Berakhot 4b — the Talmud in English

And if they hold like Rabban Gamliel,

that the meaning of “when you lie down” is all the time that people lie down and sleep, and the entire night is included in this, then

let them say “

until the rise of dawn”

like Rabban Gamliel?

The Gemara answers:

In fact, they hold like Rabban Gamliel,

that “when you lie down” means all the time that people lie down, that is, until the rise of dawn.

And this that they say

that its time is only

until midnight,

in order

to distance a person from transgression,

so that he should not rely on the fact that much time still remains before him and ultimately lose the mitzva.

As it was taught

in a beraita:

The Sages made a safeguard for their words,

and said that the time for reciting the Shema is only until midnight,

so that a person should not come from the field in the evening and say:

Indeed, I have time to recite the Shema until the rise of dawn;

I shall go

first

to my house and eat a little

[a small amount],

and drink a little,

and sleep a little,

and afterward I shall recite the Shema and pray, and

finally

sleep will overcome him, and it will turn out that he sleeps the entire night,

and he has lost the mitzvot of reciting the Shema.

However,

since the Sages instituted that he recite it until midnight, it follows that when

a person comes from the field in the evening,

he should not go home, but rather

enter the synagogue, and if he is accustomed to recite

Torah,

he recites

until the time for reciting the Shema arrives.

And if he is accustomed to study

Mishna,

he studies, and

when the time arrives

he recites the Shema and prays

the evening prayer, and afterward he comes home

and eats his bread and recites the blessing.

And the beraita concludes with a warning:

And anyone who transgresses the words of the Sages

and delays reciting the Shema until after midnight

is liable to death.

The Gemara asks:

What is different in every place,

in every place where the decrees of the Sages are stated,

that it does not teach

that one who transgresses them

is liable to death? And what is different here, that it teaches: “is liable to death”?

The Gemara answers:

Alternatively, if you wish, say: Because

with regard to reciting the Shema

there is

a concern of

the compulsion of sleep.

That is, since a person is tired at night, there is concern that if he does not exert himself to fulfill the mitzva, sleep will overpower him. Therefore, they needed to warn him more strongly.

And alternatively, if you wish, say:

the beraita comes

to exclude the one who says

[below, 27b] that

the evening prayer

is not obligatory like the morning and afternoon prayers, but only

optional.

Therefore

it teaches us

that the tannay in the beraita teaches in his warning that one who transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to death

that

even the evening prayer

is obligatory.

The master said,

in the aforementioned beraita:

He recites the Shema, and

afterward

prays.

The Gemara proves from the words of the beraita:

It supports Rabbi Yohanan. For Rabbi Yohanan said: Who is one who is a son of the World to Come? —

This is one who juxtaposes redemption to prayer

of the evening prayer,

who precedes the recitation of the Shema and its blessings to prayer, and does not interrupt between them.

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi

disagrees and

says:

All the

prayers

of the day

they instituted in the middle,

between the morning Shema and the evening Shema. That is, in the evening prayer one should precede the prayer to the recitation of the Shema and its blessings, and only after the prayer does he recite the Shema with its blessings.

And since we learned in the beraita that in the evening he recites the Shema first and only afterward prays, it follows that it supports Rabbi Yohanan.

The Gemara asks: What do they dispute about, what are the reasons for their positions? The Gemara explains:

If you wish, say: Scripture,

that they disputed the exposition of the verse;

and if you wish, say

that they disputed a

reasoning.

And the Gemara explains:

If you wish, say:

they disputed a

reasoning.

Rabbi Yohanan holds: the redemption

in Egypt

also existed in the evening,

for they were already given permission to leave at night [as below, 9a],

but a complete redemption

namely, the actual departure from Egypt,

existed only until morning,

that is, morning. Since there was redemption at night as well, one must juxtapose redemption to prayer at night also.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi holds: since

the actual redemption

existed only from morning, it did not exist;

the redemption of the night is not considered a

complete redemption, and therefore there is no need to juxtapose prayer to it .

And if you wish, say: Scripture, and both expounded one verse, as it is written [Deuteronomy 6:7]:

“When you lie down

and when you rise,”

the verse likened the obligation of reciting the morning Shema, whose source is “when you lie down,” to the obligation of reciting the evening Shema, whose source is “when you rise,” and they disputed how to expound the analogy:

Rabbi Yohanan holds: he likens lying down to rising; just as rising [in the morning] one first recites

the recitation of Shema

and only

afterward prayer, so too lying down

in the evening

also,

one first recites

the recitation of Shema and

only

afterward prayer .

[in the evening]

But

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi holds,

indeed the verse

likened lying down to rising,

but this is how the analogy is to be expounded:

just as rising

in the morning one recites

the recitation of Shema close to his bed,

close to his rising from sleep—that is, there is no interruption of prayer between rising and reciting Shema—

so too lying down

in the evening

also,

one recites

the recitation of Shema close to his bed,

close to lying down. That is, prayer should not interrupt between Shema and his lying down. It follows that he prays first, and only afterward recites Shema .

Mar, son of Ravina, challenged Rabbi Yohanan’s position that one must juxtapose redemption to prayer in the evening as well. We learned in the Mishna below [11a]: In the evening he recites two blessings before it and two afterward. And if you say that he must juxtapose redemption to prayer in the evening as well, then he has not juxtaposed redemption to prayer, for he must say “Who makes us lie down,” and it is not a blessing over redemption. If so, does he not juxtapose redemption to prayer? The Gemara answers: They said, they said in resolution: Since the Sages instituted the recitation of the blessing “Who makes us lie down,” it too is considered like an extended redemption.

[in the evening]

also

one recites

the recitation of Shema close to his bed,

close to the time he lies down. That is, the prayer should not interrupt between the recitation of Shema and his going to bed. It follows that he prays first, and only afterward recites Shema

It is an extension of the first blessing, which is over redemption, and there is juxtaposition here of redemption to prayer .

And proof of this is: For if you do not say so, it should also be difficult in the morning: how can he juxtapose redemption to prayer? But Rabbi Yohanan said: At the beginning, before he begins the Eighteen, he says, “O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare Your praise,” and at the end, after he has completed the Eighteen, he says “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Since he says “O Lord, open my lips” before the prayer, it follows that he interrupts between redemption and prayer.

“In the evening

one recites two blessings before it and two afterward.”

And if you say that one must join

redemption to prayer in the evening service as well,

then he has not joined redemption to prayer, for he must recite “Who makes us lie down,”

and that is not a blessing concerning redemption. If so, how does he join redemption to prayer?

The Gemara answers:

They said

they said in resolution:

Since the Sages instituted

the recitation of the blessing

“Who makes us lie down,”

it too is considered

like an extended blessing of redemption.

It is regarded as a continuation of the first blessing, which concerns redemption, and thus redemption has been joined to prayer .

Rather,

it is necessarily so that one must say

there,

in the morning,

since the Sages instituted the recitation of

the verse

“O Lord, open my lips,” it is like an extended prayer

and he is considered to have juxtaposed redemption to prayer.

Here too, with regard to the blessing “Who makes us lie down,”

And at the end,

after completing the Eighteen Benedictions,

he recites

“May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Since he recites “Lord, open my lips” before the prayer, it follows that he interrupts between redemption and prayer.

since the Sages instituted the recitation of “Who makes us lie down,” it is like an extended redemption

and it is not an interruption between redemption and prayer.

Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rav Avina: Whoever recites “A praise of David”

three times every day

is assured that he is a son of the World to Come!

The Gemara clarifies: What is the reason? If you say that there is importance in this psalm because it comes in alphabetical order, for its verses are arranged according to the order of the letters of the alphabet — if so, let us say, let us recite the psalm “Happy are those whose way is perfect” [Psalms 119], which comes in eight facets, for its verses are arranged according to the alphabet and repeat themselves eight times, and it has an advantage over “A praise of David,” in which there is an alphabetical order only once. Rather, if you say that the importance of this psalm is because it contains what is said in it, “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor,” which is praise for preparing food for every living thing, there is still a question: let us say the great Hallel [Psalms 115] for it is written in it, “Who gives bread to all flesh for His kindness is forever,” and this too is praise for preparing food for every creature?

“Lord, open my lips,” it is considered like an extended prayer

and he is considered to have joined redemption to prayer.

Here too,

regarding the blessing “Who makes us lie down,”

since the Sages instituted the recitation of “Who makes us lie down,” it is considered like an extended blessing of redemption,

and it is not an interruption between redemption and prayer.

Rabbi Elazar said that Rav Avina said: Whoever recites “A Psalm of David”

three times every day

is assured that he is destined for the World to Come!

The Gemara inquires:

What is the reason?

If you say

that this psalm is especially significant

because it follows the order of the alphabet,

with its verses arranged according to the order of the letters from alef through tav — then

let us say

the psalm

“Happy are those whose way is perfect”

[Psalms 119],

which follows the alphabet in eightfold form,

with its verses arranged according to the alphabet and repeated eight times. It has an advantage over “A Psalm of David,” which follows the alphabet only once.

Rather,

if you say

that

the significance of this psalm

is because it contains

the verse

“You open Your hand

and satisfy every living thing with favor,” which praises the preparation of food for every living creature—there is still a question:

let us say “the great

Hallel”

[Psalms 115]

which contains, “He gives bread to all flesh

for His kindness endures forever,” and that too praises the preparation of food for every creature?

Rather,

necessarily, the importance of the psalm “A Praise of David” is

because it contains two

of the aforementioned qualities, it is arranged according to alef-bet, and “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor” is also said in it, which is praise of the preparation of food for every living thing.

Rabbi Yohanan said: Why was there not said

a verse beginning with the letter

nun in “Ashrei,”

as verses were said for all the other letters? —

Because it contains

in the letter nun a hint of

the downfall of the enemies of Israel [

their downfall, that of Israel],

as it is written [

Amos 5:2]

“She has fallen; she shall not continue to rise, the virgin of Israel.”

In the West,

in the Land of Israel, which is west of Babylonia,

they resolved it in this way,

they would interpret and reconcile this verse favorably as follows:

“She has fallen, and shall not continue to fall any more,”

but

“Rise, virgin of Israel.”

That is, the words “shall not continue” belong to the beginning of the verse, whereas the words “rise, virgin of Israel” are read separately.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

Although King David did not say in “A Praise of David” a verse for the letter nun, because it contains a hint of the downfall of Israel,

even so, David returned and placed its support through the holy spirit ,

he returned and immediately hinted at the support of the falling,

for

thus, in the verse beginning after it with the letter samekh,

it is said: “The Lord sustains all who fall.”

Further,

Rabbi Elazar bar Avina said: What is said concerning Michael is greater

for he is an angel appointed over mercy,

than what is said concerning Gabriel,

for he is an angel appointed over judgment,

for concerning Michael it is written [

Isaiah 6:6]

“And one of the seraphim flew to me,”

and the meaning of the expression “flew” is that he arrived in one flight to carry out his mission, whereas concerning the angel

Gabriel it is written [

Daniel 9:21]:

“And the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly,”

and the repetition of the expression “flying swiftly” means that he arrived to carry out his mission in two flights, with an interruption in between.

The Gemara asks:

What indicates that this “one

of the seraphim

” is Michael?

The Gemara explains:

Rabbi Yohanan said: It is derived

by a gzera shava

“one” “one.”

It is written here, “And one of the seraphim flew to me,” and it is written there [

Daniel 1:13]

“And behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.”

Just as “one of the chief princes” is Michael, so too “one of the seraphim” is Michael.

A tanna,

we learned in a beraita:

Michael

reaches the destination of his mission

in

one flight,

Gabriel

reaches it

in two.

Elijah

the prophet reaches it

in four.

And the angel of death

reaches it

in eight

flights.

And at the time of a plague

the angel of death reaches it

in one.

The Gemara returns to bring statements concerning the recitation of the Shema:

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even though a person recited the Shema in the synagogue

at the time of the evening prayer,

it is a mitzva

to return

to recite it upon his bed.

That is, adjacent to the time of his lying down.

Rabbi Yosei said: What is the verse,

where do we find a hint of the matter in the Writings? — As it is said [

Psalms 4:5]:

“Tremble and do not sin; say in your heart upon your bed, and be silent forever,” and they expounded “your heart”: this is the recitation of the Shema, in which “upon your heart” is said; and he said to recite it “upon your bed,” and afterward, “be silent,” in sleep.