Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/Chapter 1

Mishnah

(See the Mishnah for explanation)

Since when may one recite the Shema in the evening? Since the time when the kohanim (priests) enter to eat their terumah (agricultural gifts). [It may be recited at any time since then] until the end of the first watch [of the night]; this is the view of Rabbi Eliezer. The Sages say: [The Shema may be recited] until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: [It may be recited] until dawn breaks (lit. the column of dawn rises).

It once happened that [Rabban Gamliel’s] sons came [home late at night] from a place of feasting. They said to [their father]: “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 so, why did the Sages say [that these precepts can be performed only] until midnight? To keep a person away from sinning."

Gemara

What does the Tanna refer to, asking "Since when"? Furthermore, why does he deal with [the Shema reading] of the evening first, rather than dealing with that of the morning first?

The Tanna refers to Scripture, which says, "…when you lie down and when you get up," and he means to say thus: What is the time of the reciting of the Shema at lying down? Since the time when the kohanim enter to eat their terumah.

And if you want, you can say that he learned [the order] from the creation of the world, thus: "…and it was evening and it was morning, day one."

If so, in the concluding Mishna, where it states: "In the morning one says two blessings before [the Shema] and one after it, while in the evening he says two blessings before it and two after it," he should have dealt with the morning one first!

The Tanna started with the evening one first, and then dealt with the morning one; while he was dealing with the morning one, he expounded the details of the morning one, and then expounded those of the evening one.

The master said, Since the time when the kohanim enter to eat their terumah.

Seeing that when do the kohanim eat terumah? – since the emergence of the stars, it should have stated, "since the emergence of the stars"!

It teaches us something "by the way": When do kohanim eat terumah? – since the time of the emergence of the stars; this teaches us that the atonement is not preclusive [of eating terumah], as it is taught [in Torat Kohanim Emor]: "And the sun would set and he would become [ritually] pure" (lit.: and it would be pure) (Lev. 22:7) – his sun-setting precludes him from eating terumah, but his atonement does not prevent him from eating teruma. How do we know that this [Scritural reference], "and the sun would set" (lit.: "and the sun would arrive") refers to sunset, and "…and it would be pure" means that the day would be cleared?

It means perhaps: And when the sun [of the next morning] appears, and we-taher means the man becomes clean?^[1] — Rabbah son of R. Shila explains: In that case, the text would have to read we-yithar.^[2] What is the meaning of we-taher?^[3] The day clears away, conformably to the common expression, The sun has set and the day has cleared away. This explanation of Rabbah son of R. Shila was unknown in the West^[4], and they raised the question: This ‘and the sun sets’, does it mean the real setting of the sun, and ‘we-taher’ means the day clears away? Or does it perhaps mean the appearance of the sun, and we-taher means the man becomes clean? They solved it from a Baraitha, it being stated in a Baraitha: The sign of the thing is the appearance of the stars. Hence you learn that it is the setting of the sun [which makes him clean] and the meaning of we-taher is the clearing away of the day.

The Master said: Since the time when the kohanim enter to eat their terumah. They pointed to a contradiction [from the following]: From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening? From the time that the poor man.^[5] comes [home] to eat his bread with salt till he rises from his meal. The last clause certainly contradicts the Mishnah. Does the first clause also contradict the Mishnah? — No. The poor man and the priest have one and the same time.

They pointed to a contradiction [from the following]: From what time may one begin to recite the Shema’ in the evening? From the time that the people come [home] to eat their meal on a Sabbath eve. These are the words of R. Meir. But the Sages say: From the time that the priests are entitled to eat their terumah. A sign for the matter is the appearance of the stars. And though there is no real proof of it^[6], there is a hint for it. For it is written: So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rise of the dawn till the appearance of the stars. And it says further: That in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day. (Why this second citation?^[7] — If you object and say that the night really begins with the setting of the sun, but that they left late and came early, [I shall reply]: Come and hear [the other verse]: ‘That in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day’). Now it is assumed that the ‘poor man’ and ‘the people’ have the same time [for their evening meal.]^[8] And if you say that the poor man and the priest also have the same time, then the Sages would be saying the same thing as R. Meir? Hence you must conclude that the poor man has one time and the priest has another time? — No; the ‘poor man’ and the priest have the same time, but the ‘poor man’ and the ‘people’ have not the same time.

But have the ‘poor man’ and the priest really the same time? They pointed to a contradiction [from the following]: From what time may one begin to recite the Shema’ in the evening? From the time that the [Sabbath] day becomes hallowed on the Sabbath eve. These are the words of R. Eliezer. R. Joshua says: From the time that the priests are ritually clean to eat their terumah. R. Meir says: From the time that the priests take their ritual bath in order to eat their terumah. (Said R. Judah to him: When the priests take their ritual bath it is still day-time!)^[9] R. Hanina says: From the time that the poor man comes [home] to eat his bread with salt. R. Ahai (some say: R. Aha). says: From the time that most people come home to sit down to their meal. Now, if you say that the poor man and the priest have the same time, then R. Hanina and R. Joshua would be saying the same thing? From this you must conclude, must you not, that the poor man has one time and the priest has another time. — Draw indeed that conclusion!

Which of them is later? — It is reasonable to conclude that the ‘poor man’ is later. For if you say that the ‘poor man’ is earlier, R. Hanina would be saying the same thing as R. Eliezer.^[10] Hence you must conclude that the poor man is later, must you not? — Draw indeed that conclusion.

The Master said:^[11] ‘R. Judah said to him: When the priests take their ritual bath it is still daytime!’ The objection of R. Judah to R. Meir seems well founded? — R. Meir may reply as follows: Do you think that I am referring to the twilight [as defined] by you?^[12] I am referring to the twilight [as defined] by R. Jose. For R. Jose says: The twilight is like the twinkling of an eye. This^[13] enters and that^[14] departs — and one cannot exactly fix it.^[15]

There is a contradiction between R. Meir [of one Baraitha]^[16] and R. Meir [of the last Baraitha]?^[17] — Yes, two Tannaim transmit different versions of R. Meir's opinion. There is a contradiction between R. Eliezer [of the last Baraitha]^[18] and R. Eliezer [of the Mishnah]?^[19] — Yes, two Tannaim transmit two different versions of R. Eliezer's opinion. If you wish I can say: The first clause of the Mishnah^[20] is not R. Eliezer's.^[21]

UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST WATCH. What opinion does R. Eliezer hold? If he holds that the night has three watches, let him say: Till four hours [in the night]. And if he holds that the night has four watches, let him say: Till three hours? — He holds indeed, that the night has three watches, but he wants to teach us that there are watches in heaven^[22] as well as on earth. For it has been taught: R. Eliezer says: The night has three watches, and at each watch the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion. For it is written: The Lord does roar from on high, and raise His voice from His holy habitation; 'roaring He doth roar'^[23] because of his fold. And the sign of the thing is:^[24] In the first watch, the ass brays; in the second, the dogs bark; in the third, the child sucks from the breast of his mother, and the woman talks with her husband. What does R. Eliezer understand [by the word watch]? Does he mean the beginning of the watches? The beginning of the first watch needs no sign, it is the twilight! Does he mean the end of the watches? The end of the last watch needs no sign, it is the dawn of the day! He, therefore, must think of the end of the first watch, of the beginning of the last watch, and of the midst of the middle watch. If you like I can say: He refers to the end of all the watches. And if you object that the last watch needs no sign, [I reply] that it may be of use for the recital of the Shema', and for a man who sleeps in a dark room^[25] and does not know when the time of the recital arrives. When the woman talks with her husband and the child sucks from the breast of the mother, let him rise and recite.

R. Isaac b. Samuel says in the name of Rab: The night has three watches, and at each watch the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion and says: Woe to the children, on account of whose sins I destroyed My house and burnt My temple and exiled them among the nations of the world.

It has been taught: R. Jose says, I was once traveling on the road, and I entered into one of the ruins of Jerusalem in order to pray. Elijah of blessed memory appeared and waited for me at the door till I finished my prayer.^[26] After I finished my prayer, he said to me: Peace be with you, my master! and I replied: Peace be with you, my master and teacher! And he said to me: My son, why did you go into this ruin? I replied: To pray. He said to me: You ought to have prayed on the road. I replied: I feared lest passers-by might interrupt me. He said to me: You ought to have said an abbreviated prayer.^[27] Thus I then learned from him three things: One must not go into a ruin; one may say the prayer on the road; and if one does say his prayer on the road, he recites an abbreviated prayer. He further said to me: My son, what sound did you hear in this ruin? I replied: I heard a divine voice, cooing like a dove, and saying: Woe to the children, on account of whose sins I destroyed My house and burnt My temple and exiled them among the nations of the world! And he said to me: By your life and by your head! Not in this moment alone does it so exclaim, but thrice each day does it exclaim thus! And more than that, whenever the Israelites go into the synagogues and schoolhouses and respond: 'May His great name be blessed!'^[28] the Holy One, blessed be He, shakes His head and says: Happy is the king who is thus praised in this house! Woe to the father who had to banish his children, and woe to the children who had to be banished from the table of their father!

Our Rabbis taught: there are three reasons why one must not go into a ruin: because of suspicion,^[29] of falling debris and of demons. — [It states] 'Because of suspicion'.^[30] It would be sufficient to say, because of falling debris'? —

When the ruin is new.^[31] But it would be sufficient to say: 'because of demons'? — When there are two people.^[32] If there are two people, then there is no suspicion either? — When both are licentious [there is suspicion]. — [It states] 'Because of falling debris'. It would be sufficient to say: 'because of suspicion and demons'? — When there are two decent people. [It states] 'Because of demons'. It would be sufficient to say; 'because of suspicion and falling debris'? — When there are two decent people going into a new ruin. But if there are two, then there is no danger of demons either? — In their haunt there is danger. If you like I can say, indeed the reference is to one man and to a new ruin which was situated in the fields; in which case there is no suspicion, for a woman would not be found in the fields, but the danger of demons does exist.

Our Rabbis taught: The night has four watches. These are the words of Rabbi. R. Nathan says: Three. What is the reason of R. Nathan? — It is written: So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came into the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch.^[33] And one taught: Under 'middle' is to be understood only something which is preceded by one and followed by one. And Rabbi?^[34] — 'The middle' means: one of the middle ones. And R. Nathan? — Not 'one of the middle ones' is written, but 'the middle' is written. What is Rabbi's reason? — R. Zerika, in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, says: One verse reads, At midnight do I rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous ordinances.^[35] And another verse reads: Mine eyes forestall the watches.^[36] How is this?^[37] — [This is possible only if] the night has four watches. And R. Nathan? — He is of the opinion of R. Joshua, as we have learnt: R. Joshua says: until the third hour, for such is the custom of kings, to rise in the third hour.^[38] Six hours of the night and two hours of the day amount to two watches.^[39] R. Ashi says: One watch and a half are also spoken of as 'watches'. (R. Zerika further said, in the name of R. Ammi in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: One may discuss in the presence of a dead body only things relating to the dead. R. Abba b. Kahana says: This refers only to religious matters,^[40] but as for worldly matter there is no harm. Another version is: R. Abba b. Kahana says: This refers even to religious matters. How much more so to worldly matters!)

But did David rise at midnight? [Surely] he rose with the evening dusk? For it is written: I rose with the neshef and cried.^[41] And how do you know that this word neshef means the evening? It is written: In the neshef, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness!^[42] — R. Oshaia, in the name of R. Aha, replies: David said: Midnight never passed me by in my sleep. R. Zera says: Till midnight he used to slumber like a horse,^[43] from thence on he rose with the energy of a lion. R. Ashi says: Till midnight he studied the Torah, from thence on he recited songs and praises. But does neshef mean the evening? Surely neshef means the morning? For it is written: And David slew them from the 'neshef' to the evening 'ereb of the next day,^[44] and does not this mean, from the 'morning dawn' to the evening? — No. [It means:] from the [one] eventide to the [next] eventide. If so, let him write: From neshef to neshef, or from 'ereb to 'ereb? — Rather, said Raba: There are two kinds of neshef: [the morning neshef], when the evening disappears [nashaf] and the morning arrives,^[45] [and the evening neshef], when the day disappears [nashaf] and the evening arrives.^[46]

But did David know the exact time of midnight? Even our teacher Moses did not know it! For it is written: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt.^[47] Why 'about midnight'? Shall we say that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: 'About midnight'? Can there be any doubt in the mind of God?^[48] Hence we must say that God told him 'at midnight', and he came and said: 'About midnight'. Hence he [Moses] was in doubt; can David then have known it? — David had a sign. For so said R. Aha b. Bizana in the name of R. Simeon the Pious: A harp was hanging above David's bed. As soon as midnight arrived, a North wind came and blew upon it and it played of itself. He arose immediately and studied the Torah till the break of dawn. After the break of dawn the wise men of Israel came in to see him and said to him: Our lord, the King, Israel your people require sustenance! He said to them: Let them go out and make a living one from the other.^[49] They said to him: A handful cannot satisfy a lion, nor can a pit be filled up with its own clods.^[50] He said to them: Then go out in troops and attack [the enemy for plunder]. They at once took counsel with Ahithofel and consulted the Sanhedrin and questioned the Urim and Tummim.^[51] R. Joseph says: What verse [may be cited in support of this]? And after Ahithofel was Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah,^[52] and Abiathar; and the captain of the King's host was Joab.^[53] 'Ahithofel', this was the counsellor. And so it is said: Now the counsel of Ahithofel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of God.^[54]

'Benaiah the son of Jehoiada', this means the Sanhedrin. 'And Abiathar',^[55] these are the Urim and Tummim. And so it says: And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethi and Pelethi.^[56] Why are they^[57] called 'Kerethi' and 'Pelethi'? Kerethi, because their words are decisive [korethim]; Pelethi, because they are distinguished [mufla'im] through their words. And then it comes 'the captain of the King's host Joab'. R. Isaac b. Adda says: (Some say, R. Isaac the son of Addi says) Which verse?^[58] Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.^[59] R. Zera says:^[60] Moses certainly knew and David, too, knew [the exact time of midnight]. Since David knew, why did he need the harp? That he might wake from his sleep. Since Moses knew, why did he say 'about midnight'? — Moses thought that the astrologers of Pharaoh might make a mistake, and then they would say that Moses was a liar. For so a Master said: Let thy tongue acquire the habit of saying, 'I know not', lest thou be led to falsehoods [lying]. R. Ashi says: It^[61] was at midnight of the night of the thirteenth passing into the fourteenth [of Nisan], and thus said Moses to Israel: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Tomorrow [at the hour] like^[62] the midnight of to-night, I will go out into the midst of Egypt.

A prayer of David … Keep my soul, for I am pious.^[63] Levi and R. Isaac:^[64] The one says, Thus spoke David before the Holy One, blessed be He; Master of the world, am I not pious? All the kings of the East and the West sleep to the third hour [of the day], but I, at midnight I rise to give thanks unto Thee.^[65] The other one says: Thus spoke David before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the world, am I not pious? All the kings of the East and the West sit with all their pomp among their company, whereas my hands are soiled with the blood [of menstruation], with the foetus and the placenta, in order to declare a woman clean for her husband.^[66] And what is more, in all that I do I consult my teacher, Mephibosheth, and I say to him: My teacher Mephibosheth, is my decision right? Did I correctly convict, correctly acquit, correctly declare clean, correctly declare unclean? And I am not ashamed [to ask]. R. Joshua, the son of R. Iddi, says Which verse [may be cited in support]? And I recite Thy testimonies before kings and am not ashamed.^[67] A Tanna taught: His name was not Mephibosheth. And why then was he called Mephibosheth? Because he humiliated^[68] David in the Halachah. Therefore was David worthy of the privilege that Kileab^[69] should issue from him. R. Johanan said: His name was not Kileab but Daniel. Why then was he called Kileab? Because he humiliated [maklim] Mephibosheth [ab]^[70] in the Halachah. And concerning him Solomon said in his wisdom: My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.^[71] And he said further: My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that taunteth me.^[72]

But how could David call himself pious? It is not written: I am not sure [lule] to see the good reward of the Lord in the land of the living;^[73] and a Tanna taught in the name of R. Jose: Why are there dots upon the world 'lule'?^[74] David spoke before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Master of the world, I am sure that you will pay a good reward to the righteous in the world to come, but I do not know whether I shall have a share in it'?^[75] [He was afraid that] some sin might cause [his exclusion].^[76] This conforms to the following saying of R. Jacob b. Iddi. For R. Jacob b. Iddi pointed to a contradiction. One verse reads: And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest,^[77] and the other verse reads: Then Jacob was greatly afraid!^[78] [The answer is that] he thought that some sin might cause [God's promise not to be fulfilled]. Similarly it has been taught: Till Thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over that Thou hast gotten.^[79] 'Till Thy people pass over, O Lord': this is the first entry [into the Land]. 'Till the people pass over that Thou hast gotten': this is the second entry. Hence the Sages say: The intention was to perform a miracle for Israel^[80] in the days of Ezra, even as it was performed for them in the days of Joshua bin Nun,^[81] but sin caused [the miracle to be withheld].^[82]

THE SAGES SAY: UNTIL MIDNIGHT. Whose view did the Sages adopt?^[83] If it is R. Eliezer's view, then let them express themselves in the same way as R. Eliezer?

If it is R. Gamaliel's view, let them express themselves in the same way as R. Gamaliel? — In reality it is R. Gamaliel's view that they adopted, and their reason for saying, UNTIL MIDNIGHT is to keep a man far from transgression. For so it has been taught: The Sages made a fence for their words so that a man, on returning home from the field in the evening, should not say: I shall go home, eat a little, drink a little, sleep a little, and then I shall recite the Shema' and the Tefillah, and meanwhile, sleep may overpower him, and as a result he will sleep the whole night. Rather should a man, when returning home from the field in the evening, go to the synagogue. If he is used to read the Bible, let him read the Bible, and if he is used to repeat the Mishnah, let him repeat the Mishnah, and then let him recite the Shema' and say the Tefillah, [go home] and eat his meal and say the Grace. And whosoever transgresses the words of the Sages deserves to die. Why this difference that, in other cases, they do not say 'he deserves to die', and here they do say 'he deserves to die'? — If you wish, I can say because here there is danger of sleep overpowering him. Or, if you wish, I can say because they want to exclude the opinion of those who say that the evening prayer is only voluntary.^[84] Therefore they teach us that it is obligatory.

The Master said:^[85] 'Let him recite Shema' and say the Tefillah'. This accords with the view of R. Johanan.^[86] For R. Johanan says: Who inherits the world to come? The one who follows the Ge'ullah^[87] immediately with the evening Tefillah. R. Joshua b. Levi says: The Tefilloth were arranged to be said in the middle.^[88] What is the ground of their difference? — If you like, I can say it is [the interpretation of] a verse, and if you like, I can say that they reason differently. For R. Johanan argues: Though the complete deliverance from Egypt took place in the morning time only,^[89] there was also some kind of deliverance in the evening;^[90] whereas R. Joshua b. Levi argues that since the real deliverance happened in the morning [that of the evening] was no proper deliverance.^[91] 'Or if you like, I can say it is [the interpretation of] a verse'. And both interpret one and the same verse, [viz.,] When thou liest down and when thou risest up. Hence in the evening the Ge'ullah must not be joined closely to Tefillah. ^[92] R. Johanan argues: There is here an analogy between lying down and rising. Just as [at the time of] rising, recital of Shema' precedes Tefillah, so also [at the time of] lying down, recital of Shema' precedes Tefillah. R. Joshua b. Levi argues [differently]: There is here an analogy between lying down and rising. Just as [at the time of] rising, the recital of Shema' is next to [rising from] bed,^[93] so also [at the time of] lying down, recital of Shema' must be next to [getting into] bed.^[94]

Mar b. Rabina raised an objection. In the evening, two benedictions precede and two benedictions follow the Shema'.^[95] Now, if you say he has to join Ge'ullah with Tefillah, behold he does not do so, for he has to say [in between], 'Let us rest'?^[96] — I reply: Since the Rabbis ordained the benediction, 'Let us rest', it is as if it were a long Ge'ullah. For, if you do not admit that, how can he join in the morning, seeing that R. Johanan says: In the beginning [of the Tefillah] one has to say: O Lord, open Thou my lips [etc.],^[97] and at the end one has to say: Let the words of my mouth be acceptable?^[98] [The only explanation] there [is that] since the Rabbis ordained that O Lord, open Thou my lips should be said, it is like a long Tefillah.^[99] Here, too, since the Rabbis ordained that 'Let us rest' should be said, it is like a long Ge'ullah.

R. Eleazar b. Abina says: Whoever recites [the psalm] Praise of David^[100] three times daily, is sure to inherit^[101] the world to come. What is the reason? Shall I say it is because it has an alphabetical arrangement? Then let him recite, Happy are they that are upright in the way,^[102] which has an eightfold alphabetical arrangement. Again, is it because it contains [the verse], Thou openest Thy hand [and satisfiest every living thing with favour]?^[103] Then let him recite the great Hallel,^[104] where it is written: Who giveth food to all flesh!^[105] — Rather, [the reason is] because it contains both.^[106] R. Johanan says: Why is there no nun in Ashre?^[107] Because the fall of Israel's enemies^[108] begins with it. For it is written: Fallen is the virgin of Israel, she shall no more rise^[109] (In the West^[110] this verse is thus interpreted: She is fallen, but she shall no more fall. Rise, O virgin of Israel). R. Nahman b. Isaac says: Even so, David refers to it by inspiration^[111] and promises them an uplifting. For it is written: The Lord upholdeth all that fall.^[112]

R. Eleazar b. Abina said furthermore: Greater is [the achievement] ascribed to Michael than that ascribed to Gabriel. For of Michael it is written: Then flew unto me one of the Seraphim,^[113] whereas of Gabriel it is written: The man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly in a flight etc.^[114] How do you know that this [word] 'one' [of the Seraphim] means Michael? — R. Johanan says: By an analogy from [the words] 'one', 'one'. Here it is written: Then flew unto me one of the Seraphim; and in another place it is written: But, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.^[115] A Tanna taught: Michael [reaches his goal] in one [flight], Gabriel in two, Elijah in four, and the Angel of Death in eight. In the time of plague, however, [the Angel of Death, too, reaches his goal] in one.

R. Joshua b. Levi says: Though a man has recited the Shema' in the synagogue, it is a religious act to recite it again upon his bed. R. Assi says: Which verse [may be cited in support]? Tremble and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still, Selah.^[116] R. Nahman, however, says:

If he is a scholar, then it is not necessary. Abaye says: Even a scholar should recite one verse of supplication, as for instance: Into Thy hand I commit my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, Thou God of truth.^[117]

R. Levi b. Hama says in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: A man should always incite the good impulse [in his soul]^[118] to fight against the evil impulse. For it is written: Tremble and sin not.^[119] If he subdues it, well and good. If not, let him study the Torah. For it is written: 'Commune with your own heart'.^[120] If he subdues it, well and good. If not, let him recite the Shema'. For it is written: 'Upon your bed'. If he subdues it, well and good. If not, let him remind himself of the day of death. For it is written: 'And be still, Selah'.

R. Levi b. Hama says further in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: What is the meaning of the verse: And I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law and the commandment, which I have written that thou mayest teach them?^[121] 'Tables of stone': these are the ten commandments; 'the law': this is the Pentateuch; 'the commandment': this is the Mishnah; 'which I have written': these are the Prophets and the Hagiographa; 'that thou mayest teach them': this is the Gemara.^[122] It teaches [us] that all these things were given to Moses on Sinai.

R. Isaac says: If one recites the Shema' upon his bed, it is as though he held a two-edged sword in his hand.^[123] For it is said: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.^[124] How does it indicate this? — Mar Zutra, (some say, R. Ashi) says: [The lesson is] from the preceding verse. For it is written: Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds,^[125] and then it is written: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. R. Isaac says further: If] one recites the Shema' upon his bed, the demons keep away from him. For it is said: And the sons of reshef^[126] fly ['uf] upward.^[127] The word 'uf refers only to the Torah, as it is written: Wilt thou cause thine eyes to close [hata'if]^[128] upon it? It is gone.^[129] And 'reshef' refers only to the demons, as it is said: The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the reshef [fiery bolt] and bitter destruction.^[130] R. Simeon b. Lakish says: If one studies the Torah, painful sufferings are kept away from him. For it is said: And the sons of reshef fly upward. The word 'uf refers only to the Torah, as it is written: 'Wilt thou cause thine eyes to close upon it? It is gone'. And 'reshef' refers only to painful sufferings, as it is said: 'The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the reshef [fiery bolt]. R. Johanan said to him: This^[131] is known even to school children.^[132] For it is said: And He said: If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee.^[133] Rather [should you say]: If one has the opportunity to study the Torah and does not study it, the Holy One, blessed be He, visits him with ugly and painful sufferings which stir him up. For it is said: I was dumb with silence, I kept silence from the good thing, and my pain was stirred up.^[134] 'The good thing' refers only to the Torah, as it is said: For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not My teaching.^[135] R. Zera (some say, R. Hanina b. Papa) says: Come and see how the way of human beings differs from the way of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is the way of human beings that when a man sells^[136] a valuable object to his fellow, the seller grieves and the buyer rejoices. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, is different. He gave the Torah to Israel and rejoiced. For it is said: For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not My teaching.

Raba (some say, R. Hisda) says: If a man sees that painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct. For it is said: Let us search and try our ways, and return unto the Lord.^[137] If he examines and finds nothing [objectionable], let him attribute it to the neglect of the study of the Torah. For it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law.^[138] If he did attribute it [thus], and still did not find [this to be the cause], let him be sure that these are chastenings of love. For it is said: For whom the Lord loveth He corrects.^[139]

Raba, in the name of R. Sahorah, in the name of R. Huna, says: If the Holy One, blessed be He, is pleased with a man, he crushes him with painful sufferings. For it is said: And the Lord was pleased with [him, hence] he crushed him by disease.^[140] Now, you might think that this is so even if he did not accept them with love. Therefore it is said: To see if his soul would offer itself in restitution.^[141] Even as the trespass-offering must be brought by consent, so also the sufferings must be endured with consent. And if he did accept them, what is his reward? He will see his seed, prolong his days.^[142] And more than that, his knowledge [of the Torah] will endure with him. For it is said: The purpose of the Lord will prosper in his hand.^[143]

R. Jacob b. Idi and R. Aha b. Hanina differ with regard to the following: The one says: Chastenings of love are such as do not involve the intermission of study of the Torah. For it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law.^[144] And the other one says: Chastenings of love are such as do not involve the intermission of prayer. For it is said: Blessed be God, Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.^[145] R. Abba the son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said to them: Thus said R. Hiyya b. Abba in the name of R. Johanan: Both of them are chastenings of love. For it is said: For whom the Lord loveth He corrects.^[146] Why then does it say: 'And teachest him out of Thy law'? Do not read telammedennu, [Thou teachest him] but telammedenu, [Thou teachest us]. Thou teachest us this thing out of Thy law as a conclusion a fortiori from the law concerning tooth and eye.^[147] Tooth and eye are only one limb of the man, and still [if they are hurt], the slave obtains thereby his freedom. How much more so with painful sufferings which torment the whole body of a man! And this agrees with a saying of R. Simeon b. Lakish. For R. Simeon b. Lakish said: The word 'covenant' is mentioned in connection with salt, and the word 'covenant' is mentioned in connection with sufferings: the word 'covenant' is mentioned in connection with salt, as it is written: Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking.^[148] And the word 'covenant' is mentioned in connection with sufferings, as it is written: These are the words of the covenant.^[149] Even as in the covenant mentioned in connection with salt, the salt lends a sweet taste to the meat, so also in the covenant mentioned in connection with sufferings, the sufferings wash away all the sins of a man.

It has been taught: R. Simeon b. Yohai says: The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, and all of them were given only through sufferings. These are: The Torah, the Land of Israel and the world to come. Whence do we know this of the Torah? — Because it is said: Happy is the man whom Thou chastenest, o Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law.^[150] Whence of the Land of Israel? — Because it is written: As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee,^[151] and after that it is written: For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land.^[152] Whence of the world to come? — Because it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of sufferings are the way of life.^[153]

A Tanna recited before R. Johanan the following: If a man busies himself in the study of the Torah and in acts of charity

and [nonetheless] buries his children,^[154] all his sins are forgiven him. R. Johanan said to him: I grant you Torah and acts of charity, for it is written: By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated.^[155] 'Mercy' is acts of charity, for it is said: He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, prosperity and honour.^[156] 'Truth' is Torah, for it is said: Buy the truth and sell it not.^[157] But how do you know [what you say about] the one who buries his children? — A certain Elder [thereupon] recited to him in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: It is concluded from the analogy in the use of the word 'iniquity'. Here it is written: By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated. And elsewhere it is written: And who recompenseth the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children.^[158]

R. Johanan says: Leprosy and [the lack of] children are not chastisements of love. But is leprosy not a chastisement of love? Is it not taught: If a man has one of these four symptoms of leprosy,^[159] it is nothing else but an altar of atonement? — They are an altar of atonement, but they are not chastisements of love. If you like, I can say: This [teaching of the Baraitha] is ours [in Babylonia], and that [saying of R. Johanan] is theirs [in Palestine].^[160] If you like, I can say: This [teaching of the Baraitha] refers to hidden [leprosy], that [saying of R. Johanan] refers to a case of visible [leprosy]. But is [the lack of] children not a chastisement of love? How is this to be understood? Shall I say that he had children and they died? Did not R. Johanan himself say: This is the bone of my tenth son?^[161] — Rather [say then] that the former saying refers to one who never had children, the latter to one who had children and lost them.

R. Hiyya b. Abba fell ill and R. Johanan went in to visit him. He said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? He replied: Neither they nor their reward.^[162] He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he^[163] raised him.

R. Johanan once fell ill and R. Hanina went in to visit him. He said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he raised him. Why could not R. Johanan raise himself?^[164] — They replied: The prisoner cannot free himself from jail  !=< .^[165]

R. Eleazar fell ill and R. Johanan went in to visit him. He noticed that he was lying in a dark room,^[166] and he bared his arm and light radiated from it.^[167] Thereupon he noticed that R. Eleazar was weeping, and he said to him: Why do you weep? Is it because you did not study enough Torah? Surely we learnt: The one who sacrifices much and the one who sacrifices little have the same merit, provided that the heart is directed to heaven.^[168] Is it perhaps lack of sustenance? Not everybody has the privilege to enjoy two tables.^[169] Is it perhaps because of [the lack of] children? This is the bone of my tenth son! — He replied to him: I am weeping on account of this beauty^[170] that is going to rot in the earth. He said to him: On that account you surely have a reason to weep; and they both wept. In the meanwhile he said to him: Are your sufferings welcome to you? — He replied: Neither they nor their reward. He said to him: Give me your hand, and he gave him his hand and he raised him.

Once four hundred jars of wine belonging to R. Huna turned sour. Rab Judah, the brother of R. Sala the Pious, and the other scholars (some say: R. Adda b. Ahaba and the other scholars) went in to visit him and said to him: The master ought to examine his actions.^[171] He said to them: Am I suspect in your eyes? They replied: Is the Holy One, blessed be He, suspect of punishing without justice? — He said to them: If somebody has heard of anything against me, let him speak out. They replied: We have heard that the master does not give his tenant his [lawful share in the] vine twigs. He replied: Does he leave me any? He steals them all! They said to him: That is exactly what the proverb says:^[172] If you steal from a thief you also have a taste of it!^[173] He said to them: I pledge myself to give it to him [in the future]. Some report that thereupon the vinegar became wine again; others that the vinegar went up so high that it was sold for the same price as wine.

It has been taught: Abba Benjamin says, All my life I took great pains about two things: that my prayer should be before my bed and that my bed should be placed north and south. 'That my prayer should be before my bed'. What is the meaning of 'before my bed'? Is it perhaps literally in front of my bed? Has not Rab Judah said in the name of Rab (some say, in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi): How do you know that when one prays there should be nothing interposing between him and the wall? Because it says: Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed?^[174] — Do not read 'before my bed', but 'near^[175] my bed'. 'And that my bed should be placed north and south'. For R. Hama b. R. Hanina said in the name of R. Isaac: Whosoever places his bed north and south will have male children, as it says: And whose belly Thou fillest with Thy treasure,^[176] who have sons in plenty.^[177] R. Nahman b. Isaac says: His wife also will not miscarry. Here it is written: And whose belly Thou fillest with Thy treasure, and elsewhere it is written: And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold there were twins in her womb.^[178]

It has been taught: Abba Benjamin says, When two people enter [a Synagogue] to pray, and one of them finishes his prayer first and does not wait for the other but leaves,^[179] his prayer is torn up before his face.^[180] For it is written: Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee?^[181] And more than that, he causes the Divine Presence to remove itself from Israel. For it says Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?^[182] And 'rock' is nothing else than the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says: Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful.^[183] And if he does wait, what is his reward? —

R. Jose b. R. Hanina says: He is rewarded with the blessings enumerated in the following verse: Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! Then would thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea; Thy seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of thy body like the grains thereof etc.^[184]

It has been taught: Abba Benjamin says, If the eye had the power to see them, no creature could endure the demons. Abaye says: They are more numerous than we are and they surround us like the ridge round a field. R. Huna says: Every one among us has a thousand on his left hand and ten thousand on his right hand.^[185] Raba says: The crushing in the Kallah^[186] lectures comes from them.^[187] Fatigue in the knees comes from them. The wearing out of the clothes of the scholars is due to their rubbing against them. The bruising of the feet comes from them. If one wants to discover them,^[188] let him take sifted ashes and sprinkle around his bed, and in the morning he will see something like the footprints of a cock. If one wishes to see them, let him take the after-birth of a black she-cat, the offspring of a black she-cat, the first-born of a first-born, let him roast it in fire and grind it to powder, and then let him put some into his eye, and he will see them. Let him also pour it into an iron tube and seal it with an iron signet that they^[189] should not steal it from him. Let him also close his mouth, lest he come to harm. R. Bibi b. Abaye did so,^[190] saw them and came to harm. The scholars, however, prayed for him and he recovered.

It has been taught: Abba Benjamin says: A man's prayer is heard [by God] only in the Synagogue. For it is said: To hearken unto the song and to the prayer.^[191] The prayer is to be recited where there is song.^[192] Rabin b. R. Adda says in the name of R. Isaac: How do you know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is to be found in the Synagogue? For it is said: God standeth in the congregation of God.^[193] And how do you know that if ten people pray together the Divine presence is with them? For it is said: 'God standeth in the congregation of God'.^[194] And how do you know that if three are sitting as a court of judges the Divine Presence is with them? For it is said: In the midst of the judges He judgeth.^[195] And how do you know that if two are sitting and studying the Torah together the Divine Presence is with them? For it is said: Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another;^[196] and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name.^[197] (What does it mean: 'And that thought upon His name'? — R. Ashi^[198] says: If a man thought to fulfill a commandment and he did not do it, because he was prevented by force or accident, then the Scripture credits it to him as if he had performed it.) And how do you know that even if one man sits and studies the Torah the Divine Presence is with him? For it is said: In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee.^[199] Now, since [the Divine presence is] even with one man, why is it necessary to mention two?^[200] — The words of two are written down in the book of remembrance, the words of one are not written down in the book of remembrance. Since this is the case with two, why mention three? — I might think [the dispensing of] justice is only for making peace, and the Divine Presence does not come [to participate]. Therefore he teaches us that justice also is Torah. Since it is the case with three, why mention ten? — To [a gathering of] ten the Divine Presence comes first, to three, it comes only after they sit down.

R. Abin^[201] son of R. Ada in the name of R. Isaac says [further]: How do you know that the Holy One, blessed be He, puts on tefillin? For it is said: The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength.^[202] 'By His right hand': this is the Torah; for it is said: At His right hand was a fiery law unto them.^[203] 'And by the arm of his strength': this is the tefillin; as it is said: The Lord will give strength unto His people.^[204] And how do you know that the tefillin are a strength to Israel? For it is written: And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon thee, and they shall be afraid of thee,^[205] and it has been taught: R. Eliezer the Great says: This refers to the tefillin of the head.^[206]

R. Nahman b. Isaac said to R. Hiyya b. Abin: What is written in the tefillin of the Lord of the Universe? — He replied to him: And who is like Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth.^[207] Does, then, the Holy One, blessed be He, sing the praises of Israel? — Yes, for it is written: Thou hast avouched the Lord this day … and the Lord hath avouched thee this day.^[208] The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: You have made me a unique entity^[209] in the world, and I shall make you a unique entity in the world. 'You have made me a unique entity in the world', as it is said: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[210] 'And I shall make you a unique entity in the world', as it is said: And who is like Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth.^[211] R. Aha b. Raba said to R. Ashi: This accounts for one case, what about the other cases?^[212] — He replied to him: [They contain the following verses]: For what great nation is there, etc.; And what great nation is there, etc.;^[213] Happy art thou, O Israel, etc.;^[214] Or hath God assayed, etc.;^[215] and To make thee high above all nations.^[216] If so, there would be too many cases? — Hence [you must say]: For what great nation is there, and And what great nation is there, which are similar, are in one case; Happy art thou, O Israel, and Who is like Thy people, in one case; Or hath God assayed, in one case; and To make thee high, in one case.

And all these verses are written on [the tefillin of] His arm.

Rabin son of R. Adda in the name of R. Isaac says [further]: If a man is accustomed to attend Synagogue [daily] and one day does not go, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes inquiry about him. For it is said: Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, and now walketh in darkness and hath no light?^[217] [And still] if he absented himself on account of some religious purpose, he shall have light. But if he absented himself on account of a worldly purpose, he shall have no light. Let him trust in the name of the Lord.^[218] Why?^[219] Because he ought to have trusted in the name of the Lord and he did not trust.

R. Johanan says: Whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, comes into a Synagogue and does not find ten persons there,^[220] He becomes angry at once.^[221] For it is said: Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there no answer?^[222]

R. Helbo, in the name of R. Huna, says: Whosoever has a fixed place for his prayer has the God of Abraham as his helper. And when he dies, people will say of him: Where is the pious man,^[223] where is the humble man,^[224] one of the disciples of our father Abraham! — How do we know that our father Abraham had a fixed place [for his prayer]? For it is written: And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood.^[225] And 'standing' means nothing else but prayer. For it is said: Then stood up Phinehas and prayed.^[226]

R. Helbo, in the name of R. Huna, says [further]: When a man leaves the Synagogue, he should not take large steps. Abaye says: This is only when one goes from the Synagogue, but when one goes to the Synagogue, it is a pious deed to run. For it is said: Let us run to know the Lord.^[227] R. Zera says: At first when I saw the scholars running to the lecture on a Sabbath day, I thought that they were desecrating the Sabbath.^[228] But since I have heard the saying of R. Tanhum in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: A man should always, even on a Sabbath, run to listen to the word of Halachah, as it is said: They shall walk after the Lord, who shall roar like a lion,^[229] I also run. R. Zera says: The merit of attending a lecture lies in the running. Abaye says: The merit of attending the Kallah sessions lies in the crush. Raba says: The merit of repeating a tradition lies in [improving] the understanding of it. R. Papa says: The merit of attending a house of mourning lies in the silence observed. Mar Zutra says: The merit of a fast day lies in the charity dispensed. R. Shesheth says: The merit of a funeral oration lies in raising the voice.^[230] R. Ashi says: The merit of attending a wedding lies in the words [of congratulation addressed to the bride and bridegroom].^[231]

R. Huna says: Whosoever prays at the rear of a Synagogue is called wicked. For it is said: The wicked walk round about.^[232] Abaye says: This only applies where he does not turn his face towards the Synagogue, but if he does turn his face towards the Synagogue there is no objection to it. There was once a man who prayed at the rear of a Synagogue and did not turn his face towards the Synagogue. Elijah passed by and appeared to him in the guise of an Arabian^[233] merchant. He said to him: Are you standing with your back to your Master?^[234] and drew his sword and slew him.

One of the scholars said to R. Bibi b. Abaye (some say: R. Bibi said to R. Nahman b. Isaac): What is the meaning of: When vileness is exalted among the sons of men?^[235] He replied to him: These are the things of supreme importance^[236] which nevertheless people neglect.^[237] R. Johanan and R. Eliezer both interpret: As soon as a man needs the support of his fellow-creatures his face changes colour like the kerum, as it is said: 'As the kerum is to be reviled among the sons of men'. What is the 'kerum'? When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said: There is a bird in the coast towns^[238] whose name is kerum, and as soon as the sun shines upon it it changes into several colours.^[239] R. Ammi and R. Assi both say: [When a man needs the support of his fellow-beings] it is as if he were punished with two [opposite] punishments, with fire and water. For it is said: When Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water.^[240]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: A man should always take special care about the afternoon-prayer. For even Elijah was favourably heard only while offering his afternoon-prayer. For it is said: And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near and said … Hear me, O Lord, hear me.^[241] 'Hear me', that the fire may descend from heaven, and 'hear me', that they may not say it is the work of sorcery. R. Johanan says: [Special care should be taken] also about the evening-prayer. For it is said: Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.^[242] R. Nahman b. Isaac says: [Special care should be taken] also about the morning.prayer. For it is said: O Lord, in the morning shalt Thou hear my voice; in the morning will I order my prayer unto Thee, and will look forward.^[243]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: Whosoever partakes of the wedding meal of a bridegroom and does not felicitate him does violence to 'the five voices' mentioned in the verse: The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to the Lord of Hosts.^[244] And if he does gladden him what is his reward? — R. Joshua b. Levi said: He is privileged to acquire [the knowledge of] the Torah which was given with five voices. For it is said: And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders^[245] and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn … and when the voice of the horn waxed louder … Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice.^[246] (This is not so!^[247] For it is written: And all the people perceived the thunderings?^[248] — These voices were before the revelation of the Torah.) R. Abbahu says: It is as if he^[249] had sacrificed a thanksgiving offering. For it is said: Even of them that bring offerings of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord.^[250] R. Nahman b. Isaac says: It is as if he had restored one of the ruins of Jerusalem. For it is said: For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith the Lord.^[251]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: If one is filled with the fear of God his words are listened to. For it is said: The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole man.^[252] What means, 'For this is the whole man'? — R. Eleazar says: The Holy One, blessed be He, says: The whole world was created for his sake only. R. Abba b. Kahana says: He is equal in value to the whole world. R. Simeon b. 'Azzai says (some say, R. Simon b. Zoma says): The whole world was created as a satellite for him.

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: If one knows that his friend is used to greet him, let him greet him first.^[253] For it is said: Seek peace and pursue it.^[254] And if his friend greets him and he does not return the greeting he is called a robber. For it is said: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.^[255]

R. Johanan says in the name of R. Jose: How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, says prayers? Because it says: Even them will I bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer.^[256] It is not said, 'their prayer', but 'My prayer'; hence [you learn] that the Holy One, blessed be He, says prayers. What does He pray? — R. Zutra b. Tobi said in the name of Rab: 'May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My [other] attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice'.^[257] It was taught: R. Ishmael b. Elisha says: I once entered into the innermost part [of the Sanctuary] to offer incense and saw Akathriel Jah,^[258] the Lord of Hosts, seated upon a high and exalted throne. He said to me: Ishmael, My son, bless Me! I replied: May it be Thy will that Thy mercy may suppress Thy anger and Thy mercy may prevail over Thy other attributes, so that Thou mayest deal with Thy children according to the attribute of mercy and mayest, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice! And He nodded to me with His head. Here we learn [incidentally] that the blessing of an ordinary man must not be considered lightly in your eyes.

R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Jose: How do you know that we must not try to placate a man in the time of his anger? For it is written: My face will go and I will give thee rest.^[259] The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Wait till My countenance of wrath shall have passed away and then I shall give thee rest. But is anger then a mood of the Holy One, blessed be He? — Yes. For it has been taught:^[260] A God that hath indignation every day.^[261] And how long does this indignation last? One moment. And how long is one moment? One fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth part of an hour. And no creature has ever been able to fix precisely this moment except the wicked Balaam, of whom it is written: He knoweth the knowledge of the Most High.^[262] Now, he did not even know the mind of his animal; how then could he know the mind of the Most High? The meaning is, therefore, only that he knew how to fix precisely this moment in which the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry. And this is just what the prophet said to Israel: O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him … that ye may know the righteous acts of the Lord.^[263] What means 'That ye may know the righteous acts of the Lord'? — R. Eleazar says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: See now, how many righteous acts I performed for you in not being angry in the days of the wicked Balaam. For had I been angry, not one remnant would have been left of the enemies of Israel.^[264] And this too is the meaning of what Balaam said to Balak: How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the Lord hath not execrated?^[265] This teaches us that He was not angry all these days. And how long does His anger last? One moment. And how long is one moment? R. Abin (some say R. Abina) says: As long as it takes to say Rega'.^[266] And how do you know that He is angry one moment? For it is said: For His anger is but for a moment [rega'], His favor is for a lifetime.^[267] Or if you prefer you may infer it from the following verse: Hide thyself for a little moment until the indignation be overpast.^[268] And when is He angry? — Abaye says: In [one moment of] those first three hours of the day, when the comb of the cock is white and it stands on one foot. Why, in each hour it stands thus [on one foot]?^[269] — In each other hour it has red streaks, but in this moment it has no red streaks at all.

In the neighbourhood of R. Joshua b. Levi there was a Sadducee^[270] who used to annoy him very much with [his interpretations of] texts. One day the Rabbi took a cock, placed it between the legs of his bed and watched it. He thought: When this moment arrives I shall curse him. When the moment arrived he was dozing [On waking up]^[271] he said: We learn from this that it is not proper to act in such a way. It is written: And His tender mercies are over all His works.^[272] And it is further written: Neither is it good for the righteous to punish.^[273] It was taught in the name of R. Meir: At the time when the sun rises and all the kings of the East and West put their crowns upon their heads and bow down to the sun, the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes at once angry.

R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Jose: Better is one self-reproach in the heart of a man than many stripes, for it is said: And she shall run after her lovers … then shall she say,^[274] I shall go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.^[275] R. Simon b. Lakish says: It is better than a hundred stripes, for it is said: A rebuke entereth deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred stripes into a fool.^[276]

R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Jose: Three things did Moses ask of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they were granted to him. He asked that the Divine Presence should rest upon Israel, and it was granted to him. For it is said: Is it not in that Thou goest with us [so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth].^[277] He asked that the Divine Presence should not rest upon the idolaters, and it was granted to him. For it is said: 'So that we are distinguished, I and Thy people'. He asked that He should show him the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and it was granted to him. For it is said: Show me now Thy ways.^[278] Moses said before Him: Lord of the Universe, why is it that some righteous men prosper and others are in adversity, some wicked men prosper and others are in adversity? He replied to him: Moses, the righteous man who prospers is the righteous man the son of a righteous man; the righteous man who is in adversity is a righteous man the son of a wicked man. The wicked man who prospers is a wicked man son of a righteous man; the wicked man who is in adversity is a wicked man son of a wicked man.

The Master said above: 'The righteous man who prospers is a righteous man son of a righteous man; the righteous man who is in adversity is a righteous man son of a wicked man'. But this is not so! For, lo, one verse says: Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,^[279] and another verse says: Neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers.^[280] And a contradiction was pointed out between these two verses, and the answer was given that there is no contradiction. The one verse deals with children who continue in the same course as their fathers, and the other verse with children who do not continue in the course of their fathers! — [You must] therefore [say that] the Lord said thus to Moses: A righteous man who prospers is a perfectly righteous man; the righteous man who is in adversity is not a perfectly righteous man. The wicked man who prospers is not a perfectly wicked man; the wicked man who is in adversity is a perfectly wicked man. Now this [saying of R. Johanan]^[281] is in opposition to the saying of R. Meir. For R. Meir said: only two [requests] were granted to him, and one was not granted to him. For it is said: And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, although he may not deserve it, And I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy,^[282] although he may not deserve it.^[283]

And He said, Thou canst not see My face.^[284] A Tanna taught in the name of R. Joshua b. Korhah: The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke thus to Moses: When I wanted, you did not want [to see My face]^[285] now that you want, I do not want. — This is in opposition to [the interpretation of this verse by] R. Samuel b. Nahmani in the name of R. Jonathan. For R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: As a reward of three [pious acts]^[286] Moses was privileged to obtain three [favours]. In reward of 'And Moses hid his face', he obtained the brightness of his face.^[287] In reward of 'For he was afraid', he obtained the privilege that They were afraid to come nigh him.^[288] In reward of 'To look upon God', he obtained The similitude of the Lord doth he behold.^[289]

And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back.^[290] R. Hama b. Bizana said in the name of R. Simon the Pious: This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the knot of the tefillin.^[291]

R. Johanan further said in the name of R. Jose: No word of blessing that issued from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, even if based upon a condition, was ever withdrawn by Him. How do we know this? From our teacher Moses. For it is said: Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.^[292] Though Moses prayed that this might be mercifully averted and it was cancelled, [the blessing] was nevertheless fulfilled towards his children. For it is said: The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer … And the sons of Eliezer were Rehabia the chief … and the sons of Rehabiah were very many.^[293] And R. Joseph learnt: They were more than sixty myriads. This is to be learnt from two occurrences of the term 'manifold'. Here it is written: were very many, and elsewhere It is written: And the children of Israel were very fruitful and increased abundantly, and became very many.^[294]

Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/7b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/8a Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/8b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/9a Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/9b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/10a Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/10b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/11a Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/11b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/12a Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/12b Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/13a

1. Through his sin-offering.
2. The verb being in the future.
3. Which may be taken as a past tense, the waw not being conversive.
4. The palestinian schools
5. Who cannot afford an artificial light
6. That the day ends with the appearance of the stars.
7. The first verse seems to afford ample proof.
8. I.e., the time the ‘poor man’ mentioned in the first Baraitha comes home to take his evening meal is identical with that at which people generally come to eat their meals on Sabbath eve.
9. And not even twilight.
10. Tosef. points out that the ground for this statement is not clear.
11. In the Baraitha just quoted.
12. According to which definition it lasts as long as it takes to walk half a mil,
13. The evening.
14. The day.
15. And consequently the priests may bathe at twilight as defined by R. Jose since it is still day, and one may also read at that time the Shema’ since it is practically night.
16. Where he says: When people come home for their Sabbath-meal, which is after twilight.
17. Which fixes a time which is before twilight.
18. Which fixes sunset as the time-standard.
19. Which fixes as time-standard, the appearance of the stars (when priests enter to eat terumah).
20. Where the beginning of the time is fixed.
21. R. Eliezer's ruling being merely with reference to the terminus ad quem.
22. Among the ministering angels.
23. So literally. Thus 'roaring' is mentioned three times in the text.
24. I.e., of each watch.
25. That has no windows to admit the daylight.
26. The Tefillah
27. V. infra 29a.
28. The principal congregational response in the doxology, the Kaddish v. P.B. p. 37.
29. That a woman may be waiting for him there.
30. The Gemara now proceeds to explain why all the three reasons must be mentioned.
31. So that there is no danger of falling debris.
32. The assumption is that where two are together there is no danger of an attack by demons.
33. Judg. VII, 19.
34. How does he explain the term middle?
35. Ps. CXIX, 62.
36. Ibid. 148.
37. That somebody may rise at midnight and still have two watches before him, the minimum of the plural 'watches' being two.
38. V. infra 9b. With reference to the morning Shema'.
39. Since the day for royal personages begins at eight a.m. that is with the third hour when they rise. David by rising at midnight forestalled them by eight hours, i.e., two watches each having four hours.
40. Lit., 'words of the Torah'. It would show disrespect for the dead.
41. Ibid. 147. E.V. 'dawn'.
42. Prov. VII, 9.
43. That has a very light sleep, v. Suk. 26a.
44. I Sam. XXX, 17.
45. Neshef in this case denoting 'dawn'.
46. Neshef in this case denoting 'dusk'.
47. Ex. XI, 4.
48. Lit., 'heaven'.
49. Let the rich support the poor.
50. We cannot be self-supporting to supply all our needs, any more than a handful can satisfy a lion, or the soil taken out of a pit fill its cavity.
51. The divine oracle of the High-Priest's breast-plate.
52. The text here has 'Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada', who is mentioned in II Sam. XX, 23.
53. I Chron. XXVII, 34.
54. II Sam. XVI, 23.
55. He was the High Priest of David.
56. II Sam. XX, 23.
57. The Sanhedrin (Rashi). The Tosafists, however, refer this to the Urim and Tummim.
58. The Sanhedrin (Rashi). The Tosafists, however, refer this to the Urim and Tummim.
59. Ps. LVII 9.
60. Here the Gemara resumes the discussion of the question raised above as to how it is possible that David knew something which Moses did not know.
61. The incident of Ex. XI, 4.
62. The particle ka being rendered 'like' and not 'about'.
63. Ps. LXXXVI, 1-2.
64. Offer different homiletical interpretations.
65. Ibid. CXIX, 62.
66. The restrictions of Lev. XII, 2ff do not apply to all cases of abortion nor is all discharge treated as menstrual, and David is represented as occupying himself with deciding such questions instead of with feasting. MS.M. omits 'blood'.
67. Ps. CXIX, 46.
68. The homiletical interpretation of the name is, Out of my mouth humiliation.
69. Cf. II Sam. III, 3.
70. Lit., 'father', a teacher.
71. Prov. XXIII, 15.
72. Ibid. XXVII, II.
73. Ps. XXVII, 13.
74. The dots are interpreted as meaning he was not quite sure.
75. Hence you see that he was not so sure of his piety.
76. This is the reply to the question. David was quite sure of his general pious character, but he feared that his sins might exclude him from the reward etc.
77. Gen. XXVIII, 15.
78. Ibid. XXXII, 8. The contradiction lies in the fact that Jacob was afraid in spite of having God's promise.
79. Ex. XV, 16.
80. Lit. 'the Israelites were worthy to have a miracle performed for them'.
81. When they entered victoriously.
82. And they entered only as subjects of Cyrus.
83. According to the Gemara, R. Eliezer and R. Gamaliel differ in the interpretation of the Bible words, 'And when thou liest down'. R. Eliezer explains them to mean, when you go to bed; hence he says that the time expires at the end of the first watch. R. Gamaliel understands them to mean, when you sleep; hence he fixes the whole night as the time of the recital.
84. V. infra 27b.
85. In the Baraitha just quoted.
86. That in the evening, too, the Shema' has to precede the Tefillah.
87. The benediction for the deliverance from Egypt (v. P. B. p. 99). It follows the Shema' and precedes the Tefillah.
88. Between the two Shema' recitals. In the morning the Tefillah follows, and in the evening it precedes the Shema'.
89. As it says, On the morrow of the Passover the children of Israel went forth (Num. XXXIII, 3).
90. Hence even in the evening Ge'ullah must be joined closely to Tefillah.
91. Hence in the evening the Ge'ullah must not be joined closely to Tefillah.
92. Deut. VI, 7.
93. I.e., it is the first prayer said on rising from the bed.
94. I.e., it is the last prayer said before going to bed.
95. V. infra 11a.
96. This is the second benediction, to be said in the evening between Ge'ullah and Tefillah, v. P.B. p. 99. The prayer, 'Blessed be the Lord for evermore' that follows the second benediction is a later addition.
97. Ps. LI, 17. This verse said in introduction to the Tefillah ought to be considered an interruption.
98. Ps. XIX, 15.
99. I.e., part of the Tefillah.
100. I.e., Ps. CXLV.
101. Lit., 'that he is a son of'.
102. Ps. CXIX.
103. Ibid. CXLV, 16.
104. I.e., Ibid. CXXXVI
105. Ibid. v. 25.
106. The alphabetical arrangement and the sixteenth verse, dealing with God's merciful provision for all living things.
107. This is Psalm CXLV, which is arranged alphabetically, save that the verse beginning with the letter nun (N) is missing.
108. Euphemistic for Israel.
109. Amos V, 2.
110. Palestine. V. supra p. 3, n. 4.
111. Lit., 'the Holy Spirit'. The meaning is, David knew by inspiration that Amos was going to prophesy the downfall of Israel, and he refers to that verse and prophesies their being raised up again, though their downfall is not mentioned by David.
112. Ps. CXLV, 14.
113. Isa. VI, 6.
114. Dan. IX, 21. The meaning is: Michael covered the distance in one flight, without any stop, whereas Gabriel had to make two flights, resting in between. This is inferred from the fact that the word fly occurs twice.
115. lbid. X, 13.
116. Ps. IV, 5.
117. Ibid. XXXI, 6.
118. In the Talmud the good impulses and evil impulses of a man are personified as two genii or spirits dwelling in his soul, the one prompting him to do good things and the other one to do wicked things. The meaning of this saying here is that a man has always to make an effort and to fight against the evil instincts.
119. Ibid. IV, 5. The word uzdr is translated, not as tremble, but as fight, incite to fight.
120. Ibid.
121. Ex. XXIV, 12.
122. MS.M. Talmud, v. B.M., Sonc. ed., p. 206, n. 6.
123. To protect him against the demons.
124. Ps. CXLIX, 6.
125. Ibid. v. 5.
126. E.V. 'sparks'.
127. Job V, 7.
128. I.e., if thou neglect it (the Torah). E.V. 'Wilt thou set thine eyes etc.'.
129. Prov. XXIII, 5.
130. Deut. XXXII, 24.
131. That the Torah is a protection against painful disease.
132. Who study the Pentateuch, where it is plainly said.
133. Ex. XV, 26.
134. Ps. XXXIX, 3. E.V. 'I held my peace, had no comfort, and my pain was held in check'.
135. Prov. IV, 2.
136. Out of poverty and not for business.
137. Lam. III, 40.
138. Ps. XCIV, 12.
139. Prov. III, 12.
140. Isa. LIII, 10.
141. Ibid. The Hebrew word for 'restitution' is asham which means also 'trespass-offering'.
142. Ibid.
143. Ibid.
144. Ps. XCIV, 12.
145. Ps. LXVI, 20.
146. Prov. III 12.
147. V. Ex. XXI, 26, 27. If the master knocks out the tooth or eye of his slave, then the slave has to be set free.
148. Lev. II, 13.
149. Deut. XXVIII, 69. These words refer to the chapter dealing with the sufferings of Israel.
150. Ps. XCIV, 12.
151. Deut. VIII, 5.
152. Ibid. v. 7.
153. Prov. VI, 23.
154. An allusion to R. Johanan himself, who was a great scholar and a charitable man, and was bereft of his children.
155. Ibid. XVI, 6.
156. Ibid. XXI, 21.
157. Ibid. XXIII, 23.
158. Jer. XXXII, 18.
159. Which are enumerated in Mishnah Nega'im I, I.
160. In Palestine where a leprous person had to be isolated outside the city (cf. Lev. XIII, 46), leprosy was not regarded as 'chastisements of love' owing to the severity of the treatment involved.
161. Who died in his lifetime. The Gemara deduces from that saying that he regarded the death of children as a chastisement of love. Aruch understands this to have been a tooth of the last of his sons which he preserved and used to show to people who suffered bereavement in order to induce in them a spirit of resignation such as he himself had in his successive bereavements.
162. The implication is that if one lovingly acquiesces in his sufferings, his reward in the world to come is very great.
163. R. Johanan. He cured him by the touch of his hand.
164. If he could cure R. Hiyya b. Abba, why could not he cure himself?
165. And the patient cannot cure himself.
166. R. Eleazar was a poor man and lived in a room without windows.
167. R. Johanan was supposed to be so beautiful that a light radiated from his body, v. B.M. 84a.
168. Men. 110b.
169. Learning and wealth. Or perhaps, this world and the next.
170. I.e., the beautiful body of yours.
171. You may perhaps have deserved your misfortune through some sin.
172. Lit., 'what people say'.
173. Even if your tenant is a thief this does not free you from giving him his lawful share.
174. Isa. XXXVIII, 2.
175. Near in time. He used to pray immediately after rising.
176. The word may mean treasure and also north.
177. Ps. XVII, 14.
178. Gen. XXV, 24.
179. The synagogues were outside the town and it was dangerous to remain alone.
180. I.e., rejected.
181. Job. XVIII, 4. The homiletical interpretation of the verse is: 'Your prayer will be thrown into your face, if on your account the earth or synagogue is forsaken'.
182. Ibid.
183. Deut. XXXII, 18.
184. lsa. XLVIII, 18, 19.
185. Cf. Ps. XCI, 7 which verse is quoted in some editions.
186. The Assemblies of Babylonian students during the months of Elul and Adar
187. For really the lectures are not overcrowded.
188. MS.M.: their footprints.
189. The demons.
190. He put the powder into his eye.
191. I Kings VIII, 28.
192. The song of the community and of the officiating Cantor.
193. Ps. LXXXII, I.
194. And a congregation consists of not less than ten, v. Sanh. 2b.
195. Ibid. A Beth din consists of three.
196. A phrase denoting two.
197. Mal. III, 16.
198. MS.M.: R. Assi. This remark is made in passing by the editor of the Gemara, R. Ashi. Hence the reading 'R. Ashi' as given by the editions, seems to be correct.
199. Ex. XX, 21. The lesson is derived from the use of the singular 'thee'.
200. This question is asked by the Gemara apropos of Rabin's statement.
201. The same as the Rabin mentioned above.
202. Isa. LXII, 8.
203. Deut. XXXIII, 2.
204. Ps. XXIX, 11.
205. Deut. XXVIII, 10.
206. The tefillin of the arm are covered by the sleeves.
207. I Chron. XVII, 21.
208. Deut. XXVI, 17, 18.
209. So the Aruch. Jastrow, however, translates [H] 'the only object of your love'.
210. Deut. VI, 4.
211. I Chron. XVII, 21.
212. The tefillin of the head has four cases.
213. Deut. IV, 7, 8.
214. Ibid. XXXIII, 29.
215. Ibid. IV, 34.
216. Ibid. XXVI, 19.
217. Isa. L, 10.
218. Ibid.
219. Has he no light.
220. The number required for a public service.
221. In the absence of a quorum of ten, a number of important features in the service are omitted.
222. Sc. the congregational responses. Isa. L, 2.
223. Aliter: Alas, the pious man (is no more)!
224. Cf. previous note.
225. Gen. XIX, 27.
226. Ps. CVI, 30.
227. Hos. VI, 3.
228. It is forbidden to take large steps on the Sabbath, v. Shab. 113b.
229. Hos. XI, 10. The text continues: For he shall roar, and the children shall come hurrying (E.V. 'trembling').
230. I.e., in the loud lamentation of the listeners.
231. These aphorisms are intended to bring home the lesson that the real merit of doing certain things lies not in themselves, but in their concomitants. For instance, the people running to the lectures do not benefit by the lectures, as they do not understand them. However they will be rewarded for enduring the rush and crush. The mechanical repetition of a tradition has no value if you do not try to understand it better. The merit of a fast day lies not in the fasting but in giving charity to the poor people, that they may have something to eat, etc.
232. Ps. XII, 9.
233. MS.M.: An Arab passed by and saw him.
234. V. Jast. Rashi: 'As if there were two powers'.
235. Ibid.
236. Lit., 'standing on the highest point of the world'.
237. He interprets, 'When the exalted things (kerum) are reviled among the sons of men'. The reference is to Prayer.
238. The meaning is: In the distant countries lying across the sea.
239. Lewysohn, Zoologie, p. 183 identifies the bird with the 'bird of Paradise'.
240. Ps. LXVI, 12.
241. I Kings XVIII, 36, 37.
242. Ps. CXLI, 2.
243. Ibid. V, 4.
244. Jer. XXXIII, II.
245. Lit., 'voices'. The plural is counted as two.
246. Ex. XIX, 16, 19.
247. There were not only five, but seven voices.
248. Ibid. XX, 15. Cf. n. 5.
249. One who felicitates the bridegroom.
250. Jer. XXXIII, II.
251. Ibid.
252. Eccl. XII, 13. He interprets: 'Everything is heard, if you fear God'.
253. [MS.M.: If one is used to greet his neighbour and fails to do so a single day, he transgresses the injunction 'Seek peace, etc.']
254. Ps. XXXIV, 15.
255. Isa. III, 14.
256. Ibid. LVI, 7. 'In the house of My prayer'.
257. I.e., not exact the full penalty from them.
258. Lit., 'crown of God'.
259. Ex. XXXIII, 14.
260. V. A.Z. 4a.
261. Ps. VII, 12.
262. Num. XXIV, 16.
263. Micah VI, 5.
264. Euphemism for Israel.
265. Num. XXIII, 8.
266. 'A moment'.
267. Ps. XXX, 6.
268. Isa. XXVI, 20.
269. A better reading is: 'its comb is thus (viz., white)'.
270. Var. lec. Min
271. Added with MS.M.
272. Ps. CXLV, 9.
273. Prov. XVII, 26.
274. In her heart.
275. Hos. II, 9.
276. Prov. XVII, 10.
277. Ex. XXXIII, 16.
278. Ex. XXXIII, 13.
279. Ibid. XXXIV, 7.
280. Deut. XXIV, 16.
281. That all the three requests of Moses were granted.
282. Ex. XXXIII, 19.
283. And God's ways therefore cannot be known.
284. Ibid. v. 20.
285. At the burning bush, Ex. III, 6.
286. Mentioned in Ex. III, 6; (i) And Moses hid his face; (ii) for he was afraid; (iii) to look upon God.
287. Cf. Ex. XXXIV, 29-30.
288. Ibid. v. 30.
289. Num. XII, 8.
290. Ex. XXXIII, 23.
291. Worn at the back of the head.
292. Deut. IX, 14. This verse contains a curse and a blessing, the blessing being conditional upon the realization of the curse.
293. I Chron. XXIII, 15-17.
294. Ex. I, 7. And we know that they were about sixty myriads when leaving Egypt.