A free account is required to play audio and download files.
No community start suggestion yet.
Why does wine get its own blessing 'borei pri hagafen' instead of 'borei pri ha'etz' like other fruit products? The Gemara (גמרא) in Brachos 35b presents two approaches: either it's a rabbinic requirement for specificity in blessings, or wine's enhanced benefit requires heightened gratitude at a Torah (תורה) level. The distinction has practical ramifications for whether saying the wrong blessing fulfills the obligation.
This shiur examines a fundamental Gemara (גמרא) in Brachos 35b regarding the blessing on wine. The central question is why wine receives the specific blessing of 'borei pri hagafen' instead of 'borei pri ha'etz' like other fruit products. Rabbi Zweig presents two possible explanations that emerge from the Gemara's analysis. The first approach suggests this is a din d'rabbanan of being more specific in blessings - since wine is processed differently from grapes, it warrants its own distinct blessing. The second approach posits that wine has a special ma'alah (quality) that creates a higher level of hanah (benefit/enjoyment), thus requiring a din d'oraisa level of enhanced gratitude. The Gemara compares wine to olive oil, questioning why oil doesn't also receive its own blessing if the principle is about being specific with processed foods. The discussion includes Rashi (רש"י)'s explanation that wine has 'nishtaneh l'tovah' - it has been changed for the better through processing. The shiur explores the Gemara's statement that a little wine satisfies while a lot makes one hungry, and how this impacts the analysis. Rabbi Zweig examines the practical ramifications: if it's about specificity (din d'rabbanan), then saying borei pri ha'etz would fulfill the obligation, but if it's about enhanced benefit (din d'oraisa), then only the specific wine blessing suffices. The shiur also discusses the dispute between Rav Huna and Rav Yochanan regarding whether one fulfills the obligation with 'shehakol nihyeh bidvaro' and how this relates to the underlying nature of the wine blessing requirement. The analysis includes examination of whether wine's special status comes from its use in mitzvos like kiddush, its ability to bring joy ('yayin mesameach lev ha'adam'), or its enhanced taste and satisfaction properties.
Brachos 35b
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Gemara
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why does saying Ashrei three times daily guarantee a share in the World to Come? The verse 'umasbia l'chol chai ratzon' reveals that God provides not just sustenance but pleasure to all creation out of pure love. This recognition teaches us that even basic needs are expressions of divine chesed, creating the foundation for love-motivated service through both major and minor mitzvos.
Should one learn Torah full-time trusting in Divine providence, or combine learning with work? The shiur distinguishes between Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai's approach of complete separation from worldly concerns versus Rabbi Shmuel's view that proper work itself becomes part of Torah. The key insight: true emunah means learning without demanding sustenance from either Hashem or community, unlike having a 'contract' expecting payment for learning.
Should one combine Torah study with work, or rely entirely on Divine providence through exclusive learning? The shiur analyzes the machlokes between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, explaining that 'Bnei Aliyah' live above natural law where Torah itself becomes their reality. This connects to the difference between tzaddik gamor and tzaddik she'eino gamor regarding transcending physical limitations.
When an animal damages crops, the Torah prescribes a unique payment formula based on multiplying the damaged area by sixty. Does this formula redefine the actual loss, or does it merely create a payment mechanism that still acknowledges the full damage sustained? The Gemara explores whether someone who ate in doubt should pay the higher-quality amount, examining how the principle of motzi me-chaveiro alav haraya applies when payments fall within the range of actual loss.
What makes testimony valid when different witnesses testify to different parts of the same event? The Gemara debates whether the principle of "davar v'lo chatzi davar" (complete testimony, not partial) disqualifies witnesses who testify separately to theft and slaughter. Rashi's approach reveals that the issue is not merely combining elements, but whether each witness's statement is independently meaningful.
Why is a ganav who sells a stolen animal on Shabbos exempt from the fourfold/fivefold payment? The shiur analyzes whether this exemption stems from kam lei b'derabbah or from the absence of a valid mechira. The Rashba's principle that matana resembles mechira when it is "nishtarish b'chet" is explored, along with the Rambam's position on hekdesh and the distinction between giving to bedek habayis versus mizbe'ach.
When a ganav shechts a stolen animal l'avodah zarah, why isn't he patur from payment since it's already isur hana'ah? The shiur explores the fundamental machloket Rashi-Tosafot on whether the isur derives from the act of shechita or from the din shechita itself. The Gemara's application of davar garem be'mamon ke'mamon domi extends the analysis to when borrowed animals become niskal.
