משנה ותלמוד

(ה) חַיָּב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע. וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ. וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מָמוֹנֶךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד.

Mishnah Berakhot 9:5

(5) The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations,with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him. The mishna teaches several Temple-related halakhot. One may not act irreverently or conduct himself flippantly opposite the eastern gate of the Temple Mount, which is aligned opposite the Holy of Holies. In deference to the Temple, one may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, his shoes, his money belt [punda], or even the dust on his feet. One may not make the Temple a shortcut to pass through it, and through an a fortiori inference, all the more so one may not spit on the Temple Mount. The mishna relates: At the conclusion of all blessings recited in the Temple, those reciting the blessing would say: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, until everlasting [haolam], the world. But when the Sadducees strayed and declared that there is but one world and there is no World-to-Come, the Sages instituted that at the conclusion of the blessing one recites: From everlasting [haolam] to everlasting [haolam]. The Sages also instituted that one should greet another in the name of God, i.e., one should mention God’s name in his greeting, as it is stated: “And presently Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, The Lord is with you, and they said to him, May the Lord bless you” (Ruth 2:4). And it says: “And the angel of God appeared to him and said to him, God is with you, mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). And it says: “And despise not your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22), i.e., one must not neglect customs which he inherits. And lest you say that mentioning God’s name is prohibited, it says: “It is time to work for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah” (Psalms 119:126), i.e., it is occasionally necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to perform God’s will, and greeting another is certainly God’s will. Rabbi Natan says another interpretation of the verse: “Make void Your Torah” because “it is the time to work for the Lord,” i.e., occasionally it is necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to bolster the Torah.

ברכות נ״ד ב

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אַרְבָּעָה צְרִיכִין לְהוֹדוֹת: יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם, הוֹלְכֵי מִדְבָּרוֹת, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חוֹלֶה וְנִתְרַפֵּא, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וְיָצָא. יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם מְנָלַן? — דִּכְתִיב: ״יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם בָּאֳנִיּוֹת וְגוֹ׳ הֵמָּה רָאוּ מַעֲשֵׂי ה׳״. וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיַּעֲמֵד רוּחַ סְעָרָה יַעֲלוּ שָׁמַיִם יֵרְדוּ תְהוֹמוֹת״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״יָחוֹגּוּ וְיָנוּעוּ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ בַּצַּר לָהֶם וּמִמְּצוּקֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״יָקֵם סְעָרָה לִדְמָמָה״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כִי יִשְׁתֹּקוּ״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם״. הוֹלְכֵי מִדְבָּרוֹת מְנָלַן? דִּכְתִיב: ״תָּעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר בִּישִׁימוֹן דָּרֶךְ עִיר מוֹשָׁב לֹא מָצָאוּ … וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ … וַיַּדְרִיכֵם בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה … יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ״. מִי שֶׁחָלָה וְנִתְרַפֵּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״אֱוִילִים מִדֶּרֶךְ פִּשְׁעָם וּמֵעֲוֹנֹתֵיהֶם יִתְעַנּוּ. כׇּל אֹכֶל תְּתַעֵב נַפְשָׁם וְגוֹ׳ וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ בַּצַּר לָהֶם וְגוֹ׳ יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיִרְפָּאֵם וְגוֹ׳ יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ״. מִי שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִין מְנָלַן? — דִּכְתִיב: ״יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת וְגוֹ׳ כִּי הִמְרוּ אִמְרֵי אֵל וְגוֹ׳״. וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיַּכְנַע בֶּעָמָל לִבָּם וְגוֹ׳״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ בַּצַּר לָהֶם״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״יוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת וְגוֹ׳״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ״. מַאי מְבָרֵךְ? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: ״בָּרוּךְ גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים״. אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: וְצָרִיךְ לְאוֹדוֹיֵי קַמֵּי עַשְׂרָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וִירוֹמְמוּהוּ בִּקְהַל עָם וְגוֹ׳״. מָר זוּטְרָא אָמַר: וּתְרֵין מִינַּיְיהוּ רַבָּנַן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלוּהוּ״. מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַב אָשֵׁי: וְאֵימָא כּוּלְּהוּ רַבָּנַן?! — מִי כְּתִיב ״בִּקְהַל זְקֵנִים״? ״בִּקְהַל עָם״ כְּתִיב. וְאֵימָא בֵּי עַשְׂרָה שְׁאָר עַמָּא, וּתְרֵי רַבָּנַן! קַשְׁיָא. רַב יְהוּדָה חֲלַשׁ וְאִתְּפַח. עָל לְגַבֵּיהּ רַב חָנָא בַּגְדָּתָאָה וְרַבָּנַן. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: ״בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּיַהֲבָךְ נִיהֲלַן וְלָא יַהֲבָךְ לְעַפְרָא״. אֲמַר לְהוּ: פְּטַרְתּוּן יָתִי מִלְּאוֹדוֹיֵי. וְהָא אָמַר אַבָּיֵי בָּעֵי אוֹדוֹיֵי בְּאַפֵּי עַשְׂרָה! — דַּהֲווֹ בֵּי עַשְׂרָה. וְהָא אִיהוּ לָא קָא מוֹדֵה! — לָא צְרִיךְ, דְּעָנֵי בָּתְרַיְיהוּ ״אָמֵן״.

Berakhot 54b

and prepared caves for themselves and they hid in them. They said: When Israel passes here we will kill them. And they did not know that the Ark of the Covenant preceded the children of Israel and would flatten mountains before them. When the Ark came, the mountains adhered one to another and killed them; and their blood flowed down to the streams of Arnon. When Et and Hev, the lepers, arrived, they saw the blood that was emerging from between the mountains, and they came and told Israel what had happened. Israel recited a song of praise, as it is stated: “And at the cascade of the brooks that goes down to the dwelling of Ar, and lies upon the border of Moab” (Numbers 21:15). This refers to the cascade of the brooks where the mountain, which had once been a valley, spread out in the direction of the mountain in Ar, in Moab. Among the sites enumerated in the baraita where one is obligated to recite a blessing in recognition of the miracles that occurred there, was the site of the hailstones of Elgavish. The Gemara asks: What are the hailstones of Elgavish? It is taught in the midrash: They are the stones that remained suspended in the air and did not fall because of [al gav] a man [ish] and they fell down because of [al gav] a man [ish]. The Gemara explains: They remained suspended because of a man; that is Moses, whom the verse refers to as a man, as it is written: “And the man Moses was very modest” (Numbers 12:3), and it is written: “And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread forth his hands unto the Lord; the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth” (Exodus 9:33). Moses’ hailstones remained suspended. And the stones descended because of a man; that is Joshua, who was also called man, as it is written: “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit” (Numbers 27:18). And it is written that when Joshua and his people waged war against the army of the Emorite kings, God told him not to fear them because God would deliver them into his hands; and indeed, they died by means of these stones: “As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beit Ḥoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azeka, and they died; they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew by sword” (Joshua 10:11). With regard to the rock that Og, King of Bashan, sought to throw upon Israel, there is no biblical reference, but rather a tradition was transmitted. The Gemara relates that Og said: How large is the camp of Israel? It is three parasangs. I will go and uproot a mountain three parasangs long and I will hurl it upon them and kill them. He went, uprooted a mountain three parasangs long, and brought it on his head. And The Holy One, Blessed be He, brought grasshoppers upon it and they pierced the peak of the mountain and it fell on his neck. Og wanted to remove it from his head; his teeth were extended to one side of his head and to the other and he was unable to remove it. And that is what is written: “You break the teeth of the wicked” (Psalms 3:8). And this is in accordance with the homiletic interpretation of Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You break the teeth of the wicked”? Do not read it as: You break [shibarta], but rather as: You lengthened [shirbavta]. The story concludes: How tall was Moses? He was ten cubits tall. He took an axe ten cubits long, jumped up ten cubits, and struck Og in the ankle and killed him. One must recite a blessing when he sees the rock upon which Moses sat, as it is written: “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon” (Exodus 17:12). And one must recite a blessing upon seeing Lot’s wife, as it is stated: “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). And the wall of Jericho that was swallowed, as it is written: “And the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20). The Gemara asks: Granted, that one recites a blessing on all of these. They are miracles; however, Lot’s wife is a tragedy. Why recite a blessing on a tragedy? The Gemara answers: One who sees that place recites: Blessed…the true Judge. The Gemara asks: But the baraita teaches that for all of these one must give thanks and offer praise? The Gemara answers: The language of the baraita should be emended and teach: Over Lot and his wife one recites two blessings. Over his wife he recites: Blessed…the true Judge, and on Lot he recites: Blessed…Who remembers the righteous. As Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From the story of Lot it is possible to learn that even during a time of wrath of the Holy One, Blessed be He, He remembers the righteous, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt” (Genesis 19:29). The baraita also taught that we recite a blessing for the wall of Jericho that was swallowed up in its place. The Gemara asks: Were the walls of Jericho swallowed up into the ground? Didn’t they fall, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20)? The Gemara explains: Since the width and height of the walls were equal to one another, therefore, they were swallowed. Had they merely fallen it would have had no effect, as their width was equal to their height. Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Four must offer thanks to God with a thanks-offering and a special blessing. They are: Seafarers, those who walk in the desert, and one who was ill and recovered, and one who was incarcerated in prison and went out. All of these appear in the verses of a psalm (Psalms 107). The Gemara elaborates: From where do we derive that seafarers are required to thank God?
As it is written: “They who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters; they see the works of the Lord” (Psalms 107:23–24).
And it says: “For He commands and raises the stormy wind which lifts up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble” (Psalms 107:25–26).
And it says: “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”
And it says immediately thereafter: “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distress” (Psalms 107:28).
And it says: “He makes the storm calm, so the waves thereof are still” (Psalms 107:29),
and it says: “Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He brings them unto their desired haven” (Psalms 107:30),
and it says: “They are grateful to God for His loving-kindness and His wonders for mankind” (Psalms 107:31). The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that those who walk in the desert are required to thank God? The Gemara answers:
As it is written in the same psalm:
“They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city in which to dwell” (Psalms 107:4),
“And then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.
And He led them forth by the right way” (Psalms 107:6–7).
After God guides them on the right way, it is said: “They are grateful to God for His goodness” (Psalms 107:8). That one who was ill and recovered must offer thanks is derived, as it is written:
“Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhors all manner of food and they draw near unto the gates of death” (Psalms 107:17–18),
and: “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saves them from their distress” (Psalms 107:19),
and then: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalms 107:20).
After they are healed: “They are grateful to God for His goodness” (Psalms 107:21). From where do we derive that one who was incarcerated in prison must offer thanks?
As it is written: “SuchAs sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron.
Because they rebelled against the words of God and scorned the counsel of the most High” (Psalms 107:10–11).
And it says: “Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help” (Psalms 107:12),
and it says: “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distresses” (Psalms 107:13),
and it says: “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and broke their shackles” (Psalms 107:14).
And after God takes them out from that darkness and shadow of death, it says: “They are grateful to God for His goodness.” The Gemara asks: What blessing does he recite? Rav Yehuda said: Blessed is…Who bestows acts of loving-kindness. Abaye said: And he must offer thanks before ten people, as it is written in the same chapter: “Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the assembly of the elders” (Psalms 107:32), and congregation indicates a group of at least ten. Mar Zutra said: Two of them must be Sages, as it is stated there: “And praise Him in the assembly of elders.” These elders are the Sages, and the use of the plural indicates a minimum of two. Rav Ashi strongly objects to this: Say that all of them must be Sages. The Gemara rejects this: Is it written: In the congregation of elders? In the congregation of the people is written; and the Sages are among them. Yet there is still room to object: Say that ten are from the rest of the people, and in addition there must be two Sages. No satisfactory answer was found, and the question remains difficult, although the halakha was not rejected. The Gemara relates: Rav Yehuda fell sick and recovered, Rav Ḥana of Baghdad and the Sages entered to visit him. They said to him: Blessed is God Who gave you to us and did not give you to the dust. He said to them: You have exempted me from offering thanks, as your statement fulfilled my obligation to recite a blessing. The Gemara asks: But didn’t Abaye say that one must offer thanks before ten? The Gemara answers: There were ten people there when the Sages blessed God in Rav Yehuda’s presence. The Gemara raises another difficulty: But Rav Yehuda did not offer thanks himself; others offered thanks on his behalf. The Gemara answers: He did not need to recite it himself as he answered amen after their blessing. Answering amen after a blessing is tantamount to reciting the blessing himself. Incidental to Rav Yehuda’s earlier statement, which organized several cases into a single category, the Gemara cites similar statements of his. Rav Yehuda said: Three require protection from harm: A sick person,A bridegroom, andA bride. It was taught inA baraita: A sick person, A woman in childbirth, A bridegroom, and A bride require protection from harm. And some say: Even a mourner. And some say: Even Torah scholars at night. Those whose thoughts are focused elsewhere or are in a weakened physical state require protection. And Rav Yehuda said: There are three matters which, when one who prolongs their duration, they extend a person’s days and years. They are: One who prolongs his prayer, one who prolongs his mealtime at the table, and one who prolongs his time in the bathroom. The Gemara asks: And one who prolongs his prayer; is that a virtue? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

ברכות נ״ח

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הָרוֹאֶה אוּכְלוּסֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … חֲכַם הָרָזִים״ — שֶׁאֵין דַּעְתָּם דּוֹמָה זֶה לָזֶה, וְאֵין פַּרְצוּפֵיהֶן דּוֹמִים זֶה לָזֶה. בֶּן זוֹמָא רָאָה אוּכְלוּסָא עַל גַּב מַעֲלָה בְּהַר הַבַּיִת, אָמַר: ״בָּרוּךְ … חֲכַם הָרָזִים וּבָרוּךְ … שֶׁבָּרָא כׇּל אֵלּוּ לְשַׁמְּשֵׁנִי״. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: כַּמָּה יְגִיעוֹת יָגַע אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן עַד שֶׁמָּצָא פַּת לֶאֱכוֹל: חָרַשׁ, וְזָרַע, וְקָצַר, וְעִמֵּר, וְדָשׁ, וְזָרָה, וּבָרַר, וְטָחַן, וְהִרְקִיד, וְלָשׁ, וְאָפָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָכַל. וַאֲנִי מַשְׁכִּים וּמוֹצֵא כׇּל אֵלּוּ מְתוּקָּנִין לְפָנַי. וְכַמָּה יְגִיעוֹת יָגַע אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן עַד שֶׁמָּצָא בֶּגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ: גָּזַז, וְלִבֵּן, וְנִפֵּץ, וְטָוָה, וְאָרַג, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מָצָא בֶּגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ, וַאֲנִי מַשְׁכִּים וּמוֹצֵא כׇּל אֵלֶּה מְתוּקָּנִים לְפָנַי. כׇּל אוּמּוֹת שׁוֹקְדוֹת וּבָאוֹת לְפֶתַח בֵּיתִי, וַאֲנִי מַשְׁכִּים וּמוֹצֵא כׇּל אֵלּוּ לְפָנַי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אוֹרֵחַ טוֹב מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? — כַּמָּה טְרָחוֹת טָרַח בַּעַל הַבַּיִת בִּשְׁבִילִי, כַּמָּה בָּשָׂר הֵבִיא לְפָנַי, כַּמָּה יַיִן הֵבִיא לְפָנַי, כַּמָּה גְּלוּסְקָאוֹת הֵבִיא לְפָנַי, וְכׇל מַה שֶּׁטָּרַח — לֹא טָרַח אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי. אֲבָל אוֹרֵחַ רַע מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? — מַה טּוֹרַח טָרַח בַּעַל הַבַּיִת זֶה? פַּת אַחַת אָכַלְתִּי, חֲתִיכָה אַחַת אָכַלְתִּי, כּוֹס אֶחָד שָׁתִיתִי, כׇּל טוֹרַח שֶׁטָּרַח בַּעַל הַבַּיִת זֶה — לֹא טָרַח אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו. עַל אוֹרֵחַ טוֹב מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? — ״זְכֹר כִּי תַשְׂגִּיא פׇעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים״. עַל אוֹרֵחַ רַע כְּתִיב: ״לָכֵן יְרֵאוּהוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְגוֹ׳״.

Berakhot 58

With regard to Babylonia, the Gemara cites what Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: When Babylonia was cursed, its neighbors were cursed along with it. When Samaria was cursed, its neighbors were blessed. When Babylonia was cursed its neighbors were cursed along with it, as it is written: “I will also make it a possession for the bittern, a wading bird, and pools of water” (Isaiah 14:23); not only will it be destroyed, but the site will become a habitat for destructive, environmentally harmful creatures. When Samaria was cursed, however, its neighbors were blessed, as it is written: “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, a place for the planting of vineyards” (Micah 1:6); although destroyed, it will serve a beneficial purpose. And Rav Hamnuna said: One who sees multitudes of Israel, six hundred thousand Jews, recites: Blessed…Who knows all secrets. One who sees multitudes of gentiles recites: “Your mother shall be sore ashamed, she that bore you shall be confounded; behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12). The Sages taught in a Tosefta: One who sees multitudes of Israel recites: Blessed…Who knows all secrets. Why is this? He sees a whole nation whose minds are unlike each other and whose faces are unlike each other, and He Who knows all secrets, God, knows what is in each of their hearts. The Gemara relates: Ben Zoma once saw a multitude [okhlosa] of Israel while standing on a stair on the Temple Mount. He immediately recited: Blessed…Who knows all secrets and Blessed…Who created all these to serve me. Explaining his custom, he would say: How much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found bread to eat: He plowed, sowed, reaped, sheaved, threshed, winnowed in the wind, separated the grain from the chaff, ground the grain into flour, sifted, kneaded, and baked and only thereafter he ate. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Human society employs a division of labor, and each individual benefits from the service of the entire world. Similarly, how much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found a garment to wear? He sheared, laundered, combed, spun and wove, and only thereafter he found a garment to wear. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Members of all nations, merchants and craftsmen, diligently come to the entrance of my home, and I wake up and find all of these before me. Ben Zoma would say: A good guest, what does he say? How much effort did the host expend on my behalf, how much meat did the host bring before me. How much wine did he bring before me. How many loaves [geluskaot] did he bring before me. All the effort that he expended, he expended only for me. However, a bad guest, what does he say? What effort did the host expend? I ate only one piece of bread, I ate only one piece of meat and I drank only one cup of wine. All the effort that the home owner expended he only expended on behalf of his wife and children. With regard to a good guest, what does he say? “Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung” (Job 36:24); he praises and acknowledges those who helped him. With regard to a bad guest it is written: “Men do therefore fear him; he regards not any who are wise of heart” (Job 37:24). On the topic of multitudes, the Gemara cites another verse: “And the man in the days of Saul was old, and came among men” (I Samuel 17:12). Rava, and some say Rav Zevid, and some say Rav Oshaya, said: This refers to Yishai, father of David, who always went out with multitudes, and entered with multitudes, and taught Torah with multitudes. Ulla said: We hold there is no multitude in Babylonia. The Sage taught: A multitude is no fewer than six hundred thousand people. The Sages taught: One who sees the Sages of Israel recites: Blessed…Who has shared of His wisdom with those who revere Him. One who sees Sages of the nations of the world recites: Blessed…Who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood. One who sees kings of Israel recites: Blessed…Who has shared of His glory with those who revere Him. One who sees kings of the other nations of the world recites: Blessed…Who has given of His glory to flesh and blood. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One should always strive to run toward kings of Israel to greet them. And not only should he run toward kings of Israel, but also toward kings of the nations of the world, so that if he will be privileged to witnesses the glory of the Messiah (Rashi) and the World-to-Come, he will distinguish between the kings of Israel and the kings of the nations of the world. The Gemara relates: Rav Sheshet was blind. Everyone was going to greet the king and Rav Sheshet stood up and went along with them. This heretic found him there and said to him: The intact jugs go to the river, where do the broken jugs go? Why is a blind person going to see the king? Rav Sheshet said to him: Come see that I know more than you do. The first troop passed, and when the noise grew louder, this heretic said to him: The king is coming. Rav Sheshet said to him: The king is not coming. The second troop passed, and when the noise grew louder, this heretic said to him: Now the king is coming. Rav Sheshet said to him: The king is not coming. The third troop passed, and when there was silence, Rav Sheshet said to him: Certainly now the king is coming. This heretic said to him: How do you know this? Rav Sheshet said to him: Royalty on earth is like royalty in the heavens, as it is written with regard to God’s revelation to Elijah the Prophet on Mount Horeb:
“And He said: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.
And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord;
but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake;
but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
and after the earthquake a fire;
but the Lord was not in the fire;
and after the fire a still small voice.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave” (I Kings 19:11–13). God’s revelation was specifically at the moment of silence. When the king came, Rav Sheshet began to bless him. The heretic mockingly said to him: Do you bless someone you do not see? The Gemara asks: And what ultimately happened to this heretic? Some say that his friends gouged out his eyes, and some say that Rav Sheshet fixed his gaze upon him, and the heretic became a pile of bones. As for the connection between divine and earthly royalty, the Gemara cites another story: Rabbi Sheila ordered that a man who had relations witha gentile woman be flogged. That man went to inform the king and said: There is one man among the Jews who renders judgment without the king’s authority [harmana]. The king sent a messenger [peristaka] for Rabbi Sheila to bring him to trial. When Rabbi Sheila came, they said to him: Why did you order flogging for this man? He said to them: Because he had relations with a female donkey. According to Persian law this was an extremely heinous crime, so they said to him: Do you have witnesses that he did so? He replied: Yes, and Elijah the prophet came and appeared as a person and testified. They said to Rabbi Sheila: If so, he is liable for the death penalty; why did you not sentence him to death? He replied: Since the day we were exiled from our land we do not have the authority to execute, but you, do with him as you wish. As they considered the sentence, Rabbi Sheila praised God for saving him from danger: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, power, glory, triumph, and majesty; for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all” (I Chronicles 29:11). They asked him: What did you say? He told them: This is what I said: Blessed is Merciful One who grants kingdom on earth that is a microcosm of the kingdom in heaven, and granted you dominion and love of justice. They said to him: Indeed, the honor of royalty is so dear to you. They gave him a staff to symbolize his license to sit in judgment and said to him: Judge. As he was leaving, that man said to Rabbi Sheila: Does God perform such miracles for liars? He replied: Scoundrel! Aren’t gentiles called donkeys? As it is written: “Whose flesh is As the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23:20). Rabbi Sheila saw that he was going to tell the Persian authorities that he called them donkeys. He said: This man has the legal status of a pursuer. He seeks to have me killed. And the Torah said: If one comes to kill you, kill him first. He struck him with the staff and killed him. Rabbi Sheila said: Since a miracle was performed on my behalf with this verse that I cited, I will interpret it homiletically: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness; that is the act of creation, and so it says: “Who does great things past finding out” (Job 9:10);
And the power; that is the exodus from Egypt, as it is stated: “And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did to the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:31);
And the glory; that is the sun and the moon that stood still for Joshua, as it is stated: “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies” (Joshua 10:13);
And the triumph; that is the downfall of Rome, and so it says describing the downfall of Edom, whom the Sages identified as the forefather of Rome: “Their lifeblood is dashed against My garments and I have stained all My raiment” (Isaiah 63:3);
And the majesty; this is the war of the valleys of Arnon, as it is stated: “Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord: Vahev in Sufa, and the valleys of Arnon” (Numbers 21:14);
For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours; this is the war of Sisera, as it is stated: “They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera” (Judges 5:20).
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord; this is the war of Amalek, and so it says: “And he said: The hand upon the throne of the Lord: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16), as then God will sit on His throne.
And you are exalted; this is the war of Gog and Magog, and so it says: “I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshekh and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:3); and:
As head above all; Rav Ḥanan bar Rava said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All leadership and authority, even the most insignificant, the one responsible for distributing water, is appointed by heaven. It was taught in a baraita in the name of Rabbi Akiva:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness; this is the splitting of the Red Sea;
the power; this is the plague of the firstborn;
the glory; this is the giving of the Torah;
the triumph; this is Jerusalem;
and the majesty; this is the Temple. The Sages taught: One who sees the houses of Israel inhabited and tranquil recites: Blessed…Who establishes the border of the widow. One who sees them in ruins he recites: Blessed…the true Judge. One who sees the houses of the nations of the world inhabited recites: “The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the border of the widow” (Proverbs 15:25). And if he sees them in ruins he recites: “God of vengeance, Lord, God of vengeance, shine forth” (Psalms 94:1). The Gemara relates that Ulla and Rav Ḥisda were once walking along the road when they came upon the doorway of the house of Rav Ḥana bar Ḥanilai. Rav Ḥisda groaned and sighed. Ulla asked him: Why are you sighing? Didn’t Rav say: Sighing breaks half of one’s body? As it is stated: “Sigh, therefore, you son of man; with the breaking of your loins” (Ezekiel 21:11); sighing breaks a person down to his loins. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said that sighing breaks even one’s entire body, as it is stated: “And it shall be, when they say unto you: Why are you sighing? That you shall say: Because of the tidings, for it comes; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall drip with water” (Ezekiel 21:12). Rav Ḥisda said to Ulla: How can I not sigh? We see this house where there were sixty cooks during the day and sixty cooks at night who would cook for anyone in need, and Rav Ḥana never removed his hand from his pocket because he thought: Perhaps a well-born poor person might come and in the time that passed until he put his hand in his pocket to give him charity, the poor person would be embarrassed. Moreover, that house had four doors open in all four directions, and anyone who entered hungry left satiated. And they would scatter wheat and barley outside during years of drought so that anyone who was embarrassed to take the grain during the day could come and take it at night. Now that the house has fallen in ruins, how can I not sigh? Ulla said to Rav Ḥisda: You have nothing about which to sigh, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: From the day that the Temple was destroyed a decree was issued upon the houses of the righteous that they would be destroyed, as it is stated: “In mine ears said the Lord of hosts: Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant” (Isaiah 5:9). And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: In the future, in the end of days, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will restore them to their original locations and their inhabited state, as it is stated: “A Song of Ascents of David. They who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever” (Psalms 125:1). From this verse one may infer that just as in the future the Holy One, Blessed be He, will restore Mount Zion to its inhabited state, so too, in the future the Holy One, Blessed be He, will restore the houses of the righteous to their inhabited state, so you have no reason to sigh. Seeing that he was still not satisfied, Ulla said to him: It is enough for a servant to be like his master. Since God leaves His home, the Holy Temple, in ruins, one should not be distraught over the destruction of the houses of the righteous. The Sages taught in a baraita: One who sees graves of Israel recites:
Blessed…Who formed you in judgment,
and Who nourished you in judgment,
and Who sustained you in judgment,
and collected your soul in judgment,
and in the future will raise you from the dead in judgment.
And Mar, son of Ravina, concludes the formula of this blessing in the name of Rav Naḥman:
And Who knows the number of you all,
and Who in the future will restore you to life and sustain you.
Blessed…Who revives the dead.
One who sees graves of gentiles recites: “Your mother shall be sore ashamed, she who bore you shall be confounded; behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees his friend after thirty days have passed since last seeing him recites: Blessed…Who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this time. One who sees his friend after twelve months recites: Blessed…Who revives the dead. As Rav said: A dead person is only forgotten from the heart after twelve months have elapsed, as it is stated: “I am forgottenas a dead man out of mind; I am like a lost vessel” (Psalms 31:13), and with regard to the laws of lost objects, it is human nature to despair of recovering a lost object after twelve months (see Bava Metzia 28a). The Gemara relates: Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, were once walking along the road when they met Rav Ḥanina the son of Rav Ika. They said to him: when we saw you we recited two blessings over meeting you: Blessed…Who has shared of His wisdom to those who revere Him, and: Who has given us life…as they had not seen him in over a month. He said to them: I too, once I saw you, considered you in my eyes as equivalent to six hundred thousand of the house of Israel, and I recited three blessings over you. I recited those two that you recited, as well as: Blessed…Who knows all secrets, which is the blessing recited upon seeing six hundred thousand Israelites. They said to him: Are you all that clever? They fixed their gaze upon him and he died. The Gemara continues to discuss the obligation to recite a blessing over unusual phenomena. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees spotted people recites: Blessed…Who makes creatures different. The Gemara raises a challenge: One who saw a person with unusually black skin, a person with unusually red skin, a person with unusually white skin [lavkan], an unusually tall and thin person, a dwarf, or one with warts [darnikos]recites: Blessed…Who makes creatures different. However, one who sees an amputee, a blind person, a flat-headed person, a lame person, one afflicted with boils, or spotted people recites: Blessed…the true Judge, not: Who makes creatures different. The Gemara answers: This is not difficult. This, where Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says to recite: Who makes creatures different, refers to a case where the individual was spotted from when he was in his mother’s womb, since birth. While this, where one recites: The true Judge, refers to a case where the individual only became spotted after he was born. The Gemara remarks: The language of the baraita is also precise as it draws a parallel to other cases, as it taught that a spotted person is similar to an amputee, which, in general, is a handicap incurred after birth. The Gemara concludes: Indeed, conclude from this. The Sages taught: One who sees an elephant, a monkey, or a vulture (Rashi) recites: Blessed…Who makes creatures different. One who saw beautiful or otherwise outstanding creatures or beautiful trees recites: Blessed…Who has such things in His world. We learned in the mishna that over zikin, one recites: Whose strength and power fill the world. The Gemara asks: What are zikin? Shmuel said: A comet. Shmuel also said: The paths of the sky are as clear to me as the paths of my city, Neharde’a, except for comets, that I do not know what they are. And we learn through tradition that a comet does not pass the Orion constellation, and if it does pass Orion, the world will be destroyed. The Gemara asks: Don’t we see that comets pass Orion? The Gemara rejects this: The aura of the comet passes Orion and it appears as though the comet itself passes. Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said a different answer: It is merely that vilon, one of the firmaments, rips and furls and the light of the next firmament is seen, and this appears like a comet. Rav Ashi said another explanation: It is not a comet that passes Orion, but a star that is uprooted from one side of Orion, and another star, from the other side of Orion, sees it and gets startled and shudders, and appears as if it is passing. On the subject of stars, the Gemara notes that Shmuel raised a contradiction between the implications of two verses with regard to constellations. On the one hand it is written: “Who makes Ursa Major, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south” (Job 9:9); Orion precedes Pleiades. And on the other hand it is written: “He Who makes Pleiades and Orion” (Amos 5:8); Pleiades precedes Orion. So how is this reconciled? The Gemara replies: Were it not for Orion’s heat, the universe could not exist because of the cold of Pleiades; and conversely, were it not for the cold of Pleiades, the universe could not exist because of the heat of Orion. And we learned a tradition that if the tail of the constellation Scorpio did not rest in the River of Fire, anyone stung by a scorpion would not survive. And that is what the All-Merciful said to Job of the relationship between heat and cold among the stars: “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the bands of Orion?” (Job 38:31); God alternates intensifying the power of different constellations in order to raise or lower the temperature. With regard to Pleiades, the Gemara asks: What is Pleiades [Kima]? Why is it called by that name? Shmuel said: Because it is approximately a hundred [keme’a] stars, as that is the number of stars in that constellation; some say that they are concentrated and some say that they are dispersed. With regard to the verse: “Who makes Ursa Major, Orion, and Pleiades” (Job 9:9), the Gemara asks: What is Ursa Major [Ash]? Rav Yehuda said: It is the star called Yota. This name was unfamiliar as well, so the Gemara asks: What is Yota? There is disagreement; some say that Yota is the group of stars comprising the tail of Aries, while others say that Yota belongs to the head of Taurus. The Gemara concludes: And it stands to reason in accordance with the opinion of the one who said that Yota is the group of stars comprising the tail of Aries, as it is written: “Or can you guide Ursa Major with her sons?” (Job 38:32); apparently it was incomplete and the tail appears

ברכות נ״ט

וְעַל הַגְּשָׁמִים ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״ מְבָרֵךְ? וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: מֵאֵימָתַי מְבָרְכִין עַל הַגְּשָׁמִים — מִשֶּׁיֵּצֵא חָתָן לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. מַאי מְבָרְכִין? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: ״מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ עַל כׇּל טִפָּה וְטִפָּה שֶׁהוֹרַדְתָּ לָנוּ״. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מְסַיֵּים בַּהּ הָכִי: ״אִילּוּ פִּינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה כַּיָּם וְכוּ׳ אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ מַסְפִּיקִין לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ״, עַד ״תִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה״. ״בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ רוֹב הַהוֹדָאוֹת״. ״רוֹב הַהוֹדָאוֹת״ וְלָא כׇּל הַהוֹדָאוֹת? אָמַר רָבָא: אֵימָא — ״הָאֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת״. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: הִלְכָּךְ נֵימְרִינְהוּ לְתַרְוַיְיהוּ, ״רוֹב הַהוֹדָאוֹת״ וְ״הָאֵל הַהוֹדָאוֹת״. וְאֶלָּא קַשְׁיָא! — לָא קַשְׁיָא, הָא דִּשְׁמַע מִשְׁמָע, הָא דַּחֲזָא מִחְזֵי. דִּשְׁמַע מִשְׁמָע הַיְינוּ בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת, וּתְנַן: עַל בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״! אֶלָּא: אִידֵּי וְאִידֵּי דַּחֲזָא מִחְזֵי, וְלָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא דַּאֲתָא פּוּרְתָּא, הָא דַּאֲתָא טוּבָא. וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: הָא וְהָא דַּאֲתָא טוּבָא, וְלָא קַשְׁיָא — הָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ אַרְעָא, הָא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ אַרְעָא. אִית לֵיהּ אַרְעָא ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״ מְבָרֵךְ?! וְהָא תְּנַן: בָּנָה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ, וְקָנָה כֵּלִים חֲדָשִׁים, אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה״. שֶׁלּוֹ וְשֶׁל אֲחֵרִים — אוֹמֵר: ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״? לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ שׁוּתָּפוּת, הָא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ שׁוּתָּפוּת. וְהָתַנְיָא: קׇצְרוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר, עַל שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְקִיְּימָנוּ״, עַל שֶׁלּוֹ וְעַל שֶׁל חֲבֵירוֹ — אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״. וְכׇל הֵיכָא דְּלֵית לְאַחֲרִינָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ לָא מְבָרֵךְ ״הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״? וְהָתַנְיָא: אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ יָלְדָה אִשְׁתּוֹ זָכָר, אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ … הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״! הָתָם נָמֵי, דְּאִיכָּא אִשְׁתּוֹ בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּנִיחָא לַהּ בְּזָכָר. תָּא שְׁמַע: מֵת אָבִיו וְהוּא יוֹרְשׁוֹ, בַּתְּחִלָּה אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … דַּיַּין הָאֱמֶת״, וּלְבַסּוֹף הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״. הָתָם נָמֵי דְּאִיכָּא אֲחֵי דְּקָא יָרְתִי בַּהֲדֵיהּ. תָּא שְׁמַע: שִׁינּוּי יַיִן אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, שִׁינּוּי מָקוֹם צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵף בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ שִׁינּוּי יַיִן אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, אֲבָל אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ … הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב״! הָתָם נָמֵי, דְּאִיכָּא בְּנֵי חֲבוּרָה דְּשָׁתוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ.

Berakhot 59

as if it was appended onto it. The Gemara explains: And the fact that Ursa Major follows Pleiades, it is as if Ursa Major is saying to Pleiades: Give me back my children, my two stars. As it is related: When the Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to bring a flood into the world, He took two stars from Pleiades and brought the flood upon the world. And afterward, when He wished to fill the void, He took two stars from Ursa Major and filled the void with them. Consequently, the constellation of Ursa Major attempts to persuade Pleiades, seeking to get its stars back. The Gemara asks: And return it, why did the Holy One, Blessed be He, not restore the original two stars to Pleiades? The Gemara answers: A pit cannot be filled by its own earth; when a pit is excavated, the earth that was excavated from it is insufficient to refill it. Alternatively, one could say that a prosecutor cannot become an advocate; since these stars caused the flood it is not appropriate that they facilitate the end of the flood. The Gemara argues: Then God should have created two other new stars for Pleiades. The Gemara responds: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Rav Naḥman said: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will restore those same stars to Ursa Major, as it is stated: “Or can you guide [tanḥem] Ursa Major with her sons?” (Job 38:32), which is interpreted homiletically in the sense of consolation [tanḥumim] apparently due to the restoration of those stars. And we learned in the mishna that over zeva’ot one recites the blessing: Whose strength and power fill the world. The Gemara asks: What are zeva’ot? Rav Ketina said: An earthquake. The Gemara relates: Rav Ketina was once walking along the road when he came to the entrance of the house of a necromancer and an earthquake rumbled. He said: Does this necromancer know what is this earthquake? The necromancer raised his voice and said: Ketina, Ketina, why would I not know? Certainly this earthquake occurred because when the Holy One, Blessed be He, remembers His children who are suffering among the nations of the world, He sheds two tears into the great sea. The sound of their reverberation is heard from one end of the earth to the other. And that is an earthquake. Rav Ketina said: The necromancer is a liar and his statements are lies. If so, it would necessitate an earthquake followed by another earthquake, one for each tear. The Gemara remarks: That is not so, as it indeed causes an earthquake followed by another earthquake; and the fact that Rav Ketina did not admit that the necromancer was correct was so that everyone would not mistakenly follow him. Rav Ketina also stated his own explanation for the earthquake: Because God claps His hands together in anger, as it is stated: “I will also smite My hands together and I will satisfy My fury; I, the Lord, have spoken it” (Ezekiel 21:22). Rabbi Natan says: The earthquake is caused because God sighs over the dire straits in which Israel finds itself, as it is stated: “Thus shall My anger spend itself, and I will satisfy My fury upon them, and I will be eased” (Ezekiel 5:13). And the Rabbis say: An earthquake is caused when God kicks the firmament, causing a rumbling, as it is stated: “The Lord roars from on high, from His holy dwelling He makes His voice heard. He roars mightily over His dwelling place, He cries out like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth” (Jeremiah 25:30). Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: An earthquake is caused when God forces His feet beneath the throne of glory and the world quakes, as it is stated: “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). We also learned in the mishna that over thunder one recites: Whose strength and power fill the world. The Gemara asks: What causes thunder? Shmuel said: When the clouds located in the curvature of the firmament collide with the firmament itself, they produce this sound, as it is stated: “The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightning lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook” (Psalms 77:19). And the Rabbis say: Thunder is the sound of clouds pouring water into one another, as it is stated: “At the sound of His giving a multitude of waters in the heavens” (Jeremiah 10:13). Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: Thunder is caused by a powerful lightning bolt that flashes in the cloud and shatters the hailstones. Rav Ashi said: Because the clouds are hollow, and when the wind comes and blows across their mouths, it sounds like wind blowing in the mouth of a jug. The Gemara concludes: And it stands to reason in accordance with the opinion of Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov; as lightning flashes, the clouds rumble, and the rain comes. We also learned in the mishna that over wind one recites the blessing: Whose strength and power fill the world. The Gemara asks: What are these winds? Abaye said: These are gale force winds. Abaye said: We learned through tradition that there are no gale force winds at night. The Gemara asks: Don’t we see that there are gale force winds at night? The Gemara answers: This gale force wind that blows at night does not begin blowing at night; rather, it begins blowing during the day. And Abaye said: We learned through tradition that a gale force wind does not last two hours, to fulfill that which is stated: “Trouble shall not rise up a second time” (Nahum 1:9). The Gemara asks: Don’t we see that it does last longer than two hours? The Gemara answers: Actually, it does not last longer than two hours. The fact that we sense that it does last longer is due to cases where it does not blow uninterruptedly, but it briefly stops in between. We also learned in the mishna that over lightning one recites: Blessed…Whose strength and power fill the world. The Gemara asks: What is this lightning? Rava said: A bright light. And Rava said: A single bolt of lightning, white lightning, green lightning, clouds that rise in the western corner and come from the southern corner, and two clouds that rise with one facing the other are all signs of trouble. The Gemara asks: What practical difference is there in the knowledge that they are signs of trouble? The Gemara answers: So that we may pray for God’s mercy, that they cause us no harm. The Gemara remarks that this only applies when these phenomena appear at night. In the morning, however, they are insignificant. Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: Morning clouds dissipate immediately so they have no substance, as it is written: “For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passes away” (Hosea 6:4). With regard to this, Rav Pappa said to Abaye: But don’t people say the maxim: If there is rain when people open their doors in the morning, donkey-driver, fold your sack and go to sleep, as rain will continue to fall all day. Apparently morning clouds indicate that there will be rain all day. The Gemara responds: This is not difficult, as this, that suggests that there will be considerable rain, refers to a case where the sky is covered with thick clouds, while this opinion, where Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said that morning clouds have no substance and will not produce much rain, refers to a case where the sky is covered with flimsy clouds which will certainly pass. Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Thunder was created only to impose fear and straighten the crookedness of the heart, as it is stated: “And God has so made it, that men should fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). And Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees a rainbow in a cloud must fall upon his face, as it is stated: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face” (Ezekiel 1:28). The colors of the rainbow symbolize the glory of God and one may not stare at them. Yet, in the West, Eretz Yisrael, they would curse one who fell upon his face when seeing a rainbow because it appears as one who is bowing to the rainbow. As far As blessing is concerned, however, all agree that one certainly recites a blessing. What blessing does one recite? Blessed…Who remembers the covenant with Noah. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka, says that the blessing is: Blessed…Who is faithful to His covenant and fulfills His word. Rav Pappa said: Therefore we will say them both combined: Blessed…Who remembers the covenant and is faithful to His covenant and fulfills His word. We learned in the mishna that over mountains and hills one recites: Blessed…Author of creation. The Gemara asks: Is that to say that all those that we mentioned until now, such as lightning, are not acts of creation? Among God’s praise for creation of the world and forming the mountains, is it not also written: “He makes lightning for the rain” (Psalms 135:7)? Abaye said: Combine the two statements and teach that in all the cases in our mishna, one recites these two blessings. Rava said: There, over lightning and thunder, one recites two blessings: Blessed…Whose power fills the world, and: Author of creation. Here, however, over mountains and hills, one recites the blessing: Author of creation, but need not recite: Whose power fills the world. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees the firmament in its purity recites: Blessed…Author of creation. The Gemara asks: When does the firmament appear in its purity? Abaye said: When rain falls all night and in the morning a northern wind blows, exposing the heavens. The Gemara notes: And in this they disagree with Rafram bar Pappa who said that Rav Ḥisda said, as Rafram bar Pappa said that Rav Ḥisda said: Since the day the Temple was destroyed the firmament has not been seen in its purity, as it is said: “I clothe the heavens with blackness and I make sackcloth their covering” (Isaiah 50:3). The Sages taught: One who sees the sun in the beginning of its cycle, the moon in its might, the planets in their orbit, or the signs of the zodiac aligned in their order recites: Blessed…Author of creation. The Gemara asks: And when is it that the sun is at the beginning of its cycle? Abaye said: Every twenty-eight years when the cycle is complete and returns to its genesis, and the Nisan, vernal, equinox, when the spring days and nights are of equal length, falls within the constellation of Saturn on the night of the third and eve of the fourth day of the week, as then their arrangement returns to be as it was when the constellations were first placed in the heavens. We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yehuda said: One who sees the great sea intermittently recites: Blessed…Who has made the great sea. The Gemara asks: How much is intermittently? Rami bar Abba said that Rav Yitzḥak said: Thirty days. And Rami bar Abba said that Rav Yitzḥak said: One who sees the Euphrates River near the bridge of Babylonia recites: Blessed…Author of creation. The Gemara adds: And now that the Persians have rerouted the course of the river, one only recites the blessing from Beit Shavor upriver. Downriver, it no longer flows as it did at creation, so there one does not recite the blessing: Author of creation. Rav Yosef said: One only recites the blessing from Ihi Dekira upriver. And Rami bar Abba said: One who sees the Tigris on the bridge of Shabistana recites: Blessed…Author of creation. The Gemara proceeds to explain the names of these rivers. What is the source of the name Ḥidekel [Tigris]? Rav Ashi said: Its name is an acronym derived from the fact that its waters are sharp [ḥadin] and light [kalin] and therefore good for drinking. What is the source of the name Perat [Euphrates]? It is so named because its waters are fruitful [parin] and multiply [ravin]; there are many fish in it. As for the Tigris River, Rava said: The inhabitants of the city Meḥoza are sharp because they drink the water of the Tigris; they are red because they engage in conjugal relations in the daytime; and their eyes move constantly because they live in dark houses. We learned in our mishna that over rain one recites the blessing: Blessed…Who is good and does good. The Gemara asks: And over rain does one really recite the blessing: Who is good and does good? Didn’t Rabbi Abbahu say, and some say it was taught in a baraita: From when does one recite the blessing on rain? From when the groom went out to meet the bride. In other words, there are puddles of water on the ground. The groom, meaning the raindrops from above, cause the bride, meaning the water below, to splash. The Gemara asks: What blessing does one recite? Rav Yehuda said: The formula of the blessing is: We thank You for each and every drop that You have made fall for us. And Rav Yoḥanan concludes the blessing as follows: If our mouths wereas full of songas the sea…we could not sufficiently praise You O Lord our God, and he continues with the formula of nishmat that is recited on Shabbat morning, until: Shall bow before You. Blessed are You, O Lord, to Whom abundant thanksgivings are offered. The Gemara asks: Does the blessing say: Abundant thanksgivings, and not: All thanksgivings? Certainly all thanksgivings are due to God. Rava said: Emend the formula of the blessing and say: The God of thanksgivings. Rav Pappa said: Therefore, we will recite them both: Abundant thanksgivings, and: The God of thanksgivings. However, it is still difficult, as apparently the blessing for rain is not: Who is good and does good, as it appears in our mishna. The Gemara responds: This is not difficult. This, which we learned in our mishna, that one recites: Who is good and does good, refers to a case where one heard that rain fell. This, where we learned that one recites: We thank You, etc., refers to a case where one saw the rain fall. The Gemara asks: One heard that the rain fell; that is a case of good tidings. And we learned in the mishna that upon hearing good tidings one recites: Who is good and does good. Therefore, there is no reason for the mishna to mention rain separately. Rather, the difficulty can be otherwise resolved: This, Rabbi Abbahu’s statement, and that, the mishna, both refer to a case where one saw the rain fall, and this is not difficult. This, Rabbi Abbahu’s statement that one recites We thank You, etc., refers to a case where a little rain fell, while that, the mishna which says that one recites: Who is good and does good, refers to a case where a lot of rain fell. And if you wish, say instead that this and that refer to cases where a lot of rain fell, and this is not difficult. This, the mishna, refers to a case where one owns land, while that, Rabbi Abbahu’s statement that one recites: We thank You, etc., refers to a case where one does not own land, so the rain does not benefit him directly. The Gemara asks: One who owns land recites: Who is good and does good? Didn’t we learn in the mishna: One who built a new house or purchased new vessels recites: Blessed…Who has given us life…and brought us to this time. However, if the land belonged to him and others in partnership, he recites: Who is good and does good? For rain falling onto land that one owns exclusively, he recites: Who has given us life and not: Who is good and does good. The Gemara answers: This is not difficult. This, the mishna where we learned that one recites: Who is good and does good, refers to a case where one owns his land in partnership with another; that, Rabbi Abbahu’s statement that one recites: Who has given us life, refers to a case where one owns the land exclusively and does not have a partnership. And indeed, this halakha was taught in a baraita: The gist of the matter is, for that which is exclusively his, he recites: Blessed…Who has given us life and sustained us; for that which belongs to him and to another in partnership, he recites: Who is good and does good. The Gemara challenges this principle: And in every case where others are not with him, one does not recite: Who is good and does good? Wasn’t it taught in a baraita: If they told him that his wife gave birth to a male, he recites: Who is good and does good? The Gemara responds: There too, his wife is with him, as she is also happy that a male child was born. The Gemara challenges further: Come and hear a contradiction from what was taught in a baraita: One whose father died and he is his heir, initially recites: Blessed…the true Judge, upon hearing of his father’s death, and ultimately, upon receiving his inheritance, he recites: Blessed…Who is good and does good. Despite the fact that the son alone benefits, he nevertheless recites: Who is good and does good. The Gemara responds: There, too, it refers to a case where he has brothers who inherit along with him. The Gemara cites an additional challenge: Come and hear a contradiction based on what was taught in a baraita: In the case of a change in the type of wine during a meal, one need not recite the blessing: Who creates fruit of the vine, a second time. However, in the case of a change in place, one must recitea second blessing over the wine. And Rabbi Yosef bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Although the Sages said that in the case of a change in the type of wine one need not recite a second blessing over the wine, he does recite: Blessed…Who is good and does good. The Gemara responds: There, too, it refers to a case where he is not alone, but where members of the group are drinking with him. We learned in the mishna: One who built a new house or purchased new vessels recites: Blessed…Who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this time. With regard to this blessing, Rav Huna said: They only taught that one recites: Who has given us life, upon purchasing a new vessel when he does not already have something similar, i.e., something he inherited. However, if he already has something similar he need not recite a blessing, as it is not new to him. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Even if one already has something similar that he inherited, he must recite a blessing because he never before purchased a vessel of that kind.

נדרים מ״א

כִּי הֲוָה גְּמִיר רַבִּי תְּלָת עֶשְׂרֵי אַפֵּי הִילְכָתָא אַגְמְרֵיהּ לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא שִׁבְעָה מִנְּהוֹן לְסוֹף חֲלַשׁ רַבִּי אַהְדַּר רַבִּי חִיָּיא קַמֵּיהּ הָנְהוּ שִׁבְעָה אַפֵּי דְּאַגְמְרֵיהּ שִׁיתָּא אַזְּדּוּ הֲוָה הָהוּא קַצָּרָא הֲוָה שְׁמִיעַ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי כְּדַהֲוָה גָּרֵיס לְהוּ אֲזַל רַבִּי חִיָּיא וּגְמַר יָתְהוֹן קַמֵּי קַצָּרָא וַאֲתָא וְאַהְדַּר יָתְהוֹן קַמֵּי רַבִּי כַּד הֲוָה חָזֵי לֵיהּ רַבִּי לְהָהוּא קַצָּרָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אוֹתִי וְאֶת חִיָּיא אִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי הָכִי קָאָמַר לֵיהּ אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת חִיָּיא וְחִיָּיא עָשָׂה אוֹתִי

Nedarim 41

and a rug, as an exile needs those items and they are portable. The Sages interpreted the following verse describing the exile experience: “Therefore shall you serve your enemy whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he has destroyed you” (Deuteronomy 28:48). Rabbi Ami said that Rav said: “In want of all things” means without a lamp andwithout a table to eat upon. Rav Ḥisda said: Without a wife. Rav Sheshet said: Without an attendant to aid him. Rav Naḥman said: Without intelligence. One of the Sages teaches in a baraita: Without salt andWithout fat [revav] in which to dip his bread. Abaye said that we have a tradition: a poor person is only one lacking in intelligence, in agreement with the opinion of Rav Naḥman. In the West, Eretz Yisrael, they say: One who has this attribute, intelligence, in him has everything in him. One who does not have this attribute in him, what isin him? If he acquired this, what else is lacking? If he has not acquired this, what has he acquired? § Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The sick person recovers from his illness only when the heavenly court forgives him for all his sins, as it is stated: “Who forgives all your iniquity; Who heals all your diseases” (Psalms 103:3). Rav Hamnuna said: When he recovers, he returns to the days of his youth, as it is stated in a verse with regard to one recovering from illness: “His flesh is tenderer than a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth” (Job 33:25). Interpreting the verse: “The Lord will support him upon the bed of suffering; You overturned all his lying down in his illness” (Psalms 41:4), Rav Yosef said: That is to say that the sick person forgets his studies, as everything that is organized is overturned. The Gemara relates: Rav Yosef himself fell ill and his studies were forgotten. Abaye restored his studies by reviewing what he had learned from Rav Yosef before him. This is the background for that which we say everywhere throughout the Talmud, that Rav Yosef said: I did not learn this halakha, and Abaye said to him in response: You said this to us and it was from this baraita that you said it to us. The Gemara relates: When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would learn thirteen aspects of a halakha on a certain issue, he taught Rabbi Ḥiyya seven of them. Ultimately, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi fell ill and forgot all thirteen aspects. Rabbi Ḥiyya restored those seven aspects that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi taught him by reviewing them before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. However, six were gone and forgotten, as Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi had not taught them to anyone. There was a certain launderer who would hear Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi when he was studying those halakhot. Rabbi Ḥiyya went and learned those halakhot from the launderer and he came and restored them by reviewing them before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi saw that launderer, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: You made me and Ḥiyya, as we were able to learn these halakhot that otherwise would have been forgotten. Some say that this is what he said to the launderer: You made Ḥiyya, and Ḥiyya made me. And Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Greater is the miracle performed for the sick person than the miracle that was performed for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were rescued from the fiery furnace (see Daniel, chapter 3), as in the miracle of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, they were rescued from the fire of a layman, and anyone is capable of extinguishing it. And that fire afflicting a sick person with a fever is the fire of Heaven, and who can extinguish it? And Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, and some say Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Once the end of the time allotted for the life of a person arrived, everything has dominion over him, as it is stated that Cain said: “Whosoever finds me will slay me” (Genesis 4:14). Cain feared that since God sentenced him to death he would be susceptible to all threats and vulnerable to anyone seeking to murder him. Rav said that it is derived from this verse: “They stand this day according to Your judgments; for all are Your servants” (Psalms 119:91). When the decree emerges from Heaven that the time has arrived for a person to die, everyone is a servant of God, an agent to kill him. The Gemara relates that people said to Rabba bar Sheila: A man died. This person was tall and was riding on a small mule [giredona]. When he reached a bridge [tittora], the mule was frightened [istavveit] and cast off the rider, and although the rider was tall and the mule was short and the rider did not fall far, he died. Rabba bar Sheila read the verse and applied it to the rider: “They stand this day according to Your judgments.” Shmuel saw a certain frog [kerokita], and also noticed that a scorpion was sitting upon the frog and the frog crossed the river. The scorpion stung a man on the other side of the river and the man died. Shmuel read and applied the verse to the dead man: “They stand this day according to Your judgments.” Even the frog and scorpion are servants and agents of God. The only way the scorpion could reach the man and kill him was by means of the frog taking it across the river. § Shmuel said: One visits a sick person only if that person is one whom fever overcame. The Gemara asks: What illnesses does this statement come to exclude? The Gemara answers: It comes to exclude that which is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei ben Perata says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: One visits neither those with intestinal illness, nor those with eye illness, nor those suffering from headaches. The Gemara asks: Granted, one does not visit those with intestinal sickness, due to the sick person’s embarrassment, as he would need to frequently relieve himself and it would be awkward for him in the presence of the visitor. However, what is the reason that one does not visit those with eye illnesses and headaches? The Gemara answers: It is due to that which Rav Yehuda said, as Rav Yehuda said: Speech is injurious for the eye and beneficial for curing a fever. Therefore, if one suffers from pain in his eye or his head it is better for him not to talk. If he has visitors, he will need to speak to them, which will cause him harm. Rava said: With regard to this fever [ishta], were it not the agent [parvanka] of the Angel of Death, i.e., the cause of serious, potentially deadly illnesses, it could be deemed beneficial, like thorns for palm trees, as the thorns prevent people and animals from touching and ruining the dates. The fever is advantageous if its incidence is once in thirty days, and it is like an antidote [tiraiki] for poison in the body. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is preferable for one to have neither fever nor the benefits of its capacity to serve as an antidote. Rabba bar Yonatan said that Rav Yeḥiel said: Arsan is beneficial for the sick person for his cure. The Gemara asks: What is arsan? Rabbi Yonatan said: It is old hulled barley from the beginning of the sifting process. Abaye said: And that barley requires extensive cooking like the meat of a bull. Rav Yosef said: Arsan is fine flour [semida] ground from old barley from the beginning of the sifting process. Abaye said: And that flour requires extensive cooking like the meat of a bull. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One does not visit a person suffering from buredam, an intestinal illness, nor is the name of that illness mentioned, because it is embarrassing for the one suffering from the illness. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that one does not visit him? Rabbi Elazar said: It is due to the fact that he is like a flowing spring, as the symptom of the illness is severe diarrhea. And Rabbi Elazar said: Why is the illness called buredam? It is due to the fact that the one suffering from the illness is like a flowing spring, a bottomless pit [bor] of blood [dam]. § We learned in the mishna that if one is prohibited by a vow from deriving benefit from another, that other person heals him with a cure of the nefesh but not a cure of property [mamon]. The Gemara asks: How is the mishna taught? If we say that cure of the nefesh means that he cures him for free and cure of mamon means that he cures him for a fee, then let the mishna teach this: He cures him for free but not for a fee. Rather, cure of the nefesh means that he cures his body, and cure of mamon means that he cures his animal. Rabbi Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: It is prohibited to cure the animal. However, he says to him: Such and such medicine is beneficial for the animal, and such and such medicine is harmful for the animal. Advice, as opposed to treatment, is not considered benefit. MISHNA: And with regard to another person who is prohibited from deriving benefit from him, one may bathe with him in a large bath [ambati], in which his presence does not affect the other person. However, he may not bathe with him in a small bath, as his presence moderates the temperature of water if it is too hot or too cold, thereby benefiting the other person. And he may sleep with him in one bed. Rabbi Yehuda says: That is permitted during the days of summer, but he may not sleep with him in one bed during the rainy season, i.e., the winter, because he benefits him by warming the bed. And he may recline with him on a divan even during the rainy season, as no benefit is involved. And he may eat with him at the same table, but not from a common platter from which several people eat, as if one leaves food on the platter, the other derives benefit from him. However, he may eat with him from a platter that returns to the host, as everyone takes a small portion and leaves food on the platter. No benefit is derived. Since there is enough food for everyone, none of the diners receives part of another’s portion. GEMARA: It is taught in a baraita: One may neither bathe with him in a bath nor sleep with him in a bed, and there is no difference whether it is a large bed or whether it is a small bed; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: It is permitted for him to sleep with him in a large bed during the rainy season and a small bed during the days of summer, as no benefit is derived. He may bathe with him in a large bath and sweat with him in a small one, as his presence provides no benefit for the other. However, he may recline with him on a divan, and he may eat with him at the same table but not from a common platter. However, he may eat with him from a platter that returns. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: That means a platter that returns to the host. MISHNA: One may neither eat with him from the large vessel of food placed before the laborers, nor may he work with him in the same row in a vineyard; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: He may work in the same row with him provided that he is at a distance from him. If he is close, the other would derive forbidden benefit from him. GEMARA: In a case where one is proximate to the other, the tanna’im do not disagree that it is prohibited for them to work together. When they disagree, it is in a case where one is distant from the other. Rabbi Meir holds: We issue a decree prohibiting their working together when one is distant from the other, due to the prohibition against their working together when one is proximate to the other, as he loosens for him the earth before him. And the Rabbis hold: We do not issue a decree.

ויקרא רבה ט׳

(א) וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב לַה' (ויקרא ז, יא), זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים נ, כג): זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, זוֹבֵחַ חַטָּאת זוֹבֵחַ אָשָׁם אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה, לָמָּה, חַטָּאת בָּאָה עַל חֵטְא וְאָשָׁם בָּא עַל חֵטְא, תּוֹדָה אֵינָהּ בָּאָה עַל חֵטְא (ויקרא ז, יב): אִם עַל תּוֹדָה יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, זֶה עָכָן שֶׁזָּבַח אֶת יִצְרוֹ בַּתּוֹדָה (יהושע ז, יט כ): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל עָכָן בְּנִי שִׂים נָא כָבוֹד, וַיַּעַן עָכָן אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, (תהלים נ, כג):

(ב) דָּבָר אַחֵר (תהלים נ, כג): זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא יְכַבְּדֵנִי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, כָּבוֹד אַחַר כָּבוֹד. דָּבָר אַחֵר, זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, רִבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא כִּבְּדַנִּי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא יְכַבְּדָנְנִי, כִּבְּדַנִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, יְכַבְּדֵנִי בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ, אֵלּוּ מְסַלְּקֵי דְּרָכִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ, אֵלּוּ סוֹפְרִים וּמַשְׁנִים שֶׁהֵן מְלַמְּדִין אֶת הַתִּינוֹקוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה.

(ז) רַבִּי פִּנְחָס וְרַבִּי לֵוִי וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי מְנַחֵם דְּגַלְיָא, לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא כָּל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּטֵלִין וְקָרְבַּן תּוֹדָה אֵינוֹ בָּטֵל, כָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת בְּטֵלוֹת, הַהוֹדָאָה אֵינָהּ בְּטֵלָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ירמיה לג, יא): קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה קוֹל אֹמְרִים הוֹדוּ אֶת ה' צְבָאוֹת וגו', זוֹ הוֹדָאָה, (ירמיה לג, יא): מְבִאִים תּוֹדָה בֵּית ה', זֶה קָרְבַּן תּוֹדָה.

Vayikra Rabbah 9

(1) ...

(4) Another opinion regarding the verse (Ps. 50:23) “And there is a path, I will show him the salvation of God”- Rabbi Yanai said: the it is written the one who puts a path[with a sin and not a shin], meaning that two ways are similar [in bringing one to salvation] Rabbi Yannai was once walking along the road, and saw a man who was extremely well dressed. Rabbi Yannai said to him: Would you like to come over to my house? The man replied: Yes. Rabbi Yannai brought him into his home, and gave him food and drink. As they were eating and drinking together, he examined him in his knowledge of Bible, and found out that he had none; examined his knowledge of Mishnah, and realized that he had none; his knowledge of legends, and saw that he had none; his knowledge of Talmud and saw he had none. Rabbi Yannai then told him: Wash and recite grace. Said the guest: Let Yannai recite grace in his own home. Seeing that he could not even recite a blessing, Yannai told him: Can you at least repeat what I say? Said he: Yes. Said Rabbi Yannai: repeat the following: 'A dog has eaten Yannai's bread.' Offended, the man stood up, and grabbed Rabbi Yannai by the coat! He then said: My inheritance is with you, and you are withholding it from me! Said Rabbi Yannai with puzzlement: What legacy of yours is there with me? He replied: Once I passed by a school, and I heard the voices of the little children saying: 'Moses gave us the Torah, the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.' They did not say 'the inheritance of the congregation of Yannai,' but the 'congregation of Jacob.' Rabbi Yannai asked, “How then are you worthy to eat at my table?” The guest replied, “Never have I heard an evil word spoken against me and returned to argue with the person who spoke it. Never have I seen two people arguing without making peace between them.” Rabbi Yannai then said, “you have so much Derech Eretz and I called you a dog.” On him rabbi Yanai said the verse “And there is a path” – meaning not one, but two paths take you to salvation – since rabbi Ishmael son of rav Nachman said: Derech eretz precedes Torah by 26 generations, since it is written “and to guard the way to the Tree of Life” (Genesis 3). “Way” is the derech eretz, and only after that comes “Tree of Life” which is Torah. [Back to the verse in question, Ps 50:23] I will show him the salvation of God, said rabbi Abahu: this is one of the sources for the idea that God’s salvation is Israel’s salvation (Ps. 80:3) “and come and save us”

(8) Rabbi Pinchas, Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan [said] in the name of Rabbi Menachem from Gallia: in the time to come, all sacrifices will be annulled - but the sacrifice of thanksgiving will not be annulled. all prayers will be annulled, but the prayer of gratitude will not be annulled. This accords with what is written [Jeremiah 33:11]: "The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say 'Give thanks to the LORD of hosts' etc." - this is the prayer of gratitude. "Those who bring [the sacrifice of] thanksgiving to the House of the LORD": this is the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thus David said: "I owe You vows and will offer you thanksgivings" [Psalms 56:13] - not "thanksgiving," but "thanksgivings," [indicating both] the thanksgiving prayer and the prayer of gratitude.

(9) Said Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Great is peace, for all blessings are included with it, "Adonai grants strength to His people, Adonai blesses his people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). Ḥizkiyah said two things. Ḥizkiyah said: Great is peace, for all the commandments are written this way: "When you see" (Exodus 23:5), "when you encounter" (Exodus 23:4), "when you come across" (Deuteronomy 22:6). If a commandment comes to you you are bound to do it, but if not you are not bound to do it. but here it says "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:15) – seek it for your place, and pursue it for other places. Ḥizkiyah said also: Great is peace, for of all the encampments it is written thus (Numbers 33) "And they set out... and they encamped" – they would set out divided and would encamp divided. When they all came before Mt. Sinai it was done as one encampment, as it is written (Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there"—it isn't written "And the Israelites encamped there" in the plural, but "and Israel encamped there" in the singular!—Because of this the Holy Blessed One said, "Here is the gate where I will give the Torah to My children." Bar Kappara said three things. Bar Kappara said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Torah so as to impose peace between Abraham and Sarah, as it is written "After I am withered shall I have pleasure? And my husband is so old!" (Genesis 18:12) but to Abraham He didn't say that but rather "And I am so old!" (Genesis 18:13). Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Prophetic books to impose peace between husband and wife, as it is said, "Look, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will conceive and bear a son" (Judges 13:3), but to Manoaḥ He didn't say that but rather "All that I said to the woman she should follow" (Judges 13:13) – in all that she still needs markers. Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for if the celestials who have no jealousy or hatred or rivalry or strife or quarrels or debates or evil eye require peace, as it is written (Job 25:2) "He who makes peace in the heavens," how much more so the mortals who have all those traits? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel: Great is peace, because the writings spoke works of fiction in the Torah to impose peace between Joseph and his brothers, as it is written (Genesis 50:17) “Thus say to Yosef, please forgive” - but we do not find Jacob commanding any such thing! Said Rabbi Yosei the Galilean: Great is pace, for even in a time of war we only open with peace, as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:10) "When you approach a city to make war on it, call out to it for peace." Said Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Yosei: Great is peace, for the name of the Holy Blessed One is called peace, as it is written "And he called it "Adonai is peace" (Judges 6:24). Said Rabbi Tanḥum son of Yudan, from here we derive that it is forbidden for one to call out "Peace" to a companion in a filthy place. Taught Rabbi Yishmael: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife. (See Numbers 5:19-23). Rabbi Meir was sitting and discoursing on Shabbat evening. There was this one woman who would sit and listen to him give his lecture. Once she waited until the lecture ended, went home, and found the light had gone out. Her husband said to her, "Where have you been?" She said to him, "I was sitting and listening to the voice of the lecturer." He said to her, "Thus and more I vow: I will not let you enter here until you go and spit in the lecturer's face!" She stayed away one Shabbat, another, a third. Her neighbors said to her, "Are you still angry at each other? Let's come with you to the lecture." When Rabbi Meir saw them, he figured it out through the Holy spirit. He said to them, "Is there here a woman knowledgeable in treating eyes?" Her neighbors said to her, "If you go spit in his eye you will unbind your husband." When she sat down in front of him she became afraid of him, and said to him, "Rabbi, I am not knowledgeable in treating eyes." He said to her, "Even so, spit in my eye seven times, and I will be cured." She did so. He said to her, "Go tell your husband you told me to do it once and I spat seven times. His disciples said to him, "Rabbi, should people thus abuse the Torah? Couldn't one of us offered a treatment for you?" He said to them, "Is it not enough for Meir to be like his Maker?" for it had been taught: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife." Said Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta: Great is peace, for When the Holy Blessed One created His universe He made pace between the upper and lower parts. On the first day He created some of the upper and lower parts, as it is written "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). On the second He created some of the upper parts, as it is written "And God said, 'let there be a firmament'" (Genesis 1:6). On the third He created some of the lower parts, as it is written, "And God said, 'gather the waters'" (Genesis 1:9). On the fourth some of the upper parts — "Let there be lights in the heavenly firmament" (Genesis 1:14). On the fifth He created some of the lower parts — "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm'" (Genesis 1:20). On the sixth He came to create humanity. He said, "If I create him from more upper parts, then the upper parts will outnumber the lower by one creation. If I create him from more lower parts, then the lower parts will outnumber the upper by one creation." What did He do? He made him from upper parts and from lower parts, as it is written "And Adonai God created humanity from the dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7) — lower parts, "and blew into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) — upper parts. Rabbi Manei of Sh'av and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace for all blessings and goodnesses and mercies that the Holy Blessed One gives to Israel are sealed with peace. The reading of the Shema — "spreads the shelter of peace." The standing prayer — "He who makes peace." The Priestly Blessing — "and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). And I only know this regarding blessings, so where do we derive this for sacrifices? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering, of the grain-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the fulfillment-offerings, and of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:37). I only know this in general, so where do we derive this in detail? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), "This is the Torah of the grain-offering" (Leviticus 6:7), "This is the Torah of the sin-offering" (Leviticus 6:18), "This is the Torah of the guilt-offering" (Leviticus 7:1), "This is the Torah of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:11). I only know this for individual sacrifices, so where do we derive this for communal sacrifices? The verse (Numbers 29:39) says, "Do these for Adonai on your set times," but finishes with "your peace-offerings." I only know this in this world, so from where do we derive this in the next? "I will extend to her peace like a wadi" (Isaiah 66:12). The Rabbis said, great is peace for When the messianic king will come he will only open with peace, as it is written, "How pleasant on the mountains are the feet of the messenger proclaiming peace!" (Isaiah 52:7)

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, מודה אני א׳

(א) מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם שֶׁהֶחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Modeh Ani 1

(1) I give thanks to You living and everlasting King for You have restored my soul with mercy. Great is Your faithfulness.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, אלהי נשמה א׳

(א) אֱלֹהַי נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַֽתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה הִיא אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּ֒רָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּ֒לָהּ מִמֶּֽנִּי וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּ֒שָׁמָה בְקִרְבִּי מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי רִבּוֹן כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲדוֹן כָּל הַנְּ֒שָׁמוֹת: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Elokai Neshama 1

(1) My God! the soul which You bestowed in me is pure; You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me and You preserve it within me. You will eventually take it from me, and restore it in me in the time to come. So long as the soul is within me I give thanks to You, Adonoy my God, and God of my fathers, Lord of all creatures, Master of all souls. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who restores souls to dead bodies.

סידור אשכנז, שבת, שחרית, פסוקי דזמרה, נשמת כל חי

(א) נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי תְּבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ. וְרוּחַ כָּל בָּשר תְּפָאֵר וּתְרומֵם זִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ תָּמִיד: מִן הָעולָם וְעַד הָעולָם אַתָּה אֵל. וּמִבַּלְעָדֶיךָ אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ גּואֵל וּמושִׁיעַ. פּודֶה וּמַצִּיל וּמְפַרְנֵס וּמְרַחֵם בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה וְצוּקָה. אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ עוזֵר וְסומֵךְ אֶלָּא אָתָּה: אֱלהֵי הָרִאשׁונִים וְהָאַחֲרונִים. אֱלוהַּ כָּל בְּרִיות. אֲדון כָּל תּולָדות. הַמְּהֻלָּל בְּרוב הַתִּשְׁבָּחות. הַמְּנַהֵג עולָמו בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרִיּותָיו בְּרַחֲמִים: וה' לא יָנוּם וְלא יִישָׁן. הַמְעורֵר יְשֵׁנִים. וְהַמֵּקִיץ נִרְדָּמִים. וְהַמֵּשיחַ אִלְמִים. וְהַמַּתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. וְהַסּומֵךְ נופְלִים. וְהַזּוקֵף כְּפוּפִים. לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ אֲנַחְנוּ מודִים: אִלּוּ פִינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה כַּיָּם. וּלְשׁונֵנוּ רִנָּה כַּהֲמון גַּלָּיו. וְשפְתותֵינוּ שֶׁבַח כְּמֶרְחֲבֵי רָקִיעַ. וְעֵינֵינוּ מְאִירות כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְכַיָּרֵחַ. וְיָדֵינוּ פְרוּשות כְּנִשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם. וְרַגְלֵינוּ קַלּות כָּאַיָּלות. אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ מַסְפִּיקִים לְהודות לְךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. וּלְבָרֵךְ אֶת שְׁמֶךָ עַל אַחַת מֵאֶלֶף אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים וְרִבֵּי רְבָבות פְּעָמִים. הַטּובות שֶׁעָשיתָ עִם אֲבותֵינוּ וְעִמָּנוּ: מִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאַלְתָּנוּ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ. וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתָנוּ. בְּרָעָב זַנְתָּנוּ. וּבְשבָע כִּלְכַּלְתָּנוּ. מֵחֶרֶב הִצַּלְתָּנוּ. וּמִדֶּבֶר מִלַּטְתָּנוּ. וּמֵחֳלָיִם רָעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים דִּלִּיתָנוּ: עַד הֵנָּה עֲזָרוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ. וְלא עֲזָבוּנוּ חֲסָדֶיךָ וְאַל תִּטְּשֵׁנוּ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ לָנֶצַח: עַל כֵּן אֵבָרִים שֶׁפִּלַּגְתָּ בָּנוּ. וְרוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּפַחְתָּ בְּאַפֵּינוּ. וְלָשׁון אֲשֶׁר שמְתָּ בְּפִינוּ. הֵן הֵם. יודוּ וִיבָרְכוּ וִישַׁבְּחוּ וִיפָאֲרוּ וִירומְמוּ וְיַעֲרִיצוּ וְיַקְדִּישׁוּ וְיַמְלִיכוּ אֶת שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּנוּ: כִּי כָל פֶּה לְךָ יודֶה. וְכָל לָשׁון לְךָ תִשָּׁבַע. וְכָל בֶּרֶךְ לְךָ תִכְרַע. וְכָל קומָה לְפָנֶיךָ תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה. וְכָל לְּבָבות יִירָאוּךָ. וְכָל קֶרֶב וּכְלָיות יְזַמְּרוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ. כַּדָּבָר שֶׁכָּתוּב. כָּל עַצְמותַי תּאמַרְנָה ה' מִי כָמוךָ. מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ. וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיון מִגּוזְלו.

Siddur Ashkenaz, Shabbat, Shacharit, Pesukei Dezimra, Nishmat Kol Chai

...

סידור נוסח עדות המזרח, שחרית לימי החול, עמידה

(מב) מוֹדִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ לָךְ, שֶׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵֽאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, צוּרֵֽנוּ צוּר חַיֵּֽינוּ וּמָגֵן יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ אַתָּה הוּא, לְדוֹר וָדוֹר נוֹדֶה לְךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ, עַל חַיֵּֽינוּ הַמְּסוּרִים בְּיָדֶֽךָ, וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵֽינוּ הַפְּקוּדוֹת לָךְ, וְעַל נִסֶּֽיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל־יוֹם עִמָּֽנוּ, וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ וְטֽוֹבוֹתֶֽיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל־עֵת, עֶֽרֶב וָבֹֽקֶר וְצָֽהֳרָֽיִם. הַטּוֹב, כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ, הַמְּרַחֵם, כִּי לֹא תַֽמּוּ חֲסָדֶֽיךָ, כִּי מֵֽעוֹלָם קִוִּֽינוּ לָךְ:

(נ) וְעַל כֻּלָּם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְיִתְרוֹמָם, וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא, תָּמִיד, שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. וְכָל־הַחַיִּים יוֹדֽוּךָ סֶּֽלָה: בעשרת ימי תשובה אומרים: וּכְתֹב לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים כָּל בְּנֵי בְרִיתֶךָ. וִֽיהַֽלְלוּ וִֽיבָֽרְכוּ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל בֶּֽאֱמֶת לְעוֹלָם כִּי טוֹב, הָאֵל יְשֽׁוּעָתֵֽנוּ וְעֶזְרָתֵֽנוּ סֶֽלָה, הָאֵל הַטּוֹב: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יֻהֻוֻהֻ, הַטּוֹב שִׁמְךָ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת:

Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Weekday Shacharit, Amida

(1) Amida of Shah'rit / Morning Prayer of Regular Weekday

(2) My L·rd, open my lips, & my mouth will speak Your praises.

(3) Blessed are You L·rd, our G·d, & G·d of our fathers, G·d of Avraham, G·d of Yitshak & G·d of Yaacov. The great, the mighty & the awesome G·d. Exalted G·d. Who bestows good kindness. He possesses everything & recalls the kindness of the patriarchs. And brings the redeemer to their children's children, for His Name's sake, with love. King, helper, savior & a shield, blessed are You L·rd, Shield of Avraham.

(4) You are mighty forever, my L·rd, You revive the dead - Greatly capable of saving.

(5) (summer) who causes the dew to fall (winter) who causes the winds to blow & the rain to fall.

(6) You sustain the living with loving-kindness. You revive the dead with great compassion. You support the fallen & heal the ill. And You release those bound. And You fulfill Your faithfulness to those who sleep in the ground. Who is like You, Master of [all] powers, King, Who causes death & gives life & causes salvation to sprout. & You are trustworthy to revive the dead. Blessed are You L·rd, Who revives the dead.

(7) Kedousha (said in repetition of Amida in quorum of 10 men – in prayer alone skip to “You are Holy”)

(9) We will sanctify You & revere You, like the pleasant conversation, of the assembly of the holy Serafim (angels) that recite holiness thrice before You. And as it is written by Your prophet: And one calls to the other & says : Holy, Holy, holy is the L·rd of hosts; the entire world is filled with His glory. Those facing them, give praise & say: Blessed is the honor of the L·rd from His place. And in Your holy words it is written, stating: The L·rd will reign forever, your G·d, oh zion, for every generation, Halleluy·ah. (Praise G·d!)

(10) You are Holy, & Your Name is holy, & Your holy ones will praise You every day, forever. Blessed are You L·rd the holy G·d. (10 days of repentance – the holy King)

(11) You graciously bestow knowledge to man, & teach mortals understanding, graciously bestow upon us from Yourself wisdom, understanding & knowledge. Blessed are You L·rd, Who graciously bestows knowledge.

(12) Return us, our Father, to Your Torah & approach us, our King, to Your service, & bring us back to complete repentance before You. Blessed are You L·rd, Who desires repentance.

(13) Pardon us, our Father, for we transgressed. Forgive us, our King for we sinned. for You are a good & forgiving G·d. Blessed are You L·rd, gracious One, Who abundantly pardons.

(14) Behold, please, our affliction & fight our battle, & speedily redeem us, [with] a complete redemption, for Your Name. for You G·d, are a mighty Redeemer, Blessed are You L·rd, Redeemer of Yisrael.

(18) Heal us, L·rd, & we will be healed. Save us & we will be saved, for You are our Praise. And bring a cure & healing for all of our ailments, & all our pains, & all our wounds for, G·d You are a compassionate & faithful healer. Blessed are You L·rd, Who heals the ill of His people, Yisrael.

(19) [In Summer]

(20) Bless us, L·rd, our G·d, in all the works of our hands & Bless our years with dews of favor, blessing & benevolence, & let its end be with life, & satiety & peace, like the best years of blessing, for You are a good & benevolent G·d & You Bless the years. Blessed are You L·rd, Who blesses the years.

(21) [In Winter]

(22) Bless for us, L·rd, our G·d, this year, & all types of its produce for good, & provide dew & rain for blessing on the entire face of the land & quench the face of the earth, & satiate the entire world with Your good, & fill our hands from Your blessings & the wealth of the gifts of Your hands. Protect & save this year from any bad thing, & any kind of destruction, & any kind of retribution, & make for it good hope, & an ending of peace. Have compassion & mercy upon it & upon all of its produce & fruits, & Bless it with rains of goodwill, blessing & benevolence, & let its end be with life, & satiety & peace, like the good years of blessing, for You are a good & benevolent G·d & You Bless the years. Blessed are You L·rd, Who blesses the years.

(23) Sound a great Shofar (rams horn for Mashiah'), for our freedom, & raise a flag to gather our exiles, & assemble us together quickly from the four corners of the earth to our land (of Israel). Blessed are You, that assembles the displaced of His people, Israel.

(24) Restore our Judges (of the Sanhedrin) as at first, & our advisers as in the beginning, & remove from us sorrow & groan, & rule upon us speedily, You alone L·rd, with lovingkindness & compassion, with righteousness & justice Blessed are You, L·rd, King Who loves righteousness & justice. [In 10 Days of Repentance Say instead: The King, The Judge]

(25) For the informers & the heretics, let there be no hope. And all the wicked, let them perish in an instant, And all Your enemies & all Your haters, may they quickly be terminated, & as For a wicked government, may You uproot & smash & terminate & subdue them speedily in our days. Blessed are You, L·rd, Who smashes the enemies & subdues wicked. (the Heretics)

(26) Upon the righteous & the pious, & all the remnant of Your people, the House of Israel, & on their elders, & on the remnant of the academies of [Torah] sages, & upon the righteous converts & upon us, awaken, please, Your mercy L·rd, our G·d, & give us good reward, to all that have true faith in Your Name, & place our lot with them, & upon Your great mercy, we truly rely. Blessed are You, L·rd, a support & an assurance, for the righteous.

(27) Dwell within Jerusalem Your city, as You spoke about, & the throne of David, Your servant, speedily prepare it within it, & build it an eternal structure speedily in our days. Blessed are You, L·rd, Who builds Jerusalem.

(28) The offspring of [the Kingship of] David, Your servant, may you speedily cause to blossom, & raise his horn (i.e., Power) with Your salvation, for Your salvation, for we hope for & look forward to all day. Blessed are You, L·rd, Who causes the horn of salvation to sprout.

(29) Hear our voice L·rd our G·d, merciful Father, have pity & mercy upon us, & accept with mercy & favor our prayers, for You are G·d, Who hears prayers & supplications. And from before You, our King, do not send us back empty [handed], grace us [with benevolence], & respond to us & hear our prayers,...

(32) ... for You hear the prayer of each mouth. *** Blessed are You, our G·d, Who hears prayer.

(33) Find favor, L·rd, our G·d, in Your people Israel, & to their prayers turn, & restore the [divine offering] service to the inner Sanctuary of Your house, & the fires [of the offerings] of Israel & their prayers speedily lovingly accept with favor, & let You continually have satisfaction from the service of Your people Israel.

(34) (Rosh Hodesh, Intermed. days Passover & Sukot say)

(35) Our G·d, & G·d of Our forefathers, may it rise, & come, arrive, appear, find favor, & be heard, & be considered, & be remembered & our remembrance, & the remembrance of our Patriarchs, & the remembrance of Jerusalem, Your city, & the remembrance of the Messiah, the son of David, Your servant, & the remembrance of your entire People, the house of Israel before You – for deliverance, for good, for grace, for kindness, & mercy, for a good life, on this day of

(36) (on Rosh Hodesh) the head of the month

(37) (on Passover) the Holiday of Matzot

(38) (on Sukkot) Holiday of Sukkot. On this day of Holy Convocation,

(39) to have mercy on it (this day) upon us & to save us. Remember L·rd, our G·d, on it for good, & consider us on it with blessing, & deliver us on it for good life, with a pronouncement of deliverance & mercy. Take pity & be gracious to us, & have mercy & be compassionate with us & save us for upon You are our eyes turned, for You are G·d, King, gracious & compassionate.

(40) And You, with Your great compassion, desire us & let us be dear, & may our eyes see Your return to Zion with compassion. Bless You, L·rd, Who returns His Divine Presence to Zion.

(41) [Upon Saying "Modim" / "We are Grateful" One Bows]

(42) We are grateful to You, that You are He Who is the L·rd, our G·d, & G·d of our fathers forever, & our Rock, the Rock of our lives & You are He Who is a Shield of salvation. For each & every generation, we will thank You & will relate Your praise, upon our lives that are placed in Your Hands, & upon our souls, that are entrusted in Your hands (when we sleep), & upon Your miracles that all day are with us, & all Your wonders & goodness at all times, at night, & morning & afternoon. The Good [One], For Your mercy never ends, The Merciful [One are You], For Your loving-kindness never ceases, forever we have hope in You.

(46) *(Al HaNissim) (on Purim & Hanuka an extra prayer is added here)

(50) Upon all of these, You are Blessed, You are Exalted & Uplifted (in our mouths) always, Your Name, our King, forever & ever & all the living will praise You evermore. And they will praise, & they will bless Your Great Name truely, constantly, for It is good, the G·d of our Salvation & our Assistance, the Good G·d. Blessed are You L·rd, the Good, Your Name & You are befitting to give thanks.

(56) [May the] L·rd bless you & protect you. [Cong. Answers : Amen]

(57) [May the] L·rd shine His countenance upon you & give you grace. [Cong. Answers : Amen]

(58) [May the] L·rd lift His countenance upon you & place peace upon you. [Cong. Answers : Amen]

(61) [May the] L·rd bless you & protect you. [Cong. Answers : Thus, May it Be His Will]

(62) [May the] L·rd shine His countenance upon you & give you grace. [Cong. Answers : Thus, May it Be His Will]

(63) [May the] L·rd lift His countenance upon you & place peace upon you. [Cong. Answers : Thus, May it Be His Will]

(64) ......

(66) Establish peace, good, & blessing, life, grace & kindness, & compassion upon us & upon all Israel, Your Nation, & bless us our Father all of us together with the light of Your countenance, For with the light of Your countenance, You gave us, L·rd, our G·d, Torah & Life, Love & Kindness, Righteousness & Compassion, Blessing & Peace, & it is Good in Your eyes to bless us, & to bless all Your people Israel, with great force & peace. Blessed are You L·rd, Who Blesses His people of Israel with Peace. Amen.

(67) May they find favor, the words of my mouth & the thoughts of my heart, before You, L·rd, my Rock & my Redeemer.

(68) My G·d! Guard my tongue from Bad, & my lips from [speaking] deceit. And those that curse me, let my soul be silent. And let my soul be like the dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, & after Your Mitzvot (commandments) let my soul pursue, & all that rise against me for bad, quickly nullify their counsel & ruin their thoughts. Do [it] for the sake of Your Name, do [it] for the sake of Your right (mercy), do [it] for the sake of Your Torah, do [it] for the sake of Your Holiness. for the sake of refraining Your beloved (Israel, from sufferance), Your right (mercy) Deliver [us], & answer us.

(70) May they find favor [from You] - the saying of my mouth & the reflections of my heart before You, my L·rd, my Rock & my Redeemer.

(71) He Who makes peace from the heights, may He with His compassion, make peace upon us & all His people Israel, & [Let us] say, Amen.

(72) May it be Your will before You, L·rd, Our G-d and G-d of our fathers – that You build the Holy Temple speedily in our days. And give us our share in Your Torah – to do the laws of Your will and to serve You with a perfect heart.

(73) [On Rosh Hodesh / Head of Month - One Says Hallel Here]

(74) Avinu Malkenu – / Our Father Our King - said 10 days of repentance

(75) Our Father, Our King – we sinned before You, have mercy upon us

(76) Our Father, Our King We have no king, other than You

(77) Our Father, Our King do it [have mercy] for us for Your Name

(78) Our Father, Our King, Renew for us a Good Year

(79) Our Father, Our King nullify from us all all Evil & Hard Decrees

(80) Our Father, Our King Nullify the thoughts of those who hate us

(81) Our Father, Our King, overturn the counsel of our enemies

(82) Our Father, Our King – extinguish all pain & accusations against us

(83) Our Father, Our King – remove pestilence, and the sword and bad and hunger and captivity and plunder and the destroyer and plague and evil inclination and bad illness from the people of your covenant

(84) Our Father, Our King, send a complete healing to all the ill of your people

(85) Our Father, Our King, prevent a plagues from your heritage

(86) Our Father, Our King, remember that we are [only] dust

(87) Our Father, Our King, forgive and pardon all our transgressions

(88) Our Father, Our King, tear up all of our bad judgements

(89) Our Father, Our King with your great mercy erase all our contracts of debt

(90) Our Father, Our King erase and remove our sins before your Eyes

(91) Our Father, Our King, inscribe us in the book of good life

(92) Our Father, Our King, inscribe us in the book of the righteous and pious

(93) Our Father, Our King, inscribe us in the book of the straight and simple

(94) Our Father, Our King, inscribe us in the book of good income & sustenance

(95) Our Father, Our King, inscribe us in the book of forgiveness, pardon & atonement

(96) Our Father, Our King inscribe us in the book of redemption & salvation

(97) Our Father, Our King remember us with a good remembrance before You

(98) Our Father, Our King let the salvation sprout speedily

(99) Our Father, Our King, raise the horn of Yisrael, Your people

(100) Our Father, Our King, and raise the horn of Your Messiah

(101) Our Father, Our King, have grace upon us and answer us

(102) Our Father, Our King, return us to complete repentance before You

(103) Our Father, Our King, listen to our voice [of prayer] & have pity & be merciful upon us

(104) Our Father, Our King, do it for Your sake if not for our own sake

(105) Our Father, Our King, accept with mercy and goodwill our prayers

(106) Our Father, Our King, do not return us empty-[handed] before You

עוד על מיזם "עשרת ימי תודה"- בקרו באתר שלנו