Siman - Berachos Daf 53

• Which light and spices one can make the berachah on?

The berachah of בורא מאורי האש is recited only on a flame lit for illumination. If it was lit solely for other purposes, such as cooking, or to honor a prominent person sitting in a beis haknesses or beis midrash, or to honor the deceased at his funeral, no berachah is recited.

Similarly, a berachah of בורא מיני בשמים is recited only for a fragrance designated for the enjoyment of its smell. A fragrance used for other purposes, such as perfuming clothing or removing the odor of a decaying corpse, does not merit a berachah.

• What is considered deriving benefit from the light?

There is a machlokes regarding the Mishnah’s meaning when it says one may not make a berachah over the flame until he benefits from its illumination – אין מברכין על הנר עד שיאותו.

•Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav says that one does not actually have to benefit from the light—the berachah is made as long as the light is strong enough that one could benefit from it, even though he is standing far away and can’t benefit from it.

•Rava says that the berachah is only made when he is close enough to the light that he could benefit from it.

 This is the basis for looking at one’s fingernails when making the berachah on the flame in Havdalah. Distinguishing between the fingernail and its surrounding skin is similar to discerning the difference between two different small coins or two different weights that are similar in appearance.

• Making the berachah vs. saying amein

There is a machlokes Tanna’im regarding whether it is preferable to make a berachah or to answer amein to it.

•One Baraisa holds that saying amein is greater. R’ Nehorai likens it to battle, where the common soldiers engage the enemy first, followed by the elite troops, who come in to seal the victory.

•Another Baraisa holds that the Heavenly emissaries hasten more to bestow reward on the one making the berachah than on the one answering amein.