To include

<<a minor

<<who is sprouting?

And there is not

<<the halachah

<<like any of

<<these

<<teachings;

<<rather,

<<like

<<this

<<that Rav Nachman said:

<<A minor

<<who knows

<<to Whom

<<they bless —

<<they join to bless

<<with him.

Abaye

<<and Rava

<<were

<<sitting

<<before

<<Rabbah.

<<Rabbah said to them:

<<To whom

<<do they bless?

<<They said to him:

<<To the Merciful One.

<<And the Merciful One —

<<where

<<does He sit?

<<Rava

<<pointed

<<to the sky

<<of the roof.

<<Abaye

<<went out

<<outside

<<and pointed

<<toward

<<the sky.

<<Rabbah said to them:

<<Both of you

<<Rabbis

<<will become.

<<This is

<<what say

<<people:

<<A cucumber,

<<a cucumber —

<<from its blossom

<<it is known.

Said

<<Rav Yehuda (son of Rav Shmuel bar Shilas)

<<in the name

<<of Rav:

<<Nine

<<who ate

<<grain

<<and one

<<who ate

<<vegetables

<<combine.

<<Rabbi Zeira said:

<<I asked

<<of him,

<<of Rav Yehuda:

<<Eight —

<<what is [the law]?

<<Seven —

<<what is [the law]?

<<He said

<<to me:

<<There is no

<<difference.

<<Six

<<certainly

<<not

<<was a question

<<to me.

<<Rabbi Yirmiya said to him:

<<Well

<<you did

<<that not

<<was it a question

<<for you;

<<there,

<<the reason

<<is what?

<<Because

<<there is

<<a majority;

<<here

<<too

<<there is

<<a majority.

<<And he

<<held:

<<a majority

<<that is recognizable

<<we require.

Yannai

<<the king

<<and the queen

<<were wrapping [i.e., eating]

<<bread

<<with each other,

<<and since he had killed

<<them,

<<the Rabbis,

<<not

<<was there

<<for him

<<a person

<<to bless

<<for them.

<<He said

<<to her,

<<to his wife:

<<Who

<<will give

<<us

<<a man

<<who will bless

<<for us?

<<She said to him:

<<Swear

<<to me

<<that if

<<I bring

<<you

<<a man,

<<that not

<<will you trouble

<<him.

<<He swore

<<to her.

<<She brought him,

<<Shimon ben Shatach,

<<her brother.

<<She seated him

<<between

<<his [place]

<<and hers.

<<He said to him:

<<Do you see

<<how much

<<honor

<<I do

<<you?

<<He said to him:

<<Not

<<you

<<are honoring

<<me,

<<but

<<the Torah

<<it is

<<that honors

<<me,

<<as it is written:

<<“Extol her

<<and she will exalt you;

<<she will honor you

<<when

<<you embrace her.”

<<He said to her:

<<You see

<<that not

<<does he accept

<<authority.

They gave

<<him

<<a cup

<<to bless.

<<He said:

<<How

<<shall I bless?

<<“Blessed is He

<<Whose [food] ate

<<Yannai

<<and his companions,

<<from what is His”?

<<He drank it,

<<that

<<cup;

<<they gave

<<him

<<a cup

<<another,

<<and he blessed.

Said

<<Rabbi Abba (son of Rabbi Chiya bar Abba),

<<Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<Shimon ben Shatach,

<<that which he did,

<<on his own

<<it was

<<that he did [it];

<<for thus

<<Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<Never

<<does he

<<discharge

<<the many

<<from

<<their obligation

<<until

<<he eats

<<an olive's bulk

<<of grain.

They raised an objection:

<<Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel

<<says:

<<[If] he went up

<<and reclined

<<with them,

<<even if

<<not

<<did he dip

<<with them

<<except

<<in brine,

<<and not

<<did he eat

<<with them

<<except

<<a dried fig

<<one,

<<he combines.

To combine,

<<he combines;

<<but

<<to discharge

<<the many

<<from

<<their obligation —

<<[not] until

<<he eats

<<an olive's bulk

<<of grain.

It was stated

<<also:

<<Rav Chana bar Yehuda said in the name of Rava:

<<Even if

<<not