Rif Brachot 43a

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43a

{Brachot 54a continues}
Gemara:
On a miracle of the multitude we bless, and on a miracle of the individual we do not bless.

But what of the case of the man Who was once travelling through Ever Yemina {a southern suburb of Mechoza} when a lion attacked him, but he was miraculously saved, and when he came before Rava he said to him: Whenever you pass that place say, 'Blessed be He who wrought for me a miracle in this place?'

They said: on a miracle of the multitude all bless; on a miracle of the individual, he, his son, and his son's son must bless, while everyone else need not.

The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: If one sees the place of the crossing of the Red Sea, or the fords of the Jordan, or the fords of the streams of Arnon, or hail stones [abne elgabish] in the descent of Beth Horon, or the stone which Og king of Bashan wanted to throw at Israel, or the stone on which Moses sat when Joshua fought with Amalek, or [the pillar of salt of] Lot's wife, or the wall of Jericho which sank into the ground, for all of these he should give thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty.

{Brachot 54b}
For Lot and his wife two blessings are said. For his wife we say, "Blessed be the true Judge", and for Lot we say, "Blessed be He who remembereth the righteous," for it is written (in Bereishit 19:29)

כט וַיְהִי, בְּשַׁחֵת אֱלֹהִים אֶת-עָרֵי הַכִּכָּר, וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-אַבְרָהָם; וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת-לוֹט, מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה, בַּהֲפֹךְ אֶת-הֶעָרִים, אֲשֶׁר-יָשַׁב בָּהֵן לוֹט.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

Rav Yehuda cited Rav: There are four [classes of people] who have to offer thanksgiving: those who have crossed the sea, those who have traversed the wilderness, one who has recovered from an illness, and a prisoner who has been set free.

those who have crossed the sea - for it is written (Tehillim 107:23-31)

כג ] יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם, בָּאֳנִיּוֹת; עֹשֵׂי מְלָאכָה, בְּמַיִם רַבִּים.	23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters--
כד ] הֵמָּה רָאוּ, מַעֲשֵׂי ה; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, בִּמְצוּלָה.	24 These saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep;
כה ] וַיֹּאמֶר--וַיַּעֲמֵד, רוּחַ סְעָרָה; וַתְּרוֹמֵם גַּלָּיו.	25 For He commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves thereof;
כו ] יַעֲלוּ שָׁמַיִם, יֵרְדוּ תְהוֹמוֹת; נַפְשָׁם, בְּרָעָה תִתְמוֹגָג.	26 They mounted up to the heaven, they went down to the deeps; their soul melted away because of trouble;
כז ] יָחוֹגּוּ וְיָנוּעוּ, כַּשִּׁכּוֹר; וְכָל-חָכְמָתָם, תִּתְבַּלָּע.	27 They reeled to and fro, and staggered like a drunken man, and all their wisdom was swallowed up--
כח ] וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-ה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; וּמִמְּצוּקֹתֵיהֶם, יוֹצִיאֵם.	28 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses.
כט יָקֵם סְעָרָה, לִדְמָמָה; וַיֶּחֱשׁוּ, גַּלֵּיהֶם.	29 He made the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof were still.
ל וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כִי-יִשְׁתֹּקוּ; וַיַּנְחֵם, אֶל-מְחוֹז חֶפְצָם.	30 Then were they glad because they were quiet, and He led them unto their desired haven.
לא יוֹדוּ לַה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.	31 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

{verses in red were cited}

those who have traversed the wilderness - for it is written (same perek)

ד תָּעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר, בִּישִׁימוֹן דָּרֶךְ; עִיר מוֹשָׁב, לֹא מָצָאוּ.	4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation.
ה רְעֵבִים גַּם-צְמֵאִים-- נַפְשָׁם, בָּהֶם תִּתְעַטָּף.	5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
ו וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-ה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם, יַצִּילֵם.	6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.
ז וַיַּדְרִיכֵם, בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה-- לָלֶכֶת, אֶל-עִיר מוֹשָׁב.	7 And He led them by a straight way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
ח יוֹדוּ ה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.	8 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

{verses in red were cited}

one who has recovered from an illness - for it is written: {same perek}

יז אֱוִלִים, מִדֶּרֶךְ פִּשְׁעָם; וּמֵעֲו‍ֹנֹתֵיהֶם, יִתְעַנּוּ.	17 Crazed because of the way of their transgression, and afflicted because of their iniquities--
יח כָּל-אֹכֶל, תְּתַעֵב נַפְשָׁם; וַיַּגִּיעוּ, עַד-שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת.	18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near unto the gates of death--
יט וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל-ה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם.	19 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses;
כ יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ, וְיִרְפָּאֵם; וִימַלֵּט, מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָם.	20 He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their graves.
כא יוֹדוּ לַה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.	21 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

{verses in red were cited}

and a prisoner who has been set free - as it is written {same perek}

י יֹשְׁבֵי, חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת; אֲסִירֵי עֳנִי וּבַרְזֶל.	10 Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron--
יא כִּי-הִמְרוּ אִמְרֵי-אֵל; וַעֲצַת עֶלְיוֹן נָאָצוּ.	11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High.
יב וַיַּכְנַע בֶּעָמָל לִבָּם; כָּשְׁלוּ, וְאֵין עֹזֵר.	12 Therefore He humbled their heart with travail, they stumbled, and there was none to help--
יג וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל-ה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם, יוֹשִׁיעֵם.	13 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
יד יוֹצִיאֵם, מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת; וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק.	14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands in sunder.
טו יוֹדוּ לַה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.	15 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

{verses in red were cited}
What should he bless?
Rav Yehuda cited Rav: Blessed Who bestows good things upon the guilty, Who has bestowed every goodness upon me.

Abaye said: And he needs to give thanks before ten {people}, as it states {in the same perek}:

לב וִירוֹמְמוּהוּ, בִּקְהַל-עָם; וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלוּהוּ.

32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the seat of the elders.

Mar Zutra said: and two of them should be rabbis, for it states:

לב וִירוֹמְמוּהוּ, בִּקְהַל-עָם; וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלוּהוּ.

32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the seat of the elders.

Rav Judah was ill and recovered. Rav Channa of Bagdad and other rabbis went to visit him. They said to him: 'Blessed be the All Merciful who has given you back to us and has not given you to the dust'. He said to them: 'You have absolved me from the obligation of giving thanks'.

But didn't Abaye say that he has to give thanks in the presence of ten?
{The answer - } that they were ten, and they answered after him Amen.

Rav Yehuda cited Rav: Three persons require guarding, namely, a sick person, a bridegroom, and a bride. In a Baraitha it was taught: A sick person, a midwife, a bridegroom and a bride; some say, a mourner, and a scholar at night.

{Brachot 55a}
Rav Yehuda cited Rav: Three things shorten a man's days and years: To be given a sefer Torah to read from and to refuse, to be given a cup of benediction to say grace over and to refuse, and to assume airs of authority.

A sefer Torah - for it is written (Devarim 30:20):

כ לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-ה אֱלֹקֶיךָ, לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה-בוֹ: כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ, וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ--לָשֶׁבֶת עַל-הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע ה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב, לָתֵת לָהֶם.

20 to love the LORD thy God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave unto Him; for that is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. {P}

A cup of blessing - for it is written (Bereishit 12:3)

ג וַאֲבָרְכָה, מְבָרְכֶיךָ, וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ, אָאֹר; וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ, כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה.

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'

To assume airs of authority - for Rav Yehuda cited Rav, and some say Rav Chama bar Chanina said: Why did Yosef die earlier than his brothers? Because he assumed airs of authority.

Rabbi Yitzchak said: we must not appoint a leader over a community without first consulting the community.
For it is stated (Shemot 35:30)

ל וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, רְאוּ קָרָא ה בְּשֵׁם, בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן-אוּרִי בֶן-חוּר, לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה.

30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel: 'See, the LORD hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

{Brachot 55b}
If one has seen a dream and does not know whether it was good or bad, let him stand before the priests and say as follows: 'Sovereign of the Universe, I am Thine and my dreams are Thine. I have dreamt a dream and I do not know what it is. Whether I have dreamt about myself or my companions have dreamt about me, or I have dreamt about others, if they are good dreams, confirm them and reinforce them like the dreams of Joseph, and if they require a remedy, heal them, as the waters of Marah were healed by Moses, our teacher, and the waters of Yericho by Elisha, and as Miriam was healed of her leprosy and Chizkiya of his sickness. As thou didst turn the curse of the wicked Balaam into a blessing, so turn all my dreams into something good for me.

And he should conclude his prayer at the same time as the priests {end the priestly benediction} and everybody will answer Amen.

And when the priests turn their faces {to the ark - our gemara: if he cannot manage this}, he should say: Thou who dwells in might of peace, bestow peace upon us.

{Brachot 57b}
{The Mishna had said:} "A PLACE FROM WHICH IDOLATRY HAS BEEN EXTIRPATED":
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: If one sees a statue of Hermes {Markulis = Mercury} he says, Blessed be He who shows long suffering to those who transgress His will.

Rav Huna {our gemara's girsa: Hamnuna} said: If one sees the wicked Babylon, he should say five benedictions: On seeing [the city] Babylon itself he says, Blessed be He who has destroyed the wicked Babylon. On seeing the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, he says, Blessed be He who destroyed the palace of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar. On seeing the lions' den, or the fiery furnace, he says, Blessed be He who wrought miracles for our ancestors in this place. On seeing the statue of Hermes, he says, Blessed be He who shows long suffering to those that transgress His will. On seeing the place from which dust is carried away, he says, Blessed be He who says and does, who decrees and carries out.

When Mar the son of Ravina came to [the city of] Babylon, he used to put some dust in his kerchief and throw it out, to fulfill Yeshaya 14:23:

כג וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ לְמוֹרַשׁ קִפֹּד, וְאַגְמֵי-מָיִם; וְטֵאטֵאתִיהָ בְּמַטְאֲטֵא הַשְׁמֵד, נְאֻם ה צְבָאוֹת.

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. {S}

{Brachot 58a}
Rav Hamnuna said: If one sees a crowd of Israelites, he should say: Blessed is He who discerneth secrets. {lit. who is wise in secrets}
If he sees a crowd of heathens, he should say {Yirmiyahu 50:12}:

יב בּוֹשָׁה אִמְּכֶם מְאֹד, חָפְרָה יוֹלַדְתְּכֶם; הִנֵּה אַחֲרִית גּוֹיִם, מִדְבָּר צִיָּה וַעֲרָבָה.

12 Your mother shall be sore ashamed, she that bore you shall be confounded; behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.