מַתְנִי׳ בֵּירַךְ בִּרְכַּת הַפֶּסַח — פָּטַר אֶת שֶׁל זֶבַח. בֵּירַךְ אֶת שֶׁל זֶבַח — לֹא פָּטַר אֶת שֶׁל פֶּסַח, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: לֹא זוֹ פּוֹטֶרֶת זוֹ וְלֹא זוֹ פּוֹטֶרֶת זוֹ.
MISHNA: If one recited the blessing over the Paschal lamb, which is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to eat the Paschal lamb, he has also exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Festival offering. The blessing for the Festival peace-offering of the fourteenth of Nisan is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to eat the offering. However, if he recited the blessing over the Festival offering, he has not exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Paschal lamb. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: This blessing does not exempt one from reciting a blessing over this one, and that blessing does not exempt that one, as there is a separate blessing for each offering.
וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת הַזֶּבַח וְאוֹכֵל מִבְּשַׂר חֲגִיגַת אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר תְּחִלָּה. וּמְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת הַפֶּסַח וְאוֹכֵל מִגּוּפוֹ שֶׁל פֶּסַח. וְלֹא בִּרְכַּת הַפֶּסַח פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל זֶבַח וְלֹא שֶׁל זֶבַח פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל פֶּסַח:
And afterwards, he recites the blessing, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us about eating the offering," and eats from the meat of the festival [offering] of the fourteenth first. And [then] he recites the blessing, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us about the eating of the Passover sacrifice," and he eats from the body of the Passover sacrifice. And the blessing of the Passover sacrifice does not exempt that of the offering, nor does that of the offering exempt that of the Passover sacrifice.
גְּמָ׳ כְּשֶׁתִּמְצָא לוֹמַר, לְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: זְרִיקָה בִּכְלַל שְׁפִיכָה. וְלֹא שְׁפִיכָה בִּכְלַל זְרִיקָה.
GEMARA: The Gemara explains the opinions of the tanna’im in the mishna. When you analyze the matter you will find that according to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, sprinkling of the blood on the altar is included in the more general category of pouring. In other words, the blessing over the Paschal lamb, whose blood is poured, includes the Festival peace-offering, whose blood is sprinkled, as sprinkling is included within the general category of pouring. But conversely, pouring is not included in sprinkling. Consequently, when one recites the blessing over the Festival peace-offering, he has not exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Paschal lamb.
לְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: לֹא שְׁפִיכָה בִּכְלַל זְרִיקָה, וְלֹא זְרִיקָה בִּכְלַל שְׁפִיכָה.
By contrast, according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, these are two separate mitzvot: Pouring is not included in sprinkling, and sprinkling is not included in pouring. Therefore, Rabbi Akiva maintains that each offering requires its own blessing.
רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי אִיקְּלַע לְפִדְיוֹן הַבֵּן, בְּעוֹ מִינֵּיהּ: פְּשִׁיטָא עַל פִּדְיוֹן הַבֵּן ״אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל פִּדְיוֹן הַבֵּן״ — אֲבִי הַבֵּן מְבָרֵךְ. ״בָּרוּךְ ... שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וְקִיְּימָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה״, כֹּהֵן מְבָרֵךְ, אוֹ אֲבִי הַבֵּן מְבָרֵךְ?
The Gemara discusses another case concerning the order of the blessings: Rabbi Simlai attended a redemption of the firstborn son. The celebrants raised a dilemma before him with regard to the blessings. First they noted that it is obvious that the blessing over the redemption of a firstborn son, which is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us over the redemption of the firstborn son, is certainly recited by the father of the son, as he is the one obligated to redeem his son. However, with regard to the second blessing: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has given us life [sheheḥeyanu], sustained us, and brought us to this time, does the priest recite this blessing, or does the father of the son recite it?
כֹּהֵן מְבָרַךְ — דְּקָמָטֵי הֲנָאָה לִידֵיהּ, אוֹ אֲבִי הַבֵּן מְבָרֵךְ — דְּקָא עָבֵיד מִצְוָה? לָא הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ, אֲתָא שְׁאֵיל בֵּיהּ מִדְרְשָׁא. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: אֲבִי הַבֵּן מְבָרֵךְ שְׁתַּיִם. וְהִלְכְתָא: אֲבִי הַבֵּן מְבָרֵךְ שְׁתַּיִם.
The Gemara explains the two sides of the dilemma. It can be suggested that the priest recites the blessing, as he benefits from the five sela he receives when the boy is redeemed. The blessing of sheheḥiyanu is generally recited by the one who receives the benefit. Or, perhaps the father of the son recites sheheḥeyanu, as he is the one who performs the mitzva. Rabbi Simlai did not have an answer readily available, and he went to ask this question in the study hall. The scholars said to him that the father of the son recites the two blessings: Over the redemption of the son and sheheḥeyanu. The Gemara concludes: And the halakha is that the father of the son recites two blessings.
It seems that the conclusion of the Masechet is concerned primarily with making sure brachot are said in their appropriate time by the appropriate person. We can understand why certain blessings need to be connected to the appropriate action; after all, our halachic system is built on the idea that attached to many mitzvot is a verbal recognition of that mitzvah. When we immerse in the mikvah, when we light our Shabbat candles, when we read Torah - we are not yotzeh from simply performing the action but through the verbal acknowledgement of the undertaking of that action.
But what about the correct person? Why should we be concerned about whether the Kohein or the father of the son being redeemed says shechechyanu? The transition from Pesachim to Shkalim might provide us with an answer...
But what about the correct person? Why should we be concerned about whether the Kohein or the father of the son being redeemed says shechechyanu? The transition from Pesachim to Shkalim might provide us with an answer...
[דף ב.] משנה בְּאֶחָד בַּאֲדָר מַשְׁמִעִין עַל הַשְּׁקָלִים וְעַל הַכִּלְאַיִם. וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ קוֹרִין אֶת הַמְּגִלָּה בַּכְּרַכִּים
[2a] Halakha 1 · MISHNA On the first of Adar the court proclaims concerning the collection of shekels, i.e., the yearly half-shekel contribution to the Temple treasury made by each adult male for the purpose of buying communal offerings. And they also proclaim with regard to the obligation to uproot forbidden mixtures of diverse kinds of food crops in gardens and fields. And on the fifteenth day of the month of Adar, the Scroll [Megilla] of Esther is read in the cities [kerakim] surrounded by walls from the time of Joshua.
וּמְתַקְּנִין אֶת הַדְּרָכִים וְאֶת הָרְחוֹבוֹת וְאֶת מִקְווֹת הַמַּיִם, וְעוֹשִׂין כָּל־צוֹרְכֵי הָרַבִּים וּמְצַייְּנִין עַל הַקְּבָרוֹת
And they also repair the roads that were damaged in the winter, and the streets, and the cisterns. And at that time they perform all that is necessary for public welfare. And they also mark the Jewish gravesites anew, so that people would know their location and avoid ritual impurity, as the previous markers may have eroded during the rainy season.
וְיוֹצְאִין אַף עַל הַכִּלְאָיִם׃
And agents of the court also go out to inspect the fields for diverse kinds of food crops, to determine whether or not the farmers had in fact uprooted these seeds after the proclamation on the first of the month. If the agents of the court found that these diverse kinds had not been uprooted, they themselves would uproot them.
In the opening Mishnah of Shkalim, we are presented with a hopeful vision of future Jewish autonomy, that there will be the opportunity for the Jewish people to rule over themselves and conduct their attuned to the rhythm of the Hebrew Calendar. In this illustration, we see authority figures (one can imagine that these be simultaneously religious and political leaders) called to duty with the new moon of Adar and taking up the responsibility of serving the communal interests of the Jewish people; namely, the collecting of shkalim, of taxes, and the application of those taxes to fix the infrastructure of the autonomous region, state, or city, whatever it might be.
And this brings us back to our question from Pesachim. Why do is it important for us to identify the proper individual for saying a bracha, especially when that bracha is attached to a public act or celebration? Because while Judaism is communally focused; and I'd go even further here to say not communally but family focused (the community being considered part of each person's family), the community is made stronger through the acknowledgement of individual acts of goodness, of kindness, of religious obligation, and of righteousness. It allows for an individual to truly belong. Not just to be the recipient of others connection with God and the Jewish rite and ritual, but to give them an active and critical role in the upholding of Torah.
The Kohein may benefit from the redemption of the first born, but the kohein's part in the larger part of the tribe is already clearly demarcated. They serve the people through a life of selfless devotion to Temple worship and the sacrificial system. But for this father, it is a beautiful opportunity to follow the words of obligation to redeem his child with the words of gratitude and praise. Not just for being part of the system, but for keeping the system alive l'dor v'dor.
While our job as Jews is to take care of one another, to see to the welfare and the morale of our tribe, we are not only allowed but commanded to take a step back and see ourselves as individuals who DESERVE to be here, to be part of this family, to have our individual part to play in this cosmic story.
As we head into Pesach, may we all take a moment during our Sedarim to remember this beautiful truth. That we are part of the whole. That ours is a communal story of freedom, redemption, and journeying. But that equally important is the individual focus of that story - to say arami oved avi, My father was a wandering Aramean. But now here I am, bringing my first fruits, saying thank you for being here in this moment, at this sacred time, with this sacred people as my family, and with this sacred story as the roots that will drink, please God, from the watered soil of Torah for generations to come.
Amen. Please Rise for the Hadran.
And this brings us back to our question from Pesachim. Why do is it important for us to identify the proper individual for saying a bracha, especially when that bracha is attached to a public act or celebration? Because while Judaism is communally focused; and I'd go even further here to say not communally but family focused (the community being considered part of each person's family), the community is made stronger through the acknowledgement of individual acts of goodness, of kindness, of religious obligation, and of righteousness. It allows for an individual to truly belong. Not just to be the recipient of others connection with God and the Jewish rite and ritual, but to give them an active and critical role in the upholding of Torah.
The Kohein may benefit from the redemption of the first born, but the kohein's part in the larger part of the tribe is already clearly demarcated. They serve the people through a life of selfless devotion to Temple worship and the sacrificial system. But for this father, it is a beautiful opportunity to follow the words of obligation to redeem his child with the words of gratitude and praise. Not just for being part of the system, but for keeping the system alive l'dor v'dor.
While our job as Jews is to take care of one another, to see to the welfare and the morale of our tribe, we are not only allowed but commanded to take a step back and see ourselves as individuals who DESERVE to be here, to be part of this family, to have our individual part to play in this cosmic story.
As we head into Pesach, may we all take a moment during our Sedarim to remember this beautiful truth. That we are part of the whole. That ours is a communal story of freedom, redemption, and journeying. But that equally important is the individual focus of that story - to say arami oved avi, My father was a wandering Aramean. But now here I am, bringing my first fruits, saying thank you for being here in this moment, at this sacred time, with this sacred people as my family, and with this sacred story as the roots that will drink, please God, from the watered soil of Torah for generations to come.
Amen. Please Rise for the Hadran.