Berakhot 12b — the Talmud in English

Rav Sheshet, when he bowed -

he bowed like a branch,

like a staff held by a person, which he strikes downward all at once; so too, he bowed all at once. And

when he straightened up -

he straightened up like a snake,

like a snake, which raises itself by lifting its head first and straightens little by little. Likewise, when he bowed during prayer, he first straightened his head and afterward his body, so that his bowing would not appear burdensome to him.

And

further,

Rabba bar Ḥanina the Elder said in the name of Rav: Throughout the entire year a person prays

and says at the conclusion of the blessing “You are holy” in the Eighteen Benedictions:

“the holy God.”

And likewise, at the conclusion of the blessing “Restore our judges as at first,” he says throughout the year

“the King who loves righteousness and justice.”

Except for the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, when he prays

during them

“the holy King,” and

he likewise says during them

“the King of justice.”

For during these days, the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals His kingship in order to judge the world.

And Rabbi Elazar said: Even if one said “the holy God” -

he has fulfilled his obligation, as it is stated

[Isaiah 5:16]

“And the Lord of Hosts is exalted through justice, and the holy God is sanctified through righteousness.”

And this is how the proof from this verse shows that one also fulfills his obligation with “the holy God”:

When is it that “the Lord of Hosts is exalted through justice”? -

These are the ten days from Rosh HaShana until Yom Kippur, and

nevertheless

the verse says

the verse

“the holy God,”

and therefore, after the fact, if he did not say “the holy King,” he need not repeat the prayer.

The Gemara discusses this:

What was the conclusion?

What is the final ruling?

Rav Yosef said:

One who says during the Ten Days of Repentance

“the holy God,”

and likewise

“the King who loves righteousness and justice” -

has fulfilled his obligation after the fact.

Rabba said:

One is obligated to say

“the holy King” and “the King of justice,”

and if he made a mistake, he must repeat the prayer.

The Gemara’s conclusion is:

And the ruling is in accordance with Rabba.

And Rabba bar Ḥanina the Elder said in the name of Rav: Anyone who is able to ask for mercy for another person but does not ask -

is called a sinner.

The proof is

as it is stated

[I Samuel 12:23]

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”

Rava said: If he is a Torah scholar

and

needs mercy, one must

his fellow

make himself ill over him

by praying on his behalf.

The Gemara discusses this:

What is the reason,

what proof is there for this?

If you say it is because it is written

[I Samuel 22:8]

“And none of you is concerned for me and reveals it to my ear,”

for Saul was a Torah scholar and thought that David hated him, and complained that no one was concerned for him, although he needed mercy to save him from David - this is not a proof, because

perhaps a king is different?

Perhaps only concerning a king who needs mercy is one obligated to suffer on his behalf.

Therefore, the Gemara explains:

Rather,

the source that one must make himself ill over a Torah scholar who is suffering is learned

from here:

[Psalms 35:13]

“But I,

when they were ill,

namely, Doeg and Ahithophel [who were Torah scholars],

I wore

I would wear

sackcloth.”

This proves that one must suffer together with a scholar who is suffering.

And

further,

Rabba bar Ḥanina the Elder said in the name of Rav: Anyone who commits a transgression and is ashamed of it -

all his iniquities are forgiven.

The proof is

as it is stated

[Ezekiel 16:63]

“So that you may remember and be ashamed, and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, when I forgive you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”

The Gemara challenges the proof:

Perhaps a community is different?

Perhaps their sins are forgiven because of the community’s special standing.

The Gemara therefore brings another source:

Rather, from here:

When Saul turned to Samuel through the medium of a necromancer, Samuel answered him: [I Samuel 28:15]

“And Samuel said to Saul: Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? Saul said: I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me and no longer answers me, neither through the prophets nor through dreams. So I have summoned you to tell me what I should do.”

The Gemara infers:

But he did not say “the Urim and Thummim,”

he did not mention

Saul

having asked through them as well and received no answer,

because he had killed

Saul

the

people of

Nob,

the city of the priests. Saul was ashamed before Samuel, lest Samuel say to him: You caused yourself not to receive an answer through the Urim and Thummim, because you mistakenly killed the priests of Nob. Since Saul was ashamed, he was forgiven.

The Gemara clarifies:

And from where do we know that he was forgiven in Heaven?

The Gemara explains:

As it is stated

in Samuel’s response to Saul:

“And tomorrow

you and your sons will be with me.” And Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

Samuel said to Saul: Tomorrow, you will be together

with me -

in my place.

доказательство, что ему простили: В конце жизни Давида в стране был голод три года, и Господь сказал, что голод пришёл как наказание за отношение Саула к гивонитянам, которых он убил. Когда Давид спросил гивонитян: «Что мне сделать для вас и чем искупить это, чтобы вы благословили наследие Господа?», гивонитяне ответили ему: [Шмуэль II 21:6] «Пусть нам дадут семь человек из его сыновей [Саула]] и мы повесим их Господу в Гиве Саула, избранника Господа».

And the Rabbis say: From here

it is proven that he was forgiven:

At the end of David’s life, there was a famine in the land for three years. God said that the famine had come as punishment for Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites, whom he had killed. When David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you, and with what shall I make atonement, so that you will bless the inheritance of the Lord?” the Gibeonites answered him: [II Samuel 21:6] “Let seven men of his sons [of Saul] be given to us,

and we will hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.”

Surely the Gibeonites did not say the final two words, “the chosen of the Lord,” because they intended to condemn Saul and not honor him. Rather, the verse teaches that

a heavenly voice emerged

after the Gibeonites’ words

and said

that Saul, whose sons they demanded to kill as atonement for his sin, was

“the chosen of the Lord!”

This proves that Saul was forgiven in Heaven [because he had been ashamed before Samuel].

Rabbi Abahu ben Zutarti said in the name of Rav Yehuda bar Zevida: They sought to establish the section concerning Balak as part of the recitation of the Shema.

And why did they not establish it? Because of the burden on the community.

они хотели установить его в чтении «Шма»? Если скажешь: потому что в нём написано [ Бемидбар 23:22]

The Gemara discusses this:

What is the reason

they wanted to establish it in the recitation of the Shema?

If you say it is because it is written in it

[Numbers 23:22]

“God, who brings them out of Egypt,”

if so,

let us recite the section concerning interest, and

likewise let us institute the recitation of

the section concerning weights,

which are short sections,

since the Exodus from Egypt is written in them!?

The Gemara therefore brings another reason why they wanted to establish it in the recitation of the Shema:

Rather, Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: It is because this verse is written in it

[Numbers 24:9]

“He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lion cub; who can rouse him?”

This resembles “when you lie down and when you rise up”: the Holy One, blessed be He, protects us when we lie down and when we rise, so that we may lie down secure and calm, like a lion and a lion cub.

The Gemara asks: Then let us recite this verse -

and nothing more!?

and no more!?

There would then be no burden on the community.

The Gemara answers:

It is received by tradition

that only

a complete section that Moses our Teacher divided, we divide, and

if it is

a section that Moses our Teacher did not divide -

we do not divide it.

раздел о цицит — почему его установили для произнесения в чтении «Шма»?

The Gemara discusses this:

The section concerning ritual fringes -

why did they establish it

to be recited in the Shema?

The Gemara explains:

Rabbi Yehuda bar Ḥaviva said: Because it contains five matters

the Exodus from Egypt, acceptance of the yoke of the mitzvot, and the awareness

of

the sectarians, thoughts of transgression, and thoughts of idol worship.

The Gemara asks:

Granted, these three are explained:

a.

The yoke of the mitzvot, as it is written

[Numbers 15:39]

“And you shall see it and remember all the mitzvot of the Lord.”

поскольку написано: «И пусть сделают себе цицит». в. Исход из Египта — поскольку написано: «который Я вывел».

b.

The ritual fringes -

as it is written: “And they shall make for themselves ritual fringes.”

c.

The Exodus from Egypt -

as it is written: “which I brought out.”

Rather,

the awareness of

the sectarians, thoughts of transgression, and thoughts of idol worship -

from where do we know this?

The Gemara explains, from that

as it was taught in a beraita: “

‘And you shall not stray

after your heart’” -

this refers to sectarianism,

those who turn the meanings of the Torah into an erroneous interpretation.

And likewise it says

[Psalms 14:1]

“The fool said in his heart -

‘There is no God.’”

There is no fool like one who turns the words of the living God into something else.

“After your eyes” - this refers to thoughts of transgression.

As it is stated [Judges 14:3]:

“And Samson said to his father: Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”

“You shall go astray” -

this refers to thoughts of idol worship, and likewise it says

[Judges 8:33]

“And they went astray after the Baalim.”

Mishna:

The Exodus from Egypt is mentioned at night.

The section concerning ritual fringes, which mentions the matter of the Exodus from Egypt, is also recited in the Shema

. Even though the night is not a time for the mitzva of ritual fringes, since it is written concerning them, “You shall see it - and remember,” nevertheless it is recited at night because of the mention of the Exodus from Egypt in the section.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: I am

seen

as one of seventy years old,

but I did not merit

to decide according to my opinion

that the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night, until ben Zoma expounded

thus:

as it is stated [דברים טו ג]:

[Deuteronomy 15:3]:

“So that you shall remember the day of your going out from the land of Egypt all the days of your life” —

“the days of your life”

these are

the days

in which the Exodus from Egypt must be mentioned, and the addition

“all the days of your life”

comes to include also

the nights.

And the Sages

who disagree with this

say

that the verse is expounded as follows:

“the days of your life,”

this world [until the Messiah comes], whereas the addition

“all”

was stated

to include

the days of the Messiah,

so that then, too, they will be obligated to mention the Exodus from Egypt.

Gemara:

It was taught

in the Tosefta:

Ben Zoma said to the Sages

“And do they mention the Exodus from Egypt in the days of the Messiah? But it has already been stated [ירמיה כג ז]

[Jeremiah 23:7]

‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when they shall no longer say, “As the Lord lives, Who brought up the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but rather, “As the Lord lives, Who brought up and Who brought the offspring of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands to which I had banished them.”’

They said to him: “No;

the prophet did not intend to say

that

in the days of the Messiah

the mentioning

of the Exodus

will be uprooted from its place; rather, it will be that

the redemption from

the subjugation of the kingdoms will be primary, and the Exodus from Egypt secondary to it.”

Similarly, you say in explaining the verse [בראשית לה י]

[Genesis 35:10]

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob; rather, Israel shall be your name.”