Berakhot

like cakes, it is liable for hallah, if like boards,  it is not liable. Abaye said to R. Joseph: What blessing is said over dough baked in a cavity in the ground? — He replied: Do you think it is bread? It is merely a thick mass, and the blessing said over it is 'who createst various kinds of foods'. Mar Zutra made it the basis of his meal and said over it the blessing, 'who bringest forth bread from the earth' and three blessings after it. Mar son of R. Ashi said: The obligation of Passover can be fulfilled with it. What is the reason? We apply to it the term, 'bread of affliction. Mar son of R. Ashi also said: Over honey of the date-palm we say, 'by whose word all things exist'.  What is the reason? — Because it is merely moisture [of the tree]. With whose teaching does this accord? — With that of the following Tanna, as we have learnt: With regard to the honey of the date-palm and cider and vinegar from stunted grapes  and other fruit juices of terumah. R. Eliezer requires [in case of sacrilege] payment of the value and an additional fifth,  but R. Joshua exempts [from the additional fifth]. One of the Rabbis asked Raba: What is the law with regard to trimma?  Raba did not quite grasp what he said. Rabina was sitting before Raba and said to the man: Do you mean of sesame  or of saffron  or of grape-kernels?  Raba thereupon bethought himself  and said: You certainly mean hashilta;  and you have reminded me of something which R. Assi said: It is permissible to make trimma  of dates of terumah, but forbidden to make mead of them.  The law is that over dates which have been used to make into trimma we say the blessing 'who createst the fruit of the tree'. What is the reason? They are still in their natural state. With regard to shatitha,  Rab said that the blessing is 'by whose word all things were made', while Samuel said that it is 'who createst various kinds of foods'. Said R. Hisda: They do not really differ: the latter is said over the thick variety, the former over the thin. The thick is made for eating, the thin for a medicine. R. Joseph raised an objection to this: Both alike  say that we may stir up a shatitha on Sabbath and drink Egyptian beer. Now if you think that he intends it as a remedy, is a medicine permitted on Sabbath? — Abaye replied: And do you hold that it is not? Have we not learnt: All foods may be eaten on Sabbath for medical purposes and all drinks may be drunk?  But what you must say is: in these cases the man intends it for food;  here too, the man intends it for food. (Another version of this is: But what you can say is that the man intends it for food and the healing effect comes of itself. So here too. the man intends it for food, and the healing effect comes of itself.) And it was necessary to have this statement of Rab and Samuel.  For if I had only the other statement  I might think that [he says a blessing because] he intends it for food and the healing effect comes of itself; but in this case, since his first intention is to use it for healing. I might think that he should not say any blessing at all over it. We are therefore told that since he derives some enjoyment from it, he has to say a blessing. FOR OVER BREAD IS SAID, WHO BRINGEST FORTH etc. Our Rabbis taught: What does he say? 'Who bringest forth [ha-mozi] bread from the earth'. R. Nehemiah says: 'Bringing [mozi]  forth bread from the earth'. Both agree that the word mozi means 'who has brought forth',  since it is written, God who brought them forth [moziam] from Egypt.  Where they disagree is as to the meaning of ha-mozi. The Rabbis held that ha-mozi means 'who has brought forth', as it is written, Who brought thee forth [ha-mozi] water out of the rock of flint,  whereas R. Nehemiah held that ha-mozi means 'who is bringing forth', as it says, Who bringeth you out [ha-mozi] from under the burden of the Egyptians.  The Rabbis, however, say that those words spoken by the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel were meant as follows: When I shall bring you out, I will do for you something which will show you that it is I who brought you forth from Egypt, as it is written, And ye shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out. The Rabbis used to speak highly to R. Zera of the son of R. Zebid  the brother of R. Simeon son of R. Zebid as being a great man and well versed in the benedictions. He said to them: When you get hold of him bring him to me. Once he came to his house and they brought him a loaf, over which he pronounced the blessing mozi. Said R. Zebid: Is this the man of whom they say that he is a great man and well versed in benedictions? Had he said ha-mozi,