פירוש על ברכות 7:6

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].”

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.

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.

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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).

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.

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].

וקטנים אין מזמנין עליהם – Especially small children who do not know to Whom they are reciting a blessing (ברכת המזון ) a minor who knows to Whom He is reciting a blessing, they may invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון], and there is something remarkable that says that we are not speaking about a minor who knows to Whom they are reciting the blessing that we invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון] but rather with a child who is thirteen years of age plus one day, who has not brought forth two pubic hairs (which demonstrate his having attained adulthood), and he is called a “blossoming minor” but younger than this, we do not invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון] , even if he knows to Whom we are reciting this blessing. And in the Jerusalem Talmud, they bring the Practical Halakha, that we don’t invite the Minor at all, until he grows up and brings forth two pubic hairs. And women invite other [women] to recite ברכת המזון as a group for themselves and slaves invite other [slaves] to recite ברכת המזוןas a group for themselves., but women are not [invited] with slaves because of licentiousness [that would ensue].

Introduction This mishnah continues the topic of yesterday’s mishnah, when is a “zimun,” an invitation to Birkat Hamazon, recited.

Women, children and slaves they do not recite an invitation over them. The invitation to Birkat Hamazon is only recited for adult, free men. In rabbinic thinking, as in the thinking of most of their contemporaries, only adult free men count as full “citizens” in the Greco-Roman sense of the word. Only they are full members of society and hence a formal meal is constituted by their presence and not by the presence of women, children and slaves.

How much [must one have eaten] in order for them to recite an invitation? As much as an olive. Rabbi Judah says: as much as an egg. According to the first opinion, to count in a zimun one need only an olive’s worth of food. This accords with the opinion in yesterday’s mishnah, that if the attendant (not a slave) eats an olive’s worth of food, he may join in the zimun. In contrast, Rabbi Judah sets a higher threshold of an egg’s worth. One who eats less than an egg is not required to recite Birkat Hamazon and does not participate in a zimun.

בשלשה והוא אומר ברכו – For even without himself, there is a group to be invited/Zimmun and similarly for all of them.

Introduction In today’s mishnah we learn what words were recited as the “zimun,” the invitation to recite Birkat Hamazon.

אחד עשרה ואחד עשרה רבוא – The beginning of the Mishnah is Rabbi Akiba as he said, just as we find in the synagogue when we have arrived at ten, there is no division [of the community] whether there are many or few, so too here [in this case], there is no division [of the group into smaller units].

This mishnah is structured on two basic principles. The more people that join together in the zimun, the more elaborate the zimun is. Second, if the number of people is exactly the quota, three, ten, one hundred, a thousand or ten thousand, the leader includes himself in the zimun. But when there are more than the required quota, the leader tells the others to “Bless,” and he doesn’t include himself. This shall become clearer as we proceed.

במאה אומר נברך לה' אלהינו – The concluding phrase of the Mishnah is all [according to] Rabbi Yosi HaGelili, who said that according to majority of the community, they recite the [appropriate] blessing, as it says, “Psalms 68:27): “ln assemblies bless God,[ the LORD, O you who are from the fountain of Israel].” But the Halakhic decision is that from three [adult males] until ten [adult males] but the tenth is not included, the person who blesses (as the leader) recites: “Let us bless [Him] that we have eaten from what is His, and everyone answers: “Blessed that we have eaten from what is His, and through His Goodness we live.” And ten or from ten and above, the person leading the blessing states, “We give praise to God that we have eaten from what is His and through His goodness we live.

How do they invite [one another to recite the Birkat Hamazon]?
If there are three, he [the one saying Birkat Hamazon] says, “Let us bless [Him of whose food we have eaten].” If there are three and him he says, “Bless [Him of whose food we have eaten]” As stated above, the minimum number for a zimun is three. If there are exactly three he says, “Let us bless [Him of whose food we have eaten].” He does not say the word for God. However, if there are three besides him, then he instructs the others to “Bless [Him of whose food we have eaten].”

רבי ישמעאל אומר ברכו את ה' המבורך – and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yishmael.

If there are ten, he says, “Let us bless our God [of whose food we have eaten].” If there are ten and he says, “Bless.” When there are ten they add in the word “our God.”

It is the same whether there are ten or ten myriads (ten ten. This section is an introduction to what follows and to what has already been stated. It matters not whether there are ten or ten thousand, the rule that if there is the precise number the leader say, “Let us bless” whereas if there is more than the number he says, “Bless,” remains the same.

If there are a hundred he says, “Let us bless the Lord our God [of whose food we have eaten]. If there are a hundred and him he says, “Bless.” When there are one hundred they add the word “the Lord.”

If there are a thousand he says “Let us bless the Lord our God, the God of Israel [of whose food we have eaten].” If there are a thousand and him he says “Bless.” When there are a thousand they add, “the God of Israel.”

If there are ten thousand he says, “Let us bless the Lord our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts, who dwells among the cherubim, for the food which we have eaten.” If there are ten thousand and him he says, “Bless.” When there are ten thousand (don’t ask me if this ever happened) the fullest version is recited, “Let us bless the Lord our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts, who dwells among the cherubim, for the food which we have eaten.”

Corresponding to his blessing the others answer after him, “Blessed be the Lord our God the God of Israel, the God of hosts, who dwells among the cherubim, for the food which we have eaten.” The response of the community is always a repetition of the instructions of the leader. The mishnah illustrates this through the fullest version recited when there are ten thousand people, but the same would be true for the shorter versions of the zimun.

Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: According to the number of the congregation, they bless, as it says, “In assemblies bless God, the Lord, O you who are from the fountain of Israel.” Rabbi Akiba said: What do we find in the synagogue? Whether there are many or few the he says, “Bless the Lord your God.” Rabbi Ishmael says: “Bless the Lord your God who is blessed.” Rabbi Yose the Galilean affirms that which was stated above. The zimun goes according to the number of people who have joined together in a meal. Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael disagree with the set up in the first seven sections. They both hold that the same zimun is stated no matter how many people participate. This is patterned after the “Barkhu,” the call to prayer recited in the synagogue. The prayer leader says, “Bless the Lord” or Rabbi Ishmael’s version, “Bless the blessed Lord,” whether there are ten or one thousand people present. So too when it comes to the zimun, it matters not whether there are ten or ten thousand, the zimun is always the same. We should note that Rabbis Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael still agree that with less than ten one does not mention God’s name, because ten is the number required for a minyan.

אינן רשאין לחלק – Since an obligation of invitation [to a group recitation of ברכת המזון] falls upon them.

Introduction Our mishnah teaches that if people are eating a meal together they may not separate to recite Birkat Hamazon if this will cause them to recite a lesser zimun , or no zimun at all.

וכן ארבעה וכן חמשה – The “three” [of that group of four or five] (cannot separate) to recite ברכת המזון for themselves and the individual should separate himself off from them, for he also has an established obligation for the appeal to participate in the group recitation [of ברכת המזון], it says Psalms 68:27), “In assemblies bless God, [the LORD, O you are from the fountain of Israel].” And the determined Halakhic practice is that from three individuals until ten individuals, but not including ten, the person reciting the blessing says, “Let us thank Him whose food we have eaten/נברך שאכלנו משלו,” and everyone responds, “ברוך שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו/Blessed is [He] whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.” And with ten or more than ten people, the leader says, “נברך לאלהינו שאכלנו משלו/Blessed is our God whose food we have eaten.” And everyone answers: “ברוך לאלהינו שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו/Blessed is our God whose food we have eaten and through whose Goodness we live.”

Three persons who have eaten together may not separate [to recite Birkat Hamazon]. Similarly four and similarly five. A group of three, four or five people eating together cannot separate into two groups to recite Birkat Hamazon because that will leave some people without the ability to say any zimun.

ששה נחלקין – in order to have a group recitation (of three individuals for ברכת המזון) and another equivalent group over there, until one reaches the number “ten.” But with ten individuals, we do not divide the group since it would obligate them to a have a group recitation including the mention of God’s name until there would be twenty and only then could they divide into two [separate] groups if they desired.

Six may separate, up until ten. A group of six to ten, but not including ten, can separate because their zimun will not change, provided that each group still has at least three.

And ten may not separate until there are twenty. Once the group reaches ten it can’t separate because if it does, not everyone will be able to say God’s name as part of the zimun. Since the zimun for ten is greater than the zimun for three, the group of more than ten people cannot split up until there are ten left for each group, meaning there are twenty.

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.

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.

אין מברכין על היין – “Who Creates the Fruit of the Vine/בורא פרי הגפן”.

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.

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.

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.