משנה: נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עֲלֵיהֶן. עַד כַּמָּה מְזַמְּנִין עַד כְּזַיִת. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עַד כְּבֵיצָה. MISHNAH: One does not ‘invite’60To recite the invitation aloud and to count them for a group of three. [The Babli notes that women for themselves and slaves for themselves may recite Grace with “invitation”; we cannot know what was the position of the Yerushalmi in that matter.] women, slaves, and minors. What is the minimum to ‘invite’? Down to the size of an olive, Rebbi Yehudah says to the size of an egg61That the total food consumed by each person is at least the volume of an average olive or chicken egg..
הלכה: רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן שָׁאוּל בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי קָטָן עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף לַעֲשָׂרָה. וְהָתַנִּי אֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּקָטָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי קַייְמָא רִבִּי סִימוֹן רִבִּי חֲנִינָא רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי לִשְׁנֵי קְטַנִּים נִצְרְכָה. שֶׁאִם הָיָה קָטָן עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סָפֵק. סָפֵק עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ וַדַּאי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר פָּזִי בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי תִּשְׁעָה נִרְאִין כַּעֲשָׂרָה מַה מְזַמְּנִין מְסוּייָמִין. אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ קָטָן בֵּינֵיהֶן. HALAKHAH: Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi, Rebbi Yose ben Shaul in the name of Rebbi: One makes a minor an appendix for ten62The next Mishnah explains that the formula of “invitation” for three is “let us praise Him of Whose bounty we ate” whereas for ten it is “let us praise our God of Whose bounty we ate”. The question is whether the ten all have to be male adults or whether they have to be just ten males (of which nine are certain adults and the tenth possibly a minor as “appendix”.) In the Berakhot.47b-48a">Babli (47b/48a), R. Joshua ben Levi is quoted as permitting the tenth (for reciting Grace) even to be a baby lying in a crib. However, from the continuation of the discussion here it seems that the Yerushalmi does not even consider allowing a minor to join for the long form of “invitation” but only for Torah reading or other public services.
Rebbi Yose ben Shaul was a student of Rebbi. He transmits sayings of Rebbi only.. But did we not state: One does not investigate a minor63One version of the full baraita is quoted in Berakhot.47b">Babli 47b: “A minor who grew two pubic hairs may take part in ‘invitation’, a minor who did not grow two pubic hairs may not take part in ‘invitation’ but one does not investigate a minor.” The other version is in Tosephta Berakhot 5:18: “A minor who can eat an olive may take part in ‘invitation’, a minor who cannot eat an olive may not take part in ‘invitation’; one does not investigate a minor.” Most commentators refer the Yerushalmi to the version in Berakhot but it seems clear that the Yerushalmi is based on a text close to the Tosephta and emphatically disagrees with the Babli, cf. Tosephta Kifshutah, ad loc.? Rebbi Yose said, one confirms Rebbi Simon, Rebbi Ḥanina, Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi64The entire text is also in Bereshit rabba 91; there it says correctly “Rebbi Yose said, one confirms Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi”.
The last part of the Tosephta implies that if a boy is on the threshhold of manhood (bar miẓwah), one can make him take part in any ceremony that needs ten adults by simply asking him if he is of age; one does not have to investigate if what he says is true. The implication here is that if one has a boy who looks younger than the age of puberty, one certainly cannot take him as tenth man.: it65The Tosephta which insists that one does not investigate but that the boy should not look too young. is needed for two minors; if he is a minor, one considers him doubtful, if he is doubtful66If he has reached the age, but we do not know whether he started growing pubic hair. The sentence speaks of all other occasions where one needs ten adult males, such as public prayer and Torah reading, but not of Grace which depends only on whether the child is able to eat an olive-size piece made of grain (in a country and time where children were usually nursed for between three and five years.), one considers him certain. Rebbi Yehudah ben Pazi in the name of Rebbi Yose: nine that look like ten67Where the Berakhot.47b">Babli (47b) agrees that one may recite the invitation formula for ten adults., does one “invite” only those that are certain? Also if a minor was among them?
רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה אָמַר רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר זַבְדִּי בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּמַה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים תַּמָּן קָטָן עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיפִין לַעֲשָׂרָה. וָמַר אַף הָכָא עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף לִֹשְלֹשָׁה. מַה תַּמָּן שֶׁמַּזְכִּירִין אֶת הַשֵּׁם עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. כַּאן שֶׁאֵין מַזְכִּירִין אֶת הַשֵּׁם לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא אֵינוֹ כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. תָּמַּן עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵן אוֹמְרִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. וְכַאן שֶׁאֵין קוֹרִין אֶת הַשֵּׁם אֵין עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. Rebbi Berekhiah said that Rebbi Jacob bar Zavdi asked before Rebbi Yose: “What are we dealing with? There68In the case of public reading of the Torah, as given in the next paragraph. one makes him an appendix for ten, one should say that here69Reciting Grace. one should make him an appendix for three. Since there one makes him an appendix for the mention of the Divine Name, here, when one does not mention the Divine Name, a fortiori should one make him an appendix.” He answered him: “It is not a fortiori! There, since they must mention the Name70In an obligatory public service., one makes him anappendix; here, since one does not recite the Name71In private., there is no need to make him an appendix!”
תַּנִּי קָטָן וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא קָטָן לְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. It has been stated: One may take a minor and a Torah scroll as appendix. Rebbi Judan said: So is the baraita: One may take a minor as appendix for the purpose of Torah reading72But the Torah scroll is not a human and one never will get by with only eight adult males. The original baraita is close to a statement of Rav Huna in the Berakhot.47b">Babli (47b) which there is corrected differently..
מֵאֵימָתַי עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף. רִבִּי אֲבִינָא אֲמַר אִיתְפַּלְּגוּן רַב חוּנָא וְרַב יְהוּדָה תְּרַוֵּיהוֹן בְּשֵׁם שְׁמוּאֵל. חַד אָמַר כְּדֵי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ טִיב בְּרָכָה. וְחָרָנָא אָמַר שֶׁיְּהֵא יוֹדֵעַ לְמִי הוּא מְבָרֵךְ. אֲמַר רִבִּי נָסָא כַמָּה זִימְנִין אֲכָלִית עִם רִבִּי תַּחְלִיפָא אַבָּא וְעִם אֲנִינִייָא בַּר סִיסַיי חֲבִיבִי וְלָא זְמַנִּין עָלַי עַד שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת. When does one start to make him an appendix? Rebbi Avina said: Rab Ḥuna and Rav Yehudah disagreed, both in the name of Samuel. One said, that he has to understand the nature of a benediction; the other one said that he has to understand to Whom one has to recite the benediction73In the Berakhot.48a">Babli (48a), this is the opinion of Rav Naḥman, another student of Samuel.. Rebbi Nassa said, many times did I eat with my father Taḥlipha and my uncle Aninia bar Sisai and they did not recite the ‘invitation’ with me until I grew two pubic hairs74Since report of an action is the best proof, it is shown that one never uses a minor as appendix for reciting Grace with ‘invitation’..
שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רַב. וְאִית דְּאָֽמְרִין בְּעוּן קוֹמֵי רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת. תִּשְׁעָה פַת וְאֶחָד יֶרֶק. אָמַר לָהֶן מְזַמְּנִין. שְׁמוֹנֶה פַת וּשְׁתַּיִם יֶרֶק אָמַר לוֹן מְזַמְּנִין. שִׁבְעָה פַת וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יֶרֶק אָמַר לוֹן מְזַמְּנִין. רִבִּי אֲבִינָא בְּעִי מֶחְצָה לְמֶחְצָה מַהוּ. אֲמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא עַד דַּאֲנָא תַמָּן אִצְרִכַת לִי מַיצְרִי לִי מִינָךְ לָא שַׁלְתֵּיהּ. Samuel bar Shilat75A student of Rav who is regarded as the ideal teacher in the Babli. For nine years he did not have time to tend his garden because he was caring about the children in his school. The title “Ribbi” given him in the next sentence is a scribal error. asked before Rav, but some say that it was asked before Rav Samuel bar Shilat: Nine ate bread and one ate vegetable76Nine are required to recite Grace. The tenth is only required to recite the short formula but he is there to form a quorum of ten adult males for the invocation of the Name.? He said to them: One ‘invites’. Eight ate bread and two ate vegetable? He said to them: One ‘invites’. Seven ate bread and two ate vegetable? He said to them: One ‘invites’. Rebbi Avina asked: What is the rule for half and half77Does one need a majority of those who are required to recite Grace or is it enough to have ten adult males present. In the Berakhot.48a">Babli (48a), Rebbi Zeïra is of the opinion that not only does one need a majority but one even needs a qualified majority and seven is the minimal number for reciting the ‘invitation’ with the Name.? Rebbi Zeïra said, as long as I was there, I would have needed that. I regret that I did not ask.
רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְּעִי אוֹתוֹ שֶׁאָכַל יֶרֶק מַהוּ שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ. מֻחְלְפָא שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יִרְמְיָה. תַּנִּי שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת נְזִירִין עָלוּ בִימֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים מָצָא לָהֶן פֶּתַח. וּמֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים לֹא מָצָא לָהֶן פֶּתַח. אֲתָא גַבֵּי יַנַּאי מַלְכָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִית הָכָא תְּלַת מְאָה נְזִירִין בְּעִייָן תְּשַׁע מְאוֹת קָרְבָּנִין. אֶלָּא יְהַב אַתְּ פַּלְגָּא מִן דִּידָךְ וַאֲנָא פַלְגָּא מִן דִּידִי. שְׁלַח לֵיהּ אַרְבַּע מְאָה וְחַמְשִׁין. אֲזַל לִשְׁנָא בִישָׁא וָמַר לֵיהּ לָא יְהַב מִן דִּידֵיהּ כְּלוּם. שָׁמַע יַנַּאי מַלְכָּא וְכָעַס. דְּחַל שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח וְעָרַק. בָּתַר יוֹמִין סָֽלְקוּן בְּנֵי נַשׁ רַבְרְבִין מִן מַלְכוּתָא דְפָרַס גַּבֵּי יַנַּאי מַלְכָּא. מִן דְּיָֽתְבִין אָֽכְלִין אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ נְהִירִין אֲנָן דַּהֲוָה אִית הָכָא חַד גְּבַר סָב וַהֲוָה אֲמַר קוֹמִין מִילִּין דְּחָכְמָה. תַּנִּי לוֹן עוּבְדָּא. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ שְׁלַח וְאַייְתִיתֵיהּ שָׁלַח וִיהִיב לֵיהּ מִילָּא וַאֲתָא וְיָתֵיב בֵּין מַלְכָּא לְמַלְכְּתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָמָּה אַפְלַייָת לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא אַפְלָייִת בָּךְ אַתְּ מִמָּמוֹנָךְ וַאֲנָא מִן אוֹרַייְתִי. דִּכְתִיב כִּי בְצֵל חָכְמָה בְּצֵל הַכֶּסֶף. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָמָּה עָרַקְתְּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמָעִית דְּמָרִי כְעַס עָלַי וּבְעִית מְקַייְמָה הָדֵין קְרִייָא חֳבִי כִּמְעַט רֶגַע עַד יַעֲבֹר זָעַם. וּקְרָא עִלּוֹי וְיִתְרוֹן דַּעַת הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָמָּה יָתַבְתְּ בֵּין מַלְכָּא וּמַלְכְתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּסִפְרָא דְּבֶן סִירָא כְתִיב סַלְסְלֶהָ וּתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ וּבֵין נְגִידִים תּוֹשִׁיבֶךָּ. אֲמַר הֲבוּ לֵיהּ כַּסָּא דְּלִיבְרִיךְ. נְסַב כַּסָּא וָמַר נְבָרֵךְ עַל הַמָּזוֹן שֶׁאָכַל יַנַּאי וַחֲבֵירָיו. אֲמַר לֵיהּ עַד כְּדוֹן אַתְּ בְּקַשְׁיוּתָךְ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמַה נֹאמַר עַל הַמָּזוֹן שֶׁלֹּא אָכַלְנוּ. אֲמַר הֲבוּן לֵיהּ דְּלֵיכוּל. יְהָבוּ לֵיהּ וְאָכַל. וָמַר נְבָרֵךְ עַל הַמָּזוֹן שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן חוֹלְקִין עַל רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה אָמַר עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. רִבִּי אָבָּא אָמַר עַל הַשְּׁנִיָּה. מֻחְלְפָא שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יִרְמְיָה. הָתָם צְרִיכָה לֵיהּ. וָכָה פְּשִׁיטָא לֵיהּ. הֵּן דִּצְרִיכָא לֵיהּ כְּרַבָּנָן הֵן דִּפְשִׁיטָא לֵיהּ כְּרַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. תַּנִּי עֲלָהּ הֵיסֶב וְאָכַל עִמָּהֶן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא אָכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן מְזַמְּנִין דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים. רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אַחָא בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְעוֹלָם אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן. וְהָתַנִּי שְׁנַיִם פַּת וְאֶחָד יֶרֶק מְזַמְּנִין. מַתְנִיתָה כְּרַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. Rebbi Jeremiah asked: May he who ate vegetable recite Grace? Rebbi Jeremiah seems to contradict himself78The contradiction will be explained in the following lengthy story.! It has been stated: 300 nezirim79People who made a vow to abstain from all grape products, let their hair grow, and kept themselves in strict ritual purity for a certain amount of time. At the end of that time, the nazir could terminate his vow only if he offered a sheep as holocaust sacrifice, a female sheep for a sin-offering, and a goat for a family sacrifice (Numbers.6">Num. 6). Most of these nezirim were poor people who relied on charity to fulfill their obligations in the Temple. came in the days of Simeon ben Shetaḥ80President of the Synhedrion in the times of the Hasmonean king Alexander Yannai and brother of queen Shlomẓion (Salome Alexandra).. For 150 of them he found an opening81An “opening of regrets”, an argument that made the nazir regret his original decision to become a nazir; this invalidates the vow retroactively so that no sacrifice may be brought., for 150 of them he did not find an opening. He came to king Yannai and said to him: There are here 300 nezirim who need 900 sacrifices. You should give half of them from your side, I shall give half from my side. The king sent him 450 animals. An informer went around and said that the other one had not given anything from his own money. King Yannai heard about it and got angry. Simeon ben Shetaḥ feared and fled82In the parallel in the Babli (48ab), Simeon ben Shetaḥ went into hiding because Alexander Yannai sided with the Sadducees when it was reported to him that some Pharisees thought him to be unfit as priest.. After some time, important people from the Persian empire came to king Yannai83During all of the Second Commonwealth and certainly during the reign of Alexander Yannai, the Jewish state relied on contributions from the Jews in the diaspora, both from Rome and from Persia (then, Parthia). It may be assumed that the delegation brought the yearly subsidy and, therefore, was in a position to enforce their will.. At the meal, they said to him: We remember that there was here an old man who gave us a rabbinic discourse. He told them what had happened. They said to him, send and bring him! He sent and gave him his word84That it was safe and nothing would happen to him. In the Babli, it was the queen, Simeon’s sister, who arranged matters.; he came and sat between king and queen. He said to him, why did you trick me? He said, I did not trick you; you with your money and I with my learning, as it is written (Ecclesiastes.7.12">Eccl. 7:12) “In the shadow of wisdom, in the shadow of money85Wisdom and money are equivalent to give protection..” He said to him, why did you disappear? He said to him, I heard that my lord was angry with me and I wanted to fulfill the verse (Isaiah.26.20">Is. 26:20) “Hide a little bit until the rage passes;” he used about himself (Ecclesiastes.7.12">Eccl. 7:12): “Knowledge is an advantage, wisdom lets its possessor live.” He said to him, why did you sit between king and queen? He said to him, it is written in the book of Ben Sirach86This verse cannot be reconstructed with confidence, since the manuscripts of the Babli and parallel sources all have different versions.: “Esteem it and it will raise you and set you between princes.” He said, bring him a cup that he may recite Grace. He took the cup and said: “Let us give praise for the food that Yannai and his company ate.” He said to him, are you still obstinate as ever? He said to him, what should I say, “for the food that we did not eat?” He said, bring him something that he may eat. They brought, he ate and recited: “For the food that we ate.” Rebbi Yoḥanan said, his colleagues disagree with Simeon ben Shetaḥ. Rebbi Jeremiah said, about the first action87That he tricked Yannai to give the animals for sacrifices under false pretenses, even though formally Simeon ben Shetaḥ was correct. The second action was that he refused to recite Grace without having eaten at least a minimal meal.
The text here is clearly corrupt since by the statement of the Talmud, Rebbi Jeremiah disagrees with Simeon ben Shetaḥ about the recitation of Grace. The correct text, that R. Abba refers to the first action and R. Jeremiah to the second, is in the Yerushalmi source Midrash Bereshit rabba 51. [In the Berakhot.48a">Babli, 48a, it is R. Abba the son of R. Ḥiyya bar Abba in the name of R. Yoḥanan who declares that Grace cannot be recited by someone who did not eat bread. But the Babli cannot be used for the text of the Yerushalmi.]; Rebbi Abba said, about the second action. Rebbi Jeremiah seems to contradict himself! There he wondered about it and here88In his theoretical question he wonders, in his critique of Simeon ben Shetaḥ following R. Yoḥanan he is certain. it is obvious for him! He wondered following the Sages; it is obvious for him following Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel. We have stated about this: If one was lying on a couch and ate89In the Midrash, the Rome manuscript, the Tosephta, (and the Babli) “dipped (some vegetable in broth)”. Both in the Yerushalmi, here and Nazir 5:3:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Nazir.5.3.2-4">Nazir 5:5, and the prints of the Midrash, this is labelled “words of the Sages.” But in the Tosephta (5:20) and manuscripts of the Midrash (and in the Berakhot.48a">Babli 48a), the statement is attributed to Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel. It seems that the attribution here to the Sages is a scribal error since the opinion attributed to Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel in the last baraita is the one given in the Tosephta and R. Jeremiah is reported as following the latter’s opinion in the interpretation of the story of Simeon ben Shetaḥ. with them, even if he did not eat grain the volume of an olive one ‘invites’ with him, the words of the Sages. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: One never ‘invites’ anyone unless he had eaten grain the volume of an olive90In the restrictive spirit of the Yerushalmi as explained earlier.. But did we not formulate, “two bread and one vegetable, then one ‘invites’?” This baraita follows Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel.