M. VIII. 6. The Wording of the Benediction over the Lamp

Tractate Berakoth, by , by A. Lukyn Williams, [1921], at sacred-texts.com

p. 70

The Wording of the Benediction over the Lamp.

M.VIII. 6 (5 continued). The School of Shammai say: "He who created the lamp ¹ of fire." The School of Hillel say: "Creator of the lamps of fire." ²

Footnotes

70:1 the lamp. The word so translated here and in the following clause is ma’ôr (Gen. 1¹⁶), in the preceding mishna, nêr. But in T. ma’ôr is used instead of nêr.

70:2 The difference in the two forms of the Benediction appears to be that the School of Shammai regarded the fire as containing the one manifestation of the divine light, and the School of Hillel as containing various particles and colours; also that the former regarded all as included in the one past creation ("created"), the latter as the result of the LORD'S present work ("creating" or "creator").