Sur les zikkim [étoiles qui semblent ouvrir le firmament et qui s'élancent comme une flèche d'un endroit à l'autre; ou bien, une étoile qui semble avoir une longue queue], et zevaoth [quand la terre tremble et gronde], et des éclairs et re'amim [sons entendus dans le firmament des nuages se versant de l'eau les uns dans les autres, à savoir. (Jérémie 10:13): "Au bruit de ses amas qui se déversent dans les cieux"], et au-dessus des vents [qui soufflent avec tempête et qui n'arrivent qu'occasionnellement], il dit: "Béni soit celui dont la puissance et la puissance monde." [Et s'il le souhaite, il dit: "Béni soit celui qui fait la création", tout cela étant des actes de création, à savoir. (Psaumes 135: 7): "Il fit des éclairs pour la pluie." Mais au-dessus des montagnes et des collines, etc., il dit «Qui fait la création», spécifiquement; car il ne peut pas dire: «Dont la puissance et pourrait remplir le monde», ceux-ci n'étant pas vus dans le monde entier, mais chacun à sa place.] Sur les montagnes, les collines, les mers, les rivières et les déserts, il dit: «Béni soit Celui qui fait la création. " R. Yehudah dit: S'il voit le grand océan [Oceanus, qui entoure le monde], il dit: "Béni soit celui qui a fait le grand océan" [on lui a accordé une bénédiction en soi en raison de son immensité et de sa signification.] il en est ainsi quand il le voit à l'occasion [après trente jours]. Au fil des pluies et des bons rapports, il dit: "Baruch hatov vehametiv" ("Béni soit celui qui est bon et fait le bien") [Il en est ainsi quand il a une terre en commun avec une autre, l'implication étant: "qui est bon (à lui) et fait du bien (aux autres) "; mais s'il n'a pas de terre du tout, il dit: "Nous te remercions, ô L-rd notre D.ieu, pour chaque goutte que tu as apportée pour nous, etc." Et s'il a une terre tout seul, il bénit: "shehecheyanu."], Et sur de mauvaises nouvelles il dit: "Baruch dayan ha'emeth" ("Béni soit le vrai juge").
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
זיקין – A star that appears like it opens up the firmament and shoots like an arrow from place to place. Alternatively, it is a star that appears like it has a long tail.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
This mishnah continues to list various blessings recited upon seeing or hearing things.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
זועות – That the earth quakes and trembles.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
[On witnessing] comets, earthquakes, thunder, or windy storms one says, “Blessed be He whose strength and might fill the world.” These are phenomena that “fill the world” for people see them at many places at the same time.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
רעמים – Sound is that heard in the firmament from clouds that pour forth water from one to another, as it says (Jeremiah 51:16), “When He makes His voice heard, There is a rumbling of waters in the skies.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
[On seeing] mountains, hills, seas, rivers or deserts one says, “Blessed be He who made creation.” These are geological structures that were a part of God’s original creation.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ועל הרוחות – that come in a storm-wind in vehemence and are not found other than occasionally.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Rabbi Judah says: one who sees the Great Sea should say, “Blessed be He who made the Great Sea,” if he sees it at intervals. This is the second time that we have seen Rabbi Judah rule that blessings have to be specific to the situation. The first was in 6:1. Here too he distinguishes between the “Great Sea,” which is the Mediterranean and other seas. Over the former he recites a specific blessing, whereas over other seas in rivers he recites a more generalized blessing. However, he only recites this special blessing if he sees the Great Sea periodically, which the Talmud explains as being once in thirty days. One who sees the Great Sea every day does not bless every day.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ברוך שכחו מלא עולם – And if he desires, he should recite the blessing, “Praised [are You God] who is the Author of Creation” for all of these are acts of creation as it is written (Psalms 135:7), “[He makes clouds rise from the end of the earth;] He makes lightning for the rain ; [He releases the wind from His vaults],”but on the mountains and on the hills, etc., one says, “Who is the Author of Creation, specifically, but he is not able to make the blessing on them, “that His power fills the world” which are not seen in most of the world, but rather each and every person [recites the blessing] in his place.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
For rain and for good news one says, “Blessed be He that is good and grants good.” Some commentators say that one blesses over rain only if it hasn’t rained for a long time. However, others say that in Israel, a very dry country, people are so happy when it rains for the first time that they also recites the blessing the first time it rains in the rainy season.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
הים הגדול – The Mediterranean Sea that surrounds the world (at least as the ancients understood it).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
For bad news one says, “Blessed be the true judge.” Today this is the blessing that a person recites upon hearing that someone has died.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ברוך שעשה הים הגדול – On account of its size and importance, establishes a blessing for itself.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
לפרקים – At thirty day intervals
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
על הגשמים – He recites the blessing, “Who Is Good and Does Good” as whomever possesses land in partnership with another, for this is implies "הטוב והמטיב"/Who is Good and Does Good”; – Good – for himself and “who does good”- for another; but he who lacks land altogether should say, “We give thanks to You, O LORD our God for every drop [of rain] that you have caused to fall for us, etc.” And if he owns land on his own, he makes the blessing, “שהחיינו/Who has Kept Us Alive.”
