Siman 207

The difference in brachot between "ha'etz" and "ha'adamah" and the bracha of "shehakol" is only regarding the first bracha, but regarding the final bracha they are all equal except for the seven species, and that is the bracha of "borei nefashot." And everything that the sages enacted, they enacted similar to the Torah law, for since from the Torah the primary obligation is Birkat HaMazon after eating, as it is written: "And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless," therefore also regarding other things it was impossible to leave them without a final bracha. And it is not only necessary to say so regarding things that nourish a person somewhat, and important things like meat and fish and eggs and the like, but even vegetables and water which are not important and do not nourish, nevertheless one is obligated to recite a final bracha when he has eaten a kezayit or drunk a revi'it, and ate the kezayit within the time of k'dei achilat pras and the revi'it within the time of drinking a revi'it (see the end of the chapter "Keitzad Mevarchin" (Berakhot 44b) Tosafot starting with "Avidna," and so wrote all the poskim, and examine this closely).

What is its version: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who creates many souls and their deficiencies," and some have the version 've-chesronan' (the Gari"b). The reason is that 'nefashot' is a feminine noun, as we say 'nefashot rabot' and not 'rabim', and if so, it must be with a nun peshutah at the end and not with a mem, as it is written regarding the daughters of Tzelofchad: "And Moses brought their [mishpatan] case." And in the entire Torah, 'nefesh' is in the feminine: "And if a soul [nefesh] sins [techeta] and hears [ve-sham'ah] etc.", "If a soul [nefesh] commits [tim'ol] a trespass and sins [ve-chata'ah] etc." However, in the Tur the version is 've-chesronam' and so it is printed in the prayer books, and so it appears primary, for in the Torah it is also thus: "And if a soul sins and hears... and he is a witness... he shall bear [ve-nasa] his iniquity [avono]," in the masculine. And so regarding "If a soul commits a trespass," it is written "and he shall bring [ve-hevi]," in the masculine because it refers to the person, and people are referred to in the masculine even though the soul part within him is feminine, and so here 've-chesronam' refers to the people.

"For all that He created to sustain etc." This is the version in the Tur, and some have the version: "that You created" in the second person (Magen Avraham and Eliyah Rabbah in the name of manuscripts). And even though the beginning of the blessing is "Who creates" in the third person, nevertheless one can say afterward in the second person, for such is the way of the blessings, as we say: "Blessed are You" in the second person, and afterward we say: "Who creates" in the third person, for the Holy One, blessed be He, is revealed of all revealed and hidden of all hidden, and we say this intentionally just as we say: "You are He," as I wrote in siman 5. And some have the version: "And for all that He created etc." (Ma'adanei Yom Tov), but the primary version is without a "vav," and so it is in the prayer books (Eliyah Rabbah). "To sustain with them the soul of every living thing, blessed is the Life of the worlds": "Chai" is with a tzeirei. And in the Tur it concludes: "Blessed are You, Hashem, Life of the worlds," and this is according to the Yerushalmi, but our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that this blessing is without the Name, for this is not found in the Gemara and it is also a short blessing, and so we conduct ourselves and one must not change.

And its explanation was written by the Tur: "Who creates many souls and their deficiencies" — everything that they lack, such as bread and water which are necessities (Beit Yosef), "for all that You have created etc." — meaning, and for the other things that He created in the world that the souls would not have lacked had they not been created, as they are only for enjoyment, "to sustain with them the soul of every living being" — meaning that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is good and does good and gives even things that are not necessities for the sustenance of the soul (and perhaps for this reason the Yerushalmi holds that one should conclude with a name, because they are two matters and it is like a long blessing).