Berachos 43a

ברכות מ״ג ע״א

Berakhot 43a

Learn Berachos 43a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Group ברכות at a meal (reclining, wine, and who leads), and the ברכות over incense, spices, and scented oils.

Overview

This amud opens at the end of the story of רב's students. A wise elder taught them that once a group decides to eat together at a set place, simply sitting counts like reclining. The גמרא then gives two opposite versions of רב's view on whether the משנה's reclining rule applies to wine. רבי יוחנן says wine works like bread. A ברייתא about the order of a formal meal challenges רב, and the גמרא defends both versions. בן זומא explains why each person blesses wine for himself during the meal but one blesses for all after it. The person who washes first at the end of the meal blesses the incense and leads ברכת המזון, and a story about רבי and רב shows this rule in action. The amud ends with ברכות over smells: when to bless incense, which ברכה fits which spice, the special ברכה for balsam oil, and a three-way argument about oils scented with spices.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. StatementA student mourns רב again because no one knows the laws of ברכת המזון
2. ResolutionAn elder resolves the contradiction: setting a place to eat counts as reclining
3. Statementרב: the משנה's reclining rule is only for bread, but wine does not need reclining
4. Statementרבי יוחנן: wine also requires reclining
5. StatementSecond version of רב: reclining does not help for wine
6. Statementרבי יוחנן in the second version: reclining helps for wine too
7. ChallengeA ברייתא on the order of a formal meal challenges רב
8. ChallengeThe first part of the ברייתא challenges the first version of רב
9. ResolutionGuests in the waiting room plan to move on
10. ChallengeThe last part of the ברייתא challenges the second version of רב
11. ResolutionReclining for bread carries over to the wine
12. QuestionWhy does each person bless wine for himself during the meal?
13. Responseבן זומא: the throat is busy during the meal
14. ChallengeWhy does the wine-blesser also bless the incense?
15. ResolutionHe washed his hands first at the end of the meal
16. ProofThis supports רב: the first to wash leads ברכת המזון
17. ProofStory: רבי tells רב to wash his hands
18. StatementWhen to bless over the smell of incense
19. ChallengeBut he has not smelled it yet
20. ResolutionLike המוציא before eating, what counts is the intention
21. StatementAll incense gets בורא עצי בשמים except musk
22. ChallengeA ברייתא challenges the blessing on burned incense
23. ConclusionThe rule is refuted
24. Questionרב חסדא asks about the blessing on balsam oil
25. Responseרב יהודה's blessing: Who creates the oil of our land
26. QuestionWhat does everyone else say?
27. Responseרבי יוחנן's blessing: Who creates pleasant oil
28. Statementרב אדא בר אהבה: the spice itself, but not pressed oil
29. Statementרב כהנא: even pressed oil, but not ground oil
30. StatementThe נהרדעי: even ground oil