Gemara Clarity

Berachos 54b

ברכות נ״ד ע״ב

Berakhot 54b

Learn Berachos 54b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 54b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Blessings over places of miracles, ברכת הגומל, and lists of רב יהודה

Overview

This amud finishes the גמרא's explanation of a ברייתא that lists places where one makes a ברכה because of a miracle. First it completes the story of נחלי ארנון, where the mountains crushed enemies hiding in caves. It explains אבני אלגביש as hailstones that stopped because of משה and fell because of יהושע. It tells the oral tradition of עוג's mountain and briefly gives sources for the stone משה sat on, אשתו של לוט, and the wall of יריחו. The גמרא then asks how one can bless over אשתו של לוט, which was a punishment. It concludes that the place gets two blessings: ״דיין האמת״ for her and ״זוכר את הצדיקים״ for לוט. Next, רב lists four people who must thank ה׳, each learned from תהלים קז, and the גמרא teaches the blessing ״גומל חסדים טובים״, said before ten. A story about רב יהודה shows that answering אמן to others' blessing counts. The amud ends with more lists from רב יהודה: people who need protection, and things that lengthen life. The challenge to the long תפלה continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

עָבְדִי לְהוֹן נְקִירָתָא

They made caves for themselves

וּטְשׁוֹ בְּהוֹן.

and hid in them.

אָמְרִי: כִּי חָלְפִי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָכָא — נִקְטְלִינּוּן,

They said: When Israel passes here, we will kill them,

וְלָא הֲווֹ יָדְעִי

but they did not know

The steps (44)

  1. StatementThe ambush in the caves and the mountains closing in
  2. ProofDiscovering the miracle and the source in the פסוק
  3. QuestionWhat are the hailstones of אלגביש?
  4. ResponseStones that stopped because of a man and fell because of a man
  5. ProofThe first man is משה: the hail stopped
  6. ProofThe second man is יהושע: the stones fell
  7. StatementThe rock of עוג is known through oral tradition
  8. Statementעוג's plan to crush the camp
  9. Statementה׳ sends insects and the mountain drops onto עוג's neck
  10. Statementעוג cannot get the mountain off his neck
  11. ProofA verse about the teeth of the wicked
  12. StatementReading the verse as 'You lengthened' the teeth
  13. Statementמשה strikes עוג's ankle and kills him
  14. ProofSource for the stone משה sat on
  15. ProofSource for אשתו של לוט
  16. ProofSource for the wall of יריחו that was swallowed
  17. ChallengeWhy bless over אשתו של לוט if her story was a punishment
  18. ResolutionOver אשתו של לוט one says ״דיין האמת״
  19. ChallengeBut the ברייתא says the blessing is thanks and praise
  20. ResolutionTwo blessings: one for אשתו של לוט and one for לוט
  21. Proofרבי יוחנן: ה׳ remembers the righteous even when He is angry
  22. ChallengeDid the wall of יריחו sink, or did it fall
  23. ResolutionThe wall was as wide as it was tall, so it had to sink
  24. StatementFour kinds of people must give thanks
  25. ProofSource for sea travelers thanking ה׳
  26. ProofSource for desert travelers thanking ה׳
  27. ProofSource for a sick person who recovered thanking ה׳
  28. ProofSource for a freed prisoner thanking ה׳
  29. QuestionWhat blessing does he say?
  30. ResponseThe wording of the blessing
  31. StatementThe thanks must be said before ten people
  32. StatementTwo of the ten must be Torah scholars
  33. ChallengeMaybe all ten must be scholars
  34. ResolutionThe verse says 'people,' not 'elders'
  35. ChallengeMaybe ten regular people plus two scholars
  36. Statementרב יהודה recovers and his visitors bless for him
  37. ChallengeDoesn't אביי require ten people?
  38. ResolutionTen people were there
  39. ChallengeBut he himself did not give thanks
  40. ResolutionAnswering אמן counts as blessing
  41. StatementThree people who need protection
  42. StatementA ברייתא adds more people to the list
  43. StatementThree things that lengthen life
  44. ChallengeIs a long prayer really a good thing?