Berachos 39b

ברכות ל״ט ע״ב

Berakhot 39b

Learn Berachos 39b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Breaking bread for המוציא: when to break, pieces versus whole loaves, and the special rules for פסח and שבת

Overview

This amud is about how to break bread for המוציא. רבא rules that you make the ברכה over the whole loaf first and only then break it, and the הלכה follows him. Next, רב הונא and רבי יוחנן argue about pieces and whole loaves: רב הונא says you may bless on a piece, while רבי יוחנן says a whole loaf is best. Everyone agrees that a wheat piece beats a whole barley loaf. רבי ירמיה בר אבא tries to link this argument to a dispute among the תנאים about onions for תרומה, but the גמרא rejects the link: that dispute is about whether a כהן is present and whether the produce will last. A ירא שמים satisfies both views by holding the piece inside the whole loaf, and a ברייתא teaches the same practice. On פסח everyone does this because מצה is 'לחם עני', and on שבת you must break bread over two loaves because of 'לחם משנה'. The amud ends with how the חכמים broke the שבת loaves and with רב אמי and רב אסי making המוציא on the עירוב bread.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. Statementרבא's Ruling: Bless First, Then Break
2. StatementWho Followed Which Practice
3. Statementרבינא's Family Testimony
4. ConclusionThe הלכה Follows רבא
5. Statementרב הונא: Pieces Are Fine
6. Statementרבי יוחנן: The Whole Loaf Is Best
7. StatementEveryone Agrees: A Wheat Piece Beats a Whole Barley Loaf
8. StatementA Similar Dispute Among the תנאים About Onions for תרומה
9. ProofSpelling Out the Parallel: Important vs. Whole
10. RejectionThe onion dispute is really about whether a priest is present
11. ProofA משנה proves the distinction based on whether a כהן is present
12. StatementA God-fearing person satisfies both opinions
13. ProofA ברייתא teaches the same practice, and שלמן is praised
14. StatementOn פסח everyone agrees to use the piece with the whole
15. StatementOn שבת one must break bread over two loaves
16. StatementHow the אמוראים actually broke the two loaves
17. Challengeרבינא asks: doesn't a huge piece look greedy?
18. ResolutionIt doesn't look greedy because he only does it on שבת
19. StatementMaking המוציא on the עירוב bread