• May 12, 2026
  • 25 5786, Iyyar
  • פרשת במדבר

Rabbinic Perspectives: Blessings over food

In the previous shiur, we finished the initial discussion in the gemara at Berachot 40b following the mishna about the blessing she-haKol , which focused on the question why that blessing is said before eating mushrooms. We then read and translated the long next sugya of gemara, which is about the reference to נובלות in the mishna, and which ends on the 4th line of Berachot 41a.

In this shiur, we will first identify the component pieces of the sugya and the flow of the logic. Then we will go back over it in depth, and also learn the comments of Rashi.  Time allowing, we will begin reading the gemara on the last part of the mishna, which deals with the basic question introduced in the mishna by the tanaim: how you choose on which food to make a bracha that is common to a number of different foods that are in front of you on the table.