Deuteronômio 33:23 Halacá: Shulchan Shel Arba

Following the way of the old-timers and strict interpreters of the halakhah, one should be careful about doing the ten things³⁰⁸See B. Berakhot 51a. R. Bahya says ten, but then lists eleven. Chavel says that the last is not really part of the ten, and notes that R. Bahya in Kad Ha-Kemah lists the ten things mentioned here in a different order. R. Bahya more or less paraphrase this discussion of the ten things required for the cup of blessing from b. Berakhot 51a-b, though he adds some kabbalistic interpretations, such as the tradition from the Book of Bahir, that are not from the original Talmud passage. required for the cup of blessing. And they are: (1) “rinsing”; (2) “washing away”; (3) “undiluted” wine; (4) that the cup be full; (5) “crowning;” (6) wrapping; (7) holding the cup in two hands; (8) grasping it with the right hand; (9) raising it a hands’ breadth; (10) setting one’s eyes upon it; and (11) passing it on to members of one’s household. The interpretation: “rinsing” inside the cup, “washing away” the outside.³⁰⁹The Hebrew words hadahah –“rinsing” and shetifah “washing away” are in this context virtually synonymous, thus the need to make the distinction. “Undiluted” – hay: the wine should be pure and undiluted until the blessing “ha-aretz” in birkat ha-mazon; at that point water is put in it. There are some who interpreted “undiluted” – hay – to mean that it came out of a vessel right next to the meal, as in the expression mayim hayyim, that is water drawn from a nearby spring. And there are those who interpreted hay – as “live,” referring to cup that is whole, unbroken, because vessels that are broken are called “dead.” One does not say the blessing of the cup of birkat ha-mazon until water is put in it, because we need the mitzvah to use only the finest, which would be mixed wine, since pure “undiluted” wine is harmful, and the point of the blessing is to be thankful for something that is not harmful. And thus they said, “the cup of blessing is not blessed until he puts water in it, especially the blessing of birkat ha-mazon. However one can say the blessing Boray pri ha-gafen over it, for making Kiddush is analogous to the wine libation, as it written, “a libation offering to the Lord of an intoxicating drink to be poured,”³¹⁰Nu 28:7. – we need wine that intoxicates,³¹¹B. Sukkah 49b. and like this they said, “something like this required to say a blessing over it, or to say the Great Hallel.”³¹²B. Pesahim 107a.And you already knew that wine hints at midat din, whose number is seventy, for in the realm above seventy ruling angels are nourished by the sefirah of Gevurah, and all of them are drawn from Compassion in the form of Jacob, the third in the heavenly chariot, out of whom came seventy souls.³¹³A mystical interpretation of Ex 1:5. Din and Gevurah are more or less synonymous terms for the Divine aspect of Judgment. Rahamim – “Compassion” and “Jacob” are other names for the sefirah Tiferet – “Beauty” which is connected directly to the sefirah Gevurah. For this reason they put a ban on the nazirite, to separate himself from wine and anything that came from the “grapevine of wine,”³¹⁴Nu 6:2-4: “If anyone, man or woman, explicitly utters a nazirite’s vow to set himself apart for the Lord, he shall abstain from wine and any other intoxicant; he shall not drink vinegar of wine or of any other intoxicant, neither shall he drink anything in which grapes have been steeped, nor eat grapes fresh or dried. Throughout his term as a nazirite, he may not eat anything that is obtained from the grapevine of wine, even seeds or skin.” because he is attached to Compassion, as it said, “if anyone explicitly utters a nazirite’s vow.”³¹⁵Ibid. 6:2. Therefore our sages z”l required that the cup for birkat ha-mazon, which is from the Torah, should not have the blessing said over it until water is put into it, because the intention of the blessing is basically for Compassion. And “full”: R. Yohanan said, “Whoever blesses over a full cup of blessing is given a boundless inheritance, as it is said, ‘full of the Lord’s blessing, take possession west and south.’³¹⁶Dt. 33:23. R. Yosi bar Haninah says he earns and inherits two worlds: this world and the world to come, as it is said, “take possession west and south.”³¹⁷Dt. 33:23. R. Yohanan used to prove “boundless inheritance” from the expression: yam ve-darush yerashah, and R. Yosi concurred with him on this, adding, “from what is written, ‘let him take possession [yerashah] west and south;’ it did not say “rash” – “take possession” because the world to come was created by the letter Yod, and this world was created by the letter Hay.³¹⁸Hence, the letters Yod and Hay have been “added” to the word “rash,” to hint at this. This is what the Book of Bahir was talking about when it said, “It should have said RaSh but instead it is written YeRaShaH – everything is given to you. And provided that you keep His ways, this is an inward, hidden matter, for “west [lit., “sea”] and south” – yam ve-darom – are intended to hint at Peace and the Covenant, which are the sefirot Hokhmah – ‘Wisdom’ and Binah – ‘Understanding.’” So understand this! “Crowning:” the cup is “crowned” by the disciples of the person saying the blessing. R. Hisda crowns it with other cups. Wrapping: R. Pappa said he wraps himself in his robe, ³¹⁹The verb for wrapping ‘ataf may connote wrapping oneself in a tallit, since it is the root of the verb in the expression le-hitatef ba-tzizit “to wrap oneself in the fringed garment – i.e., a tallit.sits, and then says the blessing. R. Ashi put a scarf on his head and take up the cup with two hands, as is it is said, “Lift up your hands in holiness and bless the Lord.”³²⁰Ps 134:2. And then he would grasp it in his right hand without any support from his other hand at all. And he would raise it a handbreadth from the ground, as Scripture said, “I will lift up the cup of salvation, etc.”³²¹Ps. 116:13. And he would set his eyes upon it, so his attention won’t be distracted from it. And he hands it over to his wife, for thus his wife may be blessed. So you see these are the ten things which were said about the cup of blessing. But R. Yohanan said, “We have only four, and they are: undiluted, full, rinsing, and washing. And here’s a acronym for them: HaMiShaH –“five”: Het – Hai – “undiluted;” Mem – male’ – “full;” Shin – Shetifah – “rinsing;” and Hay – hadahah – “washing.” Or if you’d prefer it, say SiMHa”H – “joy”, because it is written, “wine gladdens [yiSMaH] the human heart.”³²²Ps 104:15. The letters of hamishah can be rearranged to spell simhah.

So this book is now finished, built upon precious sayings. With these words the enlightened¹⁸²Lit., ha-maskil be-hakhmah, one “enlightened with wisdom, i.e., the wisdom of Kabbalah (Chavel). will discern when they’re eating, may they make themselves holy and their minds burnished fully. With these words engaged, may they be at their table; raise their table’s renown so that “all shall say ‘Glory!'”¹⁸³An allusion to Ps 29:9: kulo ‘omer kavod. Let their hearts be made pure, to withstand any test. “By these raise up the table,”¹⁸⁴Ex 28:28 so that “before the Lord”¹⁸⁵Ez 41:22 is its label. This table is greater than the table of kings, “he shall be permitted to join those attending,”¹⁸⁶An allusion to the reward of the faithful promised in Zech 3:7: “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My paths and keep My charge, you will in turn rule in My house and guard My courts, and I will permit you to move about among these attendants.”and to be lifted in honor to gaze on¹⁸⁷Or “envision,” because the Hebrew is ye-hazeh, as in hazon “vision,” like the verb in Ex 24:11, with connotation of prophetic vision. the face of “David among the lilies grazing,” to earn “the three-legged table” ¹⁸⁸An allusion to what is referred to in B. Ta’anit 25a: “The righteous will in time to come eat at a golden table with three legs.” See R. Bahya’s Preface, where he explains this idea in his discussion of the fourth reason he gives for calling his book Shulhan Shel Arba. There’s an untranslatable wordplay here with the Hebrew word ro‘e’ (“grazing” or “shepherd”) and the Aramaic word ker’a’ (“leg”): “David among the lilies grazing (ro‘e’)” to earn the table of three legs (ker’a’).” of gold ablazing. They will earn the physical and intellectual meals, and be counted among the benei aliyah. Blessed is the Lord who has refined His servants to perfect us, whose love for us even preceded us; may He bring us to see wonders from His Torah, the foundation of His Temple, the place of the ark and the tablets, the menorah and table and the altars. May our betrayals and sins be atoned for and forgiven, may prosperity be ours – from God’s hand gladly given.¹⁸⁹An allusion to Is 54:10. Among the saints may He raise and lift us, “west and south”¹⁹⁰An allusion to Dt 33:23. may He gift us. From the abundance of His love may He redeem our soul¹⁹¹An allusion to Ps 22:21. from Sheol when He takes it, by His counsel may He guide us¹⁹²An allusion to Ps 73:24. to the “delights ever in His right hand.”¹⁹³An allusion to Ps 16:11. May he encompass us with favor, ¹⁹⁴An allusion to Ps 5:13. in the “bundle of life” may He hide us,¹⁹⁵As opposed to She’ol – “hell” – as in Job 14:13: “O that You would hide me in Sheol.” in the path of life may He guide us, and grant us what is written, “For God is our God forever; He will guide us even beyond death.”¹⁹⁶Ps. 48:15.