the משנה about vegetables. Because the משנה lists vegetables next to bread, אביי concludes that boiled vegetables (שלקות) still get בורא פרי האדמה. רב חסדא and רב נחמן report a dispute: רב and שמואל say בורא פרי האדמה, while עולא in the name of רבי יוחנן says שהכל. רב חסדא offers a middle view: cooking upgrades vegetables usually eaten cooked and downgrades ones like garlic and leeks. A link to a dispute among תנאים about cooked מצה is rejected. רב נחמן בר יצחק then shows that עולא relied on a weaker tradition, and רבי זירא supports this: רבי חייא בר אבא was the more careful student, and רבי יוחנן ruled בורא פרי האדמה on boiled lupin. A proof from a salted olive is pushed aside, and a challenge from מרור is answered. The amud ends as רבי ירמיה begins a question about the salted olive, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ChallengeWhy did he say מוציא?
2. ResolutionHe wanted to stay out of the dispute
3. ConclusionThe הלכה: say המוציא
4. StatementVegetables are compared to bread
5. Statementאביי: boiled vegetables get בורא פרי האדמה
6. Statementרב: boiled vegetables get בורא פרי האדמה
7. Statementרבי יוחנן: boiled vegetables get שהכל
8. Statementרב חסדא's middle view
9. QuestionWhere do we find a vegetable that cooking downgrades?
10. ResponseGarlic and leeks are the downgrade case
11. Statementרב נחמן reports both sides of the dispute
12. Proofרב נחמן links the dispute to a debate about cooked מצה
13. RejectionThe מצה link is rejected; everyone agrees cooked vegetables get בורא פרי האדמה
14. StatementTwo students report different rulings from רבי יוחנן
15. Statementעולא followed the wrong version
16. Proofרבי חייא בר אבא was the more careful student
17. ProofThe boiled lupin story
18. ProofThe salted olive proof
19. RejectionPerhaps he said בורא נפשות afterward
20. ChallengeA challenge from the laws of מרור on פסח
21. Resolutionמרור needs a bitter taste
22. ChallengeHow did רבי יוחנן bless on a salted olive?