Berakhot 24

Chapter 24

א בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר אֵין לָךְ צָרִיךְ כַּוָּונָה אֶלָּא שְׁלֹשָׁה פְּסוּקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בִּלְבַד. וְתַנִּי כֵן וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם עַד כַּאן לְכַוָּונָה מִיכַּן וָאֵילַךְ לְשִׁינּוּן.

1 Bar Qappara said: One has to focus his attention only during the first three verses. It was stated thus: (Deut. 6:7) “You should repeat” until there is the obligation of focussed attention; from there starts the obligation of repetition.

ב רִבִּי חוּנָה רִבִּי אוּרִי רַב יוֹסֵף רַב יְהוּדָה בְשֵׁם שְׁמוּאֵל צָרִיךְ לְקַבֵּל עָלָיו מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם מְעוּמָּד. מַה אִם הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב עוֹמֵד. לֹא אִם הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ עוֹמֵד.

2 Rebbi Ḥunah, Rebbi Uri, Rav Joseph, Rav Yehudah in the name of Samuel: One has to accept the Kingdom of Heaven standing. Does this mean that one has to get up when one is sitting? No, if one is walking he has to stand still.

ג תַּנִּי צָרִיךְ לְהַאֲרִיךְ בְּאֶחָד. רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יַעֲקֹב אָמַר וּבִלְבַד בְּד׳. סוּמֲכוֹס בַּר יוֹסֵף אוֹמֵר כָּל הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בְּאֶחָד מַאֲרִיכִין לוֹ יָמָיו וּשְׁנוֹתָיו בְּטוֹבָה. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה הֲוָה מַאֲרִיךְ סַגִּין. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי זְעִירָא לֵית אַתְּ צָרִיךְ כָּל הָכִין אֶלָּא כְדֵי שֶׁתַּמְלִיכֵהוּ בַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ וּבְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הָעוֹלָם.

3 It was stated: One has to prolong “is One”. Rav Naḥman bar Jacob said: But only at the daleth. Symmachos bar Joseph said: Anyone who prolongs “is One” has his days and years prolonged in wellbeing. Rebbi Jeremiah was prolonging very much. Rebbi Zeïra said to him: So much is unnecessary, only so long that you should think of Him as King of Heaven and Earth and the four directions of the world.

ד רַב שָׁאֵיל לְרִבִּי חִיָיא רַבָּא וְלֵינָא חָמֵי לְרִבִּי מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם. אָמַר לֵיהּ כַּד תַּחֲמִינֵיהּ יָהֵיב יָדֵיהּ עַל אַפּוֹהִי הוּא מְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עוֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם. אָמַר לֵיהּ לֵית אֶיפְשַׁר דְּלָא יַטֵּי מִילָּה. רִבִּי טַבְיוֹמֵי שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לֵית הֲדָה אָמְרָה שֶׁאֵין לָךְ צָרִיךְ כַּוָּונָה אֶלָּא פָּסוּק הָרִאשׁוֹן בִּלְבַד. אָמַר לֵיהּ אָדָא יְתַנֶּה עַד וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם.

4 Rav asked Rebbi Ḥiyya: But I never see that Rebbi accepts upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. He answered him: When you will see him cover his face with his hand, at that moment he accepts the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. He asked him back: Is it not necessary also to mention the Exodus? He answered him: It is impossible that he should not turn his words. Rebbi Tavyome asked Rebbi Ḥizkiah: Does this not mean that one has to focus attention only for the first verse? He said to him: With that he might recite until “You shall repeat.”

ה רִבִּי מָנִי אָמַר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי יוּדָה שֶׁאָמַר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגָּלִילִי אִם הִפְסִיק בָּהּ כְּדֵי לִקְרוֹת אֶת כּוּלָּהּ לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. רִבִּי בָּא רַב יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַב הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי מִינָא שֶׁאָמַר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה שֶׁאָמַר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגָּלִילִי.

5 Rebbi Muna said in the name of Rebbi Yehudah who said in the name of Rebbi Yose the Galilean: If one interrupted so that he would have been able to read all of it, he did not fulfill his duty. Rebbi Abba, Rav Jeremiah in the name of Rav: The practice follows Rebbi Muna who said in the name of Rebbi Yehudah who said in the name of Rebbi Yose the Galilean.

ו רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק אַף בְּהַלֵּל וּבִקְרִיאַת הַמְּגִילָּה כֵּן.

6 Rebbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Jehozadak: The same rule applies to Hallel and the reading of the Esther scroll.

ז אַבָּא בַּר רַב הוּנָא וְרַב חִסְדָּא הֲווּ יָתְבִין אָמְרִין אַף בִּתְקִיעוֹת כֵּן. סָלְקוּן לְבֵית רַב וְשָׁמְעוּן רַב חוּנָה בְשֵׁם רַב הוּנָא אֲפִילוּ שְׁמָעָן עַד תֵּשַׁע שָׁעוֹת יָצָא. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא עָד דְּאָנָא תַמָּן צְרִיכַה לִי וְכַד סָלְקִת לְהָכָא שָׁמְעִית רִבִּי יָסָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲפִילוּ שָׁמְעָן כָּל הַיּוֹם יָצָא. וְהוּא שֶׁשָּׁמְעָן עַל הַסֶּדֶר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה בָּעֵי הֲוָה זֶה צָרִיךְ פְּשׁוּטָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. וְזֶה צָרִיךְ פְּשׁוּטָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה. תְּקִיעָה אַחַת מוֹצִיאָה יְדֵי שְׁתֵּיהֶן.

7 Abba bar Rav Huna and Rav Ḥisda sat together and said, the same rule applies to blowing the Shofar. They went up to Rav’s Yeshivah and heard Rav Ḥuna in the name of Rav: Even if one heard it in up to nine hours he fulfilled his obligation. Rebbi Zeiïa said: When I was there, this was a problem for me. When I came here, I heard Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Even if one heard it during an entire day, one has fulfilled one’s obligation. But only if one heard it in the correct order. Rebbi Yose investigated: If one needed to hear the first simple tone and another one the final simple tone, one blow of the Shofar serves the requirements of both of them.

ח רִבִּי אָבִין בַּר חִיָיא בָּעֵי קִרְיַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ הִיא וְלֹא בִרְכוֹתֶיהָ בִּרְכוֹתֶיהָ וְלֹא הִיא. הִפְסִיק שְׁלִישָׁהּ וְחָזַר וְהִפְסִיק שְׁלִישָׁהּ בְּקוֹרֵא מְשַׁעֲרִין. אוֹ בְכָל אָדָם מְשַׁעֲרִין. אָמַר רִבִּי מַתַּנְיָא מִסְתַּבְּרָא בְקוֹרֵא.

8 Rebbi Abin bar Ḥiyya investigated: The recitation of Shema‘ with its benedictions, it (the recitation of Shema‘) without its benedictions, its benedictions without it? If he interrupted after a third, interrupted after a second third? Does one estimate by the reader’s speed or by the average speed of all men? Rebbi Mattaniah said, it seems reasonable by the reader’s.

ט רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא קָרֵי שְׁמַע וְעָבַר בִּמְבוּאוֹת הַמְּטוּנָּפוֹת וּמַפְסִק נְפִיק אֲנָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּהוּ בְנִי אִם מַפְסִיק אַתְּ כְּדֵי לִקְרוֹת אֶת כּוּלָּהּ לֹא יָצָאת יְדֵי חוֹבָתָךְ.

9 Rebbi Abbahu asked Rebbi Yoḥanan: Assuming that I am reciting Shema‘ and interrupting while passing by stinking passage ways, do I fulfill my obligation? He answered him: Abbahu my son, if you interrupt enough that you could have finished all of it, you did not fulfill your obligation.

י רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר סְלִיק מְבַקְּרָא לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא תָּשִׁישׁ וַאֲנָא קָרֵי שְׁמַע וּמִתְנַמְנֵם נְפִיק אֲנָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אִין. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בָּעָא קוֹמוֹי רִבִּי זְעִירָא בְּגִין דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר יָדַע דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא מְדַקְדֵּק בְּמִצְוָותָא סַגִּין הוֹרֵי לֵיהּ אוֹ בְגִין דְּהוּא תָשִׁישׁ הוֹרֵי לֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּפֵירוּשׁ פְּלִיגִין רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר יָצָא. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לֹא יָצָא. מַה פְלִיגִין בְּקִרְיַת שְׁמַע מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא עֲשׂוּיָה פְּרָקִים פְּרָקִים. אֲבָל בְּהַלֵּל וּבִקְרִיַּאת הַמְּגִילָּה אוּף רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מוֹדֵי.

10 Rebbi Eleazar went to pay a sick-bed visit to Rebbi Simeon bar Abba. He said to him: Since I am weak, when I am reciting Shema‘ I tend to slumber; do I fulfill my obligation? He said to him: yes. Rebbi Jeremiah asked before Rebbi Zeïra: Did Rebbi Eleazar give this ruling since he knew that Rebbi Simeon bar Abba is very scrupulous in the execution of his religious duties, or because he was so weak? He answered him: They disagree explicitly; Rebbi Eleazar said he fulfilled his obligation, Rebbi Yoḥanan said he did not fulfill his obligation. They disagree for the recitation of Shema‘ since that is composed of separate chapters, but for the recitation of Hallel and the Esther scroll, Rebbi Eleazar will agree.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter