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Berakhot 12 for kids: Bowing, Light, and Shame

ברכות י״ב

🙇 This daf talks about prayer blessings: why the Ten Commandments stopped being read daily, and how to bow and stand up properly in prayer. It also teaches that feeling ashamed of a sin can help it be forgiven.

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Stories from Berakhot 12

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Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 12 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 12a, in English Tab translation (20)
  1. However, if you say — this blessing that they recited was An abounding love, how would it be proven from here that the blessings do not prevent one another? Perhaps the reason they did not recite Who creates light was that its time had not yet arrived, and when its time arrived they would recite it — even though they were already reciting Shema before its proper time, as we say elsewhere (Yoma 37b): One who recites Shema with the members of the priestly watch has not fulfilled his obligation, for the members of the watch recite it early.
  2. And if it is derived by inference, what of it — that is, what is wrong with deriving it by inference? Granted one might say it was not stated explicitly, but it could well be derived by inference that they recited Who creates light. And we answer: One cannot learn this from here, for perhaps in fact they recited An abounding love, and so on.
  3. The order of the blessings — if one recited the later one before the earlier one.
  4. They sought — to institute the Ten Commandments as part of the recitation of Shema.
  5. Due to the grievance of the heretics — so that the common people would not be led to say that the rest of the Torah is not true, and would think that only what the Holy One, blessed be He, said and they heard from His own mouth at Sinai is recited.
  6. The heretics — idolaters.
  7. He began intending the blessing for beer and concluded with the blessing for wine — at the start of the blessing he said By Whose word all things came to be, and when he reached 'King of the universe,' he remembered it was wine and said 'who creates the fruit of the vine.' It is obvious to us that he has fulfilled his obligation, for even had he concluded the entire blessing as he began it and said 'By Whose word all things came to be' over the wine, he would have fulfilled his obligation, as we learned in the mishnah, and so on.
  8. Rather — here is the actual question: if he began intending wine, in order to conclude with 'who creates the fruit of the vine,' and when he reached 'King of the universe' he remembered it was beer and concluded with 'By Whose word all things came to be,' what is the law?
  9. Do we follow the essence of the blessing — and the essence of the blessing was said with wine in mind, so it is as though he concluded it over wine, and the blessing for wine does not exempt one from the blessing for beer, since beer does not come from the grapevine.
  10. He began with Who creates light — meaning, intending to say 'Who creates light.'
  11. And concluded with 'Who brings on evenings' — when he reached 'King of the universe' he remembered it was evening and concluded with 'by Whose word He brings on evenings.'
  12. It is different there, and so on — meaning, perhaps the opening formula means nothing, and the reason the mishnah teaches that he fulfilled his obligation is that he then concludes with the blessing 'Blessed… Who forms the heavenly lights,' and it is because of this concluding formula that he is said to fulfill his obligation — but regarding 'By Whose word all things came to be,' where there is no concluding formula with 'Blessed,' and the opening was intended for 'Who creates the fruit of the vine,' one might say he has not fulfilled his obligation.
  13. What can be said — how can it be that he fulfills his obligation because of the concluding formula, when the concluding formula contains no mention of God's sovereignty?
  14. The correct text is: Rather, since he said, and so on — rather, do not say that he fulfills his obligation only because of the concluding formula; rather the opening formula itself is also valid, and you cannot derive from this the law regarding beer and wine. For with the evening and morning blessings one can say that beginning with one and concluding with the other is valid, since when he began the morning blessing intending to conclude with 'Who brings on evenings,' his intent was to mention within it an attribute of daytime occurring at night, such as 'rolling away the light,' and when he began the evening blessing intending 'Who creates light,' his intent was to mention within it an attribute of night, such as 'and creates darkness' — therefore his intent encompassed both.
  15. Not to bring in the case we mentioned — such as the case of beer and wine.
  16. This is exactly our question — for the blessing recited over dates, which is 'who creates the fruit of the tree,' does not fulfill the obligation for bread; and if you resolve this case by saying that everything follows the concluding formula, the same should apply to wine and beer.
  17. Anyone — who did not recite the blessing of True and Firm as it was instituted, and likewise True and Faithful in the evening, has not fulfilled his obligation.
  18. As it is stated: 'To declare Your kindness in the morning' — and the blessing of True and Firm is entirely about the kindness He performed with our ancestors, that He took them out of Egypt and split the sea for them and brought them across; while the blessing of True and Faithful speaks also of future matters, that we hope He will fulfill for us His promise and faithfulness to redeem us from the hand of kings and from the hand of tyrants, and to preserve our lives, and to lead us upon the high places of our enemies — all these being continual, ever-recurring miracles.
  19. When he bows — during the blessings of Patriarchs and Thanksgiving, one bows at the word 'Blessed' and straightens up when mentioning God's Name, as it is said: 'the Lord straightens the bent' (Psalms 146:8).
  20. Submission — a term meaning humbling oneself.
Tosafot on Berakhot 12a, in English Tab translation (6)
  1. Because the time for 'Who creates light' had not yet arrived — granted that the slaughtering of the daily offering begins from the rise of dawn (Rashi), nevertheless it was not yet the proper time to recite 'Who creates light,' as it is stated elsewhere, 'one who recites...' And one can understand the baraita as following the practice of the vatikin (who prayed precisely at sunrise).
  2. One blessing for the outgoing watch, etc. — This is somewhat difficult: what could this blessing be, since it contains neither God's name nor mention of His kingship?
  3. He began and said 'Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe' — thinking it was wine, and then realized it was beer; after realizing it was beer, he concluded with 'by Whose word all things came to be.'
  4. Not to include bread — Rav Alfas (the Rif) explains that since the dilemma was left unresolved, we rule leniently, so even if one began [the blessing] for wine and concluded [the blessing] for beer, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbeinu Yitzchak held stringently, that he must recite the blessing again. However, Rabbeinu Chananel said that if he knew for certain that he erred in speech, saying 'who creates the fruit of the tree' instead of 'who creates the fruit of the vine,' he may correct himself within the time it takes to speak (tokh kedei dibbur). Similarly, regarding a Festival, if in the concluding formula he erred between 'who sanctifies Israel and the festive seasons' and said 'who sanctifies the Sabbath,' and corrected himself within the time it takes to speak, he has fulfilled his obligation, since he knows it is a Festival. Rabbi Yaakov of Corbeil asked: what is the basis of this dilemma, since certainly mitzvot do not require conscious intent? Rabbi Yitzchak answered that this case refers to one listening to the Amidah at the back of the synagogue who did not intend to fulfill his obligation through it. But where one intended to bless over wine and it turned out to be beer, that leniency does not apply.
  5. 'True and firm,' etc. — this does not refer to the Divine Presence, but rather to 'this matter,' etc. So it is found in the writings of Rabbeinu Meir (HaRam). And it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud: this is a pearl that has no appraisal, meaning it has no limit — whatever praise is added to it enhances it, as stated later (Berakhot 33b) regarding one who opened by saying 'the great, mighty, and awesome God' and lengthened the praise considerably, and Rabbi Chanina said to him: have you finished all the praises of your Master? For 'no mouth can declare His praise.'
  6. 'To tell in the morning of Your kindness' — this refers to the kindness that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for us in Egypt. 'And Your faithfulness' refers to the future, meaning that we hope He will keep His promise and faithfulness and redeem us from the hand of the [other] kingdoms; and at the end of the blessing it returns to the redemption from Pharaoh, in order to juxtapose it with 'who redeemed Israel.' Alternatively, based on the Midrash (Eicha Rabbah 3): 'They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness' — meaning that a person has faith and entrusts his soul into God's hand [each night], and He restores it to him each morning without difficulty.
Rashi on Berakhot 12b, in English Tab translation (20)
  1. Like a cane — like a rod in a person's hand that one strikes downward all at once (so too Rav Sheshet bowed all at once).
  2. He straightened up like a snake — slowly, head first and then the body, so that his bowing would not appear to be a burden weighing upon him.
  3. Like a snake — like this snake, which when it straightens itself raises its head first and then straightens up little by little.
  4. The holy King — because during these days He displays His kingship by judging the world.
  5. The King of justice — equivalent to saying 'the King of justice' as a construct phrase, like 'those who bear the Ark of the Covenant' (Joshua 3:14) meaning 'the Ark of the Covenant,' and like 'the bases, the stands' (II Kings 16:17) meaning 'the bases of the stands,' and like 'the valley, the corpses' (Jeremiah 31:40) meaning 'the valley of the corpses.'
  6. The correct version is: 'And if he is a Torah scholar and needs mercy, one must make oneself ill over him' — meaning, if the one in need of mercy is a Torah scholar, his fellow must make himself ill worrying over him.
  7. When they were sick — this verse is said about Doeg and Ahitophel, who were Torah scholars.
  8. In order that you remember, and be embarrassed — the end of the verse reads: 'when I have forgiven you for all that you have done.'
  9. Also by dreams, also by prophets — but he did not say 'also by the Urim,' because he was ashamed before it, lest it tell him, 'You caused this to yourself, that you were not answered through the Urim VeTummim, because you killed the priests.'
  10. And the Rabbis — hold that from this verse we learn that Saul was forgiven.
  11. And we will hang them — the Gibeonites said to David, at the end of his days when there was a famine for three years, that David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said, 'It is for Saul and for his house of bloodshed, because he put the Gibeonites to death' — for he had killed the priests who used to supply the Gibeonites with bread and water, since Joshua had appointed the Gibeonites as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar. David said to the Gibeonites, 'With what shall I atone for you? Bless the inheritance of the Lord.' They said to him, 'Let seven of his sons be given to us, and we will hang them in Giva of Saul.' And a heavenly voice went forth afterward and concluded, 'the chosen of the Lord' — for certainly the Gibeonites themselves would not have said 'the chosen of the Lord,' since they came to disgrace him, not to honor him.
  12. The passage of interest — 'Do not take from him interest or increase...' (Leviticus 25:36), and juxtaposed to it is the mention of the Exodus from Egypt.
  13. And the passage of weights — 'Just balances, just weights...' (Leviticus 19:36), the end of that verse being 'which I brought you out [of the land of Egypt].'
  14. He crouched, he lay down — this resembles 'when you lie down and when you rise up,' meaning that the Holy One, Blessed be He, guards us when we lie down and rise up, so that we may lie down secure and tranquil, like a lion and a lioness.
  15. And let him say this verse — and there is no burden placed on the congregation by doing so.
  16. The yoke of the commandments — alluded to in 'and you shall do all My commandments.'
  17. Heresy — referring to those who twist the reasons of the Torah into mistaken and idolatrous interpretations.
  18. And so it says, 'The fool has said in his heart, there is no God' — and there is no greater fool than one who perverts the words of the living God.
  19. Mishnah: We mention the Exodus from Egypt at night — referring to the paragraph of tzitzit recited in the Shema; even though nighttime is not the proper time for the mitzvah of tzitzit, as it is written 'and you shall see it and remember' (implying daytime), nevertheless we recite it at night because of the mention of the Exodus from Egypt contained within it.
  20. Like a seventy-year-old — I already appeared old, though not actually old, for gray hair had not naturally come upon him; rather, this happened on the day they removed Rabban Gamliel from the position of Nasi and appointed Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya as Nasi, as is stated later in the chapter 'Tefillat HaShachar' (Berachot 28a), and it was on that very day that Ben Zoma expounded this verse.
Tosafot on Berakhot 12b, in English Tab translation (4)
  1. He bowed like a reed — Further on (Berakhot 28b) it says that one must bow until he can see a small coin (issar); mere bowing with the head upright is not enough — one must also bend the head down. This is also found in the Jerusalem Talmud on this chapter, with the qualification that one should not bend too much. Rabbi Yirmeya said: provided one does not do like this lizard (chardona) — this refers to the Jerusalem Targum's rendering of 'tzav' (Leviticus 11), [a creature] which, when it bends, keeps its head upright. On Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, when we bow constantly throughout the prayer, one must be careful to straighten up before concluding the blessing — bowing only at the word 'Baruch' and straightening immediately afterward — for it is stated later, at the end of the chapter 'Ein Omdin' (Berakhot 34a): if someone tends to bow at the start and end of every blessing, he is taught not to bow [in that way].
  2. The halakha follows Rabba — meaning one must conclude with 'HaMelekh HaKadosh' (the Holy King) and 'HaMelekh HaMishpat' (the King of Justice), and if he failed to say so, he must repeat the prayer. Similarly, [during the Ten Days of Repentance] if he failed to say 'Zochreinu,' 'Mi Chamocha,' 'U'ch'tov LeChaim,' and 'BeSefer Chaim,' he must repeat the prayer, because anyone who deviates from the formula that the Sages established has not fulfilled his obligation. Rabbeinu Yehuda ruled likewise: if one is uncertain whether he said it or not, he must repeat the prayer, as stated in the Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Taanit, chapter 1: if someone was praying and does not know whether he mentioned 'dew and rain' or not, then for the first thirty days he is presumed not to have said it (meaning, presumed to have prayed as he was accustomed before, without saying it); after that, he is presumed to have said it. The same law applies to anything that must be mentioned. Accordingly, during the Ten Days of Repentance, since thirty days have not passed, he must repeat the prayer [if uncertain]. However, Rabbeinu Chananel wrote that one is not required to repeat the prayer for any of these insertions, since this is not explicitly stated in the text, and he brought proof for his position.
  3. They sought to establish the portion of Balak within the recitation of Shema, but why did they not do so? — This is addressed in the Jerusalem Talmud (Berakhot 1:5), which explains that the three portions established for the recitation of Shema were chosen because they contain allusions to the Ten Commandments. Examine it there and you will find the full explanation.
  4. We will return to you, [the chapter beginning] 'Me'eimatai' — [this is the standard formula marking the conclusion of the chapter.]

Sources

Kid summary and story cards written by Tab from the William Davidson Edition English (Sefaria, CC BY-NC 4.0).

Tab translation (machine-assisted) of Rashi and Tosafot, from the Vilna Edition Hebrew (public domain) on Sefaria. May contain mistakes.

In the app, the Gemara text comes from Sefaria (William Davidson Edition, CC BY-NC 4.0; Hebrew/Aramaic Vilna Edition). Rashi and Tosafot Hebrew: Vilna Edition (public domain) via Sefaria.

Also spelled: Berachot, Brachos, Berachos, Brachot 12.