| M. VI. 1-4; T. IV. 1-7. The Proper Forms for the Different Foods | Title page | M. VIII. 1; T. VI. 1, III. 8. Points in Dispute between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel: The Order of the Benedictions |
. M.VII. 1. Three persons who have eaten together are bound to give an invitation. [^364] But [in the case of him who eats] Dmai [1] and First Tithes from which their Contribution has been taken, [2] and Second Tithes [3] and consecrated things [4] which have been redeemed, [5] and the attendant who eats as much as an olive, and the Cuthæan (Samaritan)—one gives no such invitation [6] with respect to them.
2 (1). But as for him who eats Tebel, [7] and First Tithes from which their priests’ share has not been taken, and Second Tithes and consecrated things [ p. 60 ] which have not been redeemed, also if the attendant eats less than as much as an olive, and the stranger [8]—one gives no invitation with respect to them.
T. V. 10. If one is acting as servant to two, behold, he eats with them: [9] if to three, he does not eat with them until they give him permission. [10]
M.VII. 3 (2). Women, and slaves, and little children, [11] are not invited [to say the Benediction]. What is the least account of food which qualifies for the invitation? Not less than the size of an olive. R. Judah says not less than the size of an egg.
T. V. 14. All are under obligation to say in the case of the Benediction after the meal: priests, Levites, and Israelites and proselytes and slaves, freedmen, priests of illegitimate birth, [12] Nethinim, and bastards, eunuchs of men, and eunuchs by birth, [13] and eunuchs of all kinds. [14] All are under obligation, and can set the majority free from obligation. [15] Persons of uncertain or double sex [ p. 61 ] are under obligation, but cannot set the majority free from the obligation.
13. One who is of double sex sets one like himself free [from his obligation], but no one else; one who is of uncertain sex sets neither free.
16. One who is half a slave and half of free birth sets neither one like himself nor any one else free [from their obligation].
17. Women and slaves and children do not set the majority free from their obligation. [Yet] in fact they say: [16] A woman says the Benediction for her husband, a son for his father, a slave for his master.
18. A child who can eat anything about the size of an olive we include in the invitation to say the Benediction, but him who cannot eat anything about the size of an olive we do not. We do not insist on preciseness with a child, whether he says, “Let us bless,” or says, “Blessed be He.” We do not take him up for this, but the precisians do take him up for this.
20. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says: If they have gone upstairs, and have reclined at meat, and he dips his hands (in the dish) with them, although he has not eaten with them [any] corn as much as an olive, behold these invite him. [17]
11. If a sweet relish comes to him in the middle of the meal, one says the Benediction over the meal, and lets the sweet relish go free.
12. R. Mona [18] says in the name of R. Judah, A bit of bread that comes with dessert after food requires a Benediction before it and after it.
13. The first water (for washing before the meal) is a matter of choice; the latter [19] (after the meal) a [ p. 62 ] matter of obligation. In the case of the first water if one wishes to leave off, one leaves off; but in the case of the latter water, if one wishes to leave off one does not.
M.VII. 4 (3). How is the invitation worded? [20] In the case of three persons they say: “Let us bless.” [21] If there are three besides the speaker, he says: “Blessed be He.” [22] If there are ten he says: “Let us bless our God.” If there are ten besides the speaker he says: “Blessed be He.” It is all the same whether there be ten or ten myriads. [23]
5 (3 cont.). In the case of a hundred he says: “Let us bless the LORD our God.” In the case of a hundred besides the speaker he says: “Blessed be He.” In the case of a thousand they say: “Let [ p. 63 ] us bless the LORD our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts.” 1
In the case of a myriad besides the speaker, he says: “Blessed be He.” According to the wording of his blessing 2 so do they respond after him: “Blessed be the LORD our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts, dwelling between the cherubim for the meal that we have eaten.”
R. Jose, the Galilean, says: According to the number of the congregation do they frame the Benediction, for it is said, “By congregations bless ye God the LORD, from the fountain of Israel.” 3
6 (3 cont.). R. Aqiba says: How do we find it in the synagogue? 4 It is all one whether there be many or few; they say, Bless ye the LORD.“ R. Ishmael says: ”Bless ye the LORD who is blessed." 5
7. (4 cont.). Three who have eaten together are not allowed to separate. [24] So also with four or [ p. 64 ] five. If there are six they may be divided, and so up to ten. [25] But not ten until there be twenty.
T. V. 19. In the case of twenty persons they are divided [into two groups], provided that there be none among them who separated himself from the invitation. [26]
M.VII. 8 (5). If there are two companies that are eating in one house when some of them [can] see the others, behold, they join themselves together to give the invitation [to say the Benediction]. But if not, then they give the invitation each party to themselves.
They do not say the Benediction over the wine until one puts water into it. This is the opinion of R. Eliezer. [27] But the Majority say: They say the Benediction.
| M. VI. 1-4; T. IV. 1-7. The Proper Forms for the Different Foods | Title page | M. VIII. 1; T. VI. 1, III. 8. Points in Dispute between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel: The Order of the Benedictions |
59:1 to give an invitation. One of those present must invite the other two to join with him in a Benediction at the end of a meal. SA, p. 279, with Abrahams’ note; vide supra, p. 50. ↩︎
59:2 Dmai. Literally, “suspicion” or “talk.” Fruits about which there is a suspicion whether they have been tithed or not. The third treatise of the Mishna deals with this subject, and is so called. For the duty of tithing see Lev. 2730. ↩︎
59:3 First Tithes from which their Contribution has been taken. For the Contribution see Num. 1519-21, and Driver’s note on Deut. 126. It is said to have varied from the sixtieth to the fortieth part of the whole untithed produce. The remainder was tithed. ↩︎
59:4 Second Tithes, Num. 1826. The Second Tithe was taken from the remainder after the First Tithe. ↩︎
59:5 consecrated things. As for example, Firstlings, Lev. 2726 sq. ↩︎
59:6 which have been redeemed. This refers to the two last cases, for only if they were redeemed could they be eaten. Redemption was made by giving the value of the thing plus a fifth of that value, Lev. 2713, 31. ↩︎
59:7 one gives no such invitation. B omits the negative, and rightly, in view of the next clause. ↩︎
59:8 Tebel. Food from which no Contribution or Tithe has been taken. ↩︎
60:1 the stranger. Neither Jew nor Samaritan. ↩︎
60:2 he eats with them. He makes a third person, enabling the formal invitation to be given. It is understood that he is a Jew. ↩︎
60:3 until they give him permission. For his presence is not necessary. ↩︎
60:5 priests of illegitimate birth (chālālim), e.g. sons of a priest who had married a widow. ↩︎
60:6 Cf. Matt. 1912. ↩︎
60:7 The language is that of Deut. 231. ↩︎
60:8 can set . . . free from obligation. By one of them saying the Benediction on behalf of those who are present. ↩︎
61:1 they say. i.e. This is the Rule. ↩︎
61:2 these invite him, viz., to say the Benediction after the meal. ↩︎
61:3 R. Mona. His usual name, as it seems, is Mana. Evidently a mishna-teacher of the fourth generation, c. 160-200 A.D. ↩︎
61:4 The first water . . . the latter. These become technical expressions for the ceremonial washing before and after meals, and p. 62 occur in the proverb: “[The neglect of] the first water makes one eat pork [for the host thinks one a Gentile], and [the neglect of ] the latter water commits murder,” i.e. one duty neglected brings about the commission of a serious, but relatively small, sin, a second the commission of a great one. The proverb is given summing up an illustration of its truth, in T. B. Yoma, 83 b. ↩︎
62:1 How is the invitation worded? The formulæ are essentially the same as in SA, p. 279. See also Abrahams’ notes. ↩︎
62:2 “Let us bless.” Observe the gradation. Here no name is mentioned, for ten alone is a fully religious assembly; where there are ten, “our God”; where a hundred, “the LORD our God” where a thousand, “the LORD our God, the God of Israel, the God of hosts”; where a myriad, there is the addition of “dwelling between the cherubims.” ↩︎
62:3 Blessed be He. B has “Bless ye” wherever “Blessed be He” comes in this and the next mishna (in C.). ↩︎
63:5 The Halaka (Rule) follows R. Ishmael (Bartenora). ↩︎
63:6 to separate. Into two or more divisions, to say the Grace after the meal. For three is the lowest number for a religious company. Therefore four or five may not be divided. Cf. p. 50. ↩︎
64:1 ten. For ten also is a company. Therefore also the numbers from eleven to nineteen may not be divided. ↩︎
64:2 from the invitation. By having already said the Benediction for himself. ↩︎