On peppercorn (really spicy ones, not those that are eaten plain and note those that are eaten as vegetables) – Rav Sheshet says that the blessing is a generic blessing on food, “Blessed is the One by Whose word everything was created,” but Rava says that there is no blessing at all. How could they argue, peppercorns are a great food!? – They are talking about dried-out peppercorns. Rav Sheshet says that since dried peppercorns are worse than the original ones, they loose their blessing of “Blessed is the One Who created the fruit of the earth” and get a generic blessing instead. Rava, however, does not consider them food altogether. This is in fact consistent with Rava's point of view, since he said that one who chews and swallows peppercorn and ginger on Yom Kippur is exempt.
Still, how could Rava say this? It contradicts the earlier, more authoritative teaching of Rabbi Meir, who asked, why did the Torah have to say “food tree” when talking about the laws of trees in Israel? – To include trees whose wood and fruit taste the same, and what is it? - Pepper! Parenthetically, it tells you that the Land of Israel lacks nothing. So pepper is edible!? – Rava was talking about dried pepper, and Rabbi Meir – about fresh one.
But again, how could Rava exempt eating ginger on Yom Kippur? Did he not state that the cooked paste of ginger and honey imported from India is kosher, is not forbidden because a non-Jew cooked it, that there is no concern that it has absorbed the non-kosher flavors when cooked in the Hindu's utensils, and that one says a blessing “Who created the fruit of the earth” on it! – True, but on Yom Kippur Rava exempted only dried peppers.
Art: Felix Edouard Vallotton - Still Life with Red Peppers on a White Lacquered Table
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