Berakhot 26b (כו:) — the Talmud in English

When he prays two prayers on Saturday night, he

recites havdala and says “You have graciously granted us knowledge”

in the first prayer. This is because the first prayer must be recited as the evening prayer of Saturday night, in which havdala was instituted within the prayer. He does not recite havdala in the second prayer, because it is not recited as the evening prayer, but as the make-up prayer for the Shabbat afternoon prayer.

the

first prayer.

When he prays two prayers at the conclusion of Shabbat, he

recites Havdala and says “You have graciously granted us knowledge” in the first prayer. This is because he must recite the first prayer as the evening prayer for the conclusion of Shabbat, in which Havdala was instituted within the prayer. He does not recite Havdala in the second prayer, because it is not recited as the evening prayer, but as the make-up prayer for the Shabbat afternoon prayer.

And if he recited havdala in the

prayer

second and did not recite havdala in the first

the

second prayer counts for him

as the evening prayer of the conclusion of Shabbat. But the

first prayer does not count for him

as a compensation. For presumably he did not intend to offer the compensation before the obligatory prayer; rather, he intended it as the evening prayer. He did not fulfill even the obligation of the evening prayer through it, because he did not mention havdala in it, as explained immediately below. [Although in the first prayer he intended it as the evening prayer, we do not say that the second was intended as the compensation. Rather, since he recited havdala in it, he revealed that he had reconsidered, and that he now wanted the second prayer to serve as the evening prayer]

Although in the first prayer he intended it as the evening prayer, we do not say that the second prayer was intended as the compensatory prayer. Rather, since he recited the distinction in it, he demonstrated that he had changed his mind, and now wanted the second prayer to be considered the evening prayer.

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

Does this mean that since he did not recite havdala in the first prayer,

it is considered as though he did not pray

the evening prayer in the first one,

and we make him repeat it,

so that the evening prayer counts for him only through the second prayer?

And we raise a contradiction

from a beraita: If one

erred and did not mention the might of the rains

[“Who causes the rain to fall”]

in

the blessing of

the revival of the dead, and

likewise if he did not mention

the request

[“Grant dew and rain”]

in the blessing of the years—

we make him repeat it,

because he did not fulfill his obligation, and he prays again.

But if he did not mention

havdala in the blessing of knowledge—

we do not make him repeat it,

and he has fulfilled the obligation of the evening prayer,

because he can recite it

[the havdala]

over the cup.

The Gemara raises a difficulty: Since after the fact he has fulfilled the obligation of the evening prayer even without havdala, why should the first prayer not count for him as the evening prayer? It would follow that through the second he would fulfill the compensation.

And we conclude:

It is difficult .

It was stated

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said:

Three

prayers

per day—the three

the Patriarchs instituted,

as explained in the beraita below.

And

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: The prayers—

corresponding to

the daily offerings were instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly .

It was taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina, and it was taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi.

It was taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina: Abraham instituted the morning prayer. As it is stated

[Genesis 19:27]

“And Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood,”

and “standing” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated:

[Psalms 106:30]

“And Phinehas stood up and prayed.”

Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated

[Genesis 24:63]

“And Isaac went out to converse in the field toward

evening,” and “conversation” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated:

[Psalms 102:1]

“A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his plea before the Lord.”

“Toward evening” means the time of the afternoon prayer.

Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is stated:

[Genesis 28:11]

“And he encountered the place and spent the night there,”

and “encounter” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated

[Jeremiah 7:16]

“But you, do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up

on their behalf song or prayer, and do not plead with Me.”

And it was taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: Why did they say that the morning prayer extends until midday?—

For the morning daily offering could be sacrificed continuously until midday!

And Rabbi Judah says:

Its time is

until

the end of

four hours

of the day.

For the morning daily offering could be sacrificed continuously until

the end of

four hours.

It follows that the morning prayer was instituted corresponding to the morning daily offering, and therefore the root of their dispute concerning the time of prayer depends on the time of the morning daily offering.

And why did they say that the afternoon prayer extends until evening?—

For the afternoon daily offering could be sacrificed continuously until evening,

and the afternoon prayer was instituted corresponding to it.

Rabbi Judah says:

The time of the afternoon prayer is

until pelag haMinḥa. For the afternoon daily offering could be sacrificed continuously until pelag haMinḥa. [It is not referring specifically to the offering itself, but to the afternoon incense, which was burned at pelag haMinḥa. The afternoon prayer was instituted corresponding to it, as it is written: “Let my prayer be established as incense before You”] .

It was not specifically the daily offering itself, but rather the afternoon incense, which was burned at the midpoint of the afternoon. The afternoon prayer was instituted corresponding to it, as it is written: “May my prayer be established as incense before You.”

And why did they say that the evening prayer has no fixed time,

and that its time extends throughout the entire night?

Because the limbs

of burnt offerings,

and the fats,

the fats of all the offerings, whose blood was sprinkled during the day, and

that had not

been consumed

on the altar

from evening

[before evening]—

are offered

and continue to be offered throughout the entire night.

The evening prayer was instituted corresponding to them.

And why did they say

that the

Additional

prayers

may be recited throughout the entire day?

Because the additional offering may be offered throughout the entire day,

and the Additional prayer was instituted corresponding to it.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

Its time is

until the seventh hour.

Because the Additional offering may be offered continuously until the seventh hour

alone.

We find two times for the afternoon prayer: the time of “the greater Minḥa” and the time of “the lesser Minḥa.” The Gemara explains their times:

And which is

the time of

the greater Minḥa?

From six and a half hours onward.

It is called “greater” because it is prayed while the day is still long. This is the beginning of the time for Minḥa, since the afternoon tamid is not brought forward to before this hour.

The meaning of “between the evenings” is between the declining of the day [the beginning of the sun’s inclination toward the west] and the declining into night [the setting of the sun at the end of the west], which is at the end of the day. At six and a half hours, the sun stands in the middle of the firmament , and begins to incline toward the west. From then onward is the time of “between the evenings.” The time for offering the tamid then begins, and this is the beginning of the time of “the greater Minḥa.”

And which is

the time of

the “lesser Minḥa”?

From nine and a half hours onward .

For in practice they would slaughter the tamid every day at eight and a half hours, and it would be offered on the altar at nine and a half hours . They instituted this arrangement so that they would have enough time to offer all the offerings brought by vow or freewill that day, since no offering may be offered after the afternoon tamid.

They raised a dilemma: Rabbi Yehuda—

who said in our Mishna that the time of Minḥa extends “until pelag haMinḥa”—does he mean until the time of

the first half of Minḥa?

That is, until the first half of those two and a half hours that constitute the time of the lesser Minḥa [from nine and a half hours until nightfall].

Or

perhaps he means

until the time of the final half of Minḥa.

That is, until the second half of those two and a half hours, which is until an hour and a quarter before nightfall.

Come and hear, as it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yehuda says: “

until

the final half of Minḥa

they said

that one may pray the afternoon prayer,

and

that is eleven hours minus a quarter!”

The Gemara analyzes this:

Shall we say that this will be

inferred from this beraita, whose implication is that the prayers were instituted corresponding to the offerings, that it is

a refutation of Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina,

who maintained that “the prayers were instituted by the Patriarchs”?

The Gemara rejects this: There is no difficulty from this beraita, since

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, could say to you: In fact, I will tell you that the prayers were instituted by the Patriarchs,

and afterward

the Sages provided them with a scriptural association to the offerings.

The Gemara proves:

For if you do not say so—

that Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, agrees that afterward the Sages associated the prayers with the offerings—then you will have the following difficulty:

The Additional prayer, according to Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, who instituted it?

Rather,

it is necessarily the case that even Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, agrees that

the prayers—

the Patriarchs instituted them, and the Sages associated them with the offerings,

and when they later reestablished their obligation corresponding to the tamid offerings, they added the obligation of the Additional prayer.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Yehuda says

[the time of the morning prayer] is until four hours!

They raised a dilemma:

Does he mean that one prays

“until

four hours””—

and the endpoint is included,

meaning that the fourth hour itself is also included within the time of prayer?

Or perhaps, “until four hours” means

“until four hours”—

but the endpoint is not included.

The time extends only until the beginning of the fourth hour. The Gemara resolves this from our Mishna:

Come and hear:

We learned in the latter clause:

“Rabbi Yehuda says:

The time of the afternoon prayer is

until pelag haMinḥa,”

[and now the Gemara understands “pelag haMinḥa” as the second half of the time of Minḥa, and therefore proves]:

Granted, if you say that “until” excludes the endpoint,

and the second “pelag haMinḥa” is already outside the time of prayer,

this is the difference between Rabbi Yehuda and the Rabbis.

For according to the Rabbis, even the second half of pelag haMinḥa is a time for prayer, until evening; according to Rabbi Yehuda, it is not included.

But if you say

that the meaning of “until pelag haMinḥa” is

“and the endpoint is included,”

it follows that according to Rabbi Yehuda as well, one may pray throughout the entire period of pelag haMinḥa, until evening, and if so, it follows that

Rabbi Yehuda—