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Pesachim 54a

פסחים נ״ד ע״א

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

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Topic

The ברכה over fire after שבת and יום הכפורים, and when fire (ours and גיהנם's) was created

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a story: עולא silently disagreed with a report of רבי יוחנן's view, and רבה בר בר חנה understood him. Their view is that we bless over fire both after שבת and after יום הכפורים. A ברייתא seems to limit the ברכה to מוצאי שבת, because fire was first created then. The גמרא answers that after יום הכפורים we bless only on fire that 'rested', while brand-new fire from wood or stones is blessed only on מוצאי שבת. The גמרא then asks whether fire was really created on מוצאי שבת, since a ברייתא lists fire among things made on ערב שבת. After several rounds, the conclusion is this: the space of גיהנם came before the world, and its fire came on day two. Our fire was planned on ערב שבת and made on מוצאי שבת, when אדם הראשון rubbed two stones together. A side discussion about the first mule leads to a teaching that ענה was born of a forbidden relationship. The amud ends by quoting in full the ברייתא of ten things created at בין השמשות, whose list of extra opinions continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה״.

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

״מַיִם עֲמוּקִּים עֵצָה בְלֶב אִישׁ״

'Counsel in a man's heart is like deep water'

— זֶה עוּלָּא.

this is Ulla.

״וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה״

'But a man of understanding will draw it out'

The steps (31)

  1. StatementA verse describing עולא and רבה בר בר חנה
  2. QuestionWhose view did עולא and רבה בר בר חנה hold?
  3. Responseרבי יוחנן: bless over fire after שבת and after יום הכפורים
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא says fire is blessed only after שבת
  5. ResolutionTwo kinds of fire: fire that rested and newly made fire
  6. ChallengeTwo ברייתות disagree about new fire
  7. ResolutionNew fire: bless after שבת, not after יום הכפורים
  8. StatementTwo ways of saying the blessings on fire and spices
  9. StatementEven רבי repeated the blessings over the cup for his family
  10. ChallengeChallenge: wasn't fire created before שבת?
  11. ChallengeThe ברייתא adds fire to the list
  12. Statementרבי יהודה adds tongs and explains why
  13. RejectionA challenger: people could make the first tongs
  14. ResolutionTwo kinds of fire: ours and גיהנם's
  15. ChallengeChallenge: wasn't גיהנם created before the world?
  16. ProofSources for תורה, תשובה, and גן עדן being created before the world
  17. ChallengeSources for גיהנם, the כסא הכבוד, the בית המקדש, and the name of משיח, completing the challenge
  18. Resolutionגיהנם's space came before the world, but its fire came on ערב שבת
  19. ChallengeWas the fire of גיהנם really made on ערב שבת?
  20. ProofWhy day two does not say 'it was good'
  21. StatementDay two is included in 'very good' on day six
  22. Resolutionגיהנם's space came first and its fire came on day two
  23. ResolutionOur fire was planned on ערב שבת but made on מוצאי שבת
  24. Proofאדם הראשון makes fire and the first mule on מוצאי שבת
  25. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל says the mule came in ענה's time
  26. Statementענה was unfit, so he brought an unfit creature
  27. ProofTwo פסוקים show צבעון fathered ענה with his own mother
  28. ChallengeMaybe there were two people named ענה
  29. Resolution'הוא ענה' means the same ענה as before
  30. StatementA ברייתא lists ten things created at בין השמשות before the first שבת
  31. StatementOther opinions add more items to the list