Trois qui ont mangé ensemble chayavin lezamen. [Ils doivent "grouper" (lehizdamen) ensemble pour bénir au pluriel: "Bénissons celui dont nous avons mangé."] Un zimun (un tel groupe) est fait (même) si l'on mange: demai, [Le les fruits d'un am ha'aretz (une personne sans instruction) sont appelés "demai", c'est-à-dire "da mai?" "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Dîme ou sans dîme? Car les amei ha'aretz sont suspects en ce qui concerne les dîmes. Et les sages ont interdit de manger de leurs fruits jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient reçu la dîme. Mais si quelqu'un en a mangé sans dîme, la bénédiction (grâce) est néanmoins récitée, et elle n'est pas considérée comme "une mitsva passant par une transgression" parce que la plupart des amei ha'aretz font la dîme], et ma'aser rishon ( la première dîme) dont la terumah avait été prise, [même si la terumah gedolah ("la grande terumah") n'en avait pas été prise. À savoir: un Lévite précédait un Cohein et prit son ma'aser dans les tiges, avant que le Cohein n'ait pris la terumah gedolah. Le Cohein devait prendre la terumah gedolah, un cinquantième, d'abord, la Torah l'appelant "reshith" ("le premier"). Il en ressort donc que la terumah gedolah du Cohein se trouve dans ce ma'aser— un cinquantième —à part terumath ma'aser, il incombe au lévite de séparer terumah de son ma'aser. Notre Michna nous apprend que le Lévite n'a pas besoin de séparer terumah gedolah de lui, il est écrit (Nombres 18:26): "Alors vous (les Lévites) en séparerez terumah pour l'Éternel, ma'aser de la ma ' aser "—ma'aser du ma'aser, et non terumah gedolah et terumath ma'aser du ma'aser.], et ma'aser sheni (la deuxième dîme) et hekdesh (objets dévoués) qui ont été rachetés, [comme quand il a donné le principal, mais pas le cinquième (les propriétaires ajoutant un cinquième), le tanna nous informant que (l'absence de) le cinquième ne fait pas obstacle (de la bénédiction).], et (un zimun est fait avec) le serveur qui a mangé une taille d'olive. [car on croirait que puisque le serveur n'a pas de place fixe, mais va et vient, un zimun n'est pas fait avec lui; nous en sommes donc informés autrement. Dans tous ces cas, nous sommes conscients que bien qu'ils soient similaires à ce qui est interdit, ils ne constituent pas une "bénédiction venant de la transgression."], Et (avec) un Cuthite [une de la secte d'idolateurs que le roi d'Assur a apporté de Cutha et d'autres terres et se sont installés dans les villes de Shomron. Ils sont devenus des prosélytes par peur des lions qui ont commencé à les dévorer, comme expliqué dans II Rois (17), et ils ont observé la Loi écrite, étant plus exigeants que les Juifs eux-mêmes dans l'observance de chaque mitsva qu'ils observaient. On leur a donc fait confiance à l'égard de certaines mitsvoth jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient établi une image d'une colombe au sommet du mont Gerizim, qu'ils servaient. À partir de ce moment-là, ils étaient considérés comme des idolâtres absolus à tous égards, raison pour laquelle aujourd'hui un zimun n'est pas fait avec un Cuthite.] Mais un zimun n'est pas fait si l'on mange du tevel [Grain dont la terumah et le ma'aser n'ont pas été pris est appelé "tevel" ("tav lo" - "Ce n'est pas bon"). Et non seulement (cela va sans dire) un zimun n'est pas fait sur ce qui est dit selon les Écritures, mais même sur ce qui est émis par ordonnance rabbinique, comme le grain cultivé dans un pot de fleur non perforé.], Et ma'aser rishon dont terumah n'avait pas été prise. ["Terumah" ici n'est pas terumath ma'aser, car ce serait un niveau absolu, mais le cas auquel il est fait référence est celui dans lequel le Lévite a précédé le Cohein sur la pile après avoir été achevé et est devenu sujet à terumah selon le Torah, et a pris ma'aser rishon en premier. Un cinquantième de celui-ci est soumis à la terumah gedolah de Cohein; et tant que la terumah gedolah n'a pas été séparée, même si la terumah de ma'aser a été séparée, aucun zimun n'est fait dessus. (Si le Lévite avait précédé le Cohein et pris son ma'aser dans les tiges, avant l'achèvement du tas, il n'y aurait pas besoin de séparer terumah gedolah, comme expliqué ci-dessus).], Et ma'aser sheni et hekdesh qui n'avaient pas été rachetés [Il n'est pas nécessaire de dire que (aucun zimun n'est fait) s'ils n'avaient pas été rachetés du tout; car cela va sans dire. La référence est, plutôt, à un cas dans lequel il avait été racheté, mais pas selon la halakha, comme lorsque ma'aser sheni est racheté avec des fragments d'argent ou avec une pièce de monnaie qui n'a aucun dessin dessus, l'Écriture ayant déclaré ( Deutéronome 14, 25): "Vetzarta l'argent"—l'argent qui a une tzura (dessin dessus); et comme quand hekdesh est racheté avec de la terre au lieu de l'argent, l'Écriture ayant déclaré (Lévitique 27:19): "Alors il ajoutera un cinquième de l'argent."], et (avec) le serveur qui a mangé moins qu'une olive -Taille. [Ceci est une Michna superflue; mais puisque la plupart (des exemples mentionnés ci-dessus) sont répétés pour un enseignement nécessaire, cela aussi est répété.], et un idolâtre. [La référence est à un prosélyte qui a subi la circoncision mais pas une immersion rituelle, la Mishna nous apprenant que tant qu'il n'a pas subi d'immersion rituelle, il est toujours un idolâtre, n'étant pas considéré comme un prosélyte tant qu'il n'a pas subi à la fois la circoncision et l'immersion rituelle. ]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
שלשה שאכל כאחד חייבין לזמן – to join oneself to [the group] together to recite [Birkat HaMazon] in the plural [formulation], “let us bless/give thanks for what we had have eaten of His {God’s].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
The seventh chapter is all about the invitation to recite Birkat Hamazon together. This is the short responsive refrain recited before the first blessing of Birkat Hamazon. This invitation is called a “zimun” which literally means, “invitation.”
Our mishnah teaches when a “zimun” is recited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
דמאי – produce of the masses (lit., “ignorant ones”) which are called “DEMAI”/doubtfully tithed, that is to say, this – have they been tithed or not? Since they are suspected regarding the tithes. (Note: Generally, the masses (common people – who are not known as Haverim/colleagues who are considered trustworthy) would give תרומה גדולה– the 2% tithe of their produce to a Kohen, but they might not necessarily give 1/10th of the rest to a Levite- known as מעשר ראשון/First Tithe or take 1/10 of the remainder to Jerusalem in years 1,2,4 and 5 of the seven year cycle to be consumed there- known as מעשר שני/Second Tithe), and the Sages forbade eating from their produce until they would tithe it, and if one ate [from produce] that was not tithed, one recites the [appropriate] blessing on it and it is not considered a Mitzvah performed on account of a sin, since most of the masses do tithe.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Three that have eaten together, it is their duty to invite [one another to say Birkat Hamazon]. The minimum number of people required to recite a “zimun” is three. This seems the minimum number to be considered a group.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
שנטלה תרומתו – And even though they may not have taken from it the תרומה גדולה/the Great Tithe (for the Kohen), such as the son of a Levite who took his portion (מעשר ראשון) for them prior to the Kohen taking his תרומה גדולה portion (2% of the entire individual’s produce, and the Kohen who should have taken his תרומה גדולה first [which is] one-fiftieth (1/50), as the All-Merciful (in the Torah) calls it “[the] first [portion]” (see Numbers 15:20); it is found that the תרומה גדולה of the Kohen is amidst this tithe one of fifty, besides the תרומה מעשר that the Levite is obligated to separate out the tithe from his tithe to give to the Kohen (1/10 of his received gift goes to a Kohen), and our Mishnah teaches us that he the Levite is exempt from separate out תרומה גדולה (the “Great Tithe” of 2% that all Israelites must give), as it is written (Numbers 18:26), “you shall set aside from them one-tenth of the tithe as a gift to the LORD.” “One tenth of the tithe” I said to you and not “תרומה גדולה/the Great Tithe”, but one-tenth of the tithe [only].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
One who ate demai, or first tithe whose terumah has been separated, or second tithe or sanctified property which have been redeemed, or an attendant who has eaten as much as an olive’s worth of food, or a Samaritan may be included [in the three]. In order to be part of a “zimun” four requirements have to be fulfilled, three of which are listed in our mishnah (we will see the fourth tomorrow). First of all one must eat food permitted by the Torah. We have already encountered the list in this mishnah on several occasions (Shabbat 18:1; Eruvin 3:2; Pesahim 2:5; Sanhedrin 8:2; Makkot 3:2). It is basically a list of foods which can be eaten, at least according to toraitic law. One who eats them can participate in a zimun. The opposite is contained in the following section those foods are prohibited and hence one who eats them cannot join together with others in a zimun. The second requirement is that one needs to eat an olive’s worth of food. The mishnah teaches this and at the same time teaches another halakhah that even the attendant, the one serving the food to the others, may aid in constituting the zimun, provided that he ate with them a minimum measure of food. The third requirement is that the person be Jewish. For this issue, being a Samaritan counts enough toward being Jewish.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
מעשר שני והקדש שנפדו – Such as the case where he gave the principal but did not give the extra one-fifth, that the owners that fifth, and our Tanna/teacher comes to teach us that the one-fifth does not invalidate an act by its omission.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
But one who ate untithed produce, or first tithe whose terumah has not been separated, or second tithe or sanctified property which have not been redeemed, or an attendant who has eaten less than the quantity of an olive or a Gentile may not be counted. This section is the opposite of the previous one. One who eats prohibited foods, or doesn’t eat enough food, or is a Gentile, does not count in constituting a zimun.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
והשמש שאכל כזית – you might be under the impression that since the waiter/attendant lacks having a regular appointment (i.e., being regularly there), [but simply] comes and goes, that we would not invite him [to recite ברכת המזוןas part of a group], but [the Mishnah] comes to teach us that in all of these cases, it teaches us, that even though it appears to be forbidden, there is no blessing recited in the midst of a transgression.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
והכותי – From the those who worship idols and constellations which the King of Ashur brought [with him] from Cuth (a Babylonian town whence Assyrian colonists were introduced into Samaria) and from the other lands and dwell with them in the cities of Samaria who converted out of fear of lions that would eat them as explained in II Kings 17:24-41. And they observed the written Torah and all the commandments that they took hold of, they observed punctiliously more than the Israelites, therefore, people accepted them in some of the commandments until they examined them [more closely] and found among them the image of the pigeon at the top of Mount Gerizim that they would worship and from then on, they considered them as those who totally worship idols and constellations. Therefore, nowadays, we do not invite a Cuthean to participate [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון; see especially verse 41 of II Kings 24.)
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
אכל טבל – Grain from which the heave-offering (for the Kohen) and the tithes (i.e. First and Second Tithes) had not been taken is called TEVEL/טבל [where produce is in that stage in which the separation of Levitical and Priestly shares respectively is required, before you may partake of them], and the explanation of טבל is “it is not good” (the word טבל is a aggregate of these two words), and it is not necessary to say, טבל according to the Torah, but even טבל according to the Rabbis, such as grain that grew in a pot without a hole, which is only considered טבל according to the Rabbis, we don’t invite that individual to participate [in the group recitation of] ברכת המזון.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ומעשר ראשון שלא נטלה תרומתו – We are not dealing with תרומת מעשר (the tithe that the LEVITE must make to the KOHEN from what he received from other Israelites as מעשר ראשון/First Tithe), since that is complete TEVEL – but rather such as the case where the Levite preceded a Kohen at a pile [of grain] after it had been shaped into an even pile, which had been designated for TERUMAH from the Torah, and he (the Levite) took the First Tithe first and one-fiftieth of it is appropriate for the תרומה גדולה/the Great Terumah for the Kohen, and as long as he (the Levite) did not give from it תרומה גדולה, even though he separated out תרומת מעשר (the heave-offering of the tithe), we don’t invite him to join the group [recitation of ברכת המזון]. But if he (the Levite) came prior [to the Kohen] with regard to ears of corn, he does not have to separate the heave offering/תרומה גדולה, as we have written of above earlier.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ומעשר שני והקדש שלא נפדו – And we don’t need to say that they were not redeemed at all, for this matter is simple, but rather, that they were redeemed, but not redeemed properly , such as the case where a person redeemed the Second Tithe/מעשר שני in broken ware vessels of silver or in a coin that did not have a shape as the All Merciful-One (God) said (Deuteronomy 14:25), “Wrap up the money [and take it with you to the place that the LORD your God has chosen],” in a form that has a shape, and that which was sanctified for the Sanctuary which was redeemed by land and not by money, for the All-Merciful One (God) said (Deuteronomy 14:25), “You may convert them into money” (not the exact quotation in the Hebrew).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
והשמש שאכל פחות מכזית – [This section of the Mishnah] is questionable/unnecessary, but since he retracted for the majority, out of need, , he also retracted for this.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
והעובד כוכבים – We are speaking of a [potential] convert who [was] circumcised but did not [as yet] immerse [in a Mikveh/Ritual bath], for as long as he did not immerse, he is an idolater (non-Jew), and he is not [considered] a convert until he is [both] circumcised and immersed [in a Ritual bath/Mikveh].
