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    Chapter 1 · Me'eimatai

    Morning Shema Times

    Lesson 8 of 64 26 min

    The Mishnah distinguishes the beginning from the endpoint, and timely recitation from Torah reading. The continuation describes the vatikin finishing at sunrise to join redemption to prayer. These hours are not modern clock hours.

    Lesson goals
    • 01Compare the starting markers.
    • 02Distinguish sunrise from three hours.
    01

    Source and decoding

    Berakhot 9b
    מתני׳ מאימתי קורין את שמע בשחרית? משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן. רבי אליעזר אומר: בין תכלת לכרתי. וגומרה, עד הנץ החמה, רבי יהושע אומר עד שלש שעות, שכן דרך מלכים לעמוד בשלש שעות. הקורא מכאן ואילך — לא הפסיד, כאדם הקורא בתורה.

    When does morning Shema begin? When one can distinguish blue from white; Rabbi Eliezer says blue from leek-green. Its completion is set at sunrise, while Rabbi Yehoshua says three hours, reflecting when kings rise. Later reading retains the value of reading Torah.

    The Mishnah distinguishes the beginning from the endpoint, and timely recitation from Torah reading. The continuation describes the vatikin finishing at sunrise to join redemption to prayer. These hours are not modern clock hours.

    02

    Building the reasoning

    1. 1Compare the starting markers.
    2. 2Distinguish sunrise from three hours.
    Practice

    Return to the source and compare the starting markers. Then explain how the central distinction follows from the excerpt. Mark what is explicit and what is explained by the surrounding discussion.

    Lesson wrap-up

    The Mishnah distinguishes the beginning from the endpoint, and timely recitation from Torah reading. The continuation describes the vatikin finishing at sunrise to join redemption to prayer. These hours are not modern clock hours.

    Check your understanding

    Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.

    Question 1 of 1

    Why does Rabbi Yehoshua specify three hours?

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