and there are

<<among them

<<that one concludes

<<them

<<with “Blessed”

<<and does not

<<open

<<with “Blessed.”

<<And “Who is good

<<and does good”

<<one opens

<<with “Blessed”

<<and does not

<<conclude

<<with “Blessed.”

<<By implication,

<<that a blessing

<<in its own right

<<it is.

And Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<Know

<<that “Who is good

<<and does good”

<<is not

<<from the Torah,

<<for

<<they uproot

<<it

<<in the house of

<<the mourner,

<<as it is taught:

<<What

<<do they

<<say

<<in the house of

<<the mourner?

<<“Blessed is

<<He Who is good

<<and does good.”

<<Rabbi Akiva

<<says:

<<“Blessed is

<<the Judge of

<<truth.”

“Who is good

<<and does good,”

<<yes;

<<“Judge of

<<truth,”

<<no?!

<<Rather,

<<say:

<<also

<<“Who is good

<<and does good.”

Mar Zutra

<<happened [to come]

<<to the house of

<<Rav Ashi;

<<there befell

<<him

<<a matter.

<<He began

<<and blessed:

<<“Who is good

<<and does good,

<<God of

<<truth,

<<Judge of

<<truth,

<<Who judges

<<with righteousness,

<<Who takes

<<with justice,

<<and Who rules

<<in His world

<<to do

<<in it

<<according to His will;

<<for

<<all

<<His ways

<<are justice;

<<for everything

<<is His,

<<and we

<<are His people

<<and His servants;

<<and for everything

<<we

<<are obligated

<<to thank

<<Him

<<and to bless Him.

<<He Who fences

<<breaches

<<in Israel —

<<He

<<will fence

<<the breach

<<this

<<in Israel

<<for life.”

To where

<<does he

<<return?

<<Rav Zevid

<<in the name

<<of Abaye

<<said:

<<He returns

<<to the beginning;

<<and the Rabbis

<<say:

<<to the place

<<where he stopped.

<<And the halachah:

<<to the place

<<where he stopped.

Said to him

<<the Exilarch

<<to Rav Sheshes:

<<Even though

<<Rabbis

<<elderly

<<you are,

<<the Persians

<<in the requirements of

<<a meal

<<are more expert

<<than you.

<<When

<<they are

<<two

<<couches,

<<the great one

<<reclines

<<at the head,

<<and the second

<<to him

<<above

<<him.

<<And when

<<they are

<<three,

<<the great one

<<reclines

<<in the middle,

<<the second

<<to him

<<above

<<him,

<<the third

<<to him

<<below

<<him.

He said to him:

<<And when

<<he wants

<<to converse

<<with him,

<<he must straighten

<<himself up

<<and sit

<<and converse

<<with him?!

<<He said to him:

<<Different are

<<the Persians,

<<for he signals

<<to him

<<by gesture.

The waters

<<first —

<<from where

<<do they begin?

<<He said to him:

<<From

<<the greatest.

Shall sit

<<the great one

<<and guard

<<his hands

<<until

<<wash

<<all of them?

<<He said to him:

<<Immediately

<<they bring

<<the table

<<before him.

The waters

<<last —

<<from where

<<do they begin?

<<He said to him:

<<From

<<the smallest.

And the great one

<<sits

<<with his hands

<<soiled

<<until

<<wash

<<all of them?

<<He said to him:

<<They do not

<<remove

<<the table

<<from before him

<<until

<<reaches

<<the water

<<to him.

Rav Sheshes said:

<<I

<<a baraisa

<<know,

<<as it is taught:

<<How is

<<the order of

<<reclining?

<<When

<<they are

<<two

<<couches,

<<the great one

<<reclines

<<at the head,

<<and the second

<<to him

<<below

<<him.

<<When

<<they are

<<three

<<couches,

<<the great one

<<reclines

<<at the head,

<<the second

<<to him

<<above

<<him,

<<the third

<<to him

<<below

<<him.

<<The waters

<<first —

<<they begin

<<from

<<the greatest.

<<The waters

<<last —

<<when

<<they are

<<five,

<<they begin

<<from

<<the greatest;

<<and when

<<they are

<<a hundred,

<<they begin

<<from

<<the smallest

<<until

<<they reach

<<near

<<the fifth,

<<and they go back

<<and begin

<<from

<<the greatest.

<<And to the place

<<that the waters

<<last

<<return —

<<there

<<the blessing

<<returns.

This supports

<<the view

<<of Rav,

<<for Rabbi Chiya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav:

<<Anyone

<<who washes

<<his hands

<<at the end

<<first —

<<he

<<is designated

<<for the blessing.

Rav

<<and Rabbi Chiya

<<were

<<sitting

<<at a meal

<<before

<<Rebbi.

<<Rebbi said to Rav:

<<Get up,

<<wash

<<your hand.

<<He saw him

<<that he was

<<trembling.

<<He said to him:

<<Son of

<<nobles,

<<“review

<<the blessing of

<<food”

<<he is saying

<<to you.

The Rabbis taught:

<<They do not

<<defer

<<neither

<<on roads

<<nor

<<on bridges,