MISHNAH: One starts to pray only in a serious frame of mind. The first Ḥasidim waited one hour before praying in order to be able to concentrate. Even if the king greets one, he should not respond. Even if a snake is wound around one’s heel, he should not interrupt.
HALAKHAH: Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Abba: Prayer is forbidden to him who comes from a trip. What is the reason? ( Is. 51:21 ) “Listen to that, poor woman, drunk and not from wine., is forbidden to a drunk. The parallel in the Babli ( Eruvin 65a ) even notes that after a lengthy caravan trip one needs three days to get one’s thoughts together. ” Rebbi Zeriqan, Rebbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rebbi Eliezer, son of Rebbi Yose the Galilean: Prayer is forbidden to one in pain; is that not our verse: “Listen to that, poor woman, drunk and not from wine”?
It is stated 31a ), and the Tosephta (3:21 ). The main difference in formulation is between the Tosephta and the Talmudim, since the Tosephta requires that one start prayer מתיך דברים של חכמה. In Mishnaic Hebrew, as in Modern Sephardic Hebrew usage, the Ḥakham is the rabbi, and dibrē ḥokhmāh are halakhic rulings; as in the following paragraph, practices universally accepted and not subject to doubt or discussion. From the order of the Yerushalmi it seems that in practice the text of the Yerushalmi should be interpreted as implying the statement of the Tosephta. The tradition of the Babli is uncertain; see Diqduqe Soferim, Berakhot , p. 160, note ר. The Venice print of the Babli requires that one start prayer “out of joy over commandments”. Rashi, the Munich manuscript of the Babli, Halakhot Gedolot and the students of Rabbenu Jonah have simply “out of joy.” The Koronel manuscript and Menorat Hamaör have “out of joy of Torah”, parallel to the Yerushalmi. A Florence manuscript that is typically Sephardic has “out of joy of Halakhah”, directly parallel to the Tosephta. Rabbenu Asher ben Yeḥiel (Rosh) has “out of words of joy”; the insistence on “words” is parallel to Yerushalmi and Tosephta. While the Babli in the printed version would refer to the state of mind required for the Amidah , as implied in the two rulings preceding this Tosephta in the Yerushalmi, the Tosephta and the Yerushalmi require the correct state of mind before one starts with the preparatory sections of prayer, even preceding the recitation of Shema‘ . This seems also to be confirmed by the preparatory prayer reported later by R. Ḥizqiah in the name of R. Abbahu. Most of the variants of the Babli text would demand an interpretation similar to that of the Tosephta. All three versions agree that one should start afternoon prayers with a word of Torah or Halakhah directly before the Amidah . : “One should pray neither out of conversation, nor out of jokes, nor out of frivolities, nor out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah. Similarly, one should not take leave from one’s friend either out of conversation, or out of jokes, or out of frivolities, or out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah, since we find that the earlier prophets were closing their words with expressions of praise and consolation.” Rebbi Eleazar said, except for Jeremiah who closed with words of reprobation. Rebbi Yoḥanan said to him, still he closed with words of consolation and said ( Jer. 51:64 ) “So Babylon shall sink.” Because Jeremiah continued to prophesy about the Temple. One could think that he closed with the destruction of the Temple, but the verse states ( Jer. 51:64 ) “So far the words of Jeremiah,” he finished with the downfall of its destroyers, he did not close with words of reprobation. But is it not written ( Is. 66:24 ): “They will be a horror for all flesh?” That verse deals with Gentiles. But is it not written ( Lament. 5:22 ): “But You much despised us”? ( Lament. 5:21 ) “Make us return” replaces “But You much despised us”. Also Elijah did take leave from Elisha only out of words of Torah, ( 2Kings 2:11 ) “they walked talking.” What did they talk of? Rebbi Aḥawa the son of Rebbi Zeïra, a memorizer of tannaitic material, in his father’s Yeshivah. The entire section is a digression induced by the ancillary statements of the Tosephta. said, they discussed the recitation of Shema‘ , ( Deut. 6:7 ) “you should talk about them.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, they were discussing Creation, ( Ps. 33:6 ) “through the word of the Eternal the heavens were made.” Rebbi Yudan, the son of Rebbi Ayvu in the third generation of Amoraïm. He learned from all Galilean Amoraïm of the second generation. His son Rebbi Yudan might be the Rebbi Yudan who otherwise is quoted without mention of his father’s name. , said, they were occupied with the consolations of Jerusalem, as you say ( Is. 40:2 ) “Speak to Jerusalem’s heart.” But the rabbis say, they were occupied with the Divine Chariot, as you say ( 2Kings 2:11 ) “behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, etc.”
Rav Jeremiah said, one should start to pray only from a practical rule and is considered a contrast to, not an explanation of, the requirement of the Mishnah that one pray only in a serious frame of mind. In the Yerushalmi it is considered to be the genuine interpretation of the Mishnah. דין של הלכה means a practical ruling that is well established, that gives no cause for discussion which could interfere with the concentration needed for prayer. The Babli and the personalities whose practices in preparation of prayer are reported are so early that the name here must be Rav Jeremiah and not Rebbi Jeremiah. . Rav Jeremiah said, he who deals with public needs is like him who studies Torah. Rav Ḥuna said: a woman who saw a spot like a mustard seed sits and watches seven days of purification because of it; then he stood up and prayed. Zeïra bar Ḥinena said: He who draws blood from a dedicated animal committed larceny; that is one of the decided practices. Bar Qappara stated: Eleven days between periods is a practice taught to Moses at Sinai. Rebbi Hoshaiah stated: One may add produce on the stalk and be tricky in order to free it from tithes and tithes after the harvest, when it is separated from the stalk and collected in heaps or silos. By a rabbinic ordinance, it is forbidden to eat grain on the stalk as a meal, once it has been transported from the field to the farmhouse or barn. However, eating it as snack from the grain on the stalk is still permitted. Now Rebbi Hoshaiah approves of setting aside as much of the produce for animal feed as one desires, without incurring an obligation for Terumah and tithes. This is also quoted as beyond doubt in Babli 31a . . Abdan asked Rebbi: How many levels or sacrificial meat, these become “third in impurity”. Sacrifial meat only can become “fourth in impurity” which will make it unusable either for the altar or for consumption by Cohanim. ( Mishnah Ḥagigah 2:3 , Tahorot 2:1). The additional levels of impurity are a rabbinic institution, not subject to discussion. are there for dedicated things? He answered him: four. And how many levels for Terumah ? He answered: three, then he stood up and prayed.
Rebbi Ḥizqiah, Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: The following verse should never leave your lips: ( Ps. 46:12 ) “The Eternal of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is a refuge to us, Selah”. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abin, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan and the colleagues: ( Ps. 84:13 ) “O Eternal of hosts, hail to the man who trusts in You”.
Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: May it be please You, o Eternal, our God and God of our fathers, that You may save us from agressive, hard, evil hours that organize to come upon the world 16b ). .
“One starts to pray only in a serious frame of mind.” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, ( Ps. 29:2 ) “Bow down before the Eternal in the splendor of the sanctuary,” in fear of the holy. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, ( Ps. 2:11 ) “Serve the Eternal in fear, rejoice in trembling.” Rebbi Aḥa said, when an evil day should come, you may rejoice 31a, s. v. במקום), R. Aḥa gives the simple sense of the verse, in contrast to the homiletics of R. Yose ben R. Ḥanina. .
Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, he who is about to pray has to sit down twice. Once before he prays and once after he prays. Before he prays, ( Ps. 84:5 ) “Hail to those who sit in Your house.” Once after he prays, ( Ps. 140:14 ) “But the righteous will thank Your name, the upright ones will sit before You.”
“The first Ḥasidim waited one hour before praying,” they prayed for one hour and waited an hour after their prayer. When did they study Torah? When did they work? Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar in the Babli (32b ); this may indicate that the author here is the earlier of two Amoraïm of that name, a student of R. Yoḥanan. The Babli, which notes explicitly that the pious were spending 9 hours in prayer, must take “an hour” in its exact sense; the Yerushalmi may accept “an hour” as “some time”. On the other hand, the replacement of “sitting down” by “waiting” may indicate that in this paragraph ישב has its original Biblical meaning of “being occupied, being at one’s regular place of business.” said, because they were pious, their study was blessed and their work was blessed.
Ḥuna said, he who prays behind the synagogue is called criminal as it is said ( Ps. 12:9 ) “Criminals walk around.” Rav Ḥuna the parallel statement is one of R. Joshua ben Levi, the author of the preceding homiletics, and is part of his homiletics on Ps. 84:5 . said, one who does not enter a synagogue in this world will not enter the synagogue in the future world. What is the reason? ( Ps. 12:9 ) “Criminals walk around.”
Rebbi Yoḥanan said: He who prays in his own house is as if he were surrounded by an iron wall. The argument of Rebbi Yoḥanan is inverted. There Rebbi Abba said, Rebbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, one has to pray at a place that is dedicated to prayer. And here he says that? One is about a single person, the other about the public.
Rebbi Phineas in the name of Rebbi Hoshaiah: He who prays in the synagogue is as if he had sacrificed a pure flour offering. What is the reason? ( Is. 66:20 ) “As the children of Israel bring flour offering in a pure vessel in the Eternal’s House.” Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: ( Is. 55:6 ) “Seek the Eternal where He is to be found”. Where is He to be found? In synagogues and houses of study. “Call on Him when He is close.” Where is He close? In synagogues and houses of study. Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar said, not only that but their God stands over them. What is the reason? ( Ps. 82:1 ) “God stands in the assembly of the mighty; from the inside God will judge.”
Rav Ḥisda said: He who enters the synagogue must enter inside two doors. What is the reason ( Prov. 8:34 ) “Hail to the man who listens to Me, always to be diligent at My doors.” My doors and not my door. Doorposts and not doorpost. If he did that, what is written there? ( Prov. 8:35 ) “Because he who found Me found life.”
Rav Ḥuna said: He who goes to the synagogue must be light-footed. What is the reason? ( Hos. 6:3 ) “We shall know, let us run to know the Eternal.” But when one leaves, one has to go in small steps. What is the reason? ( Job 14:16 ) “For now You will count my steps.”
Rebbi Yoḥanan said: A covenant is sealed that he who labors at his studies in the synagogue will not quickly forget. Rebbi Ḥanina from Ein Tana said: A covenant is sealed that he who labors at his studies in modesty will not quickly forget. What is the reason? ( Prov. 11:2 ) “Wisdom is with the modest.” Rebbi Yoḥanan said: A covenant is sealed that he who studies homiletics from a book will not quickly forget. Rebbi Tanḥum said: He who understands what he has learned will not quickly forget. What is the reason? ( Deut. 4:9 ) “That you shall not forget the things your eyes understood. 16:1) that homiletics is a part of “oral Torah” that may not be written down. Next comes the statement of R. Ḥanina of Ein Tana, Amora of the fourth generation and student of R. Zeïra. (His name is corrupted in the Venice print to R. Yoḥanan of Ein Tana; it is correct in the Rome ms. Ein Tana was a place near Sepphoris.) At the end comes the statement of the fifth generation Rebbi Tanḥum (Tanḥuma bar Abba, the first known author of a collection of Midrashim and greatest of the preachers of the period of the Talmud Yerushalmi). ”
Rebbi Jonah in the name of Rebbi Tanḥum ben Rebbi Ḥiyya, He who sees a disquieting dream must say: “May it be Your pleasure, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that all my dreams that I dreamed, in this night or in any other night, whether I dreamed or others dreamed about me, if they are good they should be fulfilled for me in enjoyment and joy, blessing and life. If they are something else then, just as You turned bitter water to sweet waters, the waters of Jericho to sweet ones through Elisha, and the curse of the son of Beör to a blessing, so may You turn all bad dreams, including what others dreamed about me, to good, blessing, healing, life, joy and enjoyment, and peace. ( Ps. 30:12–13 ) ‘You turned my wailing into a dance, you opened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. So that the liver may sing to You and never be silent; o Eternal, my God, I shall eternally thank You! ( Deut. 23:6 ) The Eternal, your God, refused to listen to Bileam, the Eternal, your God, turned curse into blessing since the Eternal, your God, loves you. ( Jer. 31:12 ) Then the maiden will rejoice in dance, young and old men together; I shall turn their mourning to enjoyment and I shall console them and give them joy out of their hurt.’ ”
“Even if the king greets one, he should not respond.” Rebbi Aḥa said, that is, if the greeter is a king of Israel. But one returns greeting from a Gentile king. It was stated3:22 , Massekhet Soferim 5:6. : If one is writing a Divine name, then even if the king greets him, he should not respond. If he is writing two or three Names, e. g. ( Jos. 22:22 ) “Powerful, God, Eternal”, he finishes one of them and then responds to the greeting.
Rebbi Yoḥanan when the ἄρχων, the prefect of the district, passed by. He was in danger to be beaten up by prefect’s bodygard but, as ruler of a city with an important Jewish population, he was acquainted with their behavior and their adherence to the νόμος, “the law” of the Torah. was sitting and reciting in front of the Babylonian synagogue of Sepphoris. The prefect passed by and he did not get up before him. They wanted to whip him; he said to them: Let him, he is occupied in the laws of his Creator. Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi appeared before the proconsul of Caesarea. He saw them and rose before them. They said to him, you get up before these Jews? He said to them, I saw faces of angels. Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Jose appeared before Ursicinus in Antiochia. He saw them and rose before them. They said to him, you get up before these Jews? He said, I win in battle if I see the faces of these. Rebbi Abun appeared before the king 106a , “when Rabin came, it was because he was in danger of being killed.” . When he left, he turned his neck. They came and wanted to kill him but they saw two sparks of fire emanating from his neck, so they let him go, to affirm what is said ( Deut. 28:10 ): “All peoples of the earth will see that the Name of the Eternal is called over you and they will be afraid of you. on the head. It can be safely assumed that this statement of an Israeli Tanna was known to the editors of the Yerushalmi, so they had no need for an explicit statement that the sparks came from the straps of R. Abun’s tefillin . ”
Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: “All peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Eternal is called over you”, all - even spirits and demons. Rebbi Yannai and Rebbi Jonathan were promenading in a forest, “forest”. The Rome ms. reading is אסרטין, Latin strata , “street”, Genizah fragments read אסטדין “stadion.” The forest is a more likely place to find promenading rabbis greeted by a demon. . One saw them, greeted them, and said: “Peace upon you, rabbis.” They said, even the religious title does not harm us.
Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish was thinking very hard about Torah. He overstepped the Sabbath boundary without noticing it, to confirm ( Prov. 5:19 ): “In its love you will always err.” Rebbi Yudan ben Rebbi Ismael was thinking very hard about Torah. His toga slipped off from him and he did not notice it, to confirm: “In its love you will always err.” Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon was thinking very hard about Torah. His toga slipped off from him but a viper was caring for it. His students told him: Teacher, your toga has slipped off. He said to them, does this evil one not care for it?
“Even if a snake is wound around one’s heel, one should not interrupt.” Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Yose: They mentioned only a snake, but for a scorpion he interrupts. Why, because it stings repeatedly. Rebbi Ilaï said: They stated only “wound around”, but if a snake is attacking him, he hides before him but he should not interrupt his prayer. It is stated: If he was praying in a thoroughfare or on a square he removes himself from before a donkey or before a cart but he should not interrupt his prayer.
They said about Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa 3:30; a very different version is in Babli 33a . that he was standing in prayer when a brightly dotted snake 16:4 ); in Arabic the parallel root is חבר “to be richly ornamented” [distinguished from Hebrew חבר, Arabic ח̇בר, “to be joined”.] The word could also denote a brightly striped snake. The more brightly a snake is colored, the more poisonous it is. came and bit him. He did not interrupt his prayer. They went and found that dotted snake lying dead at the entrance of its hole. They said, woe to the human who is bitten by a dotted snake, but woe to the dotted snake that bites Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa. [What is the nature of that dotted snake? If it bites a human and the human reaches water first, the dotted snake dies, but if the dotted snake reaches water first, the human dies.] His students asked him: Rabbi, did you not notice? He said to them: There should happen to me these things; I was concentrating on my prayer and did not notice! Rebbi Isaac ben Eleazar tradition. said, the Holy One, praise to Him, created a well under his foot soles, to confirm what has been said ( Ps. 145: 19 ): “He will do the will of those who fear Him, He will hear their entreaties and save them.”
MISHNAH: One mentions the power of rains in “resurrection of the dead. The benediction “for years” is the ninth, a prayer for a plentiful harvest. Havdalah is the required declaration of a “difference” between Sabbath (or holiday) and weekday, after the end of the Sabbath or holiday. No work may be performed before some form of Havdalah . The benediction for being granted knowledge is the fourth, the one for thanksgiving the 17th. ”; one prays for rain in the benediction “of years” and Havdalah in “He Who by His grace grants knowledge;” Rebbi Aqiba said: it is recited as separate fourth benediction; Rebbi Eliezer says, in “thanksgiving”.
HALAKHAH: Just as the resurrection of the dead brings life to the world, so rains bring life to the world. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba understood it from here ( Hos. 6:2–3 ): “He will resurrect us after two days, on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live before Him. We shall know, we shall pursue to know the Eternal, like morning his appearance is well-based 1:1 (fol. 63d), Sanhedrin 11:8 (fol. 30c), Babli Roš Haššanah 31a , Sanhedrin 97a . .”
It is written ( 1Kings 17:1 ) “Elijah the Tisbite, from the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Aḥab: By the Living Eternal One, the God of Israel, before Whom I stood, there will not be dew nor rain these years except by my word.” Rebbi Berekhia said, Rebbi Yasa and the rabbis. One of them said, he was heard both for dew and for rain; the other one said, he was heard for rain but was not heard for dew, from ( 1Kings 18:1 ): “Go, appear before Aḥab and I shall give rain 1:1 , is included to explain the connection of the (summer) praise for dew in the benediction on “resurrection”. The praise for dew was included in the Yerushalmi prayer rite. , etc.” And he who said, he was heard both for dew and for rain, where was the vow of dew dissolved? Rebbi Tanḥuma from Edreï). Since he appears together with Rebbi Berekhiah, he must belong to the last generation of Amoraïm in Israel. It is the minority opinion of Rebbi Aqiba ( Nedarim 9:6 ) that if in an earthly court part of a vow is annulled because it was executed under false intent, then the entire vow is annulled. This is not the majority opinion, hence, it is not the practice and does not imply Heavenly standards. said, they are of the opinion that a vow that was dissolved partially is dissolved totally. Some want to say, on the occasion of the son of the woman from Sarepta, ( 1Kings 17:20 ) “He called on the Eternal and said, o Eternal, my God, etc.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, about one who stole a doctor’s bag), word also used for “casket for unguents”, and title of medical works. Hesiod has Prometheus carry off the fire in the stalk of a νάρθηξ. . When he left, his son was injured.He returned to him and said: Please, sir doctor, heal my son. He said to him: Go and return my bag because it is full of medicines, and I shall heal your son. So the Holy One, praise to Him, said to Elijah: Go and lift the vow of dew because the dead are resurrected only by dew, then I shall resurrect the son of the Sareptan. And from where that the dead will live only by dew? ( Is. 26:19 ) “Your dead will live, the corpses will arise. Wake up and jubilate, those who dwell in dust! For a dew of light is Your dew, וְאֶרֶץ רְפָאִים תַּפִּיל.” Rebbi Tanḥum from Edreï said, “the earth will give up those that are deposited in it.”
Rebbi Jacob from Kefar Ḥanan in the name of Resh Laqish: When Abraham their forefather did My will, I swore to him that dew will never move away from his descendants forever; what is the reason? ( Ps. 110:3 ) “You have the dew of your youth.” And it is written after that ( Ps. 110:4 ) “The Eternal swore and He will not change His intention.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, by a will I gave it to Abraham, as a gift I gave it to him. ( Gen. 27:28 ) “God may give you from the dew of heaven.” Rebbi Samuel ben Naḥmani said, when Israel sin and do evil the rains are arrested. They bring an old man like Rebbi Yose the Galilean, he prays for them and the rains come. But dew does not descend by the merit of any creature, what is the reason? ( Micah 5:6 ) “Like dew from the Eternal, like light showers on grass, that do not listen to anybody nor wait for humans.”
Rebbi Zeïra in the name if Rebbi Ḥanina: When someone stood [praying] in the rainy season and mentioned dew one does not make him repeat. In the season of dew and he mentioned rain one makes him repeat. But is it not stated will be repeated before the discussion turns to it. The statement of Rebbi Ḥanina and the discussion of its last part is quoted in Alfassi Taänit 1:1 where it is added to the tradition of the same Rebbi Ḥanina in the Babylonian Talmud ( Taänit 3b ): “In summertime, one who says ‘He Who makes the wind blow’ does not have to repeat; if he says ‘He Who makes rain descend,’ he has to repeat. In wintertime, one who omits ‘He Who makes the wind blow’ does not have to repeat; if he omits ‘He Who makes rain descend,’ he has to repeat.” Alfassi gives no interpretation of the Yerushalmi he quotes but the early Medieval authorities R. Zeraḥia Halevi, R. Abraham ben David, Nachmanides, and R. Nissim Gerondi all have different interpretations (mutually contradictory) and most of them also have different readings. Among manuscripts, the expression דְּלָא מַצְלִי וְלָא מֵיקַל appears with or without one or both לָא. The following interpretation follows Nachmanides closely. [Most commentaries agree with R. Nissim Gerondi in taking מיקל as a Pa‘el form of a contracted form of קלל “to curse”; such a form קול is nowhere attested, but קיל “to take, make easy” is frequent.] : The sages did not oblige one to mention dew and winds but if he wants to mention them, he may mention? One cannot compare one who takes it easy to one who does not pray and does not take it easy. “When he stood in the rainy season and mentioned dew one does not make him repeat.” But is it not stated: If he did not ask for it in the benediction “for years”, or he did not mention the power of rains in “resurrection of the dead”, one makes him repeat? That is about one who mentioned neither dew nor rain.
Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rebbi Ḥuna: If he did not ask in the benediction “for years” he says it in “He Who hears prayer”. Similarly, if he did not mention the power of rains in “resurrection of the dead” he says it in “He Who hears prayer”. If the request, made under duress, may be recited in “He Who hears prayer,” the mention, made under easy circumstances, so much more! But is it not stated: If he did not ask in the benediction “for years” or that he did not mention the power of rains in “resurrection of the dead”, one makes him repeat 29a , has the statement formulated here in the name of Rav Assi from the Yeshivah of Rav in Babylonia; the Babli mentions neither the statement of Rebbi Ḥuna nor the explanation of Rebbi Eudaimon.] ? Rebbi Eudaimon the brother of Rebbi Yose said, if he did not say it in “He Who hears prayer”!
Where does he return to. ? Just as Rebbi Simeon bar Abba said in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: On the day of the New Moon, if he had moved his feet it is forbidden to move one’s feet since the angels do not move their feet. Hence, moving after prayer is the outward sign that prayer is finished. he repeats from the start, otherwise from “Temple service”. Here also, if he had moved his feet he repeats from the start.
At Nineveh 2:1. (Eusebius mentions that the Jews call it Nineveh.) On the Golan plain, one needs spring rains if the winter was relatively dry. they needed to make a fast-day after Passover 1:1 ; the question and the answer, without the discussion, are mentioned succinctly in Babli Taänit 14b . . They came to ask Rebbi. He told them, go ahead and make one but do not change the form of prayer. . Where may he say it? Rebbi Jeremiah thought to say that he says it in “He Who hears prayer.” Rebbi Yose said to him: Did not Rebbi Zeïra say in the name of Rebbi Ḥuna: If he did notask in the benediction “for years”, or that he failed to mention the power of rains in “resurrection of the dead”, one makes him repeat at “He Who hears prayer the text is easier to understand; there it says “he says” instead of “one makes him repeat”; meaning that a prayer for rain at “He Who hears prayer” belongs to the regular form of prayer in winter and, therefore, by Rebbi’s statement is excluded from summer prayer. ?” But Rebbi said to them, go ahead and make one but do not change the form of prayer! According to the opinion of Rebbi Yose, where does one say it? In the six that he adds. Rebbi Yose must imply that even a local fast for rain is a public fast. . That works for the public which has six. A private person who does not have six, where? Rebbi Ḥanina said, did not Rebbi Zeïra say in the name of Rav Ḥuna, a private person asks for his personal needs in “He Who hears prayer,” and these are his needs.
“And Havdalah in ‘He Who by His grace grants knowledge’ ”. Simeon bar Abba asked before Rebbi Yoḥanan: Something that one does all the time, and the Sages differ about it? He said to him: Since its main place is over a cup they forgot it in prayer and Havdalah , why does one not check and see what they instituted? He answered him: Originally, they instituted Havdalah in prayer. When they got rich, they instituted it over a cup of wine. When they became poor again, they went back and instituted it back in prayer.” This implies that the differences of opinion expressed in the Mishnah refer to the second institution of prayer and that the order of the first institution therefore is irrelevant. In the Yerushalmi, the question is, how can there arise a difference of usage in something that every Jew has been doing every week since the times of the Great Assembly? The answer also here is that there was a time where only Havdalah over a cup of wine was practiced. . His statement means that its main place is over a cup over a cup was not disestablished, the mention in prayer is additional. . Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of the old Rebbi Isaac: If he said it over a cup he must repeat it in prayer; it was was said over the cup only to teach children. in order to let children participate. His statement means that its main place is in prayer. Rebbi Zeïra, Rav Yehudah in the name of Samuel: If he said it over a cup he must repeat it in prayer, if he said it in prayer he must repeat it over a cup. His statement means that its main place is here as well as there.
“Rebbi Eliezer says, in ‘thanksgiving’ ”. Rebbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rebbi: One is inclined toward Rebbi Eliezer’s opinion on a holiday that falls immediately after the Sabbath for the holiday. The last two statements are quoted in Babli Niddah 8a . . The old Rebbi Isaac in the name of Rebbi: Practice follows Rebbi Eliezer on a holiday that falls after the Sabbath. Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel: Practice follows Rebbi Eliezer at all times. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: Practice follows Rebbi Eliezer at all times. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, not because because there are two traditions, but because Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman and Rebbi Eleazar both say in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel: Practice follows Rebbi Eliezer at all times.
“And Havdalah in “He Who in His grace grants knowledge”, the words of the Sages. Rebbi Aqibah said: one says it as separate fourth benediction has to be recited according to Rebbi Aqiba, even though his way of doing it is not accepted as practice. Hence, the discussion in this paragraph is purely theoretical. ” Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Samuel: He says it as fourth benediction. Rebbi Yudan says, the text of the benediction and after that he says Havdalah . His version agrees with Rebbi presupposes knowledge, it was incorporated in the benediction for knowledge.”] , since Rebbi said: I wonder why they eliminated “He Who in His grace grants knowledge” on Sabbath; if there is no knowledge, where is prayer? And here, if there is no knowledge, where is Havdalah ? Rebbi Isaac ben Eleazar said, he says Havdalah and afterwards adds the text of the benediction.
Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Hoshaiah 103b–104a ) in the name of Rebbi Oshaya (Babylonian form of Hoshaiah). The entire paragraph has the appearance of being written by a person unable to pronounce an “h”. : Only one should not mention less than three separations. Rebbi Yoḥanan said, they said that he who says little should not say less than three and he who adds should not add more than seven separations. Levi said, but only separations mentioned in the Torah 10:10 ), between light and darkness ( Gen. 1:4 ), between Israel and the Gentiles ( Lev. 20:26 ). There are no more than seven separations mentioned in the Torah. [The other four are between upper and lower waters, between day and night, between pure and impure, between Levites and other Israelites.] . Naḥum ben Rebbi Simai went out and said in his father’s name: even one separation. But Rebbi Abbahu said, one must seal with “separation”. Rebbi Mana objected, even if he started by “He Who separates between holy and worldly” and ends, seals by “He Who separates between holy and worldly”? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, is it not from the benedictions that one starts with “praised” and ends with “praised” 104a ) there is a discussion whether the separation referred to in the concluding benediction is the first or the last one of the list. In any case, it is clear that R. Abbahu cannot agree with R. Naḥum bar Simai to produce the meaningless formula of R. Mana. Hence, the opinion of R. Naḥum must be rejected. ?
Rebbi Eleazar ben Antigonos in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yannai 150b ), the statement is in the name of Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob, one of the last students of Rebbi Aqiba and a major authority. In the Babli, the statement is relativized to mean that one does not even have to pray but just to recite “Praise to Him Who separates between holy and wordly” to be able to do any work. There is no such relativization in the Yerushalmi; however, it is implied by the next paragraph. : That means has to be inserted in the first weekday benediction of the Amidah . Hence, it is the first thing that one has to do. The argument in this paragraph takes this up: Since it was ordained that Havdalah precedes the weekday prayer with its supplications for wordly needs, it also must precede worldly deeds. [The first weekday benediction also contains a supplication but, as Rebbi is quoted in an earlier paragraph, a prayer for knowledge is acceptable also for the Sabbath.] that one is forbidden from doing any work before one recites Havdalah . As he said, he said that one is forbidden from doing any work before one recites Havdalah , and similarly one is forbidden to pray for one’s needs before one recites Havdalah .
Rebbi Zeïra, Rebbi Eleazar ben Antigonos in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yannai in the name of the important Rebbi Yehudah 106a ), R. Zeïra is quoted as permitting the recitation of Havdalah only until Wednesday afternoon. : If he did not recite Havdalah at the end of Sabbath, he recites even on Thursday. That is restricted to Havdalah proper, but “illuminating fire” he may say only immediately 12b (8:6 ), Babli Pesaḥim 54a ). Hence, it makes no sense to recite the benediction at any other time. The rule proclaimed here is attributed in the Babli ( Pesaḥim 54a ) to R. Jacob ben Idi. .
Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rav Yehudah, Rebbi Abba in the name of Abba bar Jeremiah: Even if a holiday falls in the middle of the week onerecites “He Who separates between Sabbath and the six workdays before the final doxology. That “separation” is not in the Torah and not in the list of 3 - 7 separations, but necessitated by the circumstances. The statement really means that the text of Havdalah for holidays is identical with that for the Sabbath. In the Babli ( Ḥulin 26b ) the statement is attributed to R. Zeïra only, without discussion. ” Rebbi Zeïra said to Rav Yehudah: Has one six workdays before him? He said to him: Has one impurity and purity before him?
Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi: One must say, “start the days, the six coming workdays. Sephardic and Oriental rites do not have the phrase. , for peace.” Rebbi Abba adds: “And let us hear in them rejoicing and joy.” Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah: “Let us understand and teach us.” Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah: Those who answer Amen over a cup, they must see what he is doing. have to look at the cup and the candle. Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah 35b , it is stated that no obligation connected with things that grow can be executed other than using them in the way they grew (bottom down, head up). [In the Babli, “Ḥizqiah” should be “Rebbi Ḥizqiah” since “Ḥizqiah” without title refers to the son of Rebbi Ḥiyya, older than Rebbi Zeïra.] : The four kinds of the lulav must be taken in the direction of their growth.
MISHNAH: One silences someone who says “Your mercy will reach over a bird’s nest, 22:6–8 . ” “Your name shall be remembered on good things,” “we thank, we thank.” If the one standing before the arc makes a mistake, another person should replace him and he should not refuse at that moment. Where does he start? From the start of the benediction where the other person made the mistake.
HALAKHAH: Rebbi Phineas in the name of Rebbi Simeon: He is like one who quarrels with the measures of the Holy One, praise to Him: Your mercies reached 33b , Megillah 25a ) have יגיעוּ but all texts in the discussion have הגיעוּ. over a bird’s nest but did not reach this man), (E. G.).} ! Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Simeon: He is like one who makes finite the measures of the Holy One, praise to Him: Your mercies reach down to the bird’s nest. Some Tannaïm formulate “over”, some Tannaïm formulate “to”. He who says “over” supports Rebbi Phineas, he who says “to” supports Rebbi Yose. Rebbi Yose bar Abun said 33b , Megillah 25a ), the statement is attributed either to R. Yose bar Abun or to R. Yose bar Zabida. : They do not act well who declare the measures of the Holy One, praise to Him, to be mercy. And those 22:28 , with minor changes. who translate ( Lev. 22:21 ) “My people Israel, just as I am merciful in Heaven so you should be merciful on earth. A cow or a mother sheep, it and its young you should not slaughter together on one day,” they do not act well because they declare the measures of the Holy One, praise to Him, to be mercy.
“One silences one who says ‘we thank, we thank.’” Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said ( Ps. 63:12 ): “For the mouth of those who speak lies will be dammed up.) it is explained that the one who says so, like the one who wants to mention God’s name only on good things, gives the impression that there are two independent forces, God for the good and Satan–Ahriman for the bad. The Babli objects to the opinion expressed here that any repetition of sections of prayer texts is permitted in private for emphasis. ” That is, in public. But in private it is supplication.
“If the one standing before the arc makes a mistake.” Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi Ḥananiah ben Gamliel: If one erred in one of the first three benedictions, he starts anew. Each one of these groups has the status of a single benediction in this respect. . Ada bar bar Ḥana, Ganiva in the name of Rav: If one erred in one of the last three benedictions, he returns to “Temple Service.” Rebbi Ḥelbo, Rav Huna in the name of Rav in Halakhah 2:4 . : If one erred in one of the first three benedictions, he starts anew; in one of the last three benedictions, he returns to “Temple Service”; if he erred and he cannot remember where he erred he returns to the place that is clear to him.
Rebbi Aḥa and Rebbi Judah ben Pazy were sitting in a synagogue. One came and stood before the arc and forgot one benediction. They went and asked Rebbi Simon. Rebbi Simon said to them in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: One does not remove an emissary of the congregation who forgot two or three benedictions. They found a formulation that made a difference: One does not remove him for anything except if he did not say “He Who revives the dead”, “He Who subdues evildoers”, “He Who builds Jerusalem;” I say that he is a sectarian. Samuel Minor stood before the ark and forgot “He Who subdues evildoers.” At the end he started looking at them. They said to him, the Sages did not take you as a yardstick.
Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: If one is in doubt whether he mentioned the New Moon or not, one makes him repeat. Where does he return to? Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, if he had moved his feet, he repeats from the start, otherwise from “Temple Service.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, if he let his thoughts wander that is as if he had moved his feet. The private supplications, as exemplified in the texts presented in Halakhah 4:2 . They are certainly part of prayer and recited while standing still, but not part of official prayers. Hence, their status in respect to repetition is unclear. are a problem.
Rebbi Abba the son of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan. The main place of this paragraph is in Megillah Halakhah 4:5 . : If one became paralyzed while reading in the Torah, the one who steps in for him should start from the place the first one started. For if you say from the place he stopped, the first verses would have been blessed before them but not after them, the last ones after them but not before them, but it is written ( Ps. 19:8 ): “The Torah of the Eternal is perfect, restores the soul”, that it should be totally perfect.
It has been stated 3:20 . The parallel to this discussion is found in Yerushalmi Megillah 4:1. The Babli ( Rosh Hashanah 27a ) quotes only the result of the present discussion. : Two should not read the Torah and one translate, translated the verse into Aramaic (Onkelos for Eastern, Yerushalmi for Western congregations). In Greek speaking congregations, the Greek text (Septuagint, later Aquila, Symmachos, or Theodotion) was used. . Rebbi Zeïra said, because of the benedictions. But has it not been stated: Two should not translate and one read; could you say that is because of the benedictions? But it is because two voices do not enter into one ear.
It has been stated: “Two may read in the Torah but two may not read the haphtarah in the prophets.” Rebbi Ulla said, one calls several people to the Torah does not speak of simultaneous, but of successive readers. It asserts that the haphtarah after the Torah reading on Sabbaths, holidays, and fastdays, cannot be split between different readers, but the Torah reading should be split among different people for different sections. but one does not call several people for the prophets.
Rebbi Joshua the Southerner said: There are three things of which too little or too much is bad and average is good: sour dough, salt, and refusal. The first time he refuses, the second time he hesitates, the third time he runs and comes. Rebbi Ḥuna was sitting in a synagogue. The organizer came and importuned one to go up and he did not accept it. At the end, that one came to Rebbi Eleazar and said to him: My master should not be angry with me; I did not go up because I was not fully awake. He said to him: I am not mad at you but at the one who importuned.
Batitay was paralized at ophanim the recitiation of Is. 6:3 and Ez. 3:12 in the middle of the first benediction of Shema‘ . [The paragraph cannot deal with Qedušah in the Amidah since there ophanim are not mentioned in the introductory sentence and any error in the first three benedictions requires restarting anyhow.] Rebbi Abun’s answer shows that Baṭiṭai the reader was paralyzed not during, but after his recitation of the sentence connecting Is. 6:3 and Ez. 3:12 since the congregation already had answered the second verse. The first part of the benediction speaks of the creation of the world and leads up to Qedušah; the second part after Qedušah is a hymn to God in His relation to man; it has a different subject. The Yerushalmi here assumes that the Qedušah before the Shema‘ could not be recited in private prayers. Hence, the two parts of the benediction, both of which can be recited in private prayer, in public service have the status of two distinct benedictions in the sense of the Mishnah. . They went and asked Rebbi Abun. Rebbi Abun said to them in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: His replacement should start at the place where he interrupted. They said to him: But did we not state: “He starts from the start of the benediction where the other person made the error?” He said to them: Since you answered Qedušah, it is as if you started a new benediction.
MISHNAH: He who stands before the arc should not answer Amen after the Cohanim because of the distraction. If there is no Cohen there but him, he should not lift his hands. But if he is sure that he can lift his hands and return to his prayer, he may do so 7(1 ), an early Israeli Yelammedenu Midrash, extends the last sentence, “but if he is sure that he can return to his prayer, he may do so,” also to answering Amen after the Cohanim, “because there is nothing greater before the Holy One, praise to Him, than the Amen which Israel answer.” It is very likely that when this Midrash was composed, the flowering of synagogal poetry already had led to the writing of prayer books for the reader. .
HALAKHAH: It was stated 3:27 is similar to this text. : He who recites the blessings for the Shema‘ to 1Sam. 9:13 where הוא יברך הזבח is rendered by הוּא פָרִיס מְזוֹנָא. The Gaonic interpretation is that, even though at the end of a full prayer one may recite Amen on his own prayer, this does not apply to the benedictions after the Shema‘ . Most Medieval commentators take פורס to mean “to parcel out” and apply the term to a group of people who prayed with less than a quorum and after the Amidah found themselves with 10 adult males; they then may appoint a reader who recites half Kaddish, ברכוּ, possibly the first benediction for the Shema‘ , and the repetition of the Amidah with Qedushah and the priestly blessings. The Ashkenazic interpretation is supported by the reading of the Tosephta ( loc. cit. ) where פורס clearly means “breaking, parcel out”. , he who stands before the ark, he who lifts his hands, he who reads in the Torah, he who recites Haphtarah from the prophets, and he who recites any blessing for obligations spelled out in the Torah, should not recite Amen after his own benediction. If he answered, he is uncivilized. Some Tannaïm have stated: he is uncivilized; and some Tannaïm have stated: he is wise. Rav Ḥisda said: He who said “he is wise” refers to him who answers at the end). This is the reasonable interpretation of the Yerushalmi here. In the Babli, the parallel discussion is Berakhot 45b on reciting Grace after the meal, where Amen separates the part which is a Biblical obligation from the rest which is purely rabbinic. Hence, Ashkenazic interpretation restricts “Amen” after one’s own benediction to the third benediction of Grace. , but he who says “he is uncivilized” refers to him who answers every single benediction.
Rebbi Ḥanina said 37a . : Two Israel and one Cohen, one takes the Cohen in the middle. That is, when they are all equal. But if one of them is learned, one takes the one with a title #577. in the middle.
Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said: I never recited Grace 28a , that is rather vehemently opposed by R. Yoḥanan. in the presence of a Cohen and I never let an Israel say Grace before me 5:9 , the reading is “before him”, meaning the Cohen. In that version, R. Joshua ben Levi negates the entire ruling of R. Ḥanina and states that the Cohen always has precedence. Nevertheless, since his statement is formulated as a personal act, not as a precept for everybody, the Yerushalmi Giṭṭin proves by this statement that the precedence given the Cohen is a Rabbinic ordinance, not a Torah law. [R. Eliahu Fulda and R. Z. Frankel hold that R. Joshua was a Levite and extends the rule of R. Ḥanina to place the Levite between Cohen and Israel in order of precedence.] .
Rebbi Judah ben Pazi in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: Every Cohen who stays in the synagogue and does not lift his hands transgresses a positive commandment 38b ) three positive commandments are enumerated that the Cohen transgresses by his inaction.] . When Rebbi Judah ben Pazi was weak he supported his head and stood behind a pillar. Rebbi Eleazar went outside.
Rebbi Aḥa, Rebbi Tanḥuma ben Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Simlai: They lift their hands in a town where all are Cohanim 38b ) it is required that 10 Cohanim remain in their places in order to answer Amen after the blessings. The Babli is everywhere opposed to giving women a place in services or study. From here to the end of the Halakhah, the text is found (almost) word by word in Yerushalmi Giṭṭin 5:9 . . Whom do they bless? Their brethren in North, South, East, and West. Who answers Amen after them? Women and small children.
Abbaye ben Rebbi Benjamin 38b ) he is called Abba the son of Rav Minyamin bar Ḥiyya, a Babylonian Amora of the third generation. stated: Those who stand behind the Cohanim are not included in their blessing. Those who stand before the Cohanim; Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said the blessing even cuts through an iron wall) this is a tradition of R. Joshua ben Levi. . About those who stand on the side, we may understand from the following 12:2 , dealing with a man who wants to sprinkle from the water mixed with ashes from the red heifer on a person impure by contact with a dead body. It is a general rule that the water used for this purpose becomes invalid if, after it was taken from a flowing source, the person in charge of the water lets it slip from his mind. An action that contradicts the intention has the status of a slip of mind. : If he wanted to sprinkle before him and he sprinkled behind him, behind him and he sprinkled before him, his sprinkling is invalid. Before him and he sprinkled on his sides, his sprinkling is valid. This implies that those who stand on the side are included in the blessing) .
Rav Ḥisda said, the organizer must be an Israel 38a ), Rav Ḥisda is quoted to the opposite effect that only a Cohen may call “Cohanim”. However, in one manuscript (Rome) of the Babli, the reading is not “a Cohen may call ‘Cohanim’ ” but “one Cohen calls ‘Cohanim’ ” and then the statement would be parallel to the Yerushalmi. This reading of the Babli is the basis of the interpretation of (the Italian) Shibbole Halleqet . . Rav Naḥman bar Jacob said, if there was one Cohen he calls “Cohen”), Abbaye declares that one Cohen is not called at all but he starts by himself. , if there are two they call “Cohanim”. Rav Ḥisda, the author of this statement is Rav Ḥuna. said, even if there was only one Cohen he says “Cohanim”, because he only calls the tribe.
MISHNAH: It is a bad sign for him who prays when he makes a mistake. And if he is an emissary of the congregation, it is a bad sign for those who sent him because the emissary of somebody is like that person. They said about Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa that he was praying for sick people and saying that this one was going to live and that one was dying. They asked him, how do you know? He said to them, if my prayer comes easily from my lips I know that he has been accepted; otherwise, I know that he is being torn.
HALAKHAH: Rav Aḥa bar Jacob said, only at “Forefathers. 34b ), the parallel statement is attributed to the Babylonian-born Rebbi Ḥiyya (bar Abba) in the name of (the third generation) Babylonian Rav Safra. The statement must be Babylonian since the Yerushalmi requires attention for the entire Amidah . ”
It happened that the son of Rabban Gamliel fell ill and he sent two scholars to Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa in the latter’s city. He said to them, wait until I go to the upper floor. He went to the upper floor, came back, and said to them: I am sure that Rabban Gamliel’s son will get respite from his sickness. They noted that at this hour he asked for food. Rebbi Samuel ben Rebbi Naḥmani said: If you were able to concentrate your attention on your prayer, you are told that your prayer was heard. What is the reason? ( Ps. 10:17 ) “You prepare their hearts, You will listen with Your ears.” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said: If a person’s lips bore fruit he is told that his prayer was heard. What is the reason? ( Is. 57:19 ) “He Who created the fruit of lips: peace, peace to the far and the near said the Eternal, I shall heal him.”