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Translation : Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 1
Mishnah 1
From when may one recite the Shema in the evening?
From the time when the kohanim terumah
Until the end of the first watch – the words of Rabbi Eliezer.
And the [other] Sages say: Until midnight.
Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the break of dawn.It once happened that [Rabban Gamaliel’s] sons came from a house of feasting .
They said to [Rabban Gamaliel]: "We have not recited the Shema."
He said to them: "If dawn has not broken, you are obligated to recite it." “[This is true] not only in this case; rather, in all cases where the Sages said that [some precept can be performed only] until midnight — the precept is [still in force] until the break of dawn.
“[For example:] Burning the fats and organs [of the sacrifices, on the Temple altar] — this precept [can be performed] until the break of dawn.
“[Another example:] All [sacrifices] which may be eaten for one day — the precept [of eating them can be performed] until the break of dawn. If that is so, why did the Sages say, "until midnight" ?
To distance a person from transgression .Mishnah 2
From when may one recite the Shema in the morning?
From when one can distinguish between techelet and white
Rabbi Eliezer says: [The earliest time for the Shema is when one can distinguish] between techelet and the color of leek ,
and one must finish reciting it by sunrise .
Rabbi Yehoshua says: [One may recite the Shema] until three hours [of the day],
for such is the way of the sons of kings, to arise at the third hour.
If one recites [the Shema] later than this, he has not lost out ,
[but rather is] like one who reads the Torah. Mishnah 3
The school of Shammai says:
In the evening all people should recline and recite [the Shema], and in the morning they should stand,
since it says [in the verse (Deut. 6:7)], “When you lie down and when you arise.”
But the school of Hillel says:
Each person may recite it in his usual way (posture) ,
since it says (ibid.), “When you walk on the road.”
If so, why does it say “when you lie down and when you arise”?
—[It means:] at the time when people are lying down, and at the time when people are arising.
Said Rabbi Tarfon:
“I was once traveling on the road,
and I reclined to recite [the Shema] in accordance with the view of the school of Shammai,
and [by doing so] I put myself in danger of [attack by] bandits.”
They [possibly the other Sages or possibly the robbers] said to him: “You would have deserved to be guilty for your own fate,
since you went against the view of the school of Hillel.” Mishnah 4
In the morning one says two blessings before it [the Shema] and one after it,
while in the evening he says two blessings before it and two after it,
a long one and a short one .Where they said to make the blessing long – he may not shorten it.
[Where they said] to make the blessing short – he may not lengthen it. [Where they said] to conclude it – he is not permitted to omit the conclusion.
[Where they said] not to conclude it – he is not permitted to conclude. Mishnah 5
One must mention the exodus from Egypt at night.
Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said:
"Behold, I am like a seventy-year-old man ,
yet I could not win [the argument against the other sages] having the exodus from Egypt recited at night,
until Ben Zoma derived it [from a Biblical source]."
"[He derived it as follows:] It says (Deut. 16:3), 'In order that you may remember the day when you left Egypt for all the days of your life.'"
"Now, 'days of your life' means the days;
'All the days of your life' [includes also] the nights."
But the Sages say:
"Days of your life" means the present world;
"All the days of your life" includes also the era of Mashiach .
