Brachos 33-Snakes, Atta Chonentanu placement, Havdalah, Saying Modim Twice, Knowlege is great, Fear - a podcast by Eran Netkin

1. Havdalah
When the Jews first returned to Eretz Yisrael from the Babylonian exile, the Anshei Knesses
Hagedolah (Men of the Great Assembly) fixed the berachah of Havdalah within Shemoneh
Esrei, because the people were poor and couldn’t afford wine.
Later, when the people grew wealthier, the berachah was removed from tefillah and its recital
was fixed over a cup of wine. The details of the original enactment were forgotten.
Later still, when the people became impoverished, they reverted to the original enactment
and fixed Havdalah in tefillah, but required people who could afford it to recite Havdalah a
second time over wine.
2. Limiting praising Hashem’s traits
R’ Chanina reprimanded a shliach tzibbur who enumerated a long list of Hashem’s traits. When
the man finished his tefillah, R’ Chanina asked him, “Did you complete all the praises of your
סיימתינהו לכולהו שבחי דמרך? – “?Master
He explained that were it not for the fact that Moshe praised Hashem with the three attributes
of Gadol, Gibbor and Nora in the Torah and the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah established them in
the text of our tefillos, we would not have been able to recite even those attributes.
יראת שמים .3
R’ Chanina taught that שמים מיראת חוץ שמים בידי הכל – Everything is in the hands of Heaven
except for the fear of Heaven.
,now And – ועתה ישראל מה ה' אלקיך שואל מעמך כי אם ליראה ,pasuk the from derived is This-
Israel, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you, but merely to fear Hashem.
Siman – Pirate with a peg leg
The pirate with a peg leg lifted up his cup of Havdala and started enumerating many praises for
Hashem when his wife came in and reprimanded him for having no yiras shamayim. Quick Words – Pirate, Havdala, Praises, Yiras Shamayim.

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