Berakhot 26b — 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.

Because he must pray the first prayer for the sake of the evening prayer of Saturday night, in which havdala was instituted in the prayer.

And he does not make havdala in the second, because it is not for the sake of the evening prayer, but for the sake of the compensation for the afternoon prayer of Shabbat.

And if he recited Havdala in the

prayer

second one and did not recite Havdala in the first one—

the prayer

second one counts for him

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

first one does not count for him

as compensation. For presumably he did not intend to precede the compensation to the obligation, but rather intended by it [to pray] the evening prayer. And he did not fulfill even the evening prayer through it, because he did not mention Havdala in it, as explained immediately below. [Although in the first one he intended [it] for the evening prayer, we do not say that the second one is for compensation. Rather, since he recited Havdala in it, he revealed his mind that he reconsidered, and now his desire is that the second one should be for 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 asks:

Does this mean that since he did not recite Havdala in the first one

it is considered as though he had not prayed

the evening prayer in the first one,

and we make him repeat it,

and he fulfilled the evening prayer only through the second one?

And we raise a contradiction

from a beraita: If he

erred and did not mention the might of rains ["He causes the rain to fall"]

["He makes the rain fall"]

in

the blessing of

the revival of the dead, and

likewise if he did not mention

the request ["Give dew and rain"]

["Grant dew and rain"]

in the blessing of the years—

we make him repeat it,

since 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 fulfilled the obligation of the evening prayer,

because he can say it

[the Havdala]

over the cup.

And the Gemara asks: Since after the fact he fulfilled the evening prayer even without Havdala, why should the first one not count for him as the evening prayer? And consequently he would fulfill compensation through the second one.

And we conclude:

It is difficult.

It was stated

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said:

three

prayers

during the day—the three

ancestors instituted them,

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 Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina, and it was taught in accordance with Rabbi Joshua ben Levi.

It was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina: Abraham instituted the morning prayer. As it is stated [Genesis 19:27]

(Genesis 19:27)

“And Abraham rose 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]

(Psalms 106:30)

“And Phinehas stood and prayed.”

Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated [Genesis 24:63]

(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]

(Psalms 102:1)

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

And “toward evening” means the time of the afternoon prayer.

Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is stated: [Genesis 28:11]

(Genesis 28:11)

“And he encountered the place and lodged there,”

and “encounter” means nothing other than prayer. As it is stated [Jeremiah 7:16]

(Jeremiah 7:16)

“But you, do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up on their behalf song and prayer, and do not encounter Me.”

or prayer, and do not encounter Me.”

And it was taught in accordance with Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: For what reason did they say, “The morning prayer is until midday”?—

For the morning daily offering could be sacrificed and continue 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 and continue until

the end of

four hours.

And it is implied 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 for what reason did they say, “The afternoon prayer is until evening”?—

For the evening daily offering could be sacrificed and continue until evening,

and the afternoon prayer was instituted corresponding to it. [It is not specifically the daily offering itself, but rather the incense of the evening, which was burned at pelag ha-minha. And corresponding to it they instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is written: “Let my prayer be established as incense before You”] .

Rabbi Yehuda says:

The time for the afternoon prayer is

until the midpoint of the afternoon. Because the afternoon daily offering could be sacrificed continuously until the midpoint of the afternoon.

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 for what reason did they say that the evening prayer has no fixed time,

and its time is the entire night?

For behold, the limbs

of burnt-offerings,

and the fats

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

which did not

become completely consumed

on the altar

from evening

[before evening]—

are offered

and continue throughout the entire night.

And corresponding to them the evening prayer was instituted.

And for what reason did they say,

prayers

of additional offerings

their time is

the entire day?

For behold, the offering of additional offerings is offered throughout the entire day

and corresponding to them the prayer of additional offerings was instituted .

Rabbi Judah says:

its time is

until seven hours.

For behold, the additional offering is offered and continues until seven hours

only .

And we find two times regarding the Minha prayer: the time of “great Minha” and the time of “small Minha.” And the Gemara explains their times:

And which is

the time of

great Minha?

From six and a half hours and onward.

And it is called “great” because they pray it while the day is still long. And it is the beginning of the time of Minha, for they do not advance the daily offering of between the evenings to before this hour.

The meaning of “between the evenings” is between the evening of the day [the beginning of the sun’s inclination toward the west] and the evening of the night [the setting of the sun at the end of the west], which is at the end of the day. And at six and a half hours the sun stands in the middle of the firmament , and begins to incline toward the west. And from then onward it is the time of “between the evenings.” And then the time for offering the daily offering begins, and it is the beginning of the time of “great Minha.”

And which is

the time of

“small Minha?”

From nine and a half hours and onward .

For in practice they would slaughter the daily offering every day at eight and a half hours, and it would be offered upon the altar at nine and a half [hours]. And they instituted this so that they would have enough time to offer all the vows and freewill offerings of that day. For no offering is offered after the daily offering of between the evenings.

A question was raised before them: Rabbi Judah—

who said in our Mishna that the time of Minha is “until pelag ha-minha”—does he mean until the time of

the first division of Minha?

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

Or

perhaps

does he mean until the time of the latter division of Minha?

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, for it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Judah says: “

Until

the latter division of Minha

they

said that one may pray the Minha prayer,

and

that is eleven hours less a quarter!”

The Gemara discusses:

Let us say it will be

from this beraita, whose meaning is that the prayers were instituted corresponding to the daily offerings,

a refutation of Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina,

who held: “The prayers were instituted by the patriarchs”?

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

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina could say to you: In truth, I will say to you, the prayers were instituted by the patriarchs,

and afterward

the Sages based them upon the offerings.

The Gemara proves:

For if you do not say so—

that Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina agrees that afterward the Sages based them upon the offerings—then you will have this difficulty:

the prayer of additional offerings, according to Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina, who instituted it?

Rather,

necessarily, even Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina agrees that

the prayers—

the patriarchs instituted them, and the Sages based them upon the offerings,

and when they returned and instituted their obligation corresponding to the daily offerings, they added the obligation of the prayer of additional offerings.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Judah says

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

A question was raised before them:

does he mean that one prays

“until

four hours”—

and [the endpoint] is included,

that is, the fourth hour itself is also included in the time of prayer?

Or perhaps “

until four hours” means

but not [the endpoint] included.

For its time is 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 Judah says:

the time of the Minha prayer is

until pelag ha-minha,” [and now the Gemara takes pelag ha-minha to be the second half of the time of Minha, and therefore proves]:

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

If you say that “until” means but not included,

and the second “pelag ha-minha” is already not part of the time of prayer,

this is where there is a difference between Rabbi Judah and the Rabbis.

For according to the Rabbis, even the second pelag ha-minha is a time of prayer, until evening; whereas according to Rabbi Judah, it is not included.

But if you say

that the meaning of “until pelag ha-minha” is

“and [the endpoint] is included,”

it emerges that even according to Rabbi Judah they pray throughout the entire time of pelag ha-minha, until evening . And if so, it emerges that

Rabbi Judah—