Yerushalmi Berakhot 8:6 ירושלמי ברכות ח׳:ו׳

MISHNAH: One does not recite a benediction¹³¹For Havdalah. over a lamp and spices of Gentiles, or over lamp and spices for the dead¹³²Light and perfumes set before a casket., or over lamp and spices set before an idol. Also, one does not recite the benediction over a lamp unless he has profited from its light.

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Jacob stated¹³⁴Not that he formulated it, but he quoted the tannaïtic formulation in the Yeshivah of R. Jeremiah. before Rebbi Jeremiah: One recites a benediction over spices of Gentiles. How can he disagree? Uphold it for someone who burns spices in front of his store¹³⁵He does it to attract customers, not for idolatrous practices. The reason of the original prohibition is that any perfuming by Gentiles is done for their idols..

One may make the benediction over a lantern even if it did not go out¹³⁶This is the language of the Tosephta (5:31) following the Erfurth manuscript. The Babli (53a) has a slightly different formulation for the same statement. Since one permits a benediction over light that was burning at nightfall, the Tosephta must deal with the benediction after Yom Kippur.. A lamp in his bosom or in a lantern¹³⁷Greek φανός, “torch, light”. or in glass¹³⁸Latin specularia “transparence; window panes, window (adj., plur. n.)”. This term is missing in the Tosephta (5:31) and the parallel in the Babli (53b)., if he sees the flame and does not use its light, or uses the light but does not see the flame, one never recites the benediction until one sees the flame and uses the light.

Five¹³⁹Tosephta Beẓah 4:7. There is a similar baraita in Babli Beẓah 29a but it has no reference to Havdalah. things were said about burning charcoal and five about the flame. One commits larceny with the burning charcoal of the Temple; one may not use its flame but one cannot commit larceny with the latter¹⁴⁰Coal is a material, so if one takes it for unauthorized use he commits larceny. A flame is essentially immaterial; the Babli (Beẓah 29a) declares the prohibition of its use as Rabbinic decree. The following cases all derive from the same principle.. Burning charcoal of idolatry is forbidden, its flame is allowed. He who makes a vow not to use anything of another person may not use his burning charcoal but is allowed his flame. He who carries out burning charcoal into the public domain¹⁴¹On the Sabbath. The Babli (Beẓah 29a) discusses how one could possibly move the flame without the underlying coal. is guilty but for the flame he is free of punishment. One makes the benediction over the flame but not over glowing charcoal. Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav¹⁴²In the Babli (53b) this is a baraita which specifies explicitly that glowing but not crackling coals are not to be used for the benediction. [The title “Rebbi” in the text is again a scribal error.]: If the charcoal was crackling one makes the benediction. Rebbi Yoḥanan from Karẓion¹⁴³An Amora whose time cannot be determined since he appears only here. Karẓion is today’s Kaẓion in Upper Galilee; the reading קייציון of the Rome ms. might be better. in the name of Rebbi Naḥum bar Simai: Only if [the flame] is jumping off¹⁴⁴More or less this is the definition of “crackling.”.

It was stated “A Gentile who lit from a Jew and a Jew who lit from a Gentile.¹⁴⁵Tosephta Berakhot 5:31. The text continues: “One recites the benediction.” In the Babli (53a) there is a baraita that combines the two formulations of the Yerushalmi.” One understands a Gentile who lit from a Jew¹⁴⁶Since the Jew made new fire after the end of Sabbath. Similarly, one considers the act of lighting a fire from the existing fire of a Gentile as creation of a new light by a Jew after the end of Sabbath. But a Gentile lighting from a Gentile cannot do this since he never had a moment when making a fire was forbidden to him., but then even a Gentile who lit from a Gentile? It was found that it was stated: “One does not recite the benediction if a Gentile [lit] from a Gentile.”

Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: A dead end street of Gentiles and one Jew lives in it, if light comes from there one recites the benediction because of the one Jew who is there¹⁴⁷If the one who sees the light knows the Jew living there.. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: One does not recite the benediction on the spices¹⁴⁸Obviously, here one does not speak about Havdalah but about the benediction that is required for the enjoyment of perfume. In the Babli (53a), R. Joḥanan is more explicit and says that these perfumes are burned to disinfect clothes; hence, they are not produced for human enjoyment. of Friday afternoon in Tiberias, nor on the spices of Sabbath night of Sepphoris, nor on light¹⁴⁹The mention of light here makes no sense, but it is found in both mss. and spices of Friday Eve in Sepphoris, because they are for other purposes.

“Nor over lamp and spices for the dead.¹⁵⁰Quote from the Mishnah.” Rebbi Ḥizqiah and Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yose, son of Rebbi Ḥanina: That is, if they are put at the head of the bier. But if they are put in front of the bier one may recite the benediction; I say they are put there for the honor of the living¹⁵¹The reason that one may not recite the benediction over perfumes and light arranged for the deceased is that one may not have any use from things given to the dead. But if they are arranged for the convenience of the living who are paying their respects, one may use them for a benediction. The parallel in the Babli (53a) has another definition: Light burning only in the night is acceptable; that which burns day and night is not..

“Nor over lamp and spices set before an idol.¹⁵⁰Quote from the Mishnah.” Is not that of Gentiles identical¹⁵²Why are light of idolatry and light of Gentiles mentioned as separate items in the Mishnah? with that of idolatry? Explain it with the idol of a Jew.

“Also, one does not recite the benediction over a lamp unless one has profited from its light.¹⁵⁰Quote from the Mishnah.” Rebbi Zeïra, the son of Rebbi Abbahu, preached: (Gen. 1:4) “God saw the light that it was good” and after that, “God separated between the light and the darkness.¹⁵³In imitatio Dei, one should not make Havdalah until he saw the light and that it is useful. The same paragraph is found in Bereshit rabba3(7) in slightly more explicit language.”. Rebbi Berekhiah said: The following was preached by the two greats of the world, Rebbi Yoḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: “God separated,” a true separation. Rebbi Yehudah, the son of Rebbi Simon, said: He separated it for Himself¹⁵⁴That this is the light of the Shekhinah.. But the rabbis say, He separated it for the just in the future world. They gave a parable, to what can this situation be compared? To a king who had two generals¹⁵⁵Greek (sing.) στρατηγός.; both of them said: “I want to command during the day.” He called the first one and told him: day shall be your domain. He called the second one and told him: night shall be your domain. That is what is written: (Gen. 1:5) “God called the light ‘day’, etc.” To the light he said: day shall be your domain; but to the darkness he said: night shall be your domain. Rebbi Yoḥanan said, that it is which the Holy One, praise to Him, said to Job: (Job 38:12) “Did you ever command the morning, did you inform the morning of its place?” Do you know the place where the light of the Six Days of Creation was hidden? Rebbi Tanḥuma said: I shall give its reason. (Is. 45:7) “He Who fashioned the light and created darkness, He makes peace.” When it left¹⁵⁶In Bereshit rabba: “From the moment that they were created, He is making peace.”, it made peace between them.

“One does not recite the benediction over a lamp unless one has profited from its light.” Rav says y^e’utu, and Samuel says y^e‘utu¹⁵⁷Under the influence of Accadic, Babylonian Jews early on had lost the difference between aleph (’) and ayin(‘) (and he, ḥet); they re-acquired the differences only later under the influence of Arabic. Similarly, under the influence of Greek, in the speech of most Galileans also aleph and ayin had become silent. Since the Mishnah was transmitted orally, there was no difference in pronunciation between the two silent consonants and the interpretation of the words depended on whether one was imagining one or the other.
The particular case here is not discussed in the Babli. The examples from Eruvin and Avodah zarah are discussed following these Mishnayot in the Babli where at other places one also finds examples of a silent ח (Beẓah35b) and switches between ס (s) and צ (ss) (Bava qama 116b). In most cases, roots of Rabbinic expressions are sought in Biblical Hebrew.. He who says y^e’utu, (Gen. 34:15) “But with this we shall be agreeable (nē’ôt) to you.” He who says y^e‘utu, (Is. 50:4) “To know, to inform (lā‘ût) the weary of wisdom.” There (Mishnah Erubin 5:1) we have stated: How does one complete cities¹⁵⁸“Completion” is the determination of a rectangle oriented NS, EW whose edges are distant 2000 cubits from the last house of the city in that direction.? Rav says m^e’abb^erin, and Samuel says m^e‘abb^erin. He who says m^e’abb^erin, one adds a limb (אבר) to it. And he who says m^e‘abb^erin, like a pregnant (עוברה) woman. There (Mishnah Avodah Zarah 1:1) we have stated: Before the holidays of the Gentiles¹⁵⁹One may not trade with them.. Rav says ‘êdêhen and Samuel says ’êdêhen. He who says ’êdêhen, (Deut. 32:35) “For the day of their misfortune (אידם) is near.” He who says ‘êdêhen, (Is.44:9) “They¹⁶⁰The idols. In the Babli (Avodah zarah 2a), the interpretation of this verse takes up several pages. are their witnesses (עידיהם), may they neither see nor know, so that they may come to naught.” How does Samuel deal with Rav’s reason? They are their witnesses, in the future they will bring to naught their worshippers on the day of judgment.

“One does not recite the benediction over a lamp unless he has profited from its light.” Rav Yehudah in the name of Samuel: So that women would be able to spin by its light. Rebbi Yoḥanan said: So that his eye should see what is in the cup or in the bowl. Rav Ḥinena said, so that he should be able to distinguish between two coins¹⁶¹Rav Yehudah is the most restrictive, following the old Babylonian custom. In the Babli (53b) there are two opinions, both by early Galilean authorities; so it seems that R. Ḥinena, the student of R. Yoḥanan, is referring to earlier statements. In the opinion of Ulla, one must be able to distinguish between an as (1/24 denarius) and a dupondius (1/12 denarius); in the opinion of Ḥizqiah, one has to distinguish between local coins of the same weight and value but different mints. Since R. Ḥinena is the student of R. Yoḥanan, it seems that he is following Ulla’s opinion..

Rebbi Oshaia stated: Even if it was a banquet hall of ten by ten¹⁶²Since the triclinium is a banquet hall in the Roman style, the “ten” probably are not Jewish cubits but Roman passus, of 4.5 feet each. Then the distance from a light kindled in one corner to the observer in the corner diagonally opposed would be about 67 feet; based on cubits it would be 48 feet, still a great distance in an otherwise dark room., one recites the benediction. Rebbi Zeïra went close to the light. His students told him: Why does our teacher make it so difficult for us, did not Rebbi Oshaya formulate: “even if it was a banquet hall of ten by ten, one recites the benediction¹⁶³In the Babli (53a), R. Zeïra is quoted that originally he insisted on making the benediction over his own light (following an old Babylonian custom), but that he changed his opinion after hearing that great authorities allow one to make the benediction even over fire lit by other people in their houses, as explained earlier in this Halakhah. That report must date from the time when he visited Babylonia after becoming head of his own Yeshivah in Galilee.?”