ברכות דף נד

מתני׳ הרואה מקום שנעשו בו נסים לישראל, אומר: ״ברוך … שעשה נסים לאבותינו במקום הזה״. מקום שנעקרה ממנו עבודה זרה, אומר: ״ברוך … שעקר עבודה זרה מארצנו״.

This mishna, which includes all of this chapter’s mishnayot, contains a series of blessings and halakhot that are not recited at specific times, but rather in response to various experiences and events. MISHNA: One who sees a place where miracles occurred on Israel’s behalf recites: Blessed…Who performed miracles for our forefathers in this place. One who sees a place from which idolatry was eradicated recites: Blessed…Who eradicated idolatry from our land.

על הזיקין, ועל הזועות, ועל הרעמים, ועל הרוחות, ועל הברקים אומר: ״ברוך … שכחו וגבורתו מלא עולם״. על ההרים, ועל הגבעות, ועל הימים, ועל הנהרות, ועל המדברות אומר:

One who sees conspicuous natural occurrences recites a blessing. For zikin and zeva’ot, which the Gemara will discuss below, for thunder, gale force winds, and lightning, manifestations of the power of the Creator, one recites: Blessed…Whose strength and power fill the world. For extraordinary (Rambam) mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and deserts, one recites: Blessed…Author of creation. Consistent with his opinion that a separate blessing should be instituted for each individual species, Rabbi Yehuda says: One who sees the great sea recites a special blessing: Blessed…Who made the great sea. As with all blessings of this type, one only recites it when he sees the sea intermittently, not on a regular basis.

״ברוך … עושה בראשית״. רבי יהודה, אומר: הרואה את הים הגדול, אומר: ״ברוך שעשה את הים הגדול״ — בזמן שרואהו לפרקים.

על הגשמים, ועל בשורות טובות אומר: ״ברוך הטוב והמטיב״. על בשורות רעות אומר: ״ברוך דיין האמת״. בנה בית חדש, וקנה כלים חדשים, אומר:

For rain and other good tidings, one recites the special blessing: Blessed…Who is good and Who does good. Even for bad tidings, one recites a special blessing: Blessed…the true Judge. Similarly, when one built a new house or purchased new vessels, he recites: Blessed…Who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time. The mishna articulates a general principle: One recites a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he does for the good. In other words, one recites the appropriate blessing for the trouble that he is experiencing at present despite the fact that it may conceal some positive element in the future. Similarly, one must recite a blessing for the good that befalls him just as for the bad.

״ברוך … שהחיינו וקיימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה״. מברך על הרעה מעין על הטובה, ועל הטובה מעין על הרעה.

והצועק לשעבר — הרי זו תפלת שוא. היתה אשתו מעוברת, ואומר: ״יהי רצון שתלד אשתי זכר״ — הרי זו תפלת שוא.

The mishna states: And one who cries out over the past in an attempt to change that which has already occurred, it is a vain prayer. For example, one whose wife was pregnant and he says: May it be God’s will that my wife will give birth to a male child, it is a vain prayer. Or one who was walking on the path home and he heard the sound of a scream in the city, and he says: May it be God’s will that this scream will not be from my house, it is a vain prayer. In both cases, the event already occurred.

היה בא בדרך ושמע קול צוחה בעיר, ואומר: ״יהי רצון שלא תהא בתוך ביתי״ — הרי זו תפלת שוא.

הנכנס לכרך מתפלל שתים, אחת בכניסתו, ואחת ביציאתו. בן עזאי אומר: ארבע, שתים בכניסתו, ושתים ביציאתו. נותן הודאה על שעבר וצועק על העתיד.

The Sages also said: One who enters a large city, the Gemara explains below that this is in a case where entering the city is dangerous, recites two prayers: One upon his entrance, that he may enter in peace, and one upon his exit, that he may leave in peace. Ben Azzai says: He recites four prayers, two upon his entrance and two upon his exit. In addition to praying that he may enter and depart in peace, he gives thanks for the past and cries out in prayer for the future.

חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שמברך על הטובה, שנאמר: ״ואהבת את ה׳ אלהיך בכל לבבך וגו׳״. ״בכל לבבך״ — בשני יצריך, ביצר טוב וביצר הרע.

The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.

״ובכל נפשך״ — אפילו הוא נוטל את נפשך. ״ובכל מאדך״ — בכל ממונך. דבר אחר: ״בכל מאדך״ — בכל מדה ומדה שהוא מודד לך הוי מודה לו.

לא יקל אדם את ראשו כנגד שער המזרח שהוא מכוון כנגד בית קדשי הקדשים. ולא יכנס להר הבית במקלו, ובמנעלו, ובפונדתו, ובאבק שעל רגליו. ולא יעשנו קפנדריא.

The mishna teaches several Temple-related halakhot. One may not act irreverently or conduct himself flippantly opposite the eastern gate of the Temple Mount, which is aligned opposite the Holy of Holies. In deference to the Temple, one may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, his shoes, his money belt [punda], or even the dust on his feet. One may not make the Temple a shortcut to pass through it, and through an a fortiori inference, all the more so one may not spit on the Temple Mount.

ורקיקה — מקל וחומר.

כל חותמי ברכות שבמקדש היו אומרים ״עד העולם״. משקלקלו המינין ואמרו אין עולם אלא אחד, התקינו שיהו אומרים ״מן העולם ועד העולם״.

The mishna relates: At the conclusion of all blessings recited in the Temple, those reciting the blessing would say: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, until everlasting [haolam], the world. But when the Sadducees strayed and declared that there is but one world and there is no World-to-Come, the Sages instituted that at the conclusion of the blessing one recites: From everlasting [haolam] to everlasting [haolam].

והתקינו שיהא אדם שואל את שלום חברו בשם, שנאמר: ״והנה בעז בא מבית לחם ויאמר לקוצרים ה׳ עמכם ויאמרו לו יברכך ה׳״. ואומר: ״ה׳ עמך גבור החיל״. ואומר:

The Sages also instituted that one should greet another in the name of God, i.e., one should mention God’s name in his greeting, as it is stated: “And presently Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, The Lord is with you, and they said to him, May the Lord bless you” (Ruth 2:4). And it says: “And the angel of God appeared to him and said to him, God is with you, mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). And it says: “And despise not your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22), i.e., one must not neglect customs which he inherits. And lest you say that mentioning God’s name is prohibited, it says: “It is time to work for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah” (Psalms 119:126), i.e., it is occasionally necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to perform God’s will, and greeting another is certainly God’s will. Rabbi Natan says another interpretation of the verse: “Make void Your Torah” because “it is the time to work for the Lord,” i.e., occasionally it is necessary to negate biblical precepts in order to bolster the Torah.

״אל תבוז כי זקנה אמך״. ואומר: ״עת לעשות לה׳ הפרו תורתך״. רבי נתן אומר: ״הפרו תורתך״ משום ״עת לעשות לה׳״.

גמ׳ מנא הני מילי? אמר רבי יוחנן, דאמר קרא: ״ויאמר יתרו ברוך ה׳ אשר הציל וגו׳״.

GEMARA: With regard to the obligation to recite a blessing for a miracle, the Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The verse states: “And Jethro said: Blessed be the Lord, Who delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; Who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 18:10); a blessing is recited for a miracle.

אניסא דרבים מברכינן, אניסא דיחיד לא מברכינן?! והא ההוא גברא דהוה קא אזיל בעבר ימינא. נפל עליה אריא, אתעביד ליה ניסא ואיתצל מיניה. אתא לקמיה דרבא, ואמר ליה:

The Gemara asks: For a miracle that occurs for the multitudes we recite a blessing, but for a miracle that befalls an individual person we do not recite a blessing? Wasn’t there an incident where a certain man was walking along the right side of the Euphrates River when a lion attacked him, a miracle was performed for him, and he was rescued? He came before Rava, who said to him: Every time that you arrive there, to the site of the miracle, recite the blessing, “Blessed…Who performed a miracle for me in this place.”

כל אימת דמטית להתם — בריך ״ברוך שעשה לי נס במקום הזה״.

ומר בריה דרבינא הוה קאזיל בפקתא דערבות וצחא למיא. אתעביד ליה ניסא, איברי ליה עינא דמיא, ואישתי.

And once when Mar, son of Ravina, was walking in a valley of willows and was thirsty for water, a miracle was performed for him and a spring of water was created for him, and he drank.

ותו, זמנא חדא הוה קאזיל ברסתקא דמחוזא ונפל עליה גמלא פריצא. איתפרקא ליה אשיתא, על לגוה. כי מטא לערבות בריך: ״ברוך … שעשה לי נס בערבות ובגמל״.

Furthermore, once when Mar, son of Ravina, was walking in the marketplace [risteka] of Meḥoza and a wild camel [gamla peritza] attacked him. The wall cracked open, he went inside it, and he was rescued. Ever since, when he came to the willows he recited: Blessed…Who performed a miracle for me in the willows and with the camel. And, when he came to the marketplace of Meḥoza he recited: Blessed…Who performed a miracle for me with the camel and in the willows, indicating that one recites a blessing even for a miracle that occurs to an individual. The Sages say: On a miracle performed on behalf of the multitudes, everyone is obligated to recite a blessing; on a miracle performed on behalf of an individual, only the individual is obligated to recite a blessing.

כי מטא לרסתקא דמחוזא בריך: ״ברוך … שעשה לי נס בגמל ובערבות״! אמרי: אניסא דרבים — כולי עלמא מיחייבי לברוכי, אניסא דיחיד — איהו חייב לברוכי.

תנו רבנן: הרואה מעברות הים, ומעברות הירדן, מעברות נחלי ארנון, אבני אלגביש במורד בית חורון, ואבן שבקש לזרוק עוג מלך הבשן על ישראל,

The Sages taught in a baraita a list of places where one is required to recite a blessing due to miracles that were performed there: One who sees the crossings of the Red Sea, where Israel crossed; and the crossings of the Jordan; and the crossings of the streams of Arnon; the hailstones of Elgavish on the descent of Beit Ḥoron; the rock that Og, King of Bashan, sought to hurl upon Israel; and the rock upon which Moses sat when Joshua waged war against Amalek; and Lot’s wife; and the wall of Jericho that was swallowed up in its place. On all of these miracles one must give thanks and offer praise before God.

ואבן שישב עליה משה בשעה שעשה יהושע מלחמה בעמלק, ואשתו של לוט, וחומת יריחו שנבלעה במקומה — על כולן צריך שיתן הודאה ושבח לפני המקום.

בשלמא מעברות הים, דכתיב: ״ויבאו בני ישראל בתוך הים ביבשה״. מעברות הירדן, דכתיב: ״ויעמדו הכהנים נשאי הארון ברית ה׳ בחרבה בתוך הירדן הכן וכל ישראל עברים בחרבה

The Gemara elaborates: Granted, the miracles at the crossings of the sea are recorded explicitly in the Torah, as it is stated: “And the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground and the water was a wall for them on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:22). So too, the miracle at the crossings of the Jordan, as it is stated: “The priests who bore the ark of God’s covenant stood on dry land within the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry land until the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan” (Joshua 3:17).

עד אשר תמו כל הגוי לעבור את הירדן״.

אלא מעברות נחלי ארנון מנלן? — דכתיב: ״על כן יאמר בספר מלחמת ה׳ את והב בסופה וגו׳״. תנא: ״את והב בסופה״ — שני מצורעים היו,

However, from where do we derive the miracle that occurred at the crossing of the streams of Arnon? As it is stated: “Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: Vahev in Sufa, and the valleys of Arnon. And the slope of the valleys that incline toward the seat of Ar, and lean upon the border of Moab” (Numbers 21:14–15). It was taught: “Vahev in Sufa”; there were two lepers, one named Et and the second named Hev, who were walking at the rear of the camp of Israel. As Israel passed, the Emorites came

דהוו מהלכין בסוף מחנה ישראל. כי הוו קא חלפי ישראל אתו אמוראי

עבדי להון נקירתא וטשו בהון. אמרי: כי חלפי ישראל הכא — נקטלינון, ולא הוו ידעי דארון הוה מסגי קמייהו דישראל והוה ממיך להו טורי מקמייהו. כיון דאתא ארון,

and prepared caves for themselves and they hid in them. They said: When Israel passes here we will kill them. And they did not know that the Ark of the Covenant preceded the children of Israel and would flatten mountains before them. When the Ark came, the mountains adhered one to another and killed them; and their blood flowed down to the streams of Arnon. When Et and Hev, the lepers, arrived, they saw the blood that was emerging from between the mountains, and they came and told Israel what had happened. Israel recited a song of praise, as it is stated: “And at the cascade of the brooks that goes down to the dwelling of Ar, and lies upon the border of Moab” (Numbers 21:15). This refers to the cascade of the brooks where the mountain, which had once been a valley, spread out in the direction of the mountain in Ar, in Moab.

אדבקו טורי בהדי הדדי, וקטלינון, ונחת דמייהו לנחלי ארנון. כי אתו את והב, חזו דמא דקא נפיק מביני טורי. אתו ואמרי להו לישראל ואמרו שירה. היינו דכתיב:

״ואשד הנחלים אשר נטה לשבת ער ונשען לגבול מואב״.

אבני אלגביש. מאי אבני אלגביש?

Among the sites enumerated in the baraita where one is obligated to recite a blessing in recognition of the miracles that occurred there, was the site of the hailstones of Elgavish. The Gemara asks: What are the hailstones of Elgavish?

תנא: אבנים שעמדו על גב איש, וירדו על גב איש. עמדו על גב איש — זה משה, דכתיב: ״והאיש משה ענו מאד״, וכתיב:

It is taught in the midrash: They are the stones that remained suspended in the air and did not fall because of [al gav] a man [ish] and they fell down because of [al gav] a man [ish]. The Gemara explains: They remained suspended because of a man; that is Moses, whom the verse refers to as a man, as it is written: “And the man Moses was very modest” (Numbers 12:3), and it is written: “And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread forth his hands unto the Lord; the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth” (Exodus 9:33). Moses’ hailstones remained suspended. And the stones descended because of a man; that is Joshua, who was also called man, as it is written: “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit” (Numbers 27:18). And it is written that when Joshua and his people waged war against the army of the Emorite kings, God told him not to fear them because God would deliver them into his hands; and indeed, they died by means of these stones: “As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beit Ḥoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azeka, and they died; they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew by sword” (Joshua 10:11).

״ויחדלו הקלות והברד ומטר לא נתך ארצה״. ירדו על גב איש — זה יהושע, דכתיב: ״קח לך את יהושע בן נון איש אשר רוח בו״, וכתיב:

״ויהי בנוסם מפני בני ישראל הם במורד בית חורן וה׳ השליך עליהם אבנים גדלות״.

אבן שבקש עוג מלך הבשן לזרוק על ישראל, גמרא גמירי לה. אמר מחנה ישראל כמה הוי — תלתא פרסי, איזיל ואיעקר טורא בר תלתא פרסי ואישדי עלייהו, ואיקטלינהו.

With regard to the rock that Og, King of Bashan, sought to throw upon Israel, there is no biblical reference, but rather a tradition was transmitted. The Gemara relates that Og said: How large is the camp of Israel? It is three parasangs. I will go and uproot a mountain three parasangs long and I will hurl it upon them and kill them. He went, uprooted a mountain three parasangs long, and brought it on his head. And The Holy One, Blessed be He, brought grasshoppers upon it and they pierced the peak of the mountain and it fell on his neck.

אזל עקר טורא בר תלתא פרסי ואייתי על רישיה, ואייתי קודשא בריך הוא עליה קמצי ונקבוה, ונחית בצואריה.

הוה בעי למשלפה, משכי שיניה להאי גיסא ולהאי גיסא ולא מצי למשלפה. והיינו דכתיב: ״שני רשעים שברת״. וכדרבי שמעון בן לקיש. דאמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש:

Og wanted to remove it from his head; his teeth were extended to one side of his head and to the other and he was unable to remove it. And that is what is written: “You break the teeth of the wicked” (Psalms 3:8). And this is in accordance with the homiletic interpretation of Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You break the teeth of the wicked”? Do not read it as: You break [shibarta], but rather as: You lengthened [shirbavta].

מאי דכתיב ״שני רשעים שברת״ — אל תקרי ״שברת״ אלא ״שרבבת״.

משה כמה הוה — עשר אמות, שקיל נרגא בר עשר אמין, שוור עשר אמין, ומחייה בקרסוליה וקטליה.

The story concludes: How tall was Moses? He was ten cubits tall. He took an axe ten cubits long, jumped up ten cubits, and struck Og in the ankle and killed him.

ואבן שישב עליה משה — דכתיב: ״וידי משה כבדים ויקחו אבן וישימו תחתיו וישב עליה״.

One must recite a blessing when he sees the rock upon which Moses sat, as it is written: “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon” (Exodus 17:12).

ואשתו של לוט — שנאמר: ״ותבט אשתו מאחריו ותהי נציב מלח״. וחומת יריחו שנבלעה — דכתיב: ״ותפל החומה תחתיה״.

And one must recite a blessing upon seeing Lot’s wife, as it is stated: “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). And the wall of Jericho that was swallowed, as it is written: “And the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20).

בשלמא כולהו — ניסא, אלא אשתו של לוט פורענותא הוא! — דאמר ״ברוך … דיין האמת״.

The Gemara asks: Granted, that one recites a blessing on all of these. They are miracles; however, Lot’s wife is a tragedy. Why recite a blessing on a tragedy? The Gemara answers: One who sees that place recites: Blessed…the true Judge.

והא ״הודאה ושבח״ קתני! תני: על לוט ועל אשתו מברכים שתים. על אשתו אומר ״ברוך … דיין האמת״, ועל לוט אומר ״ברוך … זוכר את הצדיקים״.

The Gemara asks: But the baraita teaches that for all of these one must give thanks and offer praise? The Gemara answers: The language of the baraita should be emended and teach: Over Lot and his wife one recites two blessings. Over his wife he recites: Blessed…the true Judge, and on Lot he recites: Blessed…Who remembers the righteous. As Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From the story of Lot it is possible to learn that even during a time of wrath of the Holy One, Blessed be He, He remembers the righteous, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt” (Genesis 19:29).

אמר רבי יוחנן: אפילו בשעת כעסו של הקדוש ברוך הוא, זוכר את הצדיקים, שנאמר: ״ויהי בשחת אלהים את ערי הככר ויזכר

אלהים את אברהם וישלח את לוט מתוך ההפכה וגו׳״.

וחומת יריחו שנבלעה. וחומת יריחו נבלעה? והא נפלה, שנאמר: ״ויהי כשמע העם את קול השופר ויריעו העם תרועה גדולה ותפל החומה תחתיה״!

The baraita also taught that we recite a blessing for the wall of Jericho that was swallowed up in its place. The Gemara asks: Were the walls of Jericho swallowed up into the ground? Didn’t they fall, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20)? The Gemara explains: Since the width and height of the walls were equal to one another, therefore, they were swallowed. Had they merely fallen it would have had no effect, as their width was equal to their height.

— כיון דפותיה ורומה כי הדדי נינהו, משום הכי אבלעה בלועי.

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב: ארבעה צריכין להודות: יורדי הים, הולכי מדברות, ומי שהיה חולה ונתרפא, ומי שהיה חבוש בבית האסורים ויצא.

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Four must offer thanks to God with a thanks-offering and a special blessing. They are: Seafarers, those who walk in the desert, and one who was ill and recovered, and one who was incarcerated in prison and went out. All of these appear in the verses of a psalm (Psalms 107).

יורדי הים מנלן? — דכתיב: ״יורדי הים באניות וגו׳ המה ראו מעשי ה׳״. ואומר: ״ויעמד רוח סערה יעלו שמים ירדו תהומות״, ואומר: ״יחוגו וינועו כשכור״, ואומר:

The Gemara elaborates: From where do we derive that seafarers are required to thank God? As it is written: “They who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters; they see the works of the Lord” (Psalms 107:23–24). And it says: “For He commands and raises the stormy wind which lifts up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble” (Psalms 107:25–26). And it says: “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” And it says immediately thereafter: “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distress” (Psalms 107:28).And it says: “He makes the storm calm, so the waves thereof are still” (Psalms 107:29), and it says: “Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He brings them unto their desired haven” (Psalms 107:30), and it says: “They are grateful to God for His loving-kindness and His wonders for mankind” (Psalms 107:31).

״ויצעקו אל ה׳ בצר להם וממצוקתיהם יוציאם״, ואומר: ״יקם סערה לדממה״, ואומר: ״וישמחו כי ישתקו״, ואומר: ״יודו לה׳ חסדו ונפלאותיו לבני אדם״.

הולכי מדברות מנלן? דכתיב: ״תעו במדבר בישימון דרך עיר מושב לא מצאו … ויצעקו אל ה׳ … וידריכם בדרך ישרה … יודו לה׳ חסדו״.

The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that those who walk in the desert are required to thank God? The Gemara answers: As it is written in the same psalm: “They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city in which to dwell” (Psalms 107:4),“And then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way” (Psalms 107:6–7).After God guides them on the right way, it is said: “They are grateful to God for His goodness” (Psalms 107:8).

מי שחלה ונתרפא, דכתיב: ״אוילים מדרך פשעם ומעונתיהם יתענו. כל אכל תתעב נפשם וגו׳ ויזעקו אל ה׳ בצר להם וגו׳ ישלח דברו וירפאם וגו׳ יודו לה׳ חסדו״.

That one who was ill and recovered must offer thanks is derived, as it is written: “Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.Their soul abhors all manner of food and they draw near unto the gates of death” (Psalms 107:17–18), and: “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saves them from their distress” (Psalms 107:19), and then: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalms 107:20). After they are healed: “They are grateful to God for His goodness” (Psalms 107:21).

מי שהיה חבוש בבית האסורין מנלן? — דכתיב: ״ישבי חשך וצלמות וגו׳ כי המרו אמרי אל וגו׳״. ואומר: ״ויכנע בעמל לבם וגו׳״, ואומר:

From where do we derive that one who was incarcerated in prison must offer thanks?As it is written: “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron. Because they rebelled against the words of God and scorned the counsel of the most High” (Psalms 107:10–11). And it says: “Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help” (Psalms 107:12), and it says: “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distresses” (Psalms 107:13), and it says: “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their shackles” (Psalms 107:14). And after God takes them out from that darkness and shadow of death, it says: “They are grateful to God for His goodness.”

״ויזעקו אל ה׳ בצר להם״, ואומר: ״יוציאם מחשך וצלמות וגו׳״, ואומר: ״יודו לה׳ חסדו״.

מאי מברך? אמר רב יהודה: ״ברוך גומל חסדים טובים״. אביי אמר: וצריך לאודויי קמי עשרה, דכתיב: ״וירוממוהו בקהל עם וגו׳״. מר זוטרא אמר: ותרין מינייהו רבנן, שנאמר:

The Gemara asks: What blessing does he recite? Rav Yehuda said: Blessed is…Who bestows acts of loving-kindness. Abaye said: And he must offer thanks before ten people, as it is written in the same chapter: “Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the assembly of the elders” (Psalms 107:32), and congregation indicates a group of at least ten. Mar Zutra said: Two of them must be Sages, as it is stated there: “And praise Him in the assembly of elders.” These elders are the Sages, and the use of the plural indicates a minimum of two.

״ובמושב זקנים יהללוהו״.

מתקיף לה רב אשי: ואימא כולהו רבנן?! — מי כתיב ״בקהל זקנים״? ״בקהל עם״ כתיב. ואימא בי עשרה שאר עמא, ותרי רבנן! קשיא.

Rav Ashi strongly objects to this: Say that all of them must be Sages. The Gemara rejects this: Is it written: In the congregation of elders? In the congregation of the people is written; and the Sages are among them. Yet there is still room to object: Say that ten are from the rest of the people, and in addition there must be two Sages. No satisfactory answer was found, and the question remains difficult, although the halakha was not rejected.

רב יהודה חלש ואתפח. על לגביה רב חנא בגדתאה ורבנן. אמרי ליה: ״בריך רחמנא דיהבך ניהלן ולא יהבך לעפרא״. אמר להו: פטרתון יתי מלאודויי.

The Gemara relates: Rav Yehuda fell sick and recovered, Rav Ḥana of Baghdad and the Sages entered to visit him. They said to him: Blessed is God Who gave you to us and did not give you to the dust. He said to them: You have exempted me from offering thanks, as your statement fulfilled my obligation to recite a blessing.

והא אמר אביי בעי אודויי באפי עשרה! — דהוו בי עשרה. והא איהו לא קא מודה! — לא צריך, דעני בתרייהו ״אמן״.

The Gemara asks: But didn’t Abaye say that one must offer thanks before ten? The Gemara answers: There were ten people there when the Sages blessed God in Rav Yehuda’s presence. The Gemara raises another difficulty: But Rav Yehuda did not offer thanks himself; others offered thanks on his behalf. The Gemara answers: He did not need to recite it himself as he answered amen after their blessing. Answering amen after a blessing is tantamount to reciting the blessing himself.

אמר רב יהודה: שלשה צריכין שימור, ואלו הן — חולה, חתן, וכלה. במתניתא תנא: חולה, חיה, חתן, וכלה. ויש אומרים: אף אבל. ויש אומרים: אף תלמידי חכמים בלילה.

Incidental to Rav Yehuda’s earlier statement, which organized several cases into a single category, the Gemara cites similar statements of his. Rav Yehuda said: Three require protection from harm: A sick person, a bridegroom, and a bride. It was taught in a baraita: A sick person, a woman in childbirth, a bridegroom, and a bride require protection from harm. And some say: Even a mourner. And some say: Even Torah scholars at night. Those whose thoughts are focused elsewhere or are in a weakened physical state require protection.

ואמר רב יהודה: שלשה דברים המאריך בהן מאריכין ימיו ושנותיו של אדם. המאריך בתפלתו, והמאריך על שלחנו, והמאריך בבית הכסא.

And Rav Yehuda said: There are three matters which, when one who prolongs their duration, they extend a person’s days and years. They are: One who prolongs his prayer, one who prolongs his mealtime at the table, and one who prolongs his time in the bathroom.

והמאריך בתפלתו מעליותא היא? והאמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן:

The Gemara asks: And one who prolongs his prayer; is that a virtue? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: