The nusach of birchot hamitzvah
Rashi and Tosfot at the top of 51A disagree about the reason one who is tovel recites the bracha after the t'villa. Rashi explains that the individual was a baal keri who could not make the blessing before the tvilla while still tamei while Tosfot explains that the individual was a ger who was not yet able to make the bracha since he was not yet Jewish.
According to the gemara, the nusach of the bracha is "asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu [AKB"V] al ha'tvilla." This nusach would appear to make sense. After all, as a general matter, brachot are made over la'asiyatan, that is, before the mitzvah's act is performed. And, in such circumstances, the birchat ha'mitzvah takes the active voice; for example, on Chanukah, the blessing is made AKB"V l'hadlik ner shel chanukah, then the candles are lit. However, when the act is performed first, the bracha is in the passive voice. The classic example is when one washes for ha'motzi, one washes first, then recites "al ntilat yadayim."
It would thus appear that according to both Rashi and Tosfot, since the individual who is about to immerse is unable to make the bracha until after the immersion, the blessing must follow the act and it is thus recited in the passive voice. If that is the case, why is the nusach bracha for candlelighting on Shabbat not similarly passive; after all, the candles are actually lit before the bracha is made since to light them after making the bracha would result in chilul shabbat?
posted by MKBAR @ 11:12 PM
3 Comments:
I don't have many seforim here but I'm trying to remember where this is discussed. I think that the Rishonim in Pesachim discuss the issue but I can't remember for sure. It's a machlokes on the reason why some get al and some get l'. I'm guessing that this example is brought down. I think that one of the reasons is that the hadlakas neiros lasts so you say al but the netilas yadayim is just a maase that takes a second.
I believe that the rule you stated is mentioned as the reason by some Rishonim but there are lots of examples that don't fit. We make the bracha on lulav first yet we say "al netilas lulav."
I think that a possible explanation for hadlakas neiros is to make it a lo plug. There are many times that the bracha is made before lighting - if a man lights or if a woman lights but isn't being mekabeles Shabbos yet or on yom tov. The bracha was made the same for everyone.
Actually, many Sephardim light candles after they say the Bracha, for just that reason.
regarding morrie's question by candle lighting really if a man is lighting(since by lighting he isnt mekabel shabbos) he makes the brachah before lighting and since chazal didnt like changing the nusach of the brachah for different situations the brachah is always made lehadlik.
regarding david g. that lulav is an example that doesnt fit the rule of when to say al and when to say L', it does fit in but for different reasons for different rishonim. according to tosafos since "midiagbeah nofek beh" by lifting the 4 species one has fulfilled his chiyuv of lulav when he makes the brachah he is really saying it after he has fullfilled his chiyuv. look at the other rishonim in sukkah 39a for their reasons, and in pesachim 7b the rishonim there
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