Rif Brachot 39a

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39a

{Brachot 52b continued}
that it is first, or upon havdalah that it is at the end. And in the Yerushalmi they explain, and there is a question according to Bet Hillel on Motza`ei Shabbat how to conduct himself when that he sat and ate and it became dark on Motza`ei Shabbat and there is only this {single} cup, do you say that he should set it aside until after the meal, and put all of them on it - how then do you want it? If he blesses on the wine, the mazon should precede. If he blesses on the mazon, the light should precede; if he blesses on the light, the havdalah should precede.

And we deduce it from here: For they learnt {in a brayta}:

Rabbi Yehuda said: Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel do not argue regarding Birchat HaMazon that it is at the beginning, and regarding havdalah that it is at the end. Regarding what do they argue? Upon the light and upon the spices - that Bet Shammai say: spices and afterwards light, and Bet Hillel say: light and afterwards spices.

Rabbi Abba and Rav Yehuda citing Rav said: the halacha is like the one who says "spices and afterwards light."
How should he conduct himself, according to Bet Hillel - he blesses on the Mazon first and afterwards on the wine, and afterwards on the light, etc.

And on this brayta, which teaches "light and Mazon, spices and havdalah," we learnt also there:
They learnt {in a brayta}: Rabbi Yehuda said: Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel do not argue regarding Birchat HaMazon that it is at the beginning, and regarding havdalah that it is at the end.

Therefore, it is clear that it is in Birchat HaMazon, which is three blessings {at the conclusion of the mean} that we are dealing with, and not in the blessing of HaMotzi, and this Mishna is not dealing with making havdalah upon bread at all.

Therefore we may never make havdalah upon bread.

And if you say that the brayta cited in our Gemara argues on the brayta in the Yerusahlmi, since ours says "UMazon" {and Mazon} and there they teach Birchat HaMazon; here according to Bet Hillel spices and afterwards light, and there light and afterwards spices; and since they argue we should not learn from it {the Yerushalmi}.
And this matters not to us, for we do not learn from it except to reveal that this Mazon which is written in our Mishna refers to Birchat HaMazon.

And further, if our Mishna deals with Motza'ei Shabbat going into Yom Tov, why does it not teach kiddush among them - it is no worse than light. But rather, it is certain that our Mishna refers only to Motza`ei Shabbat by itself, and as a result, we may not deduce from it that one may make havdalah upon bread. And this story of Amemar who went to sleep hungry, it matters not whether it is Motza`ei Shabbat going into a weekday or Motza`ei Shabbat going into Yom Tov.

And the one who holds that on Motza`ei Shabbat going into Yom Tov it is permitted to make havdalah upon bread needs to bring a proof, and from this Mishna there is no proof, as we have stated.

Rav Huna bar Yehuda visited the home of Rava. He saw him, that he blessed upon the spices and then upon the light.
He {Rav Huna bar Yehuda} said to him: Now, whether according to Bet Shammai or Bet Hillel, upon the light they do not argue. For we learn {in the Mishna}: "BETH SHAMMAI SAY THAT [THE PROPER ORDER IS] LIGHT, GRACE {=Mazon}, SPICES, AND HABDALAH, WHILE BETH HILLEL SAY: LIGHT, SPICES, GRACE {=Mazon}, AND HABDALAH."
Rava answered him: these {this account of the dispute} are the words of Rabbi Meir. But Rabbi Yehuda says: Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel do not argue regarding the Mazon that it is in the beginning or regarding the havdalah that it is at the end. Upon what do they argue? About the light and the spices. That Bet Shammai say light and afterwards spices, and Bet Hillel say spices and afterwards light.

Rabbi Yochanan said: The nation conducts itself light Bet Hillel, according to Rabbi Yehuda {'s account}.

Mishna:
BETH SHAMMAI SAY [THAT THE BLESSING OVER LIGHT CONCLUDES WITH THE WORDS], WHO CREATED THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE,
WHILE BETH HILLEL SAY [THAT THE WORDS ARE], WHO IS CREATING THE LIGHTS OF THE FIRE.

Gemara:
They learnt {in a brayta}: Bet Hillel said to Bet Shammai: There are many lights in the fire. {Soncino - there are several illuminations in the light.}

Mishna:
A BENEDICTION MAY NOT BE SAID OVER THE LIGHTS OR THE SPICES OF IDOLATERS OR OVER THE LIGHTS OR THE SPICES OF DEAD, OR OVER THE LIGHTS OR THE SPICES OF IDOLATRY, AND A BLESSING IS NOT SAID OVER THE LIGHT UNTIL IT HAS BEEN UTILIZED.

Gemara:
The light of gentiles - because it did not rest.
And the spices of gentiles - because the assumption is that their banquets to idolatry.

The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: Light which has 'rested,' we bless upon it, and which did not 'rest,' we do not bless upon it.

What does it mean "did not rest?"
That it did not rest from sinful work {work prohibited on Shabbat}.

But fire from a midwife {or maybe woman giving birth}, or from a sick person, we bless upon it.

{Brachot 53a}
There is a brayta that says the same: A lantern that was burning continuously the entire day, we may bring from it fire for havdalah.

The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: A Jew who lights from a gentile, or a gentile who lights from a Jew, we bless upon it; a gentile from a gentile, we do not bless from it, as a decree regarding the first gentile and the first pillar {=flame; that is, the flame that may have been lit on Shabbat}.

The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: If he was walking outside of a town and saw light. If the majority of the town is composed of gentiles, he does not bless.