Berakhot 14a (יד.) — the Talmud in English

And in the breaks, one asks because of honor and responds to everyone’s greeting".

And the Gemara proves that this must be added to our Mishna: For

it was also taught

in a beraita

as follows: One who recites the Shema and encounters his teacher or one greater than he,

in the breaks, asks because of honor, and needless to say, responds

because of honor.

And in the middle, he asks because of fear, and needless to say, he responds

because of fear,

the words of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yehuda says: In the middle, he asks because of fear and responds because of honor. And in the breaks, he asks because of honor and responds to everyone’s greeting.

His brother asked [

an amora, who was

a tanna [

who taught baraitot ]

of the school of Rabbi Hiyya, of Rabbi Hiyya ]:

If one needs to ask or respond to a greeting because of honor or because of fear

while

he is reciting

Hallel, and

likewise

while

reciting

the Megilla, may he interrupt?

The sides of the uncertainty are:

Do we say

that it is permitted to interrupt, by

a kal va-homer,

for we find that in the middle of

the recitation of the Shema, which is by Torah law,

one interrupts

to ask or respond to a greeting; if so,

Hallel,

whose mitzva is only

by rabbinic ordinance,

need there be any question?!

Or perhaps,

since Hallel and the Megilla are read for

publicizing the miracle,

the law governing their reading is

preferable

to that of the recitation of the Shema, in that one may not interrupt them, because the virtue of publicizing the miracle depends on the continuity of its recitation.

He said to him

Rabbi Hiyya said to his brother:

One interrupts

as during the recitation of the Shema,

and there is no problem with it!

Rabba said:

The laws of interruption during Hallel depend on the obligation to recite it:

On days when an individual

recites the complete Hallel,

between sections he interrupts

to ask because of honor;

in the middle of a section he does not interrupt

to ask because of honor, but only because of fear .

And on days when an individual does not recite the complete Hallel

but recites it in abbreviated form,

even in the middle of a section he interrupts

to ask because of honor or because of fear .

The Gemara raises an objection:

Is that so? But Rav bar Shava

who was an honored person

once came before Ravina, and it was a day when an individual does not recite the complete Hallel, and

nevertheless

Ravina did not interrupt it

in order to ask after his welfare ?

The Gemara answers:

Rav bar Shava is different, for he was not considered important by Ravina,

and therefore Ravina did not interrupt in order to ask after his welfare.

He asked him

Ashyan,

who was

a tanna of the school of Rabbi Ami, of Rabbi Ami:

A person

who is fasting—may he taste

a dish, in order to determine whether it needs additional seasoning?

The sides of the uncertainty are:

Is only the prohibition of

eating and drinking accepted upon himself

when he accepted a “fast” upon himself,

or perhaps the prohibition of

benefit

from food and drink

was accepted upon himself

?

And

since even in mere tasting

there is

benefit, it is included in his prohibition.

He said to him

Rav Ami said to Ashyan:

He may taste, and there is no

problem with it!

It was also taught: One who tastes,

tasting a dish,

does not require a blessing.

And one who is fasting may taste, and there is no problem with it.

How much

may he taste? —

Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi would taste up to the measure of a revi'it [

a quarter of a log ] .

Rav said: Anyone who extends a greeting

to his fellow before he prays

it is as though he had built a private altar.

For by giving precedence to the honor of his fellow over the Divine Presence, he resembles a person who offers his sacrifice on a private altar instead of bringing it to the altar before God'.

As it is stated

225:

“Desist from

concern with the honor of

man, whose soul is in his nostrils, for what is he considered?”

According to its plain meaning, it should have said, “For what is he considered?” Therefore, they interpreted:

Do not read “

ba

-

me,”

but “

ba

-

ma.”

And Shmuel said:

There is no need to expound the verse, because its meaning is expressed as a question:

How did you consider him

to be someone whose welfare you should ask about first,

and not

give precedence to praying

to God?

Rav Sheshet objected

from our Mishna, which states:

“In the breaks, one asks out of respect, and responds.”

But the recitation of Shema precedes prayer, so how is it permitted to ask about his welfare during it before prayer?

Rabbi Abba translated it:

The prohibition against asking about another’s welfare before prayer applies only

when one rises early to go to his fellow’s door

before prayer in order to ask about his welfare ; whereas our Mishna is discussing a case in which he happened to encounter his fellow [while reciting the Shema].

(Rabbi Yona said in the name of Rabbi Zeira: Anyone who attends to his affairs

before he prays is as though he built a private altar.)

They said to him: You said “a private altar”?

But this comparison applies only when one gives precedence to human honor over the honor of God, such as when he asks about his fellow’s welfare before prayer; it does not apply to attending to one’s affairs.

He said to them: No.

I did not compare it to building a private altar; I merely

said, “It is prohibited.” And it is in accordance with Rav Idi bar Avin. For Rav Idi bar Avin said in the name of Rav Yitzhak bar Ashyan: It is prohibited for

a person to attend to his affairs

before he prays

as it is stated

241:

“Righteousness shall go before him, and he shall set his footsteps on the way.”

Its meaning is that he should first pray and vindicate his Creator, and only afterward turn to his journey and his affairs.

And Rav Idi bar Avin said in the name of Rav Yitzhak bar Ashyan: Anyone who prays and then sets out on a journey, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes

his affairs

succeed for him. As it is stated

257:

“Righteousness shall go before him, and

then the Holy One, blessed be He,

shall set his footsteps on the way.”

Rabbi Yona said in the name of Rabbi Zeira: Anyone who spends seven days without a dream is called “evil,” as it is stated

259:

“And seven he shall lie—

and evil shall not be visited upon him.”

And they interpreted:

Do not read “

sha

va

” but

“

she

va.”

” Its explanation is that a bad dream is divine assistance meant to awaken a person to correct his ways; and if he is not shown a bad dream for seven days, it appears that he is not worthy of being visited from Heaven.

Rav Aha, son of Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, said

to Rabbi Yona:

This is what Rabbi Hiyya said in the name of Rabbi

Yohanan: Anyone who fills himself with words of Torah

and afterward

goes to sleep, no evil tidings are announced to him, as it is stated: “And satiated

with words of Torah

he shall lie—

and evil shall not be visited upon him.”

We learned in the Mishna:

“These are the breaks”:

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda, who says: Between “your God” and “True and firm,” one may not interrupt

at all, not even to respond.

And furthermore,

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: What is the reason of Rabbi Yehuda?

He considers that the passage of the tzitzit concludes with “your God,” whereas “True and firm” is the beginning of the blessing that follows the recitation; why, then, may one not interrupt there, as one does “between the breaks”?

He explained that Rabbi Yehuda held that it is fitting to recite them together,