Bisogna benedire l'L-rd per il malato proprio come fa per il bene. [Quando benedice "dayan ha'emeth" per i malati, deve farlo con gioia e con bontà di cuore, proprio come fa quando benedice "hatov vehametiv 'per il bene], vale a dire. (Deuteronomio 6: 5: "E amerai la L-tua Dio con tutto il tuo cuore e con tutta la tua anima, e con tutta la tua forza." "Con tutto il tuo cuore"— con entrambe le tue inclinazioni, il bene e il male. "" e con tutta la tua anima " —anche se prende la tua anima. "e con tutte le tue forze"—con tutta la tua ricchezza. Un'altra interpretazione: "con tutte le tue forze [meodecha]"—Per ogni misura (middah) che Egli ti ha fornito (modificato), [sia nel bene che nel male] ringraziarlo (modeh lo) in modo eccezionale (me'od me'od). Non ci si può deportare alla leggera di fronte alla porta orientale (del Tempio) [fuori dal Monte del Tempio, nella parete inferiore ai piedi del Tempio ad est], poiché è allineata con il santo dei santi. [Tutte le porte erano allineate l'una all'altra: la porta orientale, la porta di ezrath nashim, la porta di ezrath Yisrael, l'ingresso dell'Ullam, il santuario e il santo dei santi—ai tempi del primo Tempio.] Non si può entrare nel Monte del Tempio con il suo bastone, la sua scarpa, la sua punda [una cintura vuota dove sono custoditi i soldi. Un'altra interpretazione: un indumento indossato sulla carne per assorbire il sudore in modo da non sporcare gli altri indumenti. È umiliante uscire da solo in quell'indumento.] E con la polvere sui suoi piedi. E non dovrebbe renderlo kapandaria [entrare da quell'ingresso e uscire dall'altro, accorciando così la distanza. "kapandaria" - "ademakifna dari, a'ol beha", cioè "Invece di circondare file di case, dovrò (accorciare il mio cammino e) entrare qui."] E sputare [è proibito sul Monte del Tempio] a fortioti [ from shoes, vale a dire: se l'uso delle scarpe, che non è un atto umiliante, è vietato lì, quanto più, sputare, che è un atto umiliante!] Tutti (i leader della preghiera) nel Tempio chiuderebbero le benedizioni con " dal mondo "[Il leader della preghiera dice alla fine di ogni benedizione:" Beato il Signore Dio di Israele dal mondo fino al mondo, il Potere della conoscenza "; e così con tutto. E i rispondenti dicono: "Beato il nome della gloria del suo regno per sempre". Perché "Amen" non riceve risposta dopo ogni benedizione nel Tempio, essendo scritto (Nechemiah 9: 5): "Sorgi e benedici la tua Dio dal mondo fino al mondo" e, successivamente (Ibid.): "E benediranno il nome della tua gloria." Cioè, rispondono: "Beato il nome della gloria del Suo regno per sempre". E qui siamo informati che nel primo Tempio dicevano solo: "Beato il Dio di Israele dal mondo" e non di più. Non dissero: "fino al mondo".] Quando gli eretici, [che non credono nella risurrezione] distorcono questo, [dicendo: Non c'è altro mondo se non questo], essi [Esdra e il suo beth-din] istituirono che dicono: "dal mondo fino al mondo" [cioè, ci sono due mondi, questo mondo e il mondo a venire.] E istituirono che uno salutasse il suo compagno nel nome [dell'L-rd, questo non essere considerato denigrare l'onore di L-rd per l'onore degli uomini, "prendendo" il nome di L-rd per il loro bene]. Perché è scritto (Ruth 2: 4): "Ed ecco, venne Boaz, di Betlemme, e disse ai mietitori: 'La L-essere con te', e gli dissero: 'La L-rd ti benedica '"e (Giudici 6:12):" E lui (l'angelo) gli disse (Gedeone):' La L-essere con te, o uomo di valore! '"e (Proverbi 23:22) : "Non disprezzare il ki zakna imecha" e (Salmi 119: 126): "È tempo di agire per l'L-rd; hanno annullato la tua Torah", che R. Nathan ha spiegato: "Hanno annullato la tua Torah a un momento di recitazione per la L-rd. " [Se si sostiene che Boaz ha usato questa benedizione della propria volontà e che non può essere preso come un precedente, questo è negato dall'angelo che dice a Gideon: "La L-essere con te, o uomo di valore". E se si sostiene che l'angelo non lo sta dicendo come saluto, ma che lo sta informando dall'ambasciata di L-secondo, che la Shechinah è con lui, in modo che anche questa non possa servire da precedente—questo è contrastato da: "Non disprezzare ki zakna imecha", vale a dire: non disprezzare Boaz, dicendo che ha agito di sua spontanea volontà; ma impara miziknei umathecha ("gli anziani del tuo popolo"). Ha l'autorità di rispondere, vale a dire: "È tempo di agire per la L-rd; hanno annullato la tua Torah", che R. Nathan ha interpretato, ecc., Cioè: A volte le parole della Torah sono annullate per agire per la L-rd.—come nel caso di uno che saluta il suo compagno (nel nome di L-rd). Questa è davvero la volontà di L-rd, vale a dire. (Salmi 34:15): "Cerca la pace e perseguila". È consentito "annullare" la Torah e fare qualcosa che sembra proibito.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
חייב אדם לברך על הרעה – When one makes the blessing “The True and Righteous Judge,” on the bad things [that occur], one is obligated to recite the blessing in joy and with a full-heart, just as one recites with joy the blessing, “Who is Good and Does Good” on the good things [that happen].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
The first half of the last mishnah of Berakhot contains halakhot concerning three different subjects. 1) Blessing God for bad things; 2) Proper respect due to the Temple; 3) Decrees the rabbis made concerning blessings said in the Temple and greeting others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
דבר אחר: "בכל מאדך" – with all of the measures that are measured out to you, whether for good or for retribution.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
One must bless [God] for the evil in the same way as one blesses for the good, as it says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “With all your heart,” with your two impulses, the evil impulse as well as the good impulse. “With all your soul” even though he takes your soul [life] away from you. “With all your might” with all your money. Another explanation, “With all your might” whatever treatment he metes out to you. This section teaches that just as one blesses over the good, so too one must bless over the evil, as we saw in mishnah two above. The mishnah continues with a midrash, an exegesis of the first part of the Shema. The last section of this midrash explains how the rabbis derive the commandment to bless over the evil, just as one blesses over the good. It is because of this line that the entire midrash is brought here in our mishnah. The first line of the midrash is based on the two “bets” in the word “your heart (levav’kha)” The two bets are understood by the rabbis as a hint that one must worship God with both of one’s impulses the good impulse and the evil impulse. The other sections of the midrash should be clear.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
לא יקל אדם ראשו – He should not act with irreverence.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
One should not show disrespect to the Eastern Gate, because it is in a direct line with the Holy of Holies. One should not enter the Temple Mount with a staff, or with shoes on, or with a wallet, or with dusty feet; nor should one make it a short cut, all the more spitting [is forbidden]. This section teaches various laws concerning acting in a proper manner on the Temple Mount. We should note that according to the Rambam, even though the Bet Hamikdash, the Temple, lies in ruins, one must still act towards it with the same amount of respect that it was accorded when it existed. The Eastern Gate would open in the direction of the Holy of Holies, hence one had to be extra respectful when entering this gate.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כנגד שער מזרח – Outside of the Temple Mount where the low wall which is at foot of the Temple to the east, since it is designed that all of the gates correspond one opposite the other – the Eastern Gate, the Gate of the Women’s Court, the Gate of the Israelite Court and the Opening of the [Great[ Hall, and the [Holy] Hall and the House of the Holy of Holies in the First Temple.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
All the conclusions of blessings that were in the Temple they would say, “forever [lit. as long as the world is].” When the sectarians perverted their ways and said that there was only one world, they decreed that they should say, “for ever and ever [lit. from the end of the world to the end of the world]. One of the central debates between the Sadducees and the Pharisees was over the concept of the next world, the “olam haba.” This was an important doctrine for the Pharisees, one that the Sadducees denied. In earlier times blessings in the Temple would contain the word, “leolam,” usually translated as “forever” but here understood as “for as long as the world has existed.” The Sadducees used this blessing as evidence that there is only one world. The blessing makes reference to one world and hence there is only one world. Therefore the Pharisees decreed that the blessing should read, “forever and ever (min haolom vead haolam)” which could also be translated as “for this world and for the next world.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ובאפונדתו – A hollow region where they put money. Another explanation: Clothing that is worn on his skin to receive the sweat so that it would not soil the rest of one’s clothing, for it is shameful for a person to leave [his home] with only that [piece of] clothing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
They also decreed that a person should greet his fellow in God’s name, as it says, “And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, ‘May the Lord be with you.’ And they answered him, “May the Lord bless you’” (Ruth 2:. And it also says, “The Lord is with your, you valiant warrior” (Judges 6:12). And it also says, “And do not despise your mother when she grows old” (Proverbs 23:22). And it also says, “It is time to act on behalf of the Lord, for they have violated Your teaching” (Psalms 119:126). Rabbi Natan says: [this means] “They have violated your teaching It is time to act on behalf of the Lord.” The sages also decreed that it was permitted, and even worthy, to greet one’s fellow human being by using the name of God, as did Boaz and the other reapers. Usually decrees are meant to change a prior practice. Here the historical background is slightly unclear. My guess is that earlier generations thought that it was improper to use God’s name in greeting a mere human being. In contrast, according to the sages, since human beings were created in the image of God, there is a little bit of divine in every human being. In a sense then, greeting one’s fellow human being by using God’s name is like greeting God by using God’s name. Hence it is not only permitted, it is encouraged. The final two midrashim are not specifically related to the two decrees mentioned above but are rather general exhortations to heed the decrees of the sages. “And do not despise your mother when she grows old” means that one should learn from the elders and one should learn from what previous generations did. The last midrash is brought because of Rabbi Natan’s interpretation of the verse. Rabbi Natan switches around the order of the verse. When others, such as the Sadducees, have broken God’s laws, it is time to act for the Lord by making decrees. Congratulations! We have finished Berakhot! It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. Berakhot is perhaps the most religious relevant of all the tractates because its three major topics, the Shema, the Amidah and blessings, are all still practiced today. I hope that learning the roots of these rituals and prayers will enrich your own personal prayer experience, be it at the home or in the synagogue. We have only just begun Seder Zeraim. Tomorrow we begin Tractate Peah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
קפנדריא – to enter through one opening and to exit from the opposite opening in order to shorten his walk in that path. And the word KAPANDARIA [means] (using a phonetic etymology [in Aramaic] using the letters KUF, FEY, NUN and DALET and RESH, that is to say, that instead of going around rows of houses, I will shorten the distance of my walk and enter via this path.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ורקיקה – Which is prohibited on the Temple Mount.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
מקל וחומר – From the shoe. Just as a shoe is not a form of disrespect, [yet] which is forbidden [to be worn on the Temple Mount], spitting which is an act of contempt, all the more so (see Tosefta Berakhot 6:19).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כל חותמי ברכות שהיו במקדש – He who makes a blessing says at the conclusion of each blessing (Berakhot 54a), “Praised is the LORD the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, Who Bestows Knowledge.” And thereafter, everyone responds, saying: “Praised be the Name of His glorious Kingdom forever and ever,” for we do not answer “Amen” after every blessing [that is recited] in the Temple, as it is written (Nehemiah 9:5), “Rise, bless the LORD your God who is from eternity to eternity;” And we say after that: “May Your glorious name be blessed, [exalted though it is above every blessing and praise]!” That is to say, that they would respond, “Praised be the Name of God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.” And we learn here that in the First Temple [period], they would only say, “Praised is the God of Israel for eternity” and nothing more, and not “from eternity to eternity.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
משקלקלו המינים – Since they [the Sectarians] did not believe in the Resurrection of the Dead and said that that there is no world other than this one, Ezra and his court established that we should say, “from eternity to eternity,” to state that there are two worlds – this world and the next world, to remove from the hearts of the Sectarians who denied belief in the Resurrection of the Dead.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
שיהא אדם שואל בשלום חבירו בשם – With the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and we do not say that he should treat His (God’s) honor with disrespect in order to honor human beings, to bring forth the name of Heaven upon him, as we learned from Boaz (Ruth 2:4), “He greeted the reaper, ‘The LORD be with you! [And they responded, ‘The LORD bless you!]” And when Boaz said it, he did so willingly, and we do not derive [anything from] it: Come and hear from the angel who said to Gideon (Judges 6:12), “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.” And if you say, but the angel did not ask the welfare of Gideon nor blessed him, but only through serving as God’s messenger, informing him that God’s presence is with him, and we don’t derive anything from it. Come and hear: Do not despise that you mother is old, and do not despise Boaz to say that he did so (i.e., greet the reapers] of his own accord, but that he was taught from the elders of your people, for there is upon what he can rely, as it states (Psalms 119:126), “It is a time to act for the LORD, for they have violated Your teaching.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
רבי נתן אומר: הפרו תורתך – Sometimes, we set aside the Torah in order to perform act for [the sake of] God, even the individual who intends to ask of the welfare of his neighbor, this is the will of the God, as it states (Psalms 34:15), “Seek amity and pursue it.” It is [thus] permissible to invalidate the Torah and to do something that appears forbidden.
