Commentary for Berakhot 9:5

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. לֹא יָקֵל אָדָם אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ כְּנֶגֶד שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח, שֶׁהוּא מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית קָדְשֵׁי הַקָּדָשִׁים. לֹא יִכָּנֵס לְהַר הַבַּיִת בְּמַקְלוֹ, וּבְמִנְעָלוֹ, וּבְפֻנְדָּתוֹ, וּבְאָבָק שֶׁעַל רַגְלָיו, וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂנּוּ קַפַּנְדַּרְיָא, וּרְקִיקָה מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר. כָּל חוֹתְמֵי בְרָכוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים מִן הָעוֹלָם. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַמִּינִין, וְאָמְרוּ, אֵין עוֹלָם אֶלָּא אֶחָד, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים, מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם. וְהִתְקִינוּ, שֶׁיְּהֵא אָדָם שׁוֹאֵל אֶת שְׁלוֹם חֲבֵרוֹ בַּשֵּׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (רות ב) וְהִנֵּה בֹעַז בָּא מִבֵּית לֶחֶם, וַיֹּאמֶר לַקּוֹצְרִים יְיָ עִמָּכֶם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ. וְאוֹמֵר (שופטים ו) יְיָ עִמְּךָ גִּבּוֹר הֶחָיִל. וְאוֹמֵר (משלי כג) אַל תָּבוּז כִּי זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קיט) עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַייָ הֵפֵרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ. רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר, הֵפֵרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַייָ:

One must bless the L-rd for the ill just as he does for the good. [When he blesses "dayan ha'emeth" for the ill, he must do so with joy and with goodness of heart, just as he does when he blesses "hatov vehametiv' for the good], viz. (Deuteronomy 6:5: "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might." "with all your heart" — with both of your inclinations, the good and the evil." "and with all your soul" — even if he takes your soul. "and with all your might" — with all your wealth. Another interpretation: "with all your might [meodecha]" — For every measure (middah) that He metes out (moded) to you, [whether for good or for ill] thank Him (modeh lo) exceedingly (me'od me'od). One may not deport himself light-headedly opposite the eastern gate (of the Temple) [outside the Temple Mount, in the lower wall at the foot of the Temple to the east], for it is aligned with the holy of holies. [All of the gates were aligned with one another: the eastern gate, the gate of the ezrath nashim, the gate of ezrath Yisrael, the entrance of the Ullam, the sanctuary, and the holy of holies — in the days of the first Temple.] One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, his shoe, his punda [a hollow belt where money is kept. Another interpretation: a garment worn on one's flesh to absorb sweat so that it not soil his other garments. It is demeaning for one to go out in that garment alone.], and with the dust on his feet. And he should not make it kapandaria [to go in by that entrance and to come out by the opposite one, thereby shortening the distance. "kapandaria" - "ademakifna dari, a'ol beha," i.e., "Instead of circuiting rows of houses, I shall (shorten my walk and) enter here."] And spitting [is forbidden in the Temple Mount] a fortioti [from shoes, viz.: If the wearing of shoes, which is not a demeaning act, is forbidden there, how much more so, spitting, which is a demeaning act!] All (prayer leaders) in the Temple would close blessings with "from the world" [The prayer leader says at the end of every blessing: "Blessed is the L-rd the G-d of Israel from the world until the world, the Bestower of knowledge"; and so with all. And the answerers say: "Blessed is the name of the glory of His kingdom forevermore." For "Amen" is not answered after every blessing in the Temple, it being written (Nechemiah 9:5): "Arise and bless the L-rd your G-d from the world until the world," and, afterwards (Ibid.): "And they shall bless the name of Your glory." That is, they answer: "Blessed is the name of the glory of His kingdom forevermore." And we are apprised here that in the first Temple they said only: "Blessed is the G-d of Israel from the world," and not more. They did not say: "until the world."] When the heretics, [who do not believe in the resurrection] distorted this, [saying: There is no world but this one], they [Ezra and his beth-din] instituted that they say: "from the world until the world" [i.e., there are two worlds, this world and the world to come.] And they instituted that one greet his fellow in the name [of the L-rd, this not being regarded as denigrating the honor of the L-rd for the honor of men, "taking" the name of the L-rd for their sake]. For it is written (Ruth 2:4): "And, behold, Boaz came, of Bethlehem, and he said to the harvesters: 'The L-rd be with you,' and they said to him: 'The L-rd bless you,'" and (Judges 6:12): "And he (the angel) said to him (Gideon): 'The L-rd be with you, O man of valor!'" and (Proverbs 23:22): "Do not scorn ki zakna imecha," and (Psalms 119:126): "It is time to act for the L-rd; they have voided your Torah," which R. Nathan expounded: "They have voided your Torah at a time of acting for the L-rd." [If it be contended that Boaz used this blessing of his own volition and that this cannot be taken as a precedent, this is negated by the angel saying to Gideon: "The L-rd be with you, O man of valor." And if it be contended that the angel is not saying this by way of greeting, but apprising him by the L-rd's embassy, that the Shechinah is with him, so that it, too, cannot serve as a precedent — this is countered by: "Do not scorn ki zakna imecha," viz.: Do not scorn Boaz, saying that he acted of his own volition; but learn miziknei umathecha ("the elders of your people"). He has authority to reply upon, viz.: "It is time to act for the L-rd; they have voided your Torah," which R. Nathan interpreted, etc., i.e.: Sometimes words of Torah are voided in order to act for the L-rd. — as in the instance of one greeting his fellow (in the name of the L-rd). This, indeed, is the will of the L-rd, viz. (Psalms 34:15): "Seek peace and pursue it." It is permitted to "void" Torah and to do something which seems forbidden.]

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