Berachos 50a

ברכות נ׳ ע״א

Berakhot 50a

Learn Berachos 50a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 50a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The wording of the זימון, who may split up or join for a זימון, and the new משנה on dividing groups

Overview

This amud is all about the זימון, the group invitation to say ברכת המזון together. It opens by ruling that the leader may say 'בָּרְכוּ', but 'נְבָרֵךְ' (which includes himself) is better. The proof is that a group of six may split into two groups of three. A ברייתא then teaches that a person's ברכות show whether he is a תלמיד חכם, and several wording rules follow: 'וּבְטוּבוֹ', 'חָיִינוּ', no 'לְמִי', and not 'עַל הַמָּזוֹן' in a זימון of three. The גמרא then explains a contradiction in the משנה about whether the wording grows with a bigger crowd: it is a מחלוקת between רבי יוסי הגלילי and רבי עקיבא, and רבא rules like רבי עקיבא. Stories follow about meals at the ריש גלותא's house, a rule that there is no זימון למפרע, and רפרם's mistake about 'ברכו את ה׳ המבורך'. A new משנה teaches when a group may split up, when two groups combine, and the מחלוקת about blessing on undiluted wine. The גמרא asks why the משנה repeats that three may not split, and it gives several answers, ending with רב חסדא's limit. רבא's comment that follows continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (44)

1. ResolutionBoth wordings are allowed, but 'Let us bless' is better
2. ProofSource: groups of six to ten may split up
3. ProofWhy splitting proves 'Let us bless' is better
4. ProofA ברייתא supports this: no criticism, except from the careful
5. StatementA person's blessings reveal whether he is a scholar
6. Challengeאביי challenges from דוד המלך's 'from Your blessing'
7. ResolutionA request is different
8. ChallengeChallenge: even in requests, ask for a lot
9. ResolutionThat verse is about Torah learning
10. Statementרבי: 'We live' is correct, 'they live' is wrong
11. StatementThe scholars of נהרבלא reverse the version
12. ConclusionThe הלכה does not follow נהרבלא
13. Statementרבי יוחנן: say 'Let us bless the One whose food we ate', not 'to whom'
14. ChallengeChallenge: we do say 'to the One who' at the סדר
15. ResolutionAnswer: with miracles, it is obvious who is meant
16. Statementרבי יוחנן: say 'Blessed is the One whose food we ate', not 'for the food we ate'
17. StatementThe criticism only applies to a group of three
18. ProofProof from the משנה's formula for ten
19. ChallengeThe משנה seems to contradict itself about group size
20. ResolutionTwo different תנאים
21. ProofShowing the two opinions in the משנה
22. QuestionHow does רבי עקיבא use the פסוק?
23. ResponseEven unborn babies sang at the sea
24. QuestionWhere does רבי יוסי הגלילי learn this?
25. ResponseHe learns it from the word 'ממקור'
26. Conclusionרבא rules like רבי עקיבא
27. Statementרבינא stops רב חמא from gathering one hundred people
28. StatementAt the ריש גלותא's house they bentched in groups of three
29. ChallengeWhy not bentch in groups of ten?
30. ResolutionThe ריש גלותא would be offended
31. ChallengeWhy not join the ריש גלותא's own bentching?
32. ResolutionToo much noise to hear
33. StatementOne who bentched alone first: no retroactive זימון
34. Statementרפרם בר פפא leaves out 'המבורך' and the shul protests
35. Challengeרבא: why get involved in the dispute?
36. ConclusionCommon practice follows רבי ישמעאל
37. StatementWhen a group that ate together may split up
38. StatementTwo groups in one house joining for זימון
39. StatementBlessing on wine before water is added
40. ChallengeWhy repeat that three must make a זימון?
41. ResolutionThe obligation starts once three sit down, even before eating
42. ResolutionSecond version: even when each eats from his own loaf
43. Resolutionרב הונא's case: three who came from three different groups
44. Statementרב חסדא's limit: only if each came from a group of three