Berakhot 30b — the Talmud in English

In Nehardea

because it is a place where there is a ḥavēr ir, and I was exempted through the prayer of the prayer leader,

apart from that day when the king's army came [

army]

to the city, and the Sages were distracted

of Nehardea,

and they did not pray,

and since the community had not prayed,

I prayed

Musaf

alone,

because

I was an individual where there was no ḥavēr ir!

And in this manner even an individual is obligated, and this is according to Rabbi Judah's words according to the method of Eleazar ben Azariah.

Rabbi Ḥanina Kera sat

before Rabbi Yannai, and he sat and said: The halakha is according to Rabbi Judah, who said in the name of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah!

For an individual who is not in a ḥavēr ir is obligated in Musaf.

He said to him

Rabbi Yannai:

Go recite your recitations outside [

Say your words outside the study hall!], for the truth is not as you say, because

the halakha is not according to Rabbi Judah, who said in the name of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah!

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I saw Rabbi Yannai, that he prayed and then prayed again

alone, two prayers one after the other. Necessarily, they were Shacharit and Musaf [for they are the only prayers that come one after the other] . And it is proved that the halakha is according to the Sages, that an individual prays Musaf.

Rabbi Yirmeya said to Rav Zeira:

And from where do you know that these were the prayers of Shacharit and Musaf?

Perhaps

both of them were the prayer of Shacharit,

and

he returned to pray because

at first he did not direct his mind, and afterward he directed his mind.

Rav Zeira said to him: See who

he is,

a great man who testifies concerning him—

concerning Rabbi Yannai?! It was Rabbi Yoḥanan who testified thus. Certainly, a great man such as he would not testify if he had not examined the matter well and found that the second prayer was for the purpose of the Musaf prayer.

Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, even though they had thirteen synagogues in Tiberias, did not pray

their prayer

except between the pillars, where they studied!

For from the day the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in His world except four cubits of halakha alone [as above, 8a].

It was stated: Rav Yitzḥak bar Avdimi in the name of our teacher [

Rav]

said: The halakha is according to Rabbi Judah, who said in the name of

Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah: “An individual does not pray Musaf except in a place where there is no ḥavēr ir.”

Rav Ḥiyya bar Abba prayed, and

again

returned

and

prayed

again.

Rabbi Zeira said to him: What is the reason that the Master did this?

If you say that it was because the Master did not direct his mind

during the first prayer, and anyone who did not direct his mind in the first blessing has not fulfilled his obligation—

but Rabbi Elazar said: A person should always assess himself, whether he can direct his heart [

at least in the blessing of “Fathers”],

he should pray, and if

not, he should not pray!

And if so, you should not have prayed the first prayer if you were not certain about yourself that you would be able to concentrate.

Rather,

if you returned and prayed because

the Master did not remember “

May there arise and come”

of the beginning of the month—

but

even for this reason there is no obligation to return and pray.

For

it was taught

in a beraita:

If one erred and did not mention Rosh Ḥodesh in the evening prayer, they do not make him repeat it, because he can say it in Shacharit.

And if he erred and did not mention “May there arise and come”

in Shacharit, they do not make him repeat it,

because he can say it [

the mention of Rosh Ḥodesh]

in Musaf .

And likewise, if he did not mention it

in Musaf, they do not make him repeat it, because he can say it in Minḥah.

If so, why did you pray twice one after the other?

He said to him

Rav Ḥiyya bar Abba: Is it not the case that

it was stated concerning it—

concerning this beraita:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

Only

with

a person who prays with the

community was this taught,

that “they do not make him repeat it,” because he will hear “May there arise and come” from the prayer leader during the repetition of the prayer, but one who prays alone, and erred and did not mention “May there arise and come,” must return and pray.

The Gemara discusses: One who has to pray two prayers one after the other, such as Shacharit and Musaf, or who erred in the first and returns to pray,

how

long should he wait between one prayer and the next?

Rav Huna and Rav Ḥisda

answered concerning this question:

One said

that after he finishes the first, he should wait until

his mind is graciously disposed toward him [

that his mind settles so that he can arrange his words in the language of supplication].

And one said:

He should wait until

his mind is entreated toward him [

an expression of “supplication,” and this too is a language of prayer]. The Gemara explains their words:

The one who says, “until his mind is graciously disposed toward him,”

used this expression because

it is written [

Deuteronomy 3:23]

“And I entreated the Lord.”

And the one who says, “until his mind is entreated toward him,”

used this expression because

it is written [

Exodus 32:11]

“And Moses entreated.”

Rav Anan said in the name of Rav: If he erred and did not mention “

May there arise and come”

of Rosh Ḥodesh

in the prayer of

the evening, they do not make him repeat it

to pray again,

because

the court sanctifies the new month only by day and not at night [see Rosh Hashanah 25b].

Ameimar said: It is reasonable to say that Rav's ruling applies when the month is full,

for then they make two days of Rosh Chodesh in the month that follows it [on the thirtieth day of the departing month and on the first day of the incoming month]. And if he forgot “Ya'aleh ve-yavo” on the first night of Rosh Chodesh, he does not repeat [the prayer], because he can say it in the evening prayer of the second day of Rosh Chodesh, which is a complete Rosh Chodesh.

But if

the

month

that is ending

is deficient,

and there is only one day of Rosh Chodesh in the incoming month, if he forgot “Ya'aleh ve-yavo” in the evening prayer,

they make him repeat [the prayer].

Rav Ashi said

to Ameimar:

Granted, Rav

has

stated the reason,

because “the month is not sanctified at night”; and according to this reason—

what difference is there whether it is deficient

or whether it is full?

Rather, it is no different

between a deficient month and a full month, and whenever he erred in the evening prayer they do not make him repeat [the prayer].

We have completed Hadran alakh, the chapter of the morning prayer

Mishna:

One does not stand to pray except with solemn seriousness

which is a manner of submission.

The early pious men would linger

in the synagogue

one hour

before the prayer,

and

afterward

they would pray,

in order that they might nullify from their hearts the pleasures of this world and its enjoyments, and

direct

the

heart toward their Father in Heaven.

And one who is standing in the middle of his prayer –

even if the king greets him, he must not answer him.

And even if a snake is coiled around his heel, he must not interrupt

his prayer by speech.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: One does not stand to pray except with solemn seriousness.

The Gemara discusses:

From where are these words?

Rabbi Elazar said:

From

as the verse says

concerning Hannah [I Samuel 1:10]:

“And she was bitter of spirit,”

which is a matter of submission.

The Gemara rejects: And

from what

is the proof that one must conduct himself thus? But

perhaps Hannah is different,

for she conducted herself in submission because

her heart was exceedingly embittered,

because she had no children. But every person is not obligated to conduct himself thus.

Rather, Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said: From here

they learned that he should stand with solemn seriousness, as it is stated [Psalms 5:8]:

“But I, through Your abundant kindness, shall enter Your house; I shall bow toward Your holy sanctuary –

in Your fear,”

so it follows that one must stand for prayer with fear.

The Gemara rejects: And

from what

is the proof that there is an obligation to stand in this manner?

Perhaps David is different, for he afflicted himself greatly in supplication.

Rather, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: From here

they learned that he should stand with solemn seriousness, as it is stated [Psalms 29:2]:

“Bow down to the Lord in the majesty of holiness.” Do not read “in the majesty,” but “in trembling,”

which is a matter of submission and fear.

The Gemara rejects: And

from what

have you proved from the verse that you have removed it from its plain meaning? But

perhaps I will say to you in truth

that the meaning is

“majesty”

literally, namely, that he must adorn himself in his clothing when he stands in prayer, like one standing before a king.

As with that of Rav Yehuda, who would adorn

[himself]

before himself

before prayer,

and afterward pray.

Rather, Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: From here

they learned that one must stand in prayer with solemn seriousness:

As it is stated [Psalms 2:11]:

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

That is to say, prayer, which is in place of service, perform with fear.

The Gemara further expounds this verse’s meaning:

What is “and rejoice with trembling”?

But “rejoicing” and “trembling” are a thing and its opposite.

Rav Adda bar Mattana said in the name of Rav: In the place of rejoicing –

there shall be trembling!

For even at a time of joy, a person must be in fear, so that through the joy he will not be drawn after the pleasures of this world and forget his Creator; and it follows that fear brings one to joy, because through it he rises in the performance of the mitzvot.

Abaye was sitting before Rabbah. He saw that he was exceedingly merry, and said

to him, Abaye: For behold,

“and rejoice with trembling” is written,

and its implication is that a person should not be in excessive joy, so that he should not appear like one casting off the yoke.

He said to him

Rabbah:

I –

I have phylacteries placed upon me.

And they are testimony that the sovereignty of my Master is upon me, and even when I am excessively joyful, I do not appear like one casting off the yoke.

Rabbi Yirmeya was sitting before Rabbi Zeira. He saw that he was exceedingly merry, and said to him

Rabbi Yirmeya: Behold [Proverbs 14:23],

“In all sorrow there will be gain” is written,

and its meaning is that if a person presents himself as sorrowful, he receives reward for this, and if so, a person should not present himself as joyful.

He said to him: I –

I have phylacteries placed upon me,

and through the fact that the phylacteries are upon me, I do not appear like one casting off the yoke because of my joy.

Mar, son of Ravina, made a wedding feast

a wedding celebration

for his son. He saw that the Sages were exceedingly merry,