Kiddush and Havdalah Over Beer (Copy)

Mar Yanuka and Mar Kashisha sons of Rav Ḥisda said to Rav Ashi: Once Ameimar happened to come to our place and we did not have wine for havdala. We brought him beer and he did not recite havdala, and he passed the night fasting, as it is prohibited to eat before havdala. The next day we exerted ourselves and brought him wine, and he recited havdala and tasted some food. The next year he again happened to come to our place. Once again we did not have wine and we brought him beer. He said: If so, beer is the wine of the province. He recited havdala over the beer and tasted some food.

One may learn from Ameimar’s conduct three halakhot: Learn from it that one who recites havdala in the prayer service must recite havdala again over a cup. And learn from it that it is prohibited for a person to eat before he recites havdala. And learn from it that one who did not recite havdala at the conclusion of Shabbat may recite havdala anytime during the entire week.

Rav Huna raised a dilemma before Rav Ḥisda: What is the halakha with regard to whether it is permitted to recite kiddush over date beer? He said: Now, if with regard to barley beer, fig beer, and beer produced from berries, I raised a dilemma before Rav and Rav before Rabbi Ḥiyya, and Rabbi Ḥiyya had inquired of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and he did not resolve it for him, is it necessary to say that date beer, which is inferior to those other types of beer, may not be used for kiddush? Those who heard this response understood from it that it is kiddush that one may not recite over it, but one may recite havdala over date beer. Rav Ḥisda said to them that Rav said as follows: Just as one may not recite kiddush over date beer, so one may not recite havdala over it.

It was also stated that Rav Taḥalifa bar Avimi said that Shmuel said: Just as one may not recite kiddush over date beer, so one may not recite havdala over it.

Levi sent Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi a beer of thirteen soakings.

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi tasted it and it was especially pleasant. He said: A beer like this is fit to recite kiddush over and to say upon it all the songs and praises in the world, as it is as good as wine.

At night, it disrupted his digestion and caused him pain. He said: It pains on the one hand and soothes on the other.

Rav Yosef said: I will take a vow in public, which cannot be nullified, that I will not drink beer.

Rava said: I would rather drink water used for soaking flax, and I will not drink beer.

And Rava said: One who recites kiddush over beer, his regular drink should be beer.

Rav was found by Rav Huna reciting kiddush over beer. He said to him: Abba, has started to acquire coins with beer.

The Sages taught: One may recite kiddush only over wine, and one may recite blessings only over wine. The Gemara expresses surprise: Is that to say that one does not say the blessing: By Whose word all things [shehakol] came to be, over beer and water? Abaye said: This is what the baraita is saying: One only says: Bring a cup of blessing to recite the blessing of Grace after Meals, over wine.

The Rabbis taught in a baraita: One may not recite kiddush over beer. In the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, they said that one may recite kiddush over beer.

Wine that smells like vinegar but tastes like wine, one may recite kiddush over it. So too wine mixed with water. So too raisin wine, one may recite kiddush over it, as long as the raisins had some moisture, that if one were to tread them, their "honey" would come out. So too new wine directly from the press, one may recite kiddush over it.

In a region most of whose wine is "beer" even though one may not use it for kiddush, one may recite havdalah over it, since it is "the wine of the region."

We need to inquire whether one can recite kiddush over beer when it is the "wine of the region" just as they recite havdalah. And the whole passage that prohibits reciting kiddush over beer we can say refers to a case where it is not the "wine of the region."

Know, that since Rav said, "Just was one does not recite kiddush [over beer] so too one does not recite havdalah." But if it is the wine of the region, obviously one may recite havdalah....

The conclusion is that one can recite havdalah over beer if it is "the wine of the region" but one cannot over bread.

And according to Rabbenu Tam one cannot recited kiddush either over bread.

But we still need to ask whether one can recite kiddush over beer.

The next year he again happened to come to our place. Once again we did not have wine and we brought him beer. He said: If so, beer is the wine of the province. He recited havdala over the beer and tasted some food.

The Rashbam explained: This "wine of the region" is in a case where there is no wine in this city, only beer. Therefore, they can recite havdalah over it. And this is the halakhah. And this is the halakhah. But one cannot recite havdalah over water even if there is no wine and no beer. Others explain [that wine of the region] is when wine is not grown a day's travel around the city....

Rabbenu Yitzchak seems to incline to say that one can recite kiddush over beer if it is the "wine of the region."

Rav Hai [10th century] also wrote that even if he has wine, if he does not like it and it is not dear to him to recite kiddush over it, he should not recite a blessing over something he does not enjoy.

And my father, the Rosh, ruled that one can do havdalah over beer if it is the wine of the region.

It is better to make kiddush on beer: but in a place where wine is found, one should certainly bless on wine even in the day. But, nevertheless, if wine is expensive, like in these regions, one should not go above and beyond by using wine, since it is not a full obligation like there is an obligation at night, and it is sufficient for that.

And for this reason, even the great rabbis in our regions are not accustomed to bless on wine during the day, and one who also blesses on wine in the day, certainly does it the best way, as is explained above.