Two groups who ate in one house — if some of them see each other, they join for zimun; and if not, each group makes a zimun itself. [And if one waiter serves both groups, though they do not see each other, the waiter joins them.] One may not make the blessing over wine [borei p'ri hagafen] until he dilutes it with water. These are the words of R. Eliezer. [For their wine was very strong and was not fit for drinking until it was diluted. Therefore, (before being diluted) it was not "changed for the better" and did not depart from its original blessing, "borei p'ri ha'etz," for grapes. But the halachah is not in accordance with R. Eliezer.] And the sages say: One does make the blessing.
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ואם לאו אלו מזמנין לעצמן – And at the time where the attendant/waiter serves the two groups, even though each group does not see the other, the waiter/attendant combines them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
The final mishnah of this chapter deals with two groups eating in the same room and whether or not they say a zimun together.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
אין מברכין על היין – “Who Creates the Fruit of the Vine/בורא פרי הגפן”.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Two eating companies that were eating in the same room: When some of them can see some of the other they combine [for a zimun], but if not each group makes a zimun for itself. The rule here is quite simple if the two groups can see each other then they are “eating together” and they should do one zimun. Not everyone from every group has to see each the other group, rather it is sufficient that some from each group can see the other group. If no one sees each the other group, then they each do a zimun for themselves.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
Until putting water into it, since their wine is extremely strong, and it was not appropriate to drink without water [added to it]. Therefore, since it was not changed for the better, and he did not change his blessing, we recite on it [the blessing] “בורא פרי העץ/Who Creates the fruit of trees,” like [we would recite] on grapes. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Eliezer.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
They do not bless over the wine until they put water into it, the words of Rabbi Eliezer. The sages say they bless. Wine was generally mixed with water before it was drunk. This would lower the alcohol level of the wine to around 5 %, a level similar to the beer that we generally drink. [Today wine is usually about 12% alcohol.] According to Rabbi Eliezer if one drinks unmixed wine a blessing is not recited because civilized people don’t drink unmixed wine. The other sages disagree and hold that he does recite the blessing over even unmixed wine.
