It has been stated: If pieces and whole
loaves are set before one, R. Huna says that the bracha can be said over the
pieces,
and
this serves also for the whole loaves [Rashi explains that one has the option
of making the bracha on the pieces and if the pieces are larger than the whole
then certainly he should make the bracha on the pieces], whereas R. Yochanan
says that the religious duty is better performed if the blessing is said over
the whole one. R. Nachman b.
Isaac said: A Godfearing man will seek to satisfy both. Who is such a
one? Mar the son of Rabina. For Mar the son of Ravina used to put the broken
piece under
the
whole loaf and then break the bread [Either both breads or just the whole piece
– Rashi].
R. Papa said: All admit that on Passover
one puts the broken matza under the whole one and breaks [them together]. What
is the reason? The Torah speaks of ‘Bread of poverty’.
R. Abba said: On
Sabbath one should break bread from two loaves. What is the reason? The Torah speaks
of ‘double bread’.
R.
Ashi said: I have observed R. Kahana take two and break one. R. Zera בצע
אכולה שירותא [broke off one piece which was enough for the
whole meal – Rashi] . Said Ravina to R. Ashi: Does not this look like
greediness? He replied: Since every other day he does not act thus and today he
acts thus, it does not look like greediness. When R. Ammi and R. Assi happened
to get hold of a loaf which had been used for an ‘eruv, they used to say
over it the blessing, ‘who brings forth bread from the earth’, saying, Since
one religious duty has been performed with it, let us perform with it still
another.
We now shift to a parallel sugya in
Shabbos [117b]: R. Chisda said: One should always make early [preparations] for Shabbos, for
it is said, And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare
that which they bring in — [i.e.,] immediately.
R. Abba said: On the Sabbath it is one's
duty to break bread
over
two loaves, for it is written, 'twice as much bread'. R. Ashi said: I
saw that R. Kahana held two [loaves] but broke bread over one, observing, ‘they
gathered’ is written [implying that one must hold two but one may break only
one – Rashi] ,
R.
Zeraבצע אכולה שירותא broke enough bread for the whole meal [ In
order to show honor to Shabbos and to show that he loves Shabbos and wants to
eat a lot - Rashi]. Said Rabina to
R. Ashi: But that looks like greed? — Since he does not do this every day, he
replied, but only now [the Sabbath], it does not look like greed, he replied. R. Ammi and R.
Assi, when they came across the bread of an ‘eruv, שרו עליה
- they would commence (their meal] therewith, observing,
‘Since one mitzva has been performed with it, let another
mitzva be performed with it.’
1] We are obligated to inquire as to why
in the sugya in Shabbos we bring a proof from the pasuk that one should make
Hamotzi over two breads [לקטו כתיב]
whereas in the gemara in Brachos we suffice without a proof for Rav Kahana's
behavior.
2] We also have to understand why on the
words בצע
אכולה שירותא Rashi in Brachos explained simply that he
broke off enough for the whole meal while in the sugya on Shabbos, Rashi went
on about how it was li-kavod shabbos and that it shows a love of Shabbos etc.
3] Another difference between the two
sugyos. In Brachos it states simply that Rav Ami and Rav Assi would make
hamotzi on the bread of an eruv whereas in Shabbos it says שרו
עליה - which Rashi has to explain to mean that they
used to commence their meal by making hamotzi on the bread of the eruv.
The explanation is that the two sugyos
are discussing two different issues. The gemara in Brachos is discussing הלכות
בציעת הפת – the laws of breaking bread. The gemara in
Shabbos is talking about הלכות כבוד שבת.
Now we can explain each of our three
differences.
1]
Only in the sugya in Shabbos it was necessary to explain the behavior of Rav
Kahana i.e. that he held both breads due to the pasuk of לקטו . As far as הלכות בציעת הפת is concerned we know that holding onto two breads
is like breaking on both breads as we saw in Rashi when he explained the
practice of Mar Bar Ravina who used to hold the broken piece and the whole
piece of matzos together and only break the whole piece and that was enough.
2] Only in maseches Shabbos does Rashi
need to explain that he broke off a large piece
לכבוד
שבת.
3] In Shabbos the language is שרו
"they started"
the meal with an eruv bread to show kavod and chashivus for Shabbos by starting
the meal with a mitzvah bread. [It is not clear to me why מדין
בציעת הפת there wouldn't also be an ענין
to 'start' by breaking
the eruv bread].
[Marbeh Bracha by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Homnick]
