Berakhot 29a (כט.) — the Talmud in English

And he looked out

trying to remember?]

for two or three hours,

but they did not remove him

from the platform. The Gemara wonders:

And why did they not remove him?

But Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: If he erred in all the blessings

and forgot to recite them,

they do not remove him .

However,

in the blessing concerning the Sadducees, they remove him,

because

we are concerned that perhaps he is a heretic,

and he deliberately did not recite it, because it says in it, “And all the heretics shall instantly perish,” and he does not wish to curse himself.

The Gemara answers:

Shmuel HaKatan is different, for he himself

personally

instituted it,

and there is no concern that he is a heretic.

The Gemara asks:

But let us be concerned that perhaps he has turned back

from his righteousness?

Abaye said: It is learned by tradition: A good person —

does not become wicked! —

A righteous person does not become wicked.

The Gemara wonders:

And

is it the case that he

cannot

become wicked?

But is it not written [Ezekiel 18:24]:

“

And when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits injustice”?

The Gemara answers:

That

verse is discussing

one who was wicked from the outset,

who turned away from his wickedness and became righteous, but sometimes returns and becomes wicked again.

But one who was righteous from the outset

does not

become wicked again.

The Gemara returns and asks:

And

can a completely righteous person

not

become wicked?

But we learned [Avot 2:4]:

“

Do not be certain of yourself until the day of your death. For Yohanan the High Priest”

served as High Priest for eighty years —

and ultimately became a Sadducee!

Surely during the years in which he served as High Priest he was righteous, since any High Priest who was unfit would not complete his year, after entering to offer incense in the Holy of Holies.

Abaye said: Yohanan too was wicked from the outset, and afterward became righteous. And at the end of eighty years he again went astray,

since

he is “Yannai” and he is “Yohanan,”

and Yannai was wicked, as he killed the Sages of Israel.

And Rava said: “Yannai” is one person, and “Yohanan” is another person,

and Yannai was Yohanan’s son.

Yannai was wicked from the outset, whereas Yohanan was righteous from the outset.

The Gemara asks:

This works for Abaye,

who says, “He is Yohanan and he is Yannai,” and it follows that he was wicked from the outset.

But according to Rava,

who says, “Yannai is one person and Yohanan is another,” and Yohanan was righteous from the outset,

it is difficult

how he ultimately became a Sadducee.

The Gemara therefore concludes:

Rava could say to you

that in fact even

one who was righteous from the outset

must be considered suspect

lest he have turned back

and become wicked.

And if you will challenge:

If so,

why did they not remove Shmuel HaKatan from his prayer when he forgot the blessing concerning the Sadducees?

The distinction is that

Shmuel HaKatan is different, for he had begun it

by reciting this blessing, and in the middle he erred in its wording. In such a case, there is no concern that he is a heretic.

And as

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said — and some say Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They taught

that they remove him

only

when he

has not begun it

— the blessing concerning the Sadducees.

But

if he

has begun it

and errs in the middle, they do not remove him; rather, he

completes it.

The Gemara discusses another matter:

These seven

blessings in the prayer

of Shabbat —

corresponding to what were they instituted?

Rav Halafta ben Shaul said: They correspond to the seven voices that David mentioned over the water,

in the psalm “Ascribe to the Lord, sons of the mighty”: “The voice of the Lord is with strength,” “The voice of the Lord is with majesty,” and so on.

The Gemara discusses another matter:

These nine

blessings in the additional prayer

of Rosh HaShana —

corresponding to what were they instituted?

Rabbi Yitzhak of Kartignin said: They correspond to the nine mentions of the Divine Name that Hannah said in her prayer

when she gave thanks for the birth of Samuel. They instituted the prayer of Rosh HaShana corresponding to it, as

the Master said: On Rosh HaShana, Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered.

The Gemara discusses another matter:

These twenty-four

blessings in the prayer

of a fast day

[as explained at the beginning of the second chapter of tractate Ta'anit: one recites the eighteen blessings of every day and adds six additional blessings — Remembrances, Shofarot, and four additional psalms, with which he concludes in a manner resembling the theme of the passage] —

corresponding to what

were they instituted?

Rabbi Helbo said: They correspond to the twenty-four supplications that Solomon recited when he brought

the

Ark into the Holy of Holies!

Twenty-four matters of prayer are mentioned in that passage, in several expressions, such as “supplication,” “prayer,” and “entreaty,” and the like.

The Gemara asks:

If so, every day as well, let us recite them,

all twenty-four blessings. What did they see that led them to institute this specifically on fast days?

The Gemara answers:

When did Solomon recite them

— these twenty-four supplications? It was

on a day of mercy

that he recited them [when he needed to request mercy that the gates of the Temple be opened, after they had become attached to one another and would not allow the Ark to enter the Holy of Holies]. Therefore,

we too, on a day of mercy

[on fast days ] alone,

recite them

— the twenty-four blessings.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Yehoshua says:

A person prays

an abridged form of the Eighteen.

The Gemara discusses this:

What is “an abridged form of the Eighteen”?

Rav said: An abridged form of each and every blessing

— he recites the content of each blessing briefly, and concludes with a blessing.

And Shmuel said:

He recites the three first blessings and the three last blessings, and in the middle he recites one blessing, incorporating within it the content of all the intermediate blessings. And this is its wording:

Grant us understanding, Lord our God, to know Your ways

[corresponding to “Who graciously grants knowledge”].

Circumcise our hearts to fear You

[corresponding to “Who desires repentance”].

And forgive us

[corresponding to “Who is abundant in forgiveness”].

That we may be redeemed

[corresponding to “Who redeems Israel”].

And distance us from our sufferings

[corresponding to “Heal us”].

And nourish us in the pleasant places of Your land

[corresponding to the blessing of the years].

And from the four

ends of the earth

gather

[corresponding to the ingathering of the exiles].

And let those who stray be judged according to Your understanding

[meaning that those who err in judgment should be returned to learn to judge according to Your words; this corresponds to “Justice and judgment”].

And against the wicked raise Your hand

[corresponding to the blessing concerning the righteous].

And the righteous will rejoice in the rebuilding of Your city and in the restoration of Your Sanctuary

[corresponding to “Who builds Jerusalem”].

And in the flourishing of the horn of David Your servant, and in the preparation of the lamp of Jesse Your anointed one

[corresponding to “Who makes the horn of salvation flourish”].

Before we call, You will answer,

Blessed are You, Lord, Who hears prayer!”

He cursed

[cursed]

Abaye cursed anyone who prays “Havinenu,”

because he skips the blessings and combines them all into a single blessing.

Rav Naḥman said that Shmuel said: Throughout the entire year a person recites “Havinenu”

instead of the Eighteen,

except on Saturday night and at the conclusion of festivals, because then he must recite

the

Havdala in “Who graciously grants knowledge,”

and Havdala is not mentioned in the blessing of Havinenu.

Rabba bar Shmuel challenged

Rav Naḥman: Why should one not pray Havinenu on Saturday night

and recite it

as a

blessing

in its own right after the three first blessings, before reciting Havinenu?

But

did we not learn: Rabbi Akiva says: He recites Havdala in the prayer at the conclusion of Shabbat

as a

fourth blessing in its own right. Rabbi Eliezer says: He recites it

in the

blessing of

thanksgiving,

“We give thanks!”

The Gemara answers:

Do we, throughout the entire year,

when we pray the complete Eighteen,

act in accordance with Rabbi Akiva

and recite Havdala as a blessing in its own right,

so now,

when we pray Havinenu,

should we do so as well?

And if you will argue:

Throughout the entire year, why do we not act in accordance with Rabbi Akiva

— the reason is that only

eighteen

blessings

did the Sages institute

in the prayer, but

they did not institute nineteen.

Still,

here too,

in the prayer of Havinenu,

seven

blessings

did they institute

[the three first blessings, one intermediate blessing, and the three last blessings] —

they did not institute eight.

Since it is impossible to recite Havdala as a blessing in its own right, if he prays Havinenu he will lose the opportunity to recite it.

Mar Zutra challenged

Rav Naḥman:

Let us include

Havdala

within

the blessing of Havinenu, and let him say:

“Grant us understanding, Lord our God, Who distinguishes between the holy and the profane,”

just as we include it in “You graciously grant knowledge.” Why, then, did Shmuel say that one should not pray Havinenu on Saturday night?

The Gemara concludes:

It is difficult!

Rav Bibi bar Abaye said: Throughout the entire year

a person may recite

the prayer of

“Havineinu”,

except during the days of rain, because he must recite the request [“Grant dew and rain”

in the blessing of the years,

which is not mentioned in the prayer of Havineinu.

Mar Zutra challenged

Rav Bibi:

And let

the request for rain

be included

within Havineinu, and let him say

“Satisfy us with the goodness of Your land, and grant dew, rain, and blessing,”

so why did they require him to recite the complete Eighteen Benedictions during the days of rain?

The Gemara answers:

He may become confused

[and err in his prayer] because of this addition. The Gemara asks:

If so, with regard to Havdala, “Who graciously grants knowledge,” as well

should not be included in Havineinu, for the same reason,

that he may become confused,

so why did the Gemara previously leave the matter unresolved?

They said:

There, with regard to Havdala,

since it occurs at the beginning of the prayer

of Havineinu,

he does not become confused,

but

here,

with regard to the request for rain,

since it occurs in the middle of the prayer, he becomes confused

because of it, and may come to err.

Rav Ashi challenged:

Why not mention the request for rain

in “Who hears prayer,”

which is at the end of Havineinu, so that he would not come to err because of it?

D

Behold,

Rabbi Tanḥum said that Rav Asi said: If one erred and did not mention the powers of rain

[“Who makes the wind blow and causes the rain to fall”]

in the blessing of the resurrection of the dead, they require him to return to the beginning of the prayer.

But if he did not mention

the request

for rain

in the blessing of the years, they do not require him to repeat the prayer, because he can recite it

also

in “Who hears prayer,”

because it is a request. [But “Who makes the wind blow” is a mention of praise, and has no place in “Who hears prayer”].

V

And likewise, if he did not mention

Havdala in “Who graciously grants knowledge,” they do not require him to repeat the prayer, because he can recite it over the cup!

The Gemara answers: If he

erred

and forgot to mention the request,

it is different,

and after the fact he may mention it in “Who hears prayer.” But initially, it may be recited only in the blessing of the years. Since he cannot mention it in the blessing of the years of Havineinu, he must recite the complete eighteen blessings.

The essential matter: Rabbi Tanḥum said that Rav Asi said: If one erred and did not mention the powers of rain

in the resurrection of the dead— they require him to repeat the prayer.

If one erred and did not mention

the request in the blessing of the years—

they do not require him to repeat the prayer, because he can recite it in “Who hears prayer.”

V And if he did not mention Havdala in “Who graciously grants knowledge”— they do not require him to repeat the prayer because he can recite it over the cup! The following objection was raised: If one erred and did not mention the powers of rain in the resurrection of the dead, they require him to repeat the prayer.

And likewise, if he did not mention

the request in the blessing of the years, they require him to repeat the prayer.

But if he did not mention

Havdala in “Who graciously grants knowledge,” they do not require him to repeat the prayer, because he can recite it over the cup.

Thus, one who errs with regard to the request is required to repeat the prayer, contrary to Rav Asi.

The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult: This

case, in which we learned “they require him to repeat the prayer,” is

with regard to an individual

praying alone.

Whereas

this

statement of Rav Asi, “they do not require him to repeat the prayer,” applies

to

an individual praying with the

congregation.

The Gemara asks:

And with an individual praying with the congregation— what is the reason they do not require him to repeat the prayer? After all, it is because he will hear it later from the prayer leader during the repetition of the prayer leader’s Prayer.

If so,

the following question arises concerning

this

reason given by Rav Asi: “They do not require him to repeat the prayer

because he can recite it in ‘Who hears prayer’?”

After all, this reason is unnecessary. Rather, Rav Asi should have said: