Daf Highlights

Daf Highlights

By Eran NetkinReligion & SpiritualityJudaism
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Daf Highlights episodes

  • Brachos 45- Who can join a Zimun, Making Bracha on forbidden foods, Is Zimun Biblical or Rabbinic
    1. The source for making a zimun
    The Gemara seeks the source for the Mishnah’s ruling that three people who eat bread together are
    obligated to join in a zimun:
    - Rav Assi cites the pasuk יחדיו שמו ונרממה אתי' לה גדלו – Declare (plural) the greatness of Hashem with
    me and let us exalt His name together.
    - R’ Abahu cites the pasuk לאלקינו גדל הבו אקרא' ה שם כי – When I call out the Name of Hashem, ascribe
    (plural) greatness to our G-d.
    - The verses describe one person talking to more than one person, implying a minimum of three.
    2. Can two people make a zimun?
    The Gemara inquires whether two people who eat together are permitted to make a zimun, even if they
    are not obligated to.
    - Rav holds that two people are permitted to make a zimun, but R’ Yochanan holds they are not. The
    verse of גדלוimplies that two additional people are called to form the quorum, but two people alone
    lack the requisite number of דעות) minds) to form a zimun.
    3. When part of a group wants to make a zimun
    When three people eat bread together and two of them finish while the other is still eating, the third is
    expected to interrupt his meal to join in the zimun. But when only one of them finishes first, the other
    two are not obligated to interrupt their meal to make a zimun on his behalf.
    Siman - Monopoly
    Two of the three fathers were tired of waiting for their children’s monopoly game to end, so they
    forced the third one to join their zimun and declare Hashem’s greatness, and resolved that next time
    that only the two of them would eat together so as not to be obligated in a Zimun.
    Key Words – source, two, interrupt
    12 min
  • Brachos 44-Healthy foods, Shehakol Borei Nefashos on Water, Sweet Fruits and salty food with Bread,
    1. The fruits of Genosar
    The Gemara wants to know an example of the Mishnah’s case where bread would be considered
    secondary (טפל (to a salty food which would be considered primary (עיקר .(It answers that fruits of
    Genosar were extremely sweet and delicious that they needed to be eaten with salt. These fruits
    were so exceptional that when eaten with bread the fruits were considered primary )עיקר )and the
    bread that was eaten with them was considered secondary )טפל )to them.
    The Gemara describes how delicious they were:
    - Rav Yochanan would eat vast quantities and swear that he had not satisfied his hunger.
    - Reish Lakish would eat them until he became delirious and needed others to bring him home.
    2. The beracha of שלש מעין
    The Gemara discusses the text of the berachah of שלש מעין when recited on fruits of the שבעת
    .המינים
    - In Eretz Yisroel the conclusion of the berachah for fruits is על פירותיה .
    - In the Diaspora the berachah concludes with הפרות על .
    בורא נפשות .3
    The Gemara discusses which foods require a Borei Nefashos as an after-berachah:
    - Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi said in the name of Rav: On eggs and meat but not on vegetables.
    - Rebbe Yitzchak: Even on vegetables but not on water.
    - Rav Pappa: Even on drinking water.
    Siman – Mud
    The Jew in chutz l’aretz had just concluded his berachah of שלש מעין with the words הפרות עלwhen
    he began to reminisce fondly about trekking through the mud in Eretz Yisroel to eat the fruits of genosar
    7 min
  • Brachos 43-Brachos on Good smells, Bracha on Trees, How a Talmid Chacham Should Act, Don't Embarass
    1. Berachos on fragrances
    The Gemara discusses the appropriate berachos to recite when smelling various fragrances:
    .spices overבורא מיני בשמים •
    .plants overבורא עשבי בשמים •
    • בשמים עצי בוראover the scent of wood.
    • ערב שמן בוראover the sweet scent of balsam oil.
    .esrog an overשנתן ריח טוב בפירות •
    One who sees a fruit tree in blossom during Nissan recites: בריות בו וברא כלום בעולמו חיסר שלא ברוך
    אדם בני בהן להתנאות טובות ואילנות טובות ,Blessed [are you, Hashem,…] Who did not leave anything lacking
    in His universe and created in it good creatures and good trees, to give pleasure to mankind.
    2. Tamar not embarrassing Yehuda
    Tamar’s willingness to be executed rather than cause shame to Yehudah teaches us that it is preferable to
    cast oneself into a fiery furnace rather than shame one’s fellow in public. כבשן לתוך עצמו שיפיל לאדם לו נוח
    .האש ואל ילבין פני חברו ברבים
    3. Behaviors unbecoming to a talmid chacham
    The Rabbanan teach that six behaviors are unbecoming for a talmid chacham:
    1. Going into the street with perfumed clothes, in a place where people are suspected of homosexuality.
    2. Going out alone at night, lest he be suspected of inappropriate behavior.
    3. Going outside with patched shoes.
    4. Conversing with a woman in the market.
    5. Dining with הארץ עמי) unlearned people), lest he be drawn after them.
    6. Being the last to enter the beis midrash, lest people consider him lazy.
    Siman - Magazine
    The frum scratch and sniff spice magazine spring edition featured articles on how talmidei chachamim can
    avoid getting perfume on their clothes so they don’t get embarrassed in public, as well as where to find
    blossoming trees in the month of Nissan.
    Key Words – fragrances, perfume on clothes, embarrassment
    7 min
  • Brachos 42- Brachos on Fruit and Wine during the meal, Mayim Achronim,End of Meal, Bracha as a group
    1. Making a Hamotzi on בכיסנין הבאה פת
    The berachah for בכיסנין הבאה פת is generally a mezonos, since it is usually eaten as a snack, but Rav
    Nachman rules that if one eats enough of it to establish a meal on (סעודה קובע ,(the berachah would
    be hamotzi.
    2. When is a meal considered completed?
    The Gemara discusses the point at which a meal is considered completed, when no more food may
    be eaten before reciting Birkas Hamazon.
    - Rav Huna says it is when one finishes eating the meal.
    - Rav Pappa says it is when the bread and food are removed from the table.
    - Rava says that guests are dependent on the host’s intentions, so that if the host brings
    additional portions to the table even after the removal of the food and bread, it may still be eaten.
    - Rav says that if one is accustomed to anoint his hands with oil on finishing a meal, then as long
    as he has not anointed his hands he may continue eating, even after he finishes the meal, and even
    after the food is removed from the table.
    The Gemara concludes that the halachah follows what Rav Chiya bar Ashi says in the name of Rav,
    that the washing of the hands after the meal )אחרונים מים )is followed immediately by Birkas
    Hamazon, meaning that there may be no more eating after washing אחרונים מים.
    3. One making a berachah on behalf of a group
    The Mishnah infers that in order for one person in a group to make a berachah for the others, the
    group must be reclining, not just sitting. The Gemara later concludes that if the group verbally states
    their intention to eat together, then sitting is considered like reclining.
    Siman – Mobster
    As part of their initiation, the newly recruited mobsters were required to make a berachah for the
    group on a meal’s worth of בכיסנין הבאה פת ,and then correctly guess that אחרונים מים is when the
    mob boss considers the meal over.
    Key Words - בכיסנין הבאה פת Hamotzi, meal over, group berachah
    7 min
  • Brachos 41-Shivas Haminim, Preference in Order, Fruit during a Meal
    דף מא – 41 Daf
    מין שבעה עדיף או מין חביב עדיף? .1
    Rebbe Yehuda and the Rabbonon debate in the Mishna on :מ דף ,regarding which food
    one recites a berachah on first when several foods are in front of him:
    a. Rebbe Yehuda says that if one of the foods are one of the seven species , then that
    .)מין שבעה עדיף( precedence takes food
    b. The Rabbonon say that the food that he prefers takes precedence (עדיף חביב.(
    The Amoraim dispute the parameters of the debate:
    - One Amora states that they disagree only when the different foods share the same
    berachah, such as an apple and an olive. In a case where they have different berachos,
    such as a potato and an olive, then both Tannaim in the Mishna will agree that one recites
    the beracha first on the food that he prefers (עדיף חביב.(
    - The other Amora states that the same disagreement also applies when the berachos
    are different . The disagreement then would be in regards to which of the two berachos is
    recited first.
    2. The seven species list
    There is a machlokes regarding what can be learned from the pasuk which lists the seven
    :)"ארץ חטה ושעורה וגפן ותאנה ורמון ארץ זית שמן ודבש") species
    - Rav Yosef teaches that the order of foods listed in the pasuk indicate which foods attain
    precedence in berachos. The closer the food is to the term “ארץ ,“the greater the
    precedence.
    - Rav Chanan teaches that the purpose of the pasuk is to teach the measurements for
    different halachos, with each food item representing a different unit of measure.
    3. Making berachos on foods during the meal
    Rav Pappa stated the following rulings regarding the berachos recited on foods eaten in
    the course of the meal:
    - Foods that are eaten together with bread, which are eaten during the meal, do not
    require a berachah either before or after eating them.
    - Foods that are not eaten together with bread, which are eaten during the meal,
    require a berachah before eating them but not after.
    - Foods that are usually eaten after the meal, such as dessert, even when eaten
    during the meal, require a blessing both before and after eating them.
    Siman – Ma (Grandma)
    The grandma couldn’t decide which fruit to make the berachah on, the apple or the
    pomegranate, so she used her 7 species ruler to measure which was berachah on it during the course o her meal.
    7 min
  • Brachos 40-Bread and Salt, Mushrooms, Health Food Remedies, Shehakol in place of other brachos
    1. Speaking after saying Hamotzi
    Although one may not talk in between reciting a bracha and eating,one is permitted to speak
    between making Hamotzi and eating of the bread if the purpose is to facilitate the eating of
    the bread.
    - Rav says one is allowed to tell the people seated at the table to take a piece of bread.
    - R’ Yochanan says one is even allowed to ask for salt or relish to be brought to the table to
    enhance the taste of the bread.
    - Rav Sheishess says one is even allowed to ask that food be prepared for his animals since
    it is forbidden for a person to eat before he gives food to his animals.
    2. What type of tree was the Eitz HaDaas?
    A Baraisa is brought that lists various opinions regarding what type of tree Adam HaRishon
    ate from (i.e. the Eitz HaDaas):
    - R’ Meir – It was a grapevine. R’ Meir’s reasoning is that we find that“wine brings wailing
    upon a person,” and the Eitz HaDaas brought about death.R’
    - Nechemyah – It was a fig tree. R’ Nechemyah’s reasoning is that it is logical that Hashem
    will bring about Adam and Chava’s “repair through what caused their damage,” i.e. since
    their “repair” was through a fig tree, asthey sewed fig leaves to wear, their “damage” i.e.
    their downfall of eating from the Eitz HaHadaas as well must have been through a fig tree.
    - R’ Yehuda – It was wheat.,R’ Yehuda’s logic is that since a child does not know his first
    words of “Abba” and “Imma” until he begins to eat grain, this indicates that grain is
    associated with the development of Daas.
    3. The proper text for a berachah
    There is a dispute regarding the required text for a berachah:
    - Rav says that any berachah that does not mention Hashem’s name is not considered a
    berachah.
    כל ברכה שאין בה הזכרת השם אינה ברכה
    - Rav Yochanan says that any berachah that does not include Hashem’s name and does not
    mention Hashem’s sovereignty over the world as well, is not considered a berachah.
    כל ברכה שאין בה מלכות אינה ברכה
    Siman – Pool of water
    The over ambitious new parents were sitting by the pool under a fig tree trying to feed their
    infant grain, teaching it the proper text of the berachah while asking for salt for the bread.
    Key Words – Speaking after motzi, Eitz HaDaas, Text of Berachah
    7 min
  • Brachos 39-Brachos on Larger and whole pieces of bread, Beets, Lechem Mishna, Vegetables vs Chicken
    1. Precedence in Berachos
    Regarding the precedence in berachos, one should first make a berachah on food with a more
    specific berachah (e.g. ha’adamah) before making it on food with a less specific berachah (e.g.
    shehakol).
    If both foods require the same berachah, then one should choose the one that he prefers
    .)חביב(
    2. Whole loaf vs. large piece
    There is a machlokes regarding which bread a person should say hamotzi on when faced with a
    choice between a small whole loaf and a larger broken piece of the same grain:
    Rav Huna holds that size takes precedence over wholeness, so one says hamotzi on the larger,
    broken piece.
    - R’ Yochanan holds that completeness takes precedence over size, so one says hamotzi on the
    smaller, complete loaf.
    - Rav Nachman bar Yitzchok holds that a שמים ירא should adopt the practice of placing the
    broken piece under the whole loaf and then either break off a piece from the whole loaf or
    from both of them.
    3. Lechem Mishneh
    On Shabbos, one makes hamotzi over two whole loaves of bread, commemorating the fact that
    on Fridays in the desert a double portion )משנה לחם)of manna would fall.
    - Rav Kahana would recite the berachah on two loaves but would only break one.
    - R’ Zeira would break off a large piece for himself that would suffice for the whole meal.
    Siman – Letter
    The father was shocked when he discovered a letter under the two small whole loaves of lechem
    mishna, reminding him to always make a berachah on a carrot before making one on gefilte fish.
    Key Words – Precedence, whole vs. large, lechem mishneh
    6 min
  • Brachos 38-HAMotzi Lechem, Crushed Fruit,Cooked Vegetables, Olive Pit removed is Kezayis, Date Honey
    1. Food or drinks with medicinal purpose on Shabbos
    It is permitted to consume any or food or drink for medicinal purposes on Shabbos, since the act
    is considered one of eating rather than healing.
    2. ”Hamotzi” or “Motzi”?
    There is a machlokes regarding whether the nusach of the berachah on bread should be “Motzi”
    or “Hamotzi”:
    - The Rabbanan say one should say Hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz, which means, He who
    brought forth bread from the ground, in the past tense.
    - R’ Nechemiah says that when Hashem is referred to as the “Hamotzi,” the reference is to
    what He has not yet done—take Bnei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim—but will do in the future. His
    proof is the pasuk (Shemos 6:7) which says מצרים סבלות מתחת אתכם המוציא ,referring to
    Hashem taking Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim in the near future. Since that connotation would be
    not be fitting for the berachah, one should say “Motzi,” meaning Who brought forth, in the past
    tense.
    - The halachah follows the Rabbanan.
    3. The berachah on cooked vegetables (שלקות(
    The appropriate berachah on cooked vegetables )שלקות )is often ha’adamah but sometimes
    shehakol:
    - When cooking elevates the vegetable to the primary form in which it’s eaten, as, for
    example, with a potato, then the berachah on the raw vegetable is shehakol on for the cooked
    vegetable ha’adamah.
    - When cooking is not the primary way to eat the vegetable, as, for example, with a leek,
    then the berachah on the raw vegetable is ha’adamah and on the cooked vegetable shehakol.
    Siman – Chicken soup (a davar lach)
    The sick yeshiva bochur made Hamotzi on the challahs, before he was served some medicinal
    chicken soup together with some cooked vegetables.
    Key words – Hamotzi, medicinal, cooked vegetables
    6 min
  • Brachos 37-5 Grains, Rice and Millet, Bread that was Broken into pieces, Watery Dough, Benching Date
    1. The berachah on cooked rice
    Cooked rice is similar to the five grains, inasmuch as the berachah before eating it is מיני בורא
    מזונות ,but it is dissimilar regarding the berachah said afterwards, which is נפשות בוראrather
    .על המחיה than
    2. Berachah after eating one of the seven species
    A Baraisa records a machlokes over the proper berachah after eating one of the seven species,
    and relates a relevant incident:
    a. R’ Gamliel says one should recite המזון ברכת.
    b. The Chachamim say one should recite שלש מעין.
    - When R’ Gamliel gave permission to R’ Akiva to lead the bentching after eating dates, R’
    Akiva quickly said the berachah of שלש מעין .He subsequently explained that although R’Gamliel
    taught that one should bentch in such a case, he also taught that one should follow the majority
    opinion, which in this case was to say שלש מעין.
    3. Berachah on cooked dish made with pieces of bread
    According to Rav Sheishess, one makes a המוציא on a cooked dish made with pieces of bread
    even if the pieces are smaller than a kezayis (an olive). Rava stipulates that if the pieces are
    smaller than a kezayis, they must still have the appearance of bread.
    Siman – Laser tag
    The Chol Hamoed Pesach laser tag trip got out of hand when the losing team started throwing
    rice and dates and the winning team discovered little pieces of bread in their cooked dish.
    Key words – Rice, dates, pieces of bread
    7 min
  • Brachos 36- Disagreements about Brachos of Caperberries, Hearts of Palm, Flour, Peppercorn, Orlah
    1. Beracha over wheat flour
    There is a machlokes concerning the berachah recited over wheat flour )דחיטי קמחא:)
    - Rav Yehuda says that one recites a ha’adamah, since it is likened to eating wheat
    kernels. The fact that the flour is ground does not change its status.
    - Rav Nachman says that one recites a shehakol, because the ground flour is no
    longer in its original state of wheat kernels, which would require a ha’adamah, but has
    not yet reached its final state of bread, which would require a hamotzi.
    2. Husks of Caper Bush
    The Gemara asks why the husks of a caper bush are not subject to the orlah restriction,
    given that a shomer (protective covering) of an orlah fruit is considered orlah. Rava
    teaches that something is only considered a fruit’s shomer if without it the fruit would
    die. Caper bush husks are not needed to keep the berries alive, so they do not attain the
    status of shomer and are not subject to orlah.
    3. Foods that contain one of the five grains
    Rav and Shmuel teach that one recites a borei minei mezonos on any food that contains
    one of the five species of grain, even if the grain is not the primary ingredient. Tosafos
    adds that this is only when the grain is there to enhance the dish, rather than merely to
    serve as a binder.
    Siman - Lulav
    The lulav that was covered in fine white wheat flour and was sprouting caper bush
    husks out of its top was sitting in a bowl of porridge.
    Key words –flour, husks, porridge
    8 min

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5-10 Minute Daily De"lightful" synopsis of the Daf for Chazara and Retention. Will cover the Halacha L'maasa as brought down in Rambam and Shulchan Aruch on the Daf and appended Zichru Notes for…