Translation:Mishnah/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 2/2

Introduction

The previous mishnah refers to the perakim (section breaks), which are more acceptable places to interrupt than in the middle of a section. This mishnah clarifies where the section breaks are.

Hebrew Text

אֵלּוּ הֵן בֵּין הַפְּרָקִים:

בֵּין בְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה לִשְׁנִיָּה,

בֵּין שְׁנִיָּה לִ"שְׁמַע",

וּבֵין "שְמַע" לִ"וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ",

בֵּין "וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ" ל"וַיֹּאמֶר",

בֵּין "וַיֹּאמֶר" לֶ"אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב".

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר:

בֵּין "וַיֹּאמֶר" לֶ"אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב" – לֹא יַפְסִיק.

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה:

לָמָּה קָדְמָה "שְמַע" לִ"וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ"?

אֶלָּא כְדֵי שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם תְּחִלָּה,

וְאַחַר כַּךְ יְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל מִצְוֹת.

"וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ" ל"וַיֹּאמֶר"?

שֶׁ"וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ" נוֹהֵג בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּילָה,

"וַיֹּאמֶר" אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָּא בַיּוֹם.

English Translation

These are the section breaks:

Between the first and second blessings,

Between the second blessing and Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4),

Between Shema and V'hayah im shamoa ("If you truly listen")(Deuteronomy 11:13),

Between V'hayah im shamoa and Vayomer ("[God] said")(Numbers 15:37),

Between Vayomer and Emet v'yatziv ("True and enduring").

Rabbi Yehuda says:

Between Vayomer and Emet v'yatziv -- one may not pause.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah said:

Why does Shema precede V'hayah im shamoa?

So that one may accept the yoke of the kingdom of heaven first,

And after that accept the yoke of the commandments.

And [why does] V'hayah im shamoa [precede] Vayomer?

Because V'hayah im shamoa applies during the day and at night,

And Vayomer only applies during the day.

Explanation

Emet v'yatziv ("True and enduring") is the blessing that follows the Shema in the morning liturgy, focusing on the theme of redemption.

The third paragraph of the Shema, Vayomer, contains the commandment of tzitzit (fringes), which only applies during daylight. This is connected to the phrase "see it" in Numbers 15:39; tzitzit need only be worn when they can be seen by natural light.