even

<<“Bless.”

<<And in any

<<case,

<<“Let us bless”

<<is preferable,

<<for Rav Adda bar Ahava said,

<<they say

<<in the academy of Rav,

<<We have learned it:

<<Six

<<divide,

<<up to

<<ten.

If

<<you say,

<<granted,

<<“Let us bless”

<<is preferable —

<<because

<<of this

<<they divide;

<<but

<<if

<<you say

<<“Bless”

<<is preferable,

<<why

<<do they divide?

<<Rather,

<<is it not —

<<learn from it:

<<“Let us bless”

<<is preferable.

<<Learn from it.

It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<Whether

<<he said

<<“Bless”

<<or

<<he said

<<“Let us bless,”

<<they do not

<<seize [i.e., fault]

<<him

<<over

<<this;

<<and the punctilious

<<seize

<<him

<<over

<<this.

<<And from the blessings

<<of

<<a person

<<it is recognizable

<<whether

<<a Torah scholar

<<he is

<<or

<<not.

<<How so?

<<Rebbi

<<says:

<<“And by His goodness” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<a Torah scholar;

<<“and from His goodness” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<an ignoramus.

Abaye said to Rav Dimi:

<<But isn't it written:

<<“And from Your blessing

<<will be blessed

<<(the)

<<house of

<<Your servant

<<forever”!

<<With a request

<<it is different.

<<With a request

<<too,

<<isn't it written:

<<“Open wide

<<your mouth

<<and I will fill it”!

<<That one

<<about words of Torah

<<is written.

It is taught:

<<Rebbi

<<says:

<<“By His goodness

<<we live” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<a Torah scholar;

<<“[they are] living” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<an ignoramus.

<<The people of Neharbel

<<teach

<<the reverse,

<<and there is not

<<the halachah

<<like the people of Neharbel.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<“Let us bless

<<[Him] Whose [food] we have eaten

<<from what is His” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<a Torah scholar;

<<“[Let us bless] the One

<<Whose [food] we have eaten

<<from what is His” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<an ignoramus.

Rav Acha son of Rava said to Rav Ashi:

<<But surely

<<we say

<<“To the One

<<Who did

<<for our fathers

<<and for us

<<all these miracles.”

<<He said to him:

<<There

<<is evident

<<the matter:

<<who

<<performs

<<miracles?

<<The Holy One, Blessed be He.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<“Blessed is He

<<Whose [food] we have eaten

<<from what is His” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<a Torah scholar;

<<“For

<<the food

<<that we have eaten” —

<<behold,

<<this one is

<<an ignoramus.

Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua said:

<<Not

<<did we say [this]

<<except

<<with three,

<<where there is not

<<the name of

<<Heaven;

<<but

<<with ten,

<<where there is

<<the name of

<<Heaven,

<<is evident

<<the matter,

<<as we learned:

<<According to the manner

<<that he

<<blesses,

<<so

<<they answer

<<after him:

<<“Blessed is

<<Hashem,

<<the God of

<<Israel,

<<the God of

<<the Hosts,

<<Who sits upon

<<the cherubim,

<<for

<<the food

<<that we have eaten.”

“Whether

<<ten

<<or

<<ten

<<myriads.”

<<This

<<itself

<<is difficult:

<<you said

<<whether

<<ten

<<or

<<ten

<<myriads —

<<evidently

<<like

<<each other

<<they are;

<<and then

<<it teaches:

<<with a hundred

<<he says…,

<<with a thousand

<<he says…,

<<with a myriad

<<he says…!

Rav Yosef said:

<<It is not difficult:

<<this

<<is Rabbi Yosei HaGelili,

<<this

<<is Rabbi Akiva.

<<As we learned:

<<Rabbi Yosei HaGelili

<<says:

<<According to

<<the multitude of

<<the congregation

<<they

<<bless,

<<as it is stated:

<<“In assemblies

<<bless

<<God.”

Rabbi Akiva said:

<<“What

<<do we find

<<in the synagogue,

<<etc.”

<<And Rabbi Akiva —

<<this

<<verse

<<of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili,

<<what

<<does he do

<<with it?

<<He needs

<<it

<<for that which is taught:

<<Would

<<Rabbi Meir

<<say:

<<From where [is it derived]

<<that even

<<fetuses

<<that are in the innards of

<<their mothers

<<said

<<song

<<at

<<the sea?

<<As it is stated:

<<“In assemblies

<<bless

<<God,

<<Hashem,

<<from the source of

<<Israel.”

<<And the other one?

<<From “source”

<<he derives it.

Rava said:

<<The halachah is

<<like Rabbi Akiva.

<<Ravina

<<and Rav Chama bar Buzi

<<happened

<<to the house of

<<the Exilarch.

<<Rose

<<Rav Chama

<<and was

<<going around

<<after

<<a hundred [diners].

<<Ravina said to him:

<<Not

<<do you need [to];

<<thus

<<Rava said:

<<The halachah is

<<like Rabbi Akiva.

Rava said:

<<When

<<we eat

<<bread

<<at the house of

<<the Exilarch,

<<we bless

<<[in groups of] three,

<<three.

<<But let them bless

<<ten,

<<ten!

<<Would hear

<<the Exilarch

<<and be angry.

<<But let them fulfill [their obligation]

<<with the blessing

<<of the Exilarch!

<<Since

<<make noise

<<everyone,

<<not

<<do they hear.

Rabbah Tosfa'ah said:

<<These

<<three

<<who wrap [i.e., eat]

<<bread

<<with each other,

<<and went ahead

<<one

<<of them

<<and blessed

<<on his own —

<<they

<<fulfill [their obligation]

<<with the invitation

<<of his;

<<he

<<does not

<<fulfill [it]

<<with the invitation

<<of theirs,

<<because

<<there is no

<<invitation [to bless]

<<retroactively.

“Rabbi Yishmael

<<says.”

<<Rafram bar Pappa

<<happened

<<to the synagogue

<<of Avi Givar;

<<he rose,

<<read

<<from the scroll,

<<and said

<<“Bless

<<Hashem,”

<<and was silent,

<<and did not

<<say

<<“the Blessed One.”

<<Cried out

<<everyone:

<<“Bless

<<Hashem,

<<the Blessed One!”

<<Rava said:

<<Black

<<pot,

<<with

<<a dispute

<<why do you need [to get involved]?

<<And further,

<<behold,

<<practices

<<the world [i.e., people]

<<like Rabbi Yishmael.

MISHNAH:

<<Three

<<who ate

<<together

<<are not

<<permitted

<<to divide.

<<And so

<<four,

<<and so

<<five.

<<Six

<<divide,

<<up to

<<ten.

<<And ten

<<do not

<<divide,

<<until

<<twenty.

Two

<<groups

<<that were

<<eating

<<in a house

<<one:

<<at the time

<<that some of them

<<see

<<these

<<those,

<<behold,

<<these

<<combine

<<for the invitation [to bless];

<<and if

<<not,

<<these

<<join to bless

<<for themselves,

<<and those

<<join to bless

<<for themselves.

They do not

<<bless

<<over

<<the wine

<<until

<<he puts

<<into it

<<water;

<<these are the words of

<<Rabbi Eliezer.

<<And the Sages

<<say:

<<They bless.

GEMARA:

<<What

<<does it teach us?

<<We learned it

<<once already:

<<Three

<<who ate

<<together

<<are obligated

<<to join to bless!

This

<<it teaches us,

<<like

<<this,

<<that Rabbi Abba said in the name of Shmuel:

<<Three

<<who sat

<<to eat

<<together,

<<and still

<<not

<<have they eaten,

<<are not

<<permitted

<<to divide.

A version

<<another:

<<Rabbi Abba said in the name of Shmuel,

<<thus

<<it teaches:

<<Three

<<who sat

<<to eat

<<together,

<<even though

<<each and every one

<<eats

<<from his own loaf,

<<are not

<<permitted

<<to divide.

<<Alternatively,

<<like

<<this

<<of Rav Huna,

<<for Rav Huna said:

<<Three

<<who came

<<from three

<<groups

<<are not

<<permitted

<<to divide.

Rav Chisda said:

<<And this is

<<when they came

<<from three

<<groups

<<of

<<three

<<people.

Rava said: