Kids Daf Quest

Daf Yomi for kids · Talmud Bavli · Masechet Berakhot

Berakhot 36 for kids: Flour, Capers, and Pepper

ברכות ל״ו

🌿 This daf asks which blessing fits different foods: wheat flour, the heart of a palm tree, and the caper-bush's berries and buds. It also looks at orla fruit and ends with a debate about peppers.

Daf Yomi day:

📖 Open Berakhot 36a in Daf QuestOpen Berakhot 36b in Daf Quest

In the app: the Gemara with Rashi and Tosafot, the printed page, games made from this daf, play coins and treasure chests.

Stories from Berakhot 36

Words to know

Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 36 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 36a, in English Tab translation (36)
  1. דכולהו שלקי — All types of boiled vegetables.
  2. החושש בגרונו — And he needs to put in a lot of oil, so that the oil becomes primary and the anigeron secondary.
  3. לא יערענו בשמן — On Shabbat, because by gargling he holds it in his throat and does not swallow it, and since he does not swallow it, it is evident that it is for medicinal purposes, and the Sages decreed against all recognizable medical treatments due to the concern of grinding medicinal herbs, which is a prohibited labor.
  4. תחלה — Meaning, ab initio he should not put the oil in his mouth for the purpose of gargling, but only for the purpose of swallowing; and if he happens to hold it in his throat for a while, he may do so.
  5. דאית ליה הנאה מיניה — Besides the medicinal benefit, he also derives the pleasure of eating from it.
  6. והלכתא וכו' עד פטר להו לא גרסינן ומה"ג הוא — We do not have this reading of 'And the halakha... exempts them'; this is a marginal gloss.
  7. קמחא דחטי — One who eats wheat flour as it is.
  8. בורא פרי האדמה — Like one who chews raw wheat kernels, as is taught later in this chapter (Berakhot 37a), that one recites: Who creates fruit of the ground.
  9. דאשתני — And it became inferior, since it did not change for the better, to a superior state.
  10. במלתיה קאי — And it is considered like one who chews raw wheat kernels.
  11. הכא אית ליה עילויא אחרינא — Therefore it has left the category of fruit, but has not yet reached the category of its typical manner of consumption. The oil, however, immediately upon its transformation reaches the category of its typical manner of consumption, and since the main purpose of the fruit (olive) is for this oil, it is still considered fruit.
  12. מאי לאו — Since he said barley, does this not imply that he holds that regarding wheat, the blessing 'Who creates fruit of the ground' is indeed appropriate?
  13. ומי גרע ממלח וזמית — And how could it enter your mind that it would require no blessing at all?
  14. זמית — Brine (Old French: saumure).
  15. קוקיאני — Worms found in the intestines.
  16. דאית ליה הנאה — From eating it.
  17. קורא — The soft covering of the palm tree, as its branches grow each year in the manner of all trees: what grows this year is soft, and the following year it hardens and becomes wood.
  18. צנון סופו להקשות — For if one does not pull it up at the proper time, it hardens like wood.
  19. אדעתא דפוגלא — To eat it while it is still soft, and its name [at that stage] is 'pugla.'
  20. צלף — A type of tree.
  21. אדעתא דפרחא — The name of its fruit.
  22. מיני נצפה — This is the tzalaf (caper bush); since several edible varieties grow on it, it is called 'varieties.'
  23. תמרות — Within the leaves grow a kind of bud, protruding from the leaf, like the leaves of the willow.
  24. אביונות — This is the fruit [of the caper bush].
  25. קפריסין — This is the large husk surrounding the fruit, like the shell that grows around thin nuts.
  26. The caper bush — people plant it with the intention of [eating] its shoot, that is, to eat the leaves and the caper-buds, which do not diminish the tree by being eaten.
  27. The date palm — people do not plant it with the intention of [eating] the heart of palm, since one who eats it thereby diminishes the branches of the tree.
  28. And the halakha, etc. — until the words "exempts them," we do not have this reading; it is a Gaonic addition.
  29. Orlah outside the Land of Israel — is a rabbinic prohibition.
  30. For anyone who is lenient in the Land [of Israel] — regarding orlah, the halakha follows his view outside the Land as well, since [the prohibition] outside the Land is not from the Torah, so one follows the lenient opinion.
  31. Regarding tithes — for this ruling was stated regarding tithes, since the tithing of tree fruits in the Land itself is rabbinic, as the Torah only obligated tithing grain, wine, and oil.
  32. Diverse kinds in a vineyard — he holds that it is a type of vegetable.
  33. In any case, according to Beit Shammai it would be a case of doubtful orlah, etc. — this phrase "in any case" is the conclusion of Ravina's challenge, meaning to say that even the fruit itself is permitted outside the Land, since in the Land it is a matter of doubt, and we learned: a case of doubtful orlah, etc.
  34. And in Syria — meaning Aram Tzova, which David conquered and added to the border of the Land of Israel.
  35. And outside the Land — one who buys from someone suspected [of selling] orlah produce, and he knows that in that person's orchard there are both old trees and new plantings.
  36. He may go down and buy — from him, even though it is uncertain whether he will get [produce] from the new plantings.
Tosafot on Berakhot 36a, in English Tab translation (5)
  1. Lo ye'ar'enu — Rashi explains this means 'to let it steep/sit' (le-hashhoto). But if so, one could ask: why specifically discuss doing this via anigeron? Even swallowing the oil itself plain, without letting it steep, should be permitted immediately, since it is only forbidden to let it steep (le'ar'er). Therefore the Ri explains that 'lo ye'ar'enu' means one may not even swallow it without letting it steep, for any drinking done purely for medicinal purposes is called 'ir'ur' (steeping/treatment), even when one swallows it directly — and the reason it is forbidden is that doing so makes it obvious that he intends it medicinally. Alternatively, one can uphold Rashi's explanation: 'lo ye'ar'enu' means he may not let it steep plain, but he may add it to anigeron, whether letting it steep there or swallowing it plain without steeping.
  2. Since he derives pleasure from it, he must recite a blessing — It appears that if a person drinks liquids that are unpleasant to drink, from which he gets no actual pleasure, he need not recite a blessing; but if, aside from the medicinal benefit, he does derive pleasure from them, he must recite a blessing.
  3. 'And the halakha is' — this phrase that appears in some printed texts should not be read, for it is actually the wording of the Halachot Gedolot, continuing until 'kimcha' (flour), etc.
  4. Wheat flour — It seems this is not referring to actual (raw) flour, for if it were, the blessing 'Who creates fruit of the ground' would not apply to it. Rather, it refers to the flour called 'ishkla'tir,' or to flour made from oats that has been dried in an oven.
  5. 'People do not plant with the heart of palm in mind' — The Gemara's conclusion follows Shmuel's view. If so, grapevine tendrils, which people likewise do not plant with that purpose in mind, would also warrant the blessing 'by Whose word all things came to be.' Similarly, almonds eaten soft, whose outer shell people eat — since people do not plant almond trees intending to eat them soft but rather to eat the kernels once ripened — the blessing over that shell too would be 'by Whose word all things came to be.'
Rashi on Berakhot 36b, in English Tab translation (35)
  1. ובלבד שלא יראנו — As long as the member [of the fellowship of scrupulous observers] does not see him, the gentile, gathering from the plantings.
  2. אינה משנה — It is not a mishnah — meaning this is not a matter of doubt but certainly forbidden.
  3. ותיפוק ליה — Let it be derived — for even according to Rabbi Akiva, who says regarding tithes that caper buds are not considered fruit, nevertheless regarding orla they are forbidden, since they serve as protection for the fruit.
  4. בתלוש ליתיה — When detached it does not exist — for it eventually falls off when the fruit reaches ripening.
  5. פיטמא של רמון — The crown of the pomegranate — the blossom at its top, similar to what apples and quinces have.
  6. מצטרפת — It joins together — with the pomegranate to make up the measure of an egg's bulk for the impurity of foods.
  7. והנץ שלו — And its flower — the flower on a pomegranate is like the caper bud on caper berries.
  8. אין מצטרף — It does not join — even though we hold elsewhere (tractate Chullin 117b) that protections join together for the lesser impurity, namely the impurity of foods — that applies to the shell of the nut and the pomegranate rind — but the flower is a protection upon a protection, and therefore does not join; and so it is stated there (119b) as well.
  9. חייבים בערלה — They are obligated in orla — for the Torah included them through the phrase 'et piryo' (its fruit), meaning that which is secondary to the fruit. And is the flower not [considered] a protection once detached? [Yes it is, for] when it dries it falls off the shell [while still attached to the fruit].
  10. קפרס ליתיה בגמר פירא — The caper bud does not exist at the completion of the fruit — for when the fruit nears ripening, the bud falls off it.
  11. מתחלי — From when they begin [to sprout] — referring to dates, similar to the caper bud on the caper berry.
  12. בכופרא — With the date covering — when the dates are still small, before they ripen.
  13. סבר לה כר' יוסי — He holds in accordance with Rabbi Yosei — that the date covering [at that early stage] is considered fruit, and even though it is not yet fully developed, its protective covering is therefore considered a protection.
  14. סמדר אסור — The grape-bud is forbidden — once the flower has fallen from the grapevine and each individual berry becomes visible, it is called 'semadar' (grape-bud), and Rabbi Yosei says that once it reaches the stage of semadar it is called fruit and is forbidden due to orla.
  15. ופליגי רבנן עליה — And the Rabbis disagree with him — and the halakha follows the majority; therefore, while the caper-coverings are still on the caper buds, they are not yet considered fruit, and so the coverings are not considered a protection for fruit.
  16. בשאר אילנות — In other trees — besides grapevines.
  17. אין קוצצין בשביעית — One may not cut down [trees] during the Sabbatical year — for the Torah states 'for eating,' and not for [causing] loss.
  18. משיוציאו — From when they produce — the fruit.
  19. משישרשרו — From when they form chains — from when something resembling chains of carobs is seen on them.
  20. משיגרעו — From when they become 'garua' — when the grapes grow coarse/large, called 'garua'; the Gemara will explain this below.
  21. משיניצו — From when they blossom — from when the blossom grows around [the fruit].
  22. הוא בוסר הוא גרוע — It is 'boser' (unripe grape), it is 'garua' — wherever 'boser' is mentioned, it is the same as 'garua.'
  23. פול הלבן ס"ד — Does it enter your mind [that it is] a white bean? — but we are discussing grapes [not beans].
  24. מאן שמעת ליה דאמר — Whom did you hear say this — that regarding grapes, an unripe grape (boser) is indeed considered fruit, but a grape-bud (semadar) is not?
  25. רבנן — The Rabbis — are the ones who disagree with Rabbi Yosei in tractate Orla, saying that for other trees, from the time they produce [fruit], it is considered fit fruit.
  26. Bitita — this refers to aviyonot (caper berries).
  27. Kas pilpelei — Any item that a person eats not in its usual manner is called 'kesisa' (chewing/nibbling).
  28. Patur — Exempt from karet (the punishment of excision).
  29. Hamalta — In the vernacular (Old French), 'litouario' (an electuary, a medicinal paste).
  30. Sharya — It is permitted; it has neither the prohibition of gentile cooking nor the prohibition of gentile-handled vessels.
  31. Hindua'ei — Ethiopians (Cushites).
  32. Chavitz kedeira — A type of thickened food, similar to milk that has been curdled with rennet; likewise, a thickened food is made in a pot. Below it is explained as flour, honey, and oil, and they call it 'avroshdi'.
  33. Daisa — Wheat grains crushed in a mortar.
  34. Daisa is like chavitz kedeira — Below it is explained: wheat grains broken in a mill, honey is added to them, and it is prepared in a pot.
  35. Semida — Fine flour.
Tosafot on Berakhot 36b, in English Tab translation (6)
  1. Nutshells and pits are obligated in orla — because they are fruit. From here we learn that one should recite the blessing 'Borei pri ha'etz' over the pits of cherries, peach pits, apple pits, and all kinds of fruit pits.
  2. One may not cut down trees during the Sabbatical year — You might ask: even without the Sabbatical year prohibition, shouldn't this be forbidden anyway due to 'You shall not destroy its trees' (Deuteronomy 20:19)? One can answer that this verse does not apply to a tree that does not yield a kav of produce, as is stated in the chapter 'Lo Yachpor' (Bava Batra 26a). Alternatively, the case here deals with a tree whose wood is more valuable for making beams, in which case the prohibition of 'you shall not destroy' does not apply. Nevertheless, due to the prohibition of the Sabbatical year, the fruit may be eaten but not sold commercially nor wasted.
  3. Its measure is that of a white bean — and anything smaller than this is not considered fruit. From this one can learn that on an unripe grape smaller than a bean, one does not recite 'Borei pri ha'etz' but rather 'Borei pri ha'adama.'
  4. The text of Halachot Gedolot reads: 'And the halakha follows Mar bar Rav Ashi, since with regard to orla it is not considered fruit,' etc. — Rabbeinu Meir explained that the statement 'with regard to orla it is not considered fruit' is because the rule is that whenever a lenient position is held within Eretz Yisrael, the halakha follows that lenient opinion outside Eretz Yisrael. But within Eretz Yisrael itself, it certainly is considered fruit, and one recites 'Borei pri ha'etz' over it. Regarding blessings, however, there is no distinction between Eretz Yisrael and outside it.
  5. Moist [ginger] — such as what is called 'lituario' in the vernacular — one recites 'Borei pri ha'adama' over it, but not over the dried form. And so is the halakha regarding ginger, called 'zinzivero' in the vernacular. Likewise regarding clove stems, called 'girofle,' which are not commonly eaten except moist, as in 'lituario' — one does not recite any blessing over them when dried. However, over cinnamon wood, called 'canela,' one recites 'Borei pri ha'adama,' because it is commonly eaten dry, and also because it grows from the ground like reeds. And over sugar cane, one recites 'Borei pri ha'etz,' as in the verse 'I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey' (Song of Songs 5:1) — this refers to sugar cane. And over almonds, called 'amendola,' one recites 'Borei pri ha'etz,' since they too are commonly eaten dry.
  6. Anything containing one of the five species of grain — one recites 'Borei minei mezonot' over it. Likewise over 'galerites' in the vernacular, made from flour and water or from milk, one recites 'Borei minei mezonot.' Similarly, when flour is added to beans, lentils, or leeks, or to almonds prepared for a sick person — if it is made in order to sustain the heart, one must recite 'Borei minei mezonot'; but if it is merely to bind the mixture, one need not recite that blessing. It is best to be stringent and sip it during the meal after the blessing of 'Hamotzi,' thereby fulfilling the obligation either way.

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 36.