Berakhot 26a — the Talmud in English

Rava said: A cloak

[a garment] that they placed

folded,

on a chest of books—

it is considered like a vessel within a vessel,

because the cloak is not the books’ vessel.

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said:

When he wishes to have intercourse in a place where there is

a Torah scroll,

covering it is not sufficient, rather

he must make a partition ten

handbreadths [high].

Mar Zutra happened to come to the house of Rav Ashi and saw the place

where the bed of

Mar bar Rav Ashi was, where a Torah scroll was lying, and he had made a partition ten

[handbreadths high], so that he could have intercourse.

He said to him—

Mar Zutra to Rav Ashi:

I can say that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said

that one who wishes to have intercourse makes a partition before the Torah scroll—only in a situation

where he has no other house,

but

you, you do have another house;

why should you have intercourse by means of the allowance of a partition?

He said to him,

Rav Ashi: Indeed, the truth is as you say, but

it was not on my mind

[until now I had not taken it to heart].

We learned in the Mishna:

How far must he distance himself from them—

from urine

and from excrement—

four cubits.

Rava said in the name of Rav Seḥora, who said in the name of Rav Huna:

When they said that the measure of distancing is “four cubits,”

they taught this only

when they are

behind him, but

when they are

before him, he distances himself as far as his eyes can see

and recites the Shema.

And likewise for prayer,

the measure of distancing depends on whether they are before him or behind him.

The Gemara raises an objection:

Is that so? But Rafram bar Pappa said in the name of Rav Hisda: A person may stand

four cubits away

opposite an outhouse

that has no partitions

and pray,

yet an outhouse has the status of excrement, and even though it is before him, he does not distance himself as far as his eyes can see.

The Gemara answers:

In what are we dealing here? In an outhouse that has no

presently

excrement.

Therefore it is not considered like excrement, and it is sufficient to distance oneself four cubits even when it is before him.

The Gemara is astonished at this interpretation:

Is that so? But Rav Yosef bar Hanina said: The outhouse of which they said

that it is prohibited to recite opposite it is

even though it has no

presently

excrement, and

likewise

the bathhouse of which they said

that it is prohibited to contemplate words of Torah in it is

even though there is no

at that time

a person

naked. Necessarily, the outhouse itself causes a prohibition against reciting opposite it; if so, why does he not distance himself as far as his eyes can see?

Rather,

the Gemara returns and establishes the allowance to pray opposite an outhouse in another way:

In what are we dealing here—

in

an

unused outhouse,

which they had designated only for an outhouse and had not yet used; therefore distancing oneself four cubits is sufficient. But if an outhouse that had already contained excrement is before him, even if they emptied it of the excrement, he must distance himself as far as his eyes can see.

The Gemara raises an objection:

But

this law

was needed by Ravina

in his question:

If they designated it for an outhouse, what is the law?

The sides of the uncertainty are: Does

designation

have the power

of designation

to give it the status of an outhouse even though they have not used it,

or

does

designation

not have the power

of designation

to give it the status of an outhouse, and it is permitted to recite opposite it until they use it?

It follows that there is no clear allowance to pray opposite an unused outhouse.

The Gemara answers:

For this is what Ravina was asking

only regarding

standing upon it

in a place designated for an outhouse and

praying inside it

[within it ], but regarding reciting

opposite it, he did not

have a question. For the law follows Rav Hisda: as long as it has not been used, it is permitted to recite opposite it, whereas Rav Huna prohibited reciting as far as one’s eyes can see only regarding an outhouse that had already contained excrement.

Rava said: These Persian outhouses—

which were made over a pit, with the excrement rolling down an incline into a cavity, which was four cubits away from the mouth of the pit—

even though there is excrement in them

at the bottom of the cavity,

they are considered like sealed [places]

and it is permitted to recite opposite them as though there were no outhouse there at all.

Mishna:

A zav

is one who has had two sightings of zav discharge or more, and must count seven clean days without a sighting of zav discharge; only afterward can he immerse and become pure. It happened

that he experienced a seminal emission

during the seven clean days from zav discharge, with the result that even if he immerses to become pure from his emission, zav impurity remains upon him [which does not prohibit him from studying Torah].

And

likewise

a menstruant woman who discharged semen [that is, after she saw menstrual blood, semen that had remained from intercourse before she became a menstruant was discharged from her; the matter concerns a case where she had already immersed to become pure from the impurity of the emission from the intercourse itself, and now she became impure again through the discharge of semen], and she is impure with the impurity of an emission; even if she immerses to become pure from it, she remains in menstrual impurity.

[that is, after seeing menstrual blood, semen was discharged from her, originating in intercourse that took place before she became a menstruant. The case is one in which she had already immersed to become pure from the impurity caused by the seminal emission from the intercourse itself, and she now becomes impure again through the discharged semen]. She is impure with the impurity caused by a seminal emission, and even if she immerses to become pure from it, she remains impure with menstrual impurity.

And

likewise

a woman who had intercourse,

who is considered impure like one who has had a seminal emission,

who then experienced menstruation.

All these, although their immersion for their emissions does not suffice to purify them from their more severe impurity,

must immerse

to become pure from their emissions before engaging in words of Torah.

And Rabbi Judah exempts,

because the Sages did not obligate one to immerse before Torah study when the immersion does not purify him completely.

Gemara:

It was asked of them: One who has had a seminal emission who

after his emission

experienced zav discharge, according to Rabbi Judah,

who exempts a zav who experienced a seminal emission during his period of impurity from immersing in order to study Torah,

what

is his law?

The Gemara explains the sides of the uncertainty:

Does

when Rabbi Judah exempted

one impure with zav discharge and a seminal emission from immersing for Torah study, he did so specifically

there, in

the case where

“a zav who experienced a seminal emission,”

because at the time of his emission he was already impure with the more severe zav impurity, and it follows

that from the outset he was not fit for immersion

for words of Torah

he

was; and since he was not prohibited from studying in his more severe impurity, he is no longer prohibited through the lighter impurity of a seminal emission.

But one who has had a seminal emission and experienced

afterward

zav discharge

will be obligated to immerse for Torah study, since

from the outset,

when he was one who had a seminal emission,

fit

for the obligation of

immersion

for words of Torah

he

was, and in this case

Rabbi Judah obligates

immersion even though in the meantime the more severe zav impurity also took effect upon him.

Or perhaps, it is no different.

For Rabbi Judah exempts in every case in which he is not completely purified, and there is no distinction which impurity preceded the other.

Come and hear,

that Rabbi Judah exempts in every case: For we learned in our Mishna

“a woman who had intercourse and

afterward

experienced menstruation must immerse, and Rabbi Judah exempts”—

and the woman who had intercourse and

afterward

experienced

menstruation,

whose impurity from the seminal emission preceded her more severe impurity,

is comparable to one who had a seminal emission who experienced zav discharge, and

nevertheless

Rabbi Judah exempts

her from immersion for her emission.

Learn from this

that Rabbi Judah also exempts one who had a seminal emission who experienced zav discharge, because according to his view a person is not obligated to undergo an immersion that does not purify him completely.

And the Gemara brings that this is indeed so:

Rabbi Hiyya taught it explicitly: One who had a seminal emission who experienced zav discharge must immerse, and Rabbi Judah exempts.

We will return to you, chapter “One Whose Dead Relative Is Lying Before Him.”

Mishna:

The morning prayer,

its time is from the beginning of the day

until

the end of the sixth hour , which is

midday

of the day.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

its time is

until the first four hours

of the day, which is one third of the day.

And the time is measured in proportional hours. That is, the day is divided into twelve parts, and each part is considered an hour.

The afternoon prayer,

its time is

until evening .

Rabbi Yehuda says:

its time is

until pelag ha-minha.

And this is the midpoint of the time between the beginning of the time of “the minor Minha” and evening.

The evening prayer has no fixed time,

but its time is the entire night. And in the Gemara it will be explained why the tan­nnay used this wording.

And

its time

of

the prayer of the

additional offerings

is

the entire day,

until evening.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

the time of the additional prayer is

until the first seven hours

of the day.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: The morning prayer is until midday.

And we raise a contradiction

to this from a beraita:

Its mitzva

of the recitation of Shema is

with sunrise

[slightly before sunrise],

so that

he will finish the blessing of “Who redeemed Israel” that follows it at sunrise. And he

shall juxtapose

thereby the blessing of

redemption to prayer,

and pray the Eighteen immediately after the blessing of redemption.

And

then,

it follows

that he

prays at

the beginning of the

day.

In order to fulfill that which is stated, “May they fear You with the sun” [above, 9b].

And it is proven that the time of the morning prayer is specifically at the beginning of the day, unlike what is explained in our Mishna, that the time of the morning prayer extends “until midday” .

The Gemara answers:

When that

in the beraita

was taught,

that they pray at sunrise,

it was regarding the vatikin,

people who cherish the mitzvot and seek to perform a matter at its proper time, that this was said.

And as

Rabbi Yohanan said: The vatikin would finish it,

the recitation of Shema and its blessings

with sunrise,

and pray immediately afterward. But this time is not indispensable, and those who are late pray it afterward: according to the Sages, until midday, and according to Rabbi Yehuda, until four hours.

The Gemara wonders:

And

if

everyone,

who are not “vatikin,” are permitted to pray only

until midday, and no further?!

But did not Rav Mari, son of Rav Huna, son of Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba, say in the name of Rabbi Yohanan:

One who

erred,

forgot,

and did not pray the evening prayer —

prays two [prayers] in the morning [two Eighteen-prayers].

One for the sake of the morning prayer, and one for the sake of the evening prayer.

And likewise one who forgot to pray

the morning prayer —

prays at the afternoon prayer

two,

and it implies that he may also pray during the time of the afternoon prayer, which is after midday.

Therefore the Gemara explains:

“He prays throughout the entire day”

“and continues”—

he may recite the morning prayer even during the afternoon time, after midday, but only if he prayed

“until midday”—

“they give him the reward of a prayer at its proper time.”

But

“from here onward,”

even though he may pray by way of compensation—only

“the reward of a prayer they give him,”

but

“the reward of a prayer at its proper time they do not give him.”

For its principal time is until midday.

The question was raised before them: If one erred and did not pray the afternoon prayer, what is the law—should he pray in the evening prayer two? And the doubt is whether, if you should say

that it is as Rabbi Yohanan: one who

erred and did not pray the evening prayer prays two in the morning.

For it may be said that he said this specifically regarding the evening and morning prayers,

because

the evening and the morning that follows it

are one day,

as

it is written [Genesis 1:5],

“And there was evening and there was morning, one day,”

for the day follows the night.

But here, regarding one who forgets to pray the afternoon prayer, it is possible that he cannot complete it in the evening that follows it, for at night another day begins; and

prayer is in place of an offering,

as brought below.

And since its day has passed—

its offering is annulled!

That is: just as it is impossible to offer offerings whose time is fixed for this day on another day, so it is impossible to pray the prayer of this day on the following day.

Or perhaps, since prayer

is an appeal for mercy,

it is intended

Or perhaps, since prayer

is to arouse mercy, it comes— whenever he wishes, he prays and continues! Therefore he may complete it even on the night after its proper time. The Gemara resolves it: Come and hear: For Rav Huna bar Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: One who erred and did not pray the afternoon prayer— prays two evening prayers,

and this does not involve “its day has passed, its offering is annulled,”

because prayer is the seeking of mercy.

It was objected: It is stated [Ecclesiastes 1:15], “That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.” And they interpreted: “That which is crooked cannot be made straight”— this is one who nullified the evening Shema and the morning Shema, or one who nullified the evening prayer or the morning prayer, for he cannot repair what he distorted by omitting the Shema and prayer.

he prays two evening prayers.

There is no concern here that “once its day has passed, its offering is annulled,”

because prayer is an appeal for mercy.

They raise an objection from a source: It is stated [Ecclesiastes 1:15],

“That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is missing cannot be counted.”

And they expounded:

“That which is crooked cannot be made straight”—

this refers to

one who

deliberately canceled

the evening recitation of the Shema and the morning recitation of the Shema;

or

one who canceled

the evening prayer or the morning prayer,

since he cannot correct what he distorted by omitting the Shema and prayer.

“And that which is missing cannot be counted”—

this refers to

“And that which is wanting cannot be numbered”—

this

is one whose colleagues were counted for a mitzva matter, and

he was not counted with them.

And how did Rabbi Yohanan say, “One who erred and did not pray the evening prayer prays two in the morning,” when it is stated concerning it, “It cannot be made straight”?

Rabbi Yitzhak said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: Here, with what are we dealing?

With the verse “It cannot be made straight”—when he nullified the prayer intentionally, for the law of a compensatory prayer was stated only regarding one who forgot.

Rav Ashi said: It is also precise

that the verse refers to one who nullified the prayer intentionally.

For it teaches

in the beraita,

“He nullified

the morning prayer,” and it is implied that he nullified it intentionally,

and it does not teach, “he erred,”

whose meaning is unintentionally.

And we conclude:

Learn from it!

Page 26b

The Rabbis taught: One who erred and did not pray the afternoon prayer on the eve of Shabbat—

prays two on the night of Shabbat

[prayers] of Shabbat.

One who erred and did not pray the afternoon prayer on Shabbat—

prays on Saturday night

two weekday prayers .

And when he prays two on Saturday night, he makes havdala and says, “You have graced us with knowledge,”