Se si sedessero per mangiare [senza reclinarsi, un segno che non avevano organizzato di mangiare insieme, poiché quando gruppi di persone si erano disposti a mangiare insieme, si sarebbero adagiati sui tappetini, e avrebbero mangiato e bevuto sdraiati sul lato sinistro], ciascuno si benedice per se stesso, [non essendoci un pasto "nominato" senza sdraiarsi. Tuttavia, se dicessero: "Andiamo a mangiare il pane in quel posto", anche se non si adagiano, è come se lo avessero, e si benedice tutti; e si uniscono anche per grazia.] Se si reclinavano, si benedice tutti. Se durante il pasto venivano portati del vino davanti a loro, ognuno benedica (sopra il vino) per se stesso [poiché la loro gola non è libera, e le poltrone reclinabili non sono intenzionate alla benedizione, ma all'ingestione di ciò che è in bocca. O può darsi che siamo preoccupati per il loro soffocamento nel rispondere ad Amen.] E fa la benedizione sul mugmar [Colui che fa grazia benedice il mugmar: "Chi crea legni di spezie". E anche se potrebbe esserci una persona più eminente di lui, dato che ha iniziato con una (benedizione), ne fa l'altra], anche se il mugmar non viene portato fino a dopo il pasto [dopo la grazia, in modo che non sia un requisito del pasto. Tuttavia, da quando ha iniziato queste ultime benedizioni, le completa. ["Mugmar": Dopo il pasto non erano soliti portare spezie di legno su una padella di carbone, per produrre una fragranza aromatica.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
היו יושבין – Without reclining and the sign is that they were not gathered to eat together, since it was customary when groups of people gather together to eat, they would recline on couches and eat and drink while leaning to the left.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
In ancient Greco-Roman custom, formal meals were eaten while reclining on couches. Indeed, a banquet was to a certain extent defined by reclining. Today, the only time Jews recline, even symbolically, is at the Pesah seder. In contrast, people sitting upright and eating together were not at a banquet, rather they were just putting food in their mouths so that they wouldn’t be hungry.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כל אחד מברך לעצמו – For they did not have an established meal without reclining. However, if they said: “Let us go and eat bread in a certain place,” even though they did not recline, it is as if they had reclined, and one makes the blessing for (i.e. on behalf of) everyone and they join together also for the invitation [to recite ברכת המזון/The Blessing after the Meal].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
If [those at the table] are sitting upright, each one blesses for himself. People sitting and eating together are not really eating a meal together. Hence, when the food arrives everyone blesses for himself.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
בא להם מים בתוך המזון כל אחד מברך לעצמו – Since the esophagus is not free, and the hearts of those leaning are not facing the individual who is making the blessing, other than to swallow what is in their mouths. If so, there is concern lest a person choke when he comes to answer “Amen” [to the blessing recited].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
If they are reclining, one blesses for them all. If they are reclining, then they are eating a formal banquet together and one person can bless on behalf of them all.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
והוא אומר על המוגמר – He who recites ברכת המזון/The Blessing After the Meal, he is the one reciting a blessing on the spices on perfume, “who creates the trees of spices/בורא עצי בשמים”, and even though that there is one that is preferable to it, even so, since he began with one, he would move to the other.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
If wine came during the meal, each one says a blessing for himself. If after the meal, one blesses for them all. As I stated in yesterday’s mishnah, wine was generally not served during the middle of the meal. When it was, it wasn’t social wine but rather wine to help one digest one’s food. Also, it would be drunk at different times and not everyone would drink together. Therefore, each person blesses for himself. If the wine came at the end of the meal then everyone would drink together and one person could bless for them all.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
לאחר הסעודה – After [reciting] ברכת המזון, that currently is not [connected to] the needs of the meal, even so, since he has begun reciting other blessings, he should finish them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
The same one says [the blessing] over the incense, even though the incense is not brought until after the meal. At the end of a formal meal incense would be brought in front of the diners. The person who blesses over the wine at the end of the meal also recites the blessing over the incense “Who creates the wood of incense” (Bore atzei besamim).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
מוגמר – they were accustomed to bring trees of spices/perfume after the meal snuff-dishes on a fire for the purposes [of providing] a good smell.
