Berachos 40b

ברכות מ׳ ע״ב

Berakhot 40b

Learn Berachos 40b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 40b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

When the general ברכה of שהכל is used: on bread and wine, with changed wording, on foods not nourished by the ground, and on spoiled dates (נובלות)

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the rule for tree fruit: if the stalk does not stay and grow fruit again, the ברכה is בורא פרי האדמה. Next, רב הונא and רבי יוחנן argue whether שהכל works after the fact for bread and wine. Each one shows that his view fits both רבי מאיר and רבי יוסי, who argued about changing the wording of a ברכה. The story of בנימין רעיא then shows that a short Aramaic ברכה that mentions God counts for the first ברכה of ברכת המזון, even with different wording. רב says a ברכה needs God's name, and רבי יוחנן says it also needs God's kingship. A new משנה teaches that foods not grown from the ground, and spoiled or unusual foods, get שהכל. אביי explains that mushrooms grow from the ground but are not nourished by it, so they get שהכל. The גמרא then defines נובלות and moves the dispute about them to נובלות תמרה in a משנה about דמאי. A second version of that discussion begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (40)

1. ConclusionA plant whose stalk does not regrow gets the blessing for produce of the ground
2. StatementQuoting the משנה: the general blessing works for everything
3. Statementרב הונא and רבי יוחנן argue about bread and wine
4. ProofA ברייתא: רבי מאיר and רבי יוסי on changing a ברכה's wording
5. QuestionSuggesting רב הונא follows רבי יוסי and רבי יוחנן follows רבי מאיר
6. Rejectionרב הונא: even רבי מאיר needs bread to be mentioned
7. Rejectionרבי יוחנן's view fits even רבי יוסי
8. Statementבנימין רעיא's simple Aramaic ברכה
9. ChallengeA blessing without God's name is not a blessing
10. ResolutionHe did mention God: 'the Merciful One'
11. Challengeברכת המזון needs three blessings
12. Resolutionרב meant only the first blessing
13. QuestionWhat is the lesson of רב's ruling?
14. ResponseA blessing counts even in everyday language
15. ChallengeA משנה already teaches that ברכת המזון may be said in any language
16. Resolutionרב adds that even a different wording counts
17. StatementWhat every blessing must contain: God's name, or also His kingship
18. Proofאביי brings a proof for רב from וידוי מעשר
19. Rejectionרבי יוחנן reads the ברייתא to include kingship
20. StatementFoods not grown from the ground get שהכל
21. Statementרבי יהודה: no ברכה over a food that comes from a curse
22. StatementMany foods in front of you: which one gets the ברכה first?
23. StatementA ברייתא lists foods that get שהכל
24. ChallengeDo mushrooms not grow from the ground?
25. Resolutionאביי: mushrooms grow from the ground but are not fed by it
26. ChallengeBut the ברייתא says 'growth,' not 'nourishment'
27. ResolutionCorrect the ברייתא: 'does not draw nourishment from the ground'
28. QuestionWhat exactly are נובלות?
29. ResponseTwo definitions: dates scorched by heat or dates knocked down by wind
30. ChallengeWhy would wind-fallen dates be called a 'kind of curse'?
31. Resolutionרבי יהודה meant the other items, not the נובלות
32. ChallengeSecond version: good wind-fallen dates should get בורא פרי העץ
33. ResolutionPlain נובלות are agreed to be scorched dates; the argument is about נובלות תמרה
34. StatementThe משנה in דמאי listing lenient fruits
35. StatementIdentifying the fruits on the דמאי list
36. StatementThe dispute placed on נובלות תמרה
37. ChallengeWind-fallen dates are ownerless, so why would certainly-untithed ones need tithing?
38. ResolutionThe case is where the dates were gathered into a pile
39. ProofSource: gifts to the poor made into a pile become obligated in tithes
40. StatementOpening a second version of the discussion