“And they do not

<<bless

<<over

<<the lamp

<<until

<<they benefit [from its light].”

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

<<Not

<<“they benefit”

<<[meaning] benefit

<<literally,

<<but

<<any [light]

<<that if

<<he were standing

<<nearby

<<he would use

<<its light —

<<even

<<at a distance

<<of place.

<<And so

<<Rav Ashi said:

<<“At a distance

<<of place”

<<we learned.

They raised an objection:

<<[If] there was

<<for him

<<a lamp

<<hidden

<<in his bosom

<<or

<<in a lantern,

<<or

<<that he saw

<<a flame

<<and did not

<<use

<<its light,

<<or

<<he used

<<its light

<<and did not

<<see

<<a flame —

<<he does not

<<bless

<<until

<<he sees

<<a flame

<<and uses

<<its light.

Granted,

<<he uses

<<its light

<<and did not

<<see

<<a flame —

<<you find

<<it

<<where it stands

<<in a corner.

<<But

<<he saw

<<a flame

<<and did not

<<use

<<its light —

<<how

<<do you find

<<it?

<<Is it not

<<where it is far?!

No,

<<for example

<<where it is dimming

<<and going [out].

The Rabbis taught:

<<Coals

<<glowing —

<<they bless

<<over them;

<<dimming —

<<they do not

<<bless

<<over them.

<<What is the case of

<<glowing [coals]?

<<Rav Chisda said:

<<Any

<<that if

<<one inserts

<<into them

<<a wood chip,

<<it ignites

<<by itself.

It was asked of them:

<<“Omemos” [with aleph]

<<or

<<“omemos” [with ayin]?

Come and hear:

<<for Rav Chisda bar Avdimi said:

<<“Cedars

<<did not

<<dim it

<<in the garden of

<<God.”

And Rava

<<said:

<<“They benefit”

<<literally.

And how much?

<<Ulla said:

<<So that

<<he can distinguish

<<between

<<an issar

<<and a pundyon.

<<Chizkiyah

<<said:

<<So that

<<he can distinguish

<<between

<<a meluzma [coin]

<<of

<<Teverya

<<and a meluzma

<<of

<<Tzippori.

Rav Yehuda

<<would bless

<<over [the light of] the house of

<<Adda

<<the attendant;

<<Rava

<<would bless

<<over [the light of] the house of

<<Gurya bar Chama;

<<Abaye

<<would bless

<<over [the light of] the house of

<<Bar Avuha.

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:

<<One does not

<<go seeking

<<after

<<the fire

<<in the way

<<that one goes seeking

<<after

<<the mitzvos.

<<Rabbi Zeira said:

<<From the beginning

<<I was

<<seeking [it];

<<since

<<I heard

<<this

<<of Rav Yehuda

<<in the name of

<<Rav,

<<I

<<too

<<do not

<<seek [it],

<<but

<<if

<<it comes

<<to me

<<on its own,

<<I bless.

“One

<<who ate,

<<etc.”

<<Rav Zevid said,

<<and some say

<<Rav Dimi bar Abba:

<<The dispute

<<is where he forgot,

<<but

<<where deliberate,

<<all agree

<<he must return

<<to his place

<<and bless.

Obvious!

<<“And he forgot”

<<we learned!

You might have said:

<<the same law

<<even

<<when deliberate,

<<and this

<<that it teaches

<<“and he forgot”

<<is to inform you of

<<the strength

<<of Beis Shammai.

<<It teaches us [otherwise].

It is taught:

<<Beis Hillel said to Beis Shammai:

<<According to your words,

<<one

<<who ate

<<at the top of

<<the Birah

<<and forgot

<<and went down

<<and did not

<<bless —

<<must he return

<<to the top of

<<the Birah

<<and bless?!

<<Beis Shammai said to Beis Hillel:

<<According to your words,

<<one

<<who forgot

<<a purse

<<at the top of

<<the Birah —

<<will he not

<<go up

<<and take it?

<<For the honor of

<<himself

<<he

<<goes up;

<<for the honor of

<<Heaven,

<<is it not all the more so?!

There were those

<<two

<<students:

<<one

<<acted

<<inadvertently

<<like Beis Shammai

<<and found

<<a purse

<<of gold;

<<and one

<<acted

<<deliberately

<<like Beis Hillel,

<<and ate him

<<a lion.

Rabbah bar bar Chana

<<was

<<going

<<with a caravan;

<<he ate

<<and forgot

<<and did not

<<bless.

<<He said:

<<How

<<shall I act?

<<If

<<I say

<<to them

<<“I forgot

<<to bless,”

<<they will say

<<to me:

<<“Bless [here];

<<wherever

<<that you bless,

<<to the Merciful One

<<you bless.”

<<It is better

<<that I say

<<to them:

<<“I forgot

<<a dove

<<of gold.”

<<He said

<<to them:

<<“Wait

<<for me,

<<for I forgot

<<a dove

<<of gold.”

<<He went

<<and blessed

<<and found

<<a dove

<<of gold.

And what

<<is different

<<a dove?

<<That are compared

<<the Congregation of

<<Israel

<<to a dove,

<<as it is written:

<<“The wings of

<<a dove

<<covered

<<with silver,

<<and her pinions

<<with the shimmering green

<<of fine gold”:

<<just as

<<a dove

<<is not

<<saved

<<except

<<by its wings,

<<so too

<<Israel

<<are not

<<saved

<<except

<<by mitzvos.

“Until

<<when

<<does he [bless],

<<etc.”

How much

<<is the measure of

<<digestion?

<<Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<As long as

<<he is not

<<hungry.

<<And Reish Lakish

<<said:

<<As long as

<<he is thirsty

<<because of

<<his eating.

Rav Yeimar bar Shelemya said to Mar Zutra —

<<and some say:

<<Rav Yeimar bar Sheizvi

<<to Mar Zutra:

<<Did

<<say

<<Reish Lakish

<<so?

<<But didn't Rav Ami say in the name of Reish Lakish:

<<How much

<<is the measure of

<<digestion?

<<Enough time

<<to walk

<<four

<<mil!

It is not difficult:

<<here

<<with eating

<<that is much,

<<here

<<with eating

<<that is little.

“[If] came

<<to them

<<wine,

<<etc.”

Is this to say

<<that a Jew,

<<even though

<<he did not

<<hear

<<all of

<<the blessing,

<<answers [Amen]?

<<But if

<<he did not

<<hear,

<<how

<<does he fulfill [his obligation]?

Chiya bar Rav said:

<<Where he did not

<<eat

<<with them.

<<And so

<<Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha:

<<Where he did not

<<eat

<<with them.

<<Rav said to Chiya

<<his son:

<<My son,

<<grab [the cup]

<<and bless.

<<And so

<<Rav Huna said to Rabbah

<<his son:

<<Grab

<<and bless.

Is this to say

<<that one who blesses

<<is preferable

<<to one

<<who answers

<<“Amen”?

<<But isn't it taught:

<<Rabbi Yosei

<<says:

<<Greater is

<<the one who answers

<<“Amen”

<<more

<<than

<<the one who blesses!

Rabbi Nehorai said to him:

<<By the heavens,

<<so

<<it is!

<<Know

<<that behold,

<<the gulyarin [camp attendants]

<<go down

<<and open

<<the war,

<<and the mighty warriors

<<go down

<<and win!

Tannaim [disagree about]

<<it,

<<as it is taught:

<<Both

<<the one who blesses

<<and

<<the one who answers

<<“Amen”

<<are implied [equally],

<<except

<<that they hasten [the reward]

<<for the one who blesses

<<more

<<than

<<the one who answers

<<“Amen.”

Asked

<<of him

<<Shmuel

<<of Rav:

<<What is [the law]

<<to answer

<<“Amen”

<<after

<<children

<<of

<<the schoolhouse?

<<He said to him:

<<After

<<everyone

<<they answer

<<“Amen,”

<<except

<<for children

<<of

<<the schoolhouse,

<<since

<<to learn

<<they are made [i.e., they bless].

<<And these words [apply]

<<where not

<<[at] the time of

<<their discharging [their obligation];

<<but

<<at the time of

<<their discharging [it]

<<they answer.

The Rabbis taught:

<<Oil

<<is indispensable to

<<the blessing,

<<the words of

<<Rabbi Zilai.

<<Rabbi Zivai

<<says:

<<It is not

<<indispensable.

<<Rav Acha

<<says:

<<Oil

<<that is good

<<is indispensable.

<<Rabbi Zuhamai

<<says:

<<Just as

<<a filthy [Kohen]

<<is unfit

<<for the Temple service,

<<so

<<hands

<<that are filthy

<<are unfit

<<for blessing.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<I

<<neither

<<Zilai

<<nor

<<Zivai

<<nor

<<Zuhamai

<<know;

<<rather,

<<a baraisa

<<I know.

<<For Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav,

<<and some say

<<in a baraisa

<<it was taught:

<<“And you shall sanctify yourselves” —

<<these are

<<the waters

<<that are first;

<<“and you shall be

<<holy” —

<<these are

<<the waters

<<that are last;

<<“for

<<holy” —

<<this is

<<oil;

<<“I am

<<Hashem

<<your God” —

<<this is

<<the blessing.

We shall return to you,

<<‘These are the matters’.