Berakhot 24b — the Talmud in English

And he feels his garment:

in order to kill a louse that bites him.

But

if his tallit was falling from him,

he would not

take it and

wrap himself

in it, so as not to interrupt his prayer.

And when he

was

yawning—

he would place his hand on his chin

so that his yawn would not be noticeable .

He raised an objection: One who makes his voice heard during his prayer—

behold, this is one of little faith,

for he thinks as though the Holy One, blessed is He, does not hear prayer in a whisper.

One who raises his voice during his prayer—

behold, this is one of the false prophets,

whose way is to call out in a great voice.

The

belching and

the

yawning

during his prayer—

behold, this is of the arrogant.

One who sneezes during his prayer—

it is an evil sign for him.

And some say: It is evident that he is ugly.

The

spitting

during his prayer—

as though he

were spitting

before a king!

And the Gemara explains its objection from the beraita:

Granted

what occurred with Rabbi, that he

belched and yawned; this is not difficult:

for

here,

with Rabbi, it was

involuntary,

whereas

here,

in the beraita, he is considered among the arrogant when he belches and yawns

voluntarily.

But

from what we learned in the beraita, that one who

sneezes

has an evil sign for him,

the sneezing of

Rabbi—

is difficult !

The Gemara answers:

With regard to sneezing and sneezing also, this is not difficult:

for

here,

with Rabbi, it was a sneeze

from above,

from the nose, and it is a good sign, as follows. Whereas

here,

in the beraita, the sneeze was the expulsion of wind with a sound

from below.

And we find that a sneeze from above is considered a good sign,

for Rav Zeira said: This matter was absorbed

into me—

they caused it to be absorbed for me in the academy of Rav Hamnuna, and it was precious to me,

and important in my eyes,

this matter like all my learning,

like all my studies [because he was accustomed to sneeze frequently from above]:

One who sneezes during his prayer—

it is a good sign

for him.

For

just as they give him satisfaction

through his sneezing in this world

from below,

because sneezing causes a person satisfaction—

so they give him satisfaction from above, from Heaven, to fulfill the desires of his heart.

But

from what we learned in the beraita, that

spitting

during his prayer is as though he spat before a king,

the spitting

of Rabbi—

is difficult!

The Gemara answers:

With regard to spitting and spitting also, this is not difficult,

for there is a circumstance in which it is

possible

to spit,

as with Rav Judah. For Rav Judah said: If he was standing in prayer and spittle happened to come to him—

he absorbs it in his tallit, and if it is a fine tallit—

he absorbs it in his afarkesut,

in the scarf on his head that hangs down over his shoulders.

Ravina was standing

there—he was standing—

behind Rav Ashi. Spittle happened to come to him

in his mouth;

he threw it

spitting

behind him.

He said to him,

Rav Ashi: Surely

does my master not accept this teaching of Rav Judah,

who said

“he absorbs it in his afarkesut”?!

He said to him: I am delicate in my sensibilities—

I am delicate in my sensibilities, and I cannot absorb my spittle in my garment.

We learned in a beraita:

One who makes his voice heard during his prayer—

behold, this is one of little faith.

Rav Huna said: They taught this

only when he can direct his heart in a whisper; but when he cannot direct his heart in a whisper—

it is permitted

to make his voice heard.

And this matter

that it is permitted to make his voice heard in order to direct his heart applies

when he is alone.

But in a congregation it is forbidden, because

he may disturb the congregation.

Rabbi Abba was avoiding

Rabbi Judah—he was evading him—

because of Rav Judah,

since

he wanted

Rabbi Abba

to go up

to ascend

to the Land of Israel,

and therefore he refrained from entering the house of study, so that he would not meet Rav Judah, who prohibited ascending to the Land of Israel.

For Rav Judah said: Anyone who goes up from Babylonia to the Land of Israel violates a positive commandment, as it is stated: [Jeremiah 27:22]

“They shall be brought to Babylon,

and there they shall remain

until the day

that I take account of them, declares the Lord.”

Rabbi Abba said

to himself:

I will go and hear from him,

from Rav Judah,

a matter

while I stand outside

the house of assembly [the house of study],

[the house of study],

and afterward

I will

I will leave

and set out on the road and go up to the Land of Israel.

Rabbi Abba went

and

found a tanna, who was teaching,

who recited

before Rav Judah: If he was standing in prayer and sneezed

from below—

he waits until the wind has subsided

and returns and prays.

Some say: If he was standing in prayer and needed to sneeze

from below—

he moves four cubits behind him and sneezes,

and waits four cubits and sneezes,

and waits until

the foul odor emanating from

the wind has subsided, and he returns

and prays.

And he says

“Master of the world, You created us with openings upon openings, hollow spaces upon hollow spaces. It is revealed and known before You our shame and our disgrace during our lives, and at our end, worm and maggot.”

And he begins

to pray

from the place where he stopped.

Rabbi Abba said:

Rabbi Abba:

If I had come only to hear this statement—

that would have been enough.

The Sages taught in a beraita: If one was sleeping

while naked, and his body was covered

by his prayer shawl, and he cannot take his head out

outside his prayer shawl

because of the cold—

he creates a barrier

between his nakedness and his eyes by tightening

his prayer shawl around his neck,

and he recites the Shema.

And there are those who say:

he tightens the prayer shawl

over his heart

and thereby creates a barrier between the upper part of his body, from his heart upward, and his nakedness. The Gemara raises a difficulty:

And

according to

the first anonymous tanna, who says that he tightens the prayer shawl around his neck, what has he accomplished?

And

his heart is “facing” his nakedness, since there is no barrier between his heart and his nakedness, even though his entire body is covered. Thus, there must be a barrier between the heart and the nakedness; it is not enough merely to cover the nakedness itself in order to permit reciting the Shema.

The Gemara answers:

The first anonymous tanna holds

that even if

his heart is “facing” his nakedness—

it is permitted

to recite the Shema.

Rav Huna said that Rabbi Yohanan said: If one was walking through filthy alleyways

with excrement—

he places his hand over his mouth

and recites the Shema.

Rav Hisda said to him: “By God!” [a formula of an oath]: Even

формула клятвы]: даже

if Rabbi Yohanan himself had told me

this law

with his own mouth—

I would not obey him.

I would not have obeyed him.

Some say that Rabba bar bar Hana said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If one was walking through filthy alleyways—

he places his hand over his mouth and recites the Shema.

Rav Hisda said to him: “By God! If

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi had told me with his own mouth—

I would not obey him.”

And did Rav Huna say

in the name of Rabbi Yohanan

this,

that it is permitted to recite in filthy places by placing one's hand over one's mouth?

But Rav Huna said: A Torah scholar is prohibited from standing in a filthy place—

because he cannot stand there without thinking about Torah ?!

?!

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult.

Here,

where it is prohibited,

he is standing

in them.

Here,

where it is permitted,

he is walking.

There is still a difficulty:

And did Rabbi Yohanan say this,

that it is permitted to recite in filthy alleyways?

But Rabba bar bar Hana said that Rabbi Yohanan said: In every place it is permitted to think about words of Torah—

except in a bathhouse and a lavatory,

and filthy alleyways are like them—!?

And if you would say that here too

there is a distinction:

here it is referring to one who is standing, and here to one who is walking.

No! But Rabbi Abbahu was walking behind Rabbi Yohanan, and he was reciting

Rabbi Abbahu

the Shema. When he reached,

when he arrived

at the alleyways

that were filthy—

he fell silent.

Rabbi Abbahu said

Rabbi Abbahu

to Rabbi Yohanan: “From where should I resume,

from where should I continue reciting after stopping in this filthy alley?”

Rabbi Yohanan said

Rabbi Yohanan:

“If you waited long enough to finish the entire

Shema—

return to the beginning

of the Shema!

Since Rabbi Abbahu was walking, yet Rabbi Yohanan agreed with his stopping the recitation of the Shema, it follows that Rabbi Yohanan's opinion is that reciting the Shema in filthy alleyways is prohibited.

The Gemara answers: This is what

Rabbi Yohanan said to Rabbi Abbahu:

“As for me,

I do not hold

that one must stop. But

as for you, since you hold

that one may not recite there even while walking—

if you waited long enough to finish the entire Shema, return to the beginning.”

A beraita supports Rav Huna, and a beraita supports Rav Hisda.

A beraita supports Rav Huna: One who is walking through filthy alleyways—

places his hand over his mouth and recites the Shema.

A beraita supports Rav Hisda: If one was walking through filthy alleyways—

he should not recite the Shema. Moreover, if he had already been reciting it—

he must stop.

The Gemara discusses:

If he did not stop—

what is the consequence?

Rabbi Miasha, son of the son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, said: The verse says about him [יחזקאל כ כה]

[Ezekiel 20:25]:

“I also gave them laws that were not good and ordinances through which they could not live.”

That is, since he performs the mitzva improperly, it is not good for him, because he will receive no reward for it.

Rav Asi said: The proof is from here: [ישעיהו ה יח]

[Isaiah 5:18]:

“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of futility.”

That is, he is punished for mere speech, like one who draws iniquity upon himself with a loose cord that is easy to sever.

Rav Adda bar Ahava said: The proof is from here: [במדבר טו לא]

[Numbers 15:31]:

“Because he has despised the word of the Lord.”

For by speaking words of sanctity in a filthy place, he thereby treats the word of the Lord with contempt.

And

the Gemara explains:

“If he stopped, what is his reward?”—

Rabbi Abbahu said: The verse says about him [דברים לב מז]:

[Deuteronomy 32:47]:

“And through this matter you will prolong your days.”

Rav Huna said: If his prayer shawl was belted around his waist,

and he was covered by it from his waist downward ,

it is permitted for him to recite the Shema.

It was taught likewise: If his prayer shawl, whether made of cloth, leather, or sackcloth, was belted around his waist, it is permitted for him to recite the Shema.