משנה: תְּפִילַּת הַשַּׁחַר עַד חַצּוֹת. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עַד אַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה עַד הָעֶרֶב. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עַד פְּלָג הַמִּנְחָה. תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב אֵין לָהּ קֶבַע. וְשֶׁל מוּסָפִין כָּל הַיּוֹם. MISHNAH: Morning prayers are until noon; Rebbi Yehudah says, until four hours1One hour being one twelfth of the time difference between sunrise and sundown (according to some interpreters of the Babli, from dawn to dusk).. Afternoon2“Minḥah” prayers. This expression refers to the Temple service when the flour offering after the afternoon sacrifice signalled the end of the day. The preferred time fixed for this offering was 2h 30min. before sundown. Hence, “half of Minḥah” is 1h 15min. before sundown. The earliest time for the evening sacrifices (on Passover eve) was 30 minutes after noontime. Musaph prayers were added on days when there were additional public sacrifices between morning and afternoon sacrifices. prayers are until evening, Rebbi Yehudah says until half ofʹ Minḥah. Evening prayers have no fixed time. Musaph prayers have all day.
הלכה: כְּתִיב לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יי֨ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדּוֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶם וְכִי יֵשׁ עֲבוֹדָה בְּלֵב. וְאֵי זוּ זוּ תְפִילָּה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר אֱלָהָךְ דִּי אַנְתְּ פָּלַח לֵיהּ בִּתְדִירָא הוּא יְשֵׁיזְבִינֵּךְ. וְכִי יֵשׁ פּוּלְחָן בְּבָבֶל. וְאֵי זוּ זוּ תְפִילָּה. HALAKHAH: It is written (Deuteronomy.11.13">Deut. 11:13) “To love the Eternal, your God, and to work3The root עבד means “to work, to serve” and implies some physical exertion. In the religious sense, עבודה without qualifier always means the Temple service, the actual offering of sacrifices and all that is connected with it. (Hence, as noted in reference to Daniel, it cannot take place in Babylonia.) In the Taanit.2a">Babli (Taänit 2a), prayer is explicitly qualified as “service by the heart”. for Him with all yor heart and all your soul,” does there exist work in the heart? This refers to prayer. And so it says (Daniel.6.17">Dan. 6:17): “Your God, whom you serve permanently, may rescue you.” Is there any service in Babylonia? This refers to prayer.
יָכוֹל יְהֵא מִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁלָשְׁתָּן כְּאַחַת פִּירֵשׁ בְּדָנִיֵּאל וְזִימְנִין תְּלָתָא בְיוֹמָא הוּא בֵּרַךְ עַל בִּרְכוֹהִי וְגוֹמֵר. יָכוֹל יְהֵא מִתְפַּלֵּל לְכָל־רוּחַ שֶׁיִּרְצֶה. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחִין לֵיהּ בְּעִילִּיתֵיהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֵם. יָכוֹל מִשֶּׁבָּאוּ לַגּוֹלָה כֵן תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כָּל־קְבֵל דַּהֲוָה עָבִיד מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָא. יָכוֹל יְהֵא מִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁלָשְׁתָּן בְּכָל־שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה. כְּבַר פִּירֵשׁ דָּוִד עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם. יָכוֹל יְהֵא מַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹלוֹ וּמִתְפַּלֵּל. פִּירֵשׁ בְּחַנָּה וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ. יָכוֹל יְהֵא מְהַרְהֵר בְּלֵב. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָעוֹת. הָא כֵיצַד מַרְחִישׁ בְּשִׂפְתוֹתָיו. One might think that one may pray all three4It will be explained later that the three daily prayers were either inherited from the patriarchs or they were fashioned after the Temple service. The verse in Daniel is not discussed in the order it is written, neither is the order of the verse preserved in the Tosephta (Berakhot 3:6) or in the Berakhot.31a">Babli (31a), whose text is close to the Tosephta. The last remarks about moving one’s lips is neither in the Babli nor in the Tosephta. together - it is explained in Daniel (Daniel.6.11">Dan. 6:11): “Three times a day he fell on his knees, etc.” One might think that one may pray in any direction one wants - the verse says “slits were open for him in the direction of Jerusalem.” One might think that he started after he went into captivity - the verse says “as was his wont from before that.” One might think that one may pray all three at any time he wishes - already David did explain (Psalms.55.18">Ps. 55:18): “Morning, evening, and afternoon.” One might think that one may pray aloud - it was explained about Hannah (1Sam. 1:13): “Hannah was speaking to herself.” One might assume that he might simply think - the verse says “only her lips moved.” How is that? One whispers with one’s lips.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא מִן הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה אַתְּ לָמֵד אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים. וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל לִבָּהּ. מִיכַּן שֶׁהַתְּפִילָּה צְרִיכָה כַּוָּנָה. רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָעוֹת. מִיכַּן שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִישׁ בְּשִׂפְתוֹתָיו. וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע. מִיכַּן שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אָדָם מַגְבִּיהַּ אֶת קוֹלוֹ וְיִתְפַּלֵּל. וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ עֵלִי לְשִׁכּוֹרָה. מִיכַּן שֶׁהַשִׁכּוֹר אָסוּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל. Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina said: From this verse (1Sam. 1:13) you may learn four things. “Hannah was speaking to her heart,” from here that prayer needs attention. “Only her lips moved,” from here that one must whisper with one’s lips. “Her voice was not heard,” from here that nobody should pray at high voice. “And Eli thought that she was drunk,” from here that a drunk is forbidden to pray.5This paragraph is given in the Berakhot.31a">Babli (31a) in the name of Rav Hamnuna, a Babylonian contemporary of Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina.
מִילְתָא דְּחָנָן בַּר אַבָּא פְלִיגָא דְּחָנָן בַּר וָוא אָמַר לַחֲבֵרָיָא נֵימָר לְכוֹן מִילְתָא טָבְתָּא דְחָמִית לְרַב עֲבִיד וְאַמְרִתָהּ קוֹמֵי שְׁמוּאֵל וְקָם וְנָשַׁק עַל [פּוּמִי]. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה שׁוֹחֵחַ. בָּא לְהַזְכִּיר אֶת הַשֵּׁם זוֹקֵף. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר וַנָּא אֲמָרִית טַעֲמָא יי֨ זוֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים. אָמַר רִבִּי אַמִּי לֹא מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְלָא אֲמַר אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי נִיחַת הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אָבוּן אִלּוּ הֲוָה כְתִיב בִּשְׁמִי נִיחַת הוּא הֲוָה יֵאוּת. לֵית כְּתִיב אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי נִחַת הוּא. קוֹדֶם עַד שֶׁלֹּא הִזְכִּיר אֶת הַשֵּׁם כְּבָר נִחַת הוּא. The word of Ḥanan bar Abba6The entire paragraph does not belong here but is taken word by word from Chapter 1, Halakhah 8, at note 265 ff. disagrees since Ḥanan bar Abba said to the colleagues: I shall tell you one of the good things that I saw Rav do and, when I told it before Samuel he got up and kissed me on my mouth. At “praised are You”, he bows down. When he comes to mention Hashem, he straightens up. Samuel said: I shall give the reason (Psalms.35.10">Ps. 35:10): “The Lord straightens the bent ones.” Rebbi Ammi said: It is not reasonable, but (Malachi.2.5">Mal. 2:5): “Before My Name he is low.” Rebbi Abun said: If it were written “at My Name he is low” then you would be right, but it is written “before My Name he is low”, before he mentions Hashem he is low.
רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר זַבְדָּא מַצְלֵי בְקָלָא. רִבִּי יוֹנָה כַּד הֲוָה מַצְלֵי בִּכְנִישְׁתָּא הֲוָה מַצְלֵי בִלְחִישָׁה. כַּד הֲוָה מַצְלֵי בְּבֵיתָא הֲוָה מַצְלֵי בְקָלָא עַד דְּיַילְפוּן בְּנֵי בֵייתֵיהּ צְלוּתָא מִינֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא וּבְנֵי בֵּיתֵיהּ דְּאַבָּא יָֽלְפָא צְלוּתָא מִינֵּיהּ. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda prayed aloud7He opposes the generalization from Hannah’s prayer to general rule. As a student of Rav, he represents Babylonian practice; the following example of Rebbi Jonah shows that two generations later his opinion was accepted in Galilee.. Rebbi Jonah prayed whispering in the synagogue; he prayed aloud in his house so that the people in his house8His wife and children. should learn prayer from him. Rebbi Mana9Rebbi Mana II, son of Rebbi Jonah. said: Really, the people in my father’s house learned prayer from him.
מֵאֵיכַן לָמְדוּ שָׁלֹשׁ תְּפִילּוֹת. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר כְּנֶגֶד שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים שֶׁהַיּוֹם מִשְׁתַּנֶּה עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת. בְּשַׁחַר צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יי֨ אֱלֹהַי וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָנִי מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה. בְּמִנְחָה צָרִיךְ אָדָם לוֹמַר מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ יי֨ אֱלֹהַי וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁזְּכִיתָנִי לִרְאוֹת הַחַמָּה בְמִזְרָח כַּךְ זָכִיתִי לִרְאוֹת בְּמַעֲרָב. בָּעֶרֶב צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יי֨ אֱלֹהַי וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָיִיתִי בָּאֲפֵילָה וְהוֹצֵאתָנִי לְאוֹרָה כַּךְ תּוֹצִיאֵנִי מֵאֲפֵילָה לְאוֹרָה. From where did they learn the three prayers? Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥmani said10This paragraph is found in extenso, the next two pragraphs very shortened, in Midrash Bereshit Rabba 68(11). There, the order of prayers is evening, morning, afternoon, and the afternoon prayer is: “just as You let me see the sun in the East, so may You let me see it in the West.” The form of the Midrash is appropriate for early Minḥah (half an hour after noon), the form of the Talmud is appropriate for the standard Minḥah, close to evening. Neither of the two texts is a corruption of the other.: According to the three times that the day changes for man. In the morning, one must say: I thank you, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that you led me from darkness to light. At Minḥah, one must say: I thank you, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that just as You let me see the sun in the East, so I could see it in the West. In the evening, one must say: May it be Your pleasure, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that just as I was in darkness and You led me into light, so may You lead me from darkness into light.
רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר תְּפִילּוֹת מֵאָבוֹת לִמְּדוּם. תְּפִילַּת הַשַּׁחַר מֵאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבּוֹקֶר אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָמַד שָׁם לִפְנֵי יי֨. וְאֵין עֲמִידָה אֶלָּא תְפִילָּה כְּמָה דְתֵימַר וַיַּעֲמוֹד פִּינְחָס וַיְפַלֵּל. תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה מִיִּצְחָק אָבִינוּ. וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה וְאֵין שִׂיחָה אֶלָּא תְפִילָּה. כְּמָה דְתֵימַר תְּפִילָּה לֶעָנִי כִי יַעֲטוֹף וְלִפְנֵי יי֨ יִשְׁפּוֹךְ שִׂיחוֹ. תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב מִיַּעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם. וְאֵין פְּגִיעָה אֶלָּא תְפִילָּה כְּמָה דְתֵימַר יִפְגְּעוּ נָא בַּיי֨ צְבָאוֹת. וְאוֹמֵר אַל תִּשָּׂא בַּעֲדָם רִינָּה וּתְפִילָּה וְאַל תִּפְגַּע בִּי. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi11In the parallel in the Berakhot.26b">Babli (26b), the opinion of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi is ascribed to R. Yose bar Ḥanina and the opinion of “the rabbis” in the following paragraph to R. Joshua ben Levi. The detailed derivation in both cases is declared to be a baraita, meaning that the two Amoraïm quoted do not claim originality, they simply adopt pre-existing ideas. said: They12The Men of the Great Assembly who instituted formal prayers and benedictions. learned prayers from the patriarchs. Morning prayer from our father Abraham (Genesis.19.27">Gen. 19:27): “Abraham got up early to the place where he had stood there in the presence of the Eternal.” Standing means praying, as it says (Psalms.106.30">Ps. 106:30) “Phineas stood and prayed13Usually translated as “judged”..” Minḥah prayers from our father Isaac. (Genesis.24.63">Gen. 24:63) “Isaac went out to speak on the field14The essential proof is from the part of the verse that is not quoted: “To speak on the field towards evening.” [The Arabic שׁוח, corresponding to Hebrew שׂוח, means “to run, or fly, with outstretched arms”.].” Speaking means praying, as it says (Psalms.102.1">Ps. 102:1) “A prayer of the deprived one when he faints and pours out his speech before the Eternal.” Evening prayer from our father Jacob. (Genesis.28.11">Gen. 28:11) “He entreated at the Place15Usually translated “came suddenly upon the place.” For the meaning of “Place”, see H. Guggenheimer, The Scholar’s Haggadah, pp. 268–269..” Entreaty means prayer, as it is said (Jeremiah.27.18">Jer. 27:18) “Please, let them entreat the Eternal of hosts.” And it says (Jeremiah.7.16">Jer. 7:16): “Do not lift for them (your voice in) a cry and do not entreat me.”
וְרַבָּנָן אָֽמְרוּ תְּפִילּוֹת מִתְּמִידִין גָּֽמְרוּ. תְּפִילַּת הַשַּׁחַר מִתָּמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר. אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר. תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה מִתָּמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם. וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם. תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב לֹא מָֽצְאוּ בַּמֶּה לִתְלוֹתָהּ וְשָׁנוּ אוֹתָהּ סְתָם. הֲדָא הִיא דְּתַנִּינָן תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב אֵין לָהּ קֶבַע וְשֶׁל מוּסָפִין כָּל־הַיּוֹם. אָמַר רִבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא עוֹד הִיא קָֽבְעוּ אוֹתָהּ כְּנֶגֶד אִיכּוּל אֵיבָרִים וּפְדָרִים שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְאַכְּלִין עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה. The rabbis said, they inferred prayers from daily sacrifices. The morning prayer from the perpetual sacrifice of the morning (Numbers.28.4">Num. 28:4): “The first lamb you should present in the morning.” Minḥah prayer from the perpetual sacrifice of the evening: “And the second lamb you should present in the evening.” They did not find anything to peg evening prayers onto it and simply stated it; that is what we have stated: Evening prayers have no fixed time. Musaph prayers are all day. Rebbi Tanḥuma16In the Berakhot.26b">Babli (26b), this statement of a late Amora also is quoted as Tannaïtic. said: In fact, they fixed it corresponding to the consumption of limbs and fat which were consumed on the altar during the entire night.
מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה לָמַד רִבִּי יְהוּדָה. דְּתַנִּי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְחַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְנָמָס בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְּשֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר כְּחוֹם הַיּוֹם הֲרֵי שֵׁשׁ אָמוּר. הָא מַה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּים וְחַם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְנָמָס בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. וְאַתְּ דָּרִישׁ בַּבּוֹקֶר בַּבּוֹקֶר. מַה בַּבּוֹקֶר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. אַף בַּבּוֹקֶר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כַּאן בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעִין שִׁמְשָׁא חֲמִין וְטוּלָא קָרִיר. בְּשִׁית שָׁעִין שִׁמְשָׁא חֲמִין וְטוּלָא חֲמִין. אָמַר רִבִּי תַנְחוּמָא מַהוּ כְּחוֹם הַיּוֹם. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵין צֵּל לְכָל־בִּרְיָיה. Rebbi Yehudah17This paragraph is found also in the Berakhot.27a">Babli (27a) and in both Mekhiltot (to Ex. 17:21). The second paragraph which connects the derivation to the previous association with sacrifices, and hence, with prayer, is found only in the Yerushalmi. learned from words of the Torah, since Rebbi Ismael stated: (Exodus.16.21">Ex. 16:21) “The sun was hot and it melted,” four hours into the day. You say four hours or should it be six hours? When it says (Genesis.18.1">Gen. 18:1): “In the heat of the day”, that means at six hours. Therefore, how can I interpret: “The sun was hot and it melted,” four hours into the day18Here and in the next paragraph, one supposes, as in most Talmudic derivations, that the vocabulary of the Torah is uniquely fixed and that different expressions must have different meanings. [The only Bible translation that can be clearly dated to Tannaïtic times, the fragments of Aquilas’s Greek translation from the school of Rebbis Eliezer and Joshua, systematically has one-on-one correspondence between Hebrew and Greek words.]! You derive it from (Exodus.17.21">Ex. 17:21): “In the morning,” (Numbers.28.4">Num. 28:4) “in the morning.” Since the first “morning” meant “four hours”, “morning” mentioned there also means “four hours.” At four hours the sun is warm and the shadow is cool. At six hours both sun and shadow are hot. Rebbi Tanḥuma said (Genesis.18.1">Gen. 18:1): “In the heat of the day”, at an hour when there is no shadow for any creature.
רִּבִּי יָסָא מַצְלֵי בִּתְלַת שָׁעִין. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר ווָא מַצְלֵי בִּתְלַת שָׁעִין. רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה חֲמוּנֵיהּ קָרֵי קִרְיַת שְׁמַע וּמַצְלֵי בָּתָר תְּלַת שָׁעִין. וְהָא תַנִּינָן הַקּוֹרֵא מִיכַּן וָאֵילַךְ לֹא הִפְסִיד כְּאָדָם שֶׁהוּא קוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה. נֵימָר כְּבָר קִיבֵּל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם בְּעוֹנָתָהּ. Rebbi Yasa prayed at three hours19While in theory in Mishnaic times the recitation of Shema‘ and prayer were separate activities, the practice in Amoraic times was to unite them. It is stated in the Berakhot.9b">Babli (9b) in the name of Israeli authorities that it is preferable to pray immediately after the last benediction of Shema‘. All authorities quoted here subscribe to this usage; the first two pray at the correct time for the recitation of Shema‘, the last one recites Shema‘ at the time of prayer according to Rebbi Yehudah.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba prayed at three hours. They saw Rebbi Berekhiah that he recited Shema‘ and prayed after three hours. But did we not formulate (Berakhot 1:2:2-9" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.1.2.2-9">Berakhot 1:5): “He who reads after that did not lose, he is like a man reading in the Torah.” We may say that he accepted the yoke of heaven in its time20It is current practice to recite the first verse of Shema‘ during the preliminary benedictions recited immediately after one gets dressed in the morning. Then the remainder of Shema‘ is just recitation of verses of Torah and may be delayed, in particular on Sabbath and holidays..
אִי מֵעֵדוּת לָמַד רִבִּי יוּדָה דָּמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶן לֵוִי בִּימֵי מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָיוּ מְשַׁלְשְׁלִין לָהֶן שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב וְהָיוּ מַעֲלִין לָהֶן שְׁנֵי טְלָיִים. פַּעַם אַחַת שִׁילְשְׁלוּ לָהֶן שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב וְהָיוּ מַעֲלִין לָהֶן שְׁנֵי גְדָיִים. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הֵאִיר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֵינֵיהֶם וּמָֽצְאוּ שְׁנֵי טְלָיִים מְבוּקָּרִים בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים. עַל אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הֵעִיד רִבִּי יוּדָה בַּר אַבָּא עַל תָּמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר שֶׁקָּרֵב בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת. Or Rebbi Yehudah learned from testimony21Since we said that the rules of prayer are imitations of the rules of sacrifices and we do not find that the perpetual sacrifice was ever brought later than four hours in the day. Usually it is brought at first dawn. since Rebbi Simon said in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: In the time of the hellenistic government22The Menachot.64b">Babli (Menaḥot 64b) telescopes this story and the next into one and dates it at the civil war of the two Hasmonean brothers Hyrkanos and Aristobulos. they23The officials of the Temple lowered the boxes from the wall of besieged Jerusalem; in each box was payment for the lamb to be placed in it for the daily sacrifice. lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two lambs to pull up. Once they lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two kid goats24Which cannot be used for the perpetual sacrifice. to pull up. At that moment the Holy One, praise to Him, enlightened their eyes and they found two certified lambs in the hall of lambs25Since the verse (Numbers.28.3">Num. 28:3) requires that the perpetual sacrifice be “a yearling sheep without blemish”, the sheep were usually held in a separate “hall of lambs” and were inspected three times before being used as sacrifice.. About that time did Rebbi Yehudah bar Abba26In the Berakhot.27a">Babli (27a), the name is Rebbi Yehudah ben Baba. Levi Ginzberg points out that the name Yehudah bar Abba is found instead of Yehudah ben Baba is some Mishnah manuscripts at Eduyot 6:1" href="/Mishnah_Eduyot.6.1">Idiut 6:1, Eduyot 8:2" href="/Mishnah_Eduyot.8.2">8:2, Yebamot 16:7 and that R. Yehudah ben Baba, who was killed in the aftermath of the war of Bar Kokhba, is much too late to testify about occurrences in the Temple. Hence, the name “bar Abba” should not be changed. testify that the perpetual morning sacrifice was brought at four hours.
אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי אַף בִּימֵי מַלְכוּת רִשְׁעָה הַזֹּאת הָיוּ מְשַׁלְשְׁלִין לָהֶן שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב וְהָיוּ מַעֲלִין לָהֶן שְׁנֵי כְּבָשִׂים. וּבְסוֹף שִׁלְשְׁלוּ לָהֶם שְׁתֵּי קוּפּוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב וְעָלוּ לָהֶן שְׁנֵי חֲזִירִין. לא הִסְפִּיקוּ לְהַגִּיעַ לְחַצִּי חוֹמָה עַד שֶׁנָּעַץ הַחֲזִיר בַּחוֹמָה וְנִזְדַּעְזְעָה הַחוֹמָה וְקָפַץ אַרְבָּעִים פַּרְסָה מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה גָּֽרְמוּ הָעֲווֹנוֹת וּבָטֵל הַתָּמִיד וְחָרֵב הַבַּיִת. Rebbi Levi said: Also in the days of the present evil government27In both Talmudim, the “evil government” or simply “government” is the Roman government. they lowered them two boxes with gold and they gave them two sheep to pull up. Once they lowered them two boxes with gold and they let them pull up two swine28In the Menachot.64b">Babli (Menaḥot 64b), there was only one swine and not only the wall but the entire Land of Israel trembled. (The civil war was at the time when Pompey conquered the East for Rome but the story here clearly speaks of the war of Titus. However, it seems that the Babli tradition in this case is more correct.). They did not manage to get to half the height of the wall when the swine clawed the wall; the wall trembled, and [the swine] jumped 40 parasangs from the Land of Israel. At that time the sins caused that the perpetual sacrifice was stopped and the Temple destroyed.
מַה טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנָן. שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם. חֲלוֹק אֶת הַיּוֹם. טַעְמָא דְּרִבִּי יוּדָה שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם חוֹבָה לַיּוֹם. שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם שְׁנֵי פָּרַקְלֵיטִין לַיּוֹם. שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם. שֶׁתְּהֵא שְׁחִיטָתָן לְשֵׁם הַיּוֹם. What is the reason of the rabbis? (Numbers.28.3">Num. 28:3) “Two for the day”, split the day in two. The reason of Rebbi Yehudah30Not the reason why prayer and sacrifice has to be finished at four hours but the reason why the verse is written as it is, “two for the day” and not “two in the day”.: “two for the day”, two advocates31Greek παράκλητος (also meaning “intercessor”.). per day; “two for the day” that they should be slaughtered expressly for the day32The slaughterer must keep in mind that he slaughters for the perpetual sacrifice of that particular day. A sacrifice becomes invalid if it is slaughtered with the wrong intention..
שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם. שֶּׁתְּהֵא שְׁחִיטָתָן כְּנֶגֶד הַיּוֹם. הֲדָא הִיא דְּתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן תָּמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר הָיָה נִשְׁחָט עַל קֶרֶן מַעֲרָבִית צְפוֹנִית עַל טַבַּעַת שְׁנִיָּיה כְּנֶגֶד הַיּוֹם וְשֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם הָיָה נִשְׁחָט עַל קֶרֶן צְפוֹנִית מִזְרָחִית עַל טַבַּעַת שְׁנִיָּיה כְּנֶגֶד הַיּוֹם. וְהוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא יוֹדֵעַ אֵי זֶה מֵהֶן נִשְׁחַט בְּשַׁחֲרִית וְאֵי זֶה מֵהֶן נִשְׁחַט בָּעֲרָבִית. “Two for the day”, that their slaughtering should be facing the day. That is what we have stated33Tamid 4:1" href="/Mishnah_Tamid.4.1">Mishnah Tamid 4:1. The entire passage is in Sifra Num. 142, in changed form Yoma.62a">Babli Yoma 62a, Tamid.31b">Tamid 31b.: The perpetual morning sacrifice was slaughtered at the Northwest corner at the second ring34In the wall of the Temple enclosure, where the sacrifice is hung to be skinned and cut into pieces., facing the day35I. e., the sun. Every holocaust sacrifice has to be slaughtered North of the altar (Leviticus.1.11">Lev. 1:11)., and the evening one was slaughtered at the Northeast corner at the second ring, facing the day. And36This is not a continuation of the previous argument but another interpretation of “two for the day”, that the victims should be selected separately for the sacrifices of the day. that he should know which one was to be slaughtered in the morning and which one in the evening.
רִבִּי חִייָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה וּתְפִילַּת הַמּוּסָף תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה קוֹדֶמֶת. הֲווּן בָּעִין מֵימַר כְּשֶׁאֵין בַּיּוֹם כְּדֵי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁנֵיהֶן אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ בַּיּוֹם כְּדֵי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁנֵיהֶן תְּפִילַּת מוּסָף קוֹדֶמֶת. רִבִּי זְעִירָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וַאֲפִילוּ יֵשׁ בַּיּוֹם כְּדֵי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁתֵיהֶן תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה קוֹדֶמֶת. רִבִּי נָתָן בַּר טוֹבִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲפִילוּ יֵשׁ בַּיּוֹם כְּדֵי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁתֵיהֶן תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה קוֹדֶמֶת. וְהָתַנִּי הִקְדִּים תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה לִתְפִילַּת הַמּוּסָפִין יָצָא. לְשֶׁעָבַר הָא בַּתְּחִילָּה לָא בְּדָא. פָּתַר לָהּ בְּשֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ זְמַן הַתְּפִילָּה. כַּהֲדָא רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי מְפַקֵּד לְתַלְמִידָיו אִין הֲוָה לְכוֹן אֲרִיסְטוֹן וּמָטָא יוֹמָא לְשִׁית שָׁעִין עַד דְּלָא תִסְקוּן לַאֲרִיסְטוֹן תִּהֲווּן מַצְלוּן דְּמִנְחָתָא עַד דְּלָא תִסְקוּן. Rebbi Ḥiyya37Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba. In the Berakhot.28a">Babli (28a), the statement is R. Yoḥanan’s own. in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Minḥah and Musaph prayers38If on a day that requires a Musaph prayer, a person has not prayed Musaph before 12:30 pm local time and now he is obligated for two prayers., the Minḥah prayer has precedence. They wanted to say, that is if there is no time in the day to pray both of them; but if there is time in the day to pray both of them then the Musaph prayer has precedence. Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Even if there is time in the day to pray both of them, the Minḥah prayer has precedence39Following the general principle: “If a frequent duty and an infrequent one collide, the frequent one has precedence” (Pesachim.114a">Babli Pesaḥim 114a, Berakhot 8:1:2-10" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.8.1.2-10">Yerushalmi Berakhot 8:1). It is reported in the Berakhot.28a">Babli (28a) that Rebbi Zeïra learned the rule not from R. Yoḥanan directly but from R. Nathan bar Ṭobi.. Rebbi Nathan bar Ṭobi40A student of R. Yoḥanan, whose house was close to the Academy. in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Even if there is time in the day to pray both of them, the Minḥah prayer has precedence. But did we not state: “If somebody made Minḥah prayer precede Musaph prayer, he has done his duty.” Retrospectively, but from the start, not so41Meaning: If somebody did, we let him get away with it. But if somebody comes to ask, we tell him not to do it.. Explain it if the time for prayer has not yet arrived, as in the following: Rebbi Joshua ben Levi commanded his students: If you have lunch42Greek ἄριστον (“breakfast”, later also “main meal”). and the day progressed to six hours before you entered, then pray Minḥah before you enter43Even though one should not pray before 12:30 pm, it is preferable to pray too early than not to pray at all. In contrast to the recital of Shema‘ which is bound to rigid times, prayer may be said too early as explained later in this Halakhah..
וְכַמָּה הוּא פְּלָג הַמִּנְחָה אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁעוֹת חָסֵר רְבִיעַ. (Tosephta Berakhot 3:1) How much is half of Minḥah? Eleven hours minus a quarter44The Berakhot.26b">Babli (26b) has a parallel statement in the name of Rebbi Yehudah which is not from the Tosephta..
תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן תָּמִיד נִשְׁחַט בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה וּמֶחֱצָה וְקָרֵב בְּתֵשַׁע וּמֶחֱצָה. עֶרֶב פְּסָחִים נִשְׁחַט בְּשֶׁבַע וּמֶחֱצָה וְקָרֵב בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה וּמֶחֱצָה בֵּין בְּחוֹל בֵּין בְּשַׁבָּת. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בָּעֵי הָכָא אַתְּ עֲבַד מִנְחָה שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה וְהָכָא אַתְּ עֲבִיד מִנְחָה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לֹא הוּקְשָׁה תְּפִילַּת הַמִּנְחָה לְתָמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם אֶלָּא לִקְטוֹרֶת. מַה טַעַם תִּכּוֹן תְּפִילָּתִי קְטוֹרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי מִנְחַת עָרֶב. צֵא שָׁעָה אַחַת לְעִיסּוּקוֹ וְאַתְּ עֲבַד מִנְחָה שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה. There (Pesaḥim 5:1) we have stated: “The perpetual sacrifice is slaughtered at 8:30 hours45The count starts at sunrise. At the equinox, 8:30 in the day is 2:30 pm (14:30). and brought at 9:30 hours. On Passover Eve days46The afternoons of the 14th of Nisan and of the 14th of Iyar. it is sacrificed at 7:30 hours and brought at 8:30 hours, whether it be weekday or Sabbath.” Rebbi Jeremiah asked: Here47Regarding prayer, the Mishnah states that Minḥah is 2½ hours before night. The next “here” refers to the evening sacrifice which on ordinary days is slaughtered at 8:30 hours, 3½ hours before sundown. If the rules of prayer are derived from the rules of sacrifice then the time of Minḥah prayers should be fixed at 3½ hours before sundown! you make Minḥah at two and a half hours and here you make Minḥah at three and a half hours? Rebbi Yose said, Minḥah prayer was not bound to the perpetual sacrifice of evening but to incense burning48The evening portion of incense was burned at the time of lighting the candelabra, after all sacrifices had been offered (Exodus.30.8">Ex. 30:8).. What is the reason? (Psalms.141.2">Ps. 141:2): “May my prayer be prepared as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the gift of evening.” Take one hour for its49The perpetual sacrifice’s. preparation and you make Minḥah at two and one half hours.
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָא הָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל עִם דִּמְדוּמֵי חַמָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁיְהֵא עָלָיו מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם כָּל־הַיּוֹם. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָא וִיְהֵא חֶלְקִי עִם הַמִתְפַּלְלִים עִם דִּמְדוּמֵי חַמָּה מַה טַעַם עַל זֹאת יִתְפַּלֵּל כָּל־חָסִיד אֵלֶיךָ לְעֵת מְצוֹא. מַהוּ לְעֵת מְצוֹא לְעֵת מִיצּוּיוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina used to pray when the sun set so that the fear of Heaven should be on him the entire day long. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said: May my lot be with those who pray at sunset50In the Berakhot.29b">Babli (29b), the statement is attributed to Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, also Galilean sages. Nevertheless, it is stated there that in “the West”, i. e., the Land of Israel, one curses those who pray at sunset since if anything happens at that time, the time of prayer will have passed whereas if one plans for earlier prayer, one always has space to accomodate emergencies. This opinion must be dated to the time after the work on the Jerusalem Talmud had stopped.
The root דמדם appears only in the expression דמדומי חמה. While in the Babli this means “dawn or dusk”, in the Yerushalmi it means only “sunset” as is clear from Pesaḥim 5:1 (fol. 31c), where דמדומי חמה is the opposite of הנץ החמה “sunrise”. The same verbal stem in Arabic means “to eliminate by force.”. What is the reason? (Psalms.32.6">Ps. 32:6) “For that, every pious person should pray to You at the time of מצא”, at the time when the day is pushed out51Replacing the verb מצא “to find” by מצה “to squeeze dry, suck dry”..
אַחוּי דְּאִימֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אָדָא הֲוָה מְצַיֵּיץ גּוּלְתֵיהּ דְּרַב בְּצוֹמָא רַבָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ כַּד תִּיחְמִי שִׁימְשָׁא בְּרֵישׁ דִּיקְלֵי תִּיהַב לִי גוּלְתִי דְּנַצְלֵי דְּמִנְחָתָא. וְשִׁמְשָׁא בְּרֵישׁ דִּיקְלֵי תַּמָּן אַיְמָמָא הוּא. הכא דָּמַר רִבִי יוֹחָנָן הָאוֹמֵר לְצוּלָה חֳרָבִי זוּ בָּבֵל שֶׁהִיא זוּטוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ צוּלָה שֶׁשָׁם צָֽלְלוּ מֵיתֵי דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. גַּם בְּבָבֶל לִנְפּוֹל חַלְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם בְּבָבֶל נָֽפְלוּ חַלְלֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ. כְּתִיב וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ שִׁנְעָר שֶׁשָׁם נִנְעֲרוּ מֵיתֵי דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁהֵם מֵתִים בְּתַשְׁנוּק בְּלֹא נֵר בְּלֹא מֶרְחָץ. דָּבָר אַחֵר שִׁנְעָר שֶׁהֵן מְנוּעֲרִין מִן הַמִּצְוֹת בְּלֹא תְרוּמָה וּבְלֹא מַעֲשֵׂר. דָּבָר אַחֵר שִׁנְעָר שֶׁשָּׂרֶיהָ מֵתִים נְעָרִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר שִׁנְעָר שֶׁהֶעֱמִידָה שׂוֹנֵא וָעָר לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאֵי זֶה זֶה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָרָשָׁע. The maternal uncle of Rebbi Ada52Rav Ada bar Ahava. had rolled up the kaftan of Rav on the Great Fastday53Yom Kippur. The Babylonian scholars never prayed without wearing the kaftan with the precribed belt. It seems that the Yeshivah of Rav had an intermission between Musaph and Minḥah on Yom Kippur.. He said to him: When you see the sun on top of the date palms54Since their synagogues were outside the cities in the fields, the sun on top of the date palms may indicate a rather early hour but probably inside the timeframe admitted by Rebbi Yehudah., give me my kaftan so that we may pray Minḥah. And when the sun is on top of the date palms it is daytime. As55The text הכא makes no sense. In the absence of manuscript evidence, the text has been left unchanged but the translation follows Levi Ginzberg’s conjecture that one has to read כְּהָא “As to that”, by a simple metathesis of two letters. The argument is that in a deep valley running N-S, the sun on the top of trees on the slopes of the valley designates a rather early time. Rebbi Yoḥanan said (Isaiah.44.27">Is. 44:27): “He Who said to the deep: dry up!”, that is Babylonia, the filth56Latin situs “situation; filth”. of the world. Rebbi Yoḥanan said57This paragraph is an aggadic interruption about Babylonia; the discussion of Rav’s action is continued in the following paragraph. This group of sermons is also found three times in Midrash rabba: Gen.rabba 37:4, Threni rabba, Petiḥta 23, Eccl. rabba 12:7. In the first two, there is an additional explanation of Shinear: A land whose (Jewish) rulers study Torah as youths (but do not continue studying as adults.): Why is it called “the deep”, because there the dead of the Deluge were submerged, (Jeremiah.51.49">Jer. 51:49) “Also in Babylonia the slain of Israel will fall, also in Babylonia the corpses of all the earth58Only in the Deluge the slain were of all mankind. did fall.” It is written (Genesis.11.2">Gen. 11:2) “They found a valley in the land Shinear and dwelt there.” Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, why is it called Shinear? Because there the dead of the Deluge were thrown59Taking שנער as shaf‘el of the root נער “to pour out”; a later explanation refers to נער “to be a youth”.. Another explanation: Because they die in strangulation60In the Targumim, תשנוּק means “strangulation.” However, in Syriac the words means “suffering”, which makes sense here., without light61Since they had no olive oil, they had to use sesame oil which does not adhere well to wicks. Public hot baths were a characteristic institution of the provinces of the Roman empire. or public baths. Another explanation: Shinear, because they are stripped of miẓwot, without terumah and without tithes62While in old times the exiles tried to fulfill the “obligations that are incumbent on the Land of Israel” also in Babylonia, in Talmudic times they were no longer observed there.. Another explanation: Shinear, because its rulers die as youths. Another explanation: Shinear, because it produced a hater and enemy of the Holy One, praise to Him. Who is that? That is Nebuchadnezzar the evil one.
רַב כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. אִין תַּעַבְדִּינֵיהּ כְּרַבָּנָן לֵית רִבִּי יוּדָה מוֹדֵי. אִין תַּעַבְדִּינֵיהּ כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה אוֹף רַבָּנָן מוֹדוּ. Rav acted according to Rebbi Yehudah. If you do it following the rabbis, Rebbi Yehudah will not agree. If you do it following Rebbi Yehudah, the rabbis also will agree63The previous questionable interpretation based on the topography of Babylonia (which is a double valley, but a very flat one) is unnecessary: Since the time frame of Rebbi Yehudah is more restrictive than that of the majority, if one follows Rebbi Yehudah one prays in a time frame acceptable to everybody..
מְנַיִין לִנְעִילָה. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי גַּם כִּי תַרְבּוּ תְפִילָּה. מִכַּאן שֶׁכָּל־הַמַּרְבֶּה בִתְפִילָּה נֶעֱנֶה. מֻחְלְפָה שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי לֵוִי תַּמָּן אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי פַּפַּי רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִיכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי לֵוִי בְּכָל־עֵצֶב יִהְיֶה מוֹתָר וּדְבַר שְׂפָתַיִם אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר. חַנָּה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁרִיבְתָ בִתְפִילָּה קִצְּרָה בְיָמָיו שֶׁל שְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁאָֽמְרָה וְיֵשֵׁב שָׁם עַד עוֹלָם וַהֲלֹא אֵין עוֹלָמוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי אֶלָּא חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה. דִּכְתִיב וּמִבֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה יָשׁוּב מִצְּבָא הָעֲבוֹדָה. וְהַוְיָין לֵיהּ חַמְשִׁין וְתַרְתִּין. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן שְׁתַּיִם שֶׁגְּמָלַתּוּ. וְכָה אָמַר הָכִן. אִי אָֽמְרָהּ כֵּן לְיָחִיד כֵּן לְצִיבּוּר. רִבִּי חִייָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי מֵאִיר וְהָיָה כִּי הִרְבְּתָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל יי֨. מִיכַּן שֶׁכָּל־הַמַּרְבֶּה בִתְפִילָּה נֶעֱנֶה. From where about Neïlah64The additional, fifth prayer close to the end of Yom Kippur and the major fasts in a draught.? Rebbi Levi said: (Isaiah.1.15">Is. 1:15) “Even if you prolong your prayers.65The argument is from the full sentence: “Even if you augment your prayers, I shall not hear.” Since Isaiah presents this as a particular curse, it follows that, otherwise, if the people increase their prayers they will be heard.” From here that everyone who increases his prayers will be answered. The argument of Rebbi Levi is inverted. There says Rebbi Abba, the son of Rebbi Pappai66Amora of the fourth generation, student of Rebbi Joshua from Sikhnin (Suknin in Lower Galilee), a student of Rebbi Levi. Only aggadic material is transmitted by these two sages., Rebbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rebbi Levi (Proverbs.14.23">Prov. 14:23) “In all excitement there is something superfluous; and the word of the lips is but for deficit.” Hannah, because she prayed too long, reduced the years of Samuel because she said (1Sam. 1:22) “He shall dwell there forever” but “forever” for a Levite is only 50 years, as it is written (Numbers.8.25">Num. 8:25): “At age fifty he should return from the worshipping hosts67In fact, Hannah gave that detailed dedication not in her prayer but only when she explained to her husband that she would not come with him to Shiloh until she had weaned the baby, so that the boy could stay in the Tabernacle for the rest of his life. A Levite could serve (as carrier) only to age 50.”. But in fact it was 5268There is no Biblical source that gives Samuel 52 years; this Yerushalmi tradition is the result of a computation detailed in Midrash Seder Olam, Chap.13, and is based on the assertion (1Sam. 13:1) that Saul ruled only for two years, and on certain not obvious principles of interpretation of the Bible. Shiloh was destroyed when Samuel was still relatively young and afterwards he never lived near the Tabernacle again.. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said two years until she weaned him. And here you say so69That additional prayer is always good. The answer is that additional prayers are guaranteed to be heard only if the entire congregation prays together.? If he ever said it, one for private the other for public prayers. Rebbi Ḥiyya70R. Ḥiyya bar Abba. In the Berakhot.32b">Babli (32b) he supports the negative opinion of Rebbi Levi in the name of R. Yoḥanan, at least in the case that somebody prays with the certain idea that he must be heard. The Yerushalmi clearly accepts the first statement of R. Levi but not the second one. in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, Rebbi Simeon bar Ḥalaphta in the name of Rebbi Meïr (1Sam. 1:12): “When she prayed very long before the Eternal,” it follows that everyone who extends his prayers will be answered.
אֵימָתַי הִיא נְעִילָה רַבָּנָן דְּקֵיסָרִין אָֽמְרִין אִיתְפַּלְּגוּן רַב וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. רַב אָמַר בִּנְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם. וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר בִּנְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי הֵיכָל. אֲמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן [אַנְתּוֹרְדָּיָא] מַתְנִיתָא מְסַייְעָא לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. בִּשְׁלָשָׁה פְרָקִים הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹשְׂאִין אֶת כַּפֵּיהֶם אַרְבַּע פְּעָמִים בַּיּוֹם. בְּשַׁחֲרִית. בְּמוּסָף. בְּמִנְחָה. וּבִנְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים. בְּתַעֲנִיּוֹת. וּבְמַעֲמָדוֹת. וּבְיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים. אִית לָךְ מֵימָר נְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם בַּיּוֹם. When is Neïlah? The rabbis of Caesarea say: Rav and Rebbi Yoḥanan disagree. Rav said, when the gates of Heaven are locked71It is not clear when the Gates of Heaven are locked. Maybe it is at sundown when the sun disappears, but it is more likely sometime after that when on a very clear day one may notice a sudden darkening of the sky in the middle of the gradual dusk. The gates of the Temple were locked for the public at the time of the lighting of the candelabra in the Sanctuary, which must be before sundown.. And Rebbi Yoḥanan said, when the gates of the Temple are locked. Rebbi Yudan Antordaya72An Amora of the later generations who must be younger than the Amora R. Yose. His name appears variously as אנתורדיא, אנתודריא, ענתודריא, ענתוריא. The name probably is a toponymie [from Antarados, on the Phoenician coast opposite the island city of Arados (Arwad). Antarados is mentioned in an old commentary to Pliny (V 20). (E. G.)] said: A Mishnah supports Rebbi Yoḥanan (Taäniot 4:1): “On three occasions do the Cohanim lift their hands four times in one day, mornings, Musaph, Minḥah, and at the locking of the gates: on fastdays73Publicly declared additional fastdays in case of a draught., at support services74Since the perpetual sacrifices were offered from public money and in the name of the public, some public representatives had to be present at the sacrifice. For this purpose, the Land of Israel was divided into districts and each district sent a few representatives to Jerusalem for the week to which it was appointed. During that week, the people of that district conducted special services with prayers that the sacrifices should be accepted by God; at these prayers the Cohanim recited the priestly blessing an additional time before nightfall, to coincide with an additional prayer for that purpose. It follows that the additional prayer was said year round on weekdays but every week at another district., and on Yom Kippur. May you say that the gates of heaven are locked while it is still daytime75Since the priestly blessing may be recited only during daytime, the “locking of the gates” mentioned in the Mishnah must have been during daytime and cannot have been in the night, maybe not after sundown.?
אַחוּי דְּאִימֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אָדָא הֲוָה צַיֵּיר גּוּלְתֵיהּ דְּרַב בְּצוֹמָא רַבָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ כַּד תִּיחְמִי שִׁימְשָׁא בְּרֵישׁ דִּיקְלֵי תִּיהַב לִי גוּלְתִי דְּנַצְלֵי נְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים. מֻחְלְפָה שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרַב תַּמָּן הוּא אָמַר בִּנְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם. וְכֹה אָמַר בִּנְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי הֵיכָל. אֲמַר רַב מַתָּנָה עַל יְדֵי דַּהֲוָה מַאֲרִיךְ רַב בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ סַגִּין הֲוָה מַגִּיעַ לִנְעִילַת שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם. The maternal uncle of Rebbi Ada had rolled up the kaftan of Rav on the great fast. He said to him: When you see the sun on the top of the date palms, give me my kaftan so that we may pray the Locking of the Gates. The argument of Rav is inverted. There he says “the locking of the Gates of Heaven” and here he says “the locking of the gates of the Temple.76Since the sun is on the top of the date palms quite some time before sunset, Rav cannot possibly pray at the Locking of the Gates of Heaven. Hence, his deeds contradict his teachings.” Rav Mattanah said: Since Rav needed a lot of time to pray, he reached the Locking of the Gates of Heaven77It is clear from here that prayer may start before the closing of any gates, it just may not end earlier. This is the interpretation of Maimonides. {Levi Ginzberg explains that Rav, in whose Yeshivah the Galilean Minhag of reciting poetic inserts was accepted, did spend the time until sundown in reciting prayers before the Amidah of Neïlah. This interpretation is impossible since “prayer” always means “the Amidah.”].
נְעִילָה מַהוּ שֶׁתִּפְטוֹר שֶׁל עֶרֶב. רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרַב הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַב נְעִילָה פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל עֶרֶב. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא לְרַב הוּנָא הֵיאַךְ הוּא מַזְכִּיר שֶׁל הַבְדָּלָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה לְרִבִּי אַבָּא הֵיאַךְ יְהוּ שֶׁבַע פּוֹטְרוֹת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלֹא כְּבָר אִיתְתִּבַת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּאִיתְתִּבַת תִּיבְטִיל. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מַה דְּאַקְשֵּׁי רִבִּי אַבָּא קָשֶׁי יְאוּת. מַה דְּאַקְשֵּׁי רִבִּי יוֹנָה לָא קָשֶׁי יְאוּת. קַל הֵיקִלוּ עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם תַעֲנִיתוֹ שֶׁיְּהוּ שֶׁבַע פּוֹטְרוֹת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מָמָל אָמַר לַחֲבֵרָייָא מָרַיי מִן כּוּלְּכוֹן שַׁמְעִית שֶׁאֵין נְעִילָה פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל עֶרֶֶב. רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אֵין נְעִילָה פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל עֶרֶב. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּרִבִּי בּוּן וְתַנִּי רִבִּי חִייָא בְּכָל־יוֹם אָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת וּבְמוֹצָאֵי יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים וּבְמוֹצָאֵי תַעֲנִית צִיבּוּר. May Neïlah free one from evening prayers? Rebbi Abba78Rebbi Abba, the student of Rav Huna, taught the statement in the name of Rav Huna when he came to Galilee and mentioned his own objection to Rav Huna’s teaching., Rav Ḥuna in the name of Rav: Neïlah frees one from evening prayers79According to Rav’s original opinion that one prays at the Locking of the Gates of Heaven, Neïlah may be started only when evening prayers may already be said. It does not make sense to recite two prayers at one time.. Rebbi Abba said to Rav Ḥuna: How may he mention havdalah80It will be explained in Berakhot 5:2:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.5.2.1">Mishnah 5:2 that at the end of Sabbath or holiday work is permitted only if havdalah (“distinction”) was recited in the evening Amidah. Hence, Rav’s decision seems to be impossible. (Even though it is possible, but undesirable, to recite havdalah only on a cup of wine, in particular after Yom Kippur when no fire is lit for havdalah.)? Rebbi Jonah said to Rebbi Abba81Rebbi Jonah, of the fifth generation of Galilean Amoraïm, apparently knew Rebbi Abba of the third generation.: How may seven82The seven benedictions of the holiday Amidah. free one from eighteen? He said to him, did I not already contradict it? He said to him: Because you contradicted it, should it be abandoned83If somebody could find a satisfactory answer to your question, there would be no reason to abandon the ruling of Rav.? Rebbi Yose84The Amora, contemporary of Rebbi Jonah. said, what Rebbi Abba asked is truly difficult. What Rebbi Jonah asked is not at all difficult, they made it easy on people because of the fast, that seven should free one from eighteen. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal85Or, from Mamal (Khirbet Mamleh in the valley of Genezareth), Amora of the second/third generation. He seems to refer to the decision of Babylonian scholars, reported by Rebbi Abba the Babylonian. This contradicts the position of the Yoma.87b">Babli (Yoma 87b) which reports the opinion of Rav that Neïlah does free one from evening prayers and explains that, in the opinion of Rav, the evening Amidah is not really obligatory (and, hence, is eliminated by the contemporaneous Neïlah) Havdalah is said over a cup of wine.
The next statement in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi is strictly from the Land of Israel. said to his colleagues: From all of them I understand that Neïlah does not free one from evening prayers. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: Neïlah does not free one from evening prayers. Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: Did not Rebbi Ḥiyya state this: “Every day one prays eighteen benedictions, including the end of Sabbath, end of Yom Kippur, and end of public fast days86This baraita is a commentary on Berakhot 4:3:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.4.3.1">Mishnah 3; it explains the opinion of Rabban Gamliel that a full 18 benedictions have to be prayed three times every day (see the end of this Halakhah), including the end of Sabbath and Yom Kippur (against the opinion of Rebbi Aqiba that on those occasions there are 19 benedictions, including a separate benediction for havdalah), and the end of public fasts for rain, to exclude the opinion that Neïlah eliminates the evening prayer. The Israeli position is thus supported by a tannaïtic statement..”
רִבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין נְעִילָה בְּשַׁבָּת מַזְכִּיר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת בִּנְעִילָה. אוֹסְפוּן עָלֵיהּ רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּתַעֲנִית צִיבּוּר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין נְעִילָה בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ מַזְכִּיר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ בִּנְעִילָה. רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי שַׁבָּת שֶׁחָלָה לִהְיוֹת בַּחֲנוּכָּה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מוּסָף בַּחֲנוּכָּה מַזְכִּיר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה בְמוּסָף. אוֹסְפוּן עָלָהּ רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּתוֹכָהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מוּסָף בַּחֲנוּכָּה מַזְכִּיר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה בְמוּסָף. Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi87These rules are inserted here because they are about statements of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi in the order of Amidah prayers.: If Yom Kippur happens to be on the Sabbath, one mentions Sabbath in Neïlah even though there is no Neïlah for Sabbath. They added to it: If the New Moon happens to be on a public fast-day, one mentions the New Moon in Neïlah even though there is no Neïlah for the New Moon88In general, fasting is forbidden on the days of the New Moon. The one exception is in the case of a prolonged draught when one fasts while praying for rain. In such a case, once they started the severe fasts, they continue Mondays and Thursdays without interruptions as explained in Tractate Taäniot.. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: On a Sabbath that falls on Ḥanukkah, one mentions Ḥanukkah for Musaph even though there is no Musaph for Ḥanukkah. They added to it the New Moon that happens to be in it, one mentions Ḥanukkah for Musaph even though there is no Musaph for Ḥanukkah89The parallel in the Shabbat.34b">Babli (Šabbat 34b) is in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi only, there the reason is stated that “the day requires four (or five) prayers”, and since the addition is required for some of the prayers it is required for all of them..
רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּתַעֲנִית הֵיאַךְ מַזְכִּיר הוּא שֶׁל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. רִבִּי זְעוֹרָא אָמַר בְּהוֹדָיָה. רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מָמָל אָמַר בַּעֲבוֹדָה. רִבִּי אֲבִינָא אָמַר אוֹמֵר בְּרָכָה רְבִיעִית. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא מַה מָצִינוּ בְּכָל־מָקוֹם אוֹמְרָהּ בְּרָכָה רְבִיעִית. אַף כַּאן אוֹמְרָהּ בְּרָכָה רְבִיעִית. וְכֵן נָפַק עֻבְדָּא כַּהֲדָא דְרִבִּי אַבָּא. When the New Moon falls on a fast day, how does one mention the New Moon90This paragraph is extremely difficult to understand and the greatest authorities of the Middle Ages, Rashba (R. Abraham ben Adrat, on Berakhot.32b">Babli Berakhot 32b) and Rosh (R. Asher ben Yeḥiël, to Chap. 5, #10) felt compelled to emend the text. Since three of the four prayers of the New Moon are weekday prayers with an addition added in “Temple service” (רצה, the 16th benediction in the Yerushalmi version) as given later in Chapter 5, Berakhot 4:2:2-8" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.4.2.2-8">Halakhah 2, the only question can be about Musaph. However, we never hear that the particular inserts in the morning prayers of a fast day were recited also for Musaph. On the other hand, as Rosh points out, the previous paragraph certainly implies that the one benediction recited on all fast-days except Yom Kippur, not only on those for rain, known as עננו, must be recited also for Musaph since the day requires that the benediction be inserted in all prayers. One may at least understand the position of Rebbi Abba that on a fast day for rain which coincides with a day of the New Moon, one recites the usual Musaph with an additional fifth benediction which deals with the fast day, after the fourth for the New Moon. The dissenting opinions of Rebbis Zeïra and Abba bar Mamal seem to imply that Musaph on a fast day consisted of the introductory and final benedictions that are common to all prayers and the additional benedictions for the fast day, whereas the section on the New Moon, for which Musaph is recited in the first place, is moved from its regular place to an insert in either the 16th or the 17th (מודים, “thanksgiving”, a place usually reserved for thanksgiving for past miracles) benediction.? Rebbi Zeïra said, in “thanksgiving”. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal said, in “Temple service”. Rebbi Avina said, he says it as the fourth benediction. Rebbi Abba said, how do we find everywhere that he says it as the fourth benediction, here also as the fourth benediction. And so it was acted upon according to Rebbi Abba91A reported action on an opinion is the best proof that this is accepted practice, see Chap. 1, Note 125..
בְּמַה קוֹרִין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר קוֹרִין בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי מָנָא כְּגוֹן מוֹדַעְתּוּן [בּוֹ] תַּעֲנִית רְבִיעִין עַל מֵעֵיהוֹן וְלֹא יָֽדְעִין דְּהִיא תַעֲנִיתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ לְהוֹדִיעָךְ שֶׁקּוֹרִין בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת. רִבִי יוּדָן קַפּוֹדָקִיָּא אָמַר קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן פָּזִי קוֹרִין בְּראשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. קָם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי עִם רִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן פָּזִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַתְּ שָׁמַעְתָּ מֵאָבוּךְ הֲדָא מִילְתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּא לֹא הֲוָה אָמַר כֵּן אֶלָּא בְּעֵין טָב עַל יְדֵי דְּאִינּוּן יָֽדְעִין דְּהוּא רֵישׁ יַרְחָא קוֹרִין בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. הָא שְׁאָר כָּל־הַמְּקוֹמוֹת קוֹרִין בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת. What does one read? Rebbi Yose said, one reads blessings and curses92Both on the day of the New Moon and on fast days one reads in the Torah. The readings are explained in Megillah 3:5:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Megillah.3.5.1">Mishnah Megillah 3:6. On the day of the New Moon, one reads abouts its sacrifices, Numbers.28.11-15">Num. 28:11–15 (in Babylonia, 28:1–15), and on fast days for rain, blessings and curses, Leviticus.26.3-46">Lev. 26:3–46. (In Babylonia on other fast days, Exodus.32.11-14">Ex. 32:11–14, Exodus.34.1-10">34:1–10). In Babylonia there would be no problem since there two Torah scrolls were used to read both portions, giving each person a larger share to read. However, in Israel the Torah was not read in the Babylonian one-year cycle but in an irregular three-year cycle with shorter readings and where the regular reading was postponed for any special one. For example, on Sabbath Ḥanukkah, in Israel only the corresponding part of the dedication sacrifices (Numbers.7">Num. 7) was read, whereas in Babylonia that was simply the reading from the second Torah scroll. Similarly, for a Sabbath New Moon one read in Israel only Numbers.28.1-15">Num. 28:1–15 and not the regular Torah reading. Hence, there is a serious question which portion to read on the New Moon which is also a fast day.. Rebbi Mana said to him: For example to tell them about the fast day? They are lying on their bellies93Meaning, falling on their faces for private prayer after the Amidah, a penitential service (נפילת אפים) that is forbidden on semi-holidays like the day of the New Moon. and should not know that it is a fast day? He said to him: To tell you that one reads blessings and curses94Not that the reading is to proclaim a fast day, but it is the reading appropriate for a fast day. If one already eliminates the prohibition of fasting on the New Moon, the occasion is so serious that the Torah reading also is eliminated.. Rebbi Yudan the Kappadokian95A scholar from Kappadokia in Anatolia; he is always mentioned in connection with the Amora Rebbi Yose. said before Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Yehudah ben Pazi: One reads about the New Moon. Rebbi Yose met Rebbi Yehudah ben Pazi. He asked him: Did you hear that from your father? He said to him: My father did not say so, except that at Eyn Ṭab96After the destruction of the Academy of Jabneh and the move of the Patriarchate to Galilee, the declaration of New Moons and New Years (before the publication of the permanent calendar) did always take place at Eyn Ṭab “beautiful spring”, known in Greek as Kallirrhoë (καλλιρρόη “the beautifully flowing one”); it possibly is Ḥamat Gader. Since the sequence of 30 day and 29 day months was not determined beforehand, only at Eyn Ṭab was the day of the New Moon fixed. Everywhere else one knew that it was certainly a fast day and probably a day of the New Moon; the certain has precedence over the probable., since they know for sure that it is the New Moon, they read about the New Moon. Hence, at all other places one reads blessings and curses.
יִרְמְיָה סַפְרָא שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יִרְמְיָה רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת בְּמַה קוֹרִין. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוֹרִין בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ קוֹמֵי רִבִּי אַמִּי וּמַתְנִיתַא אָֽמְרָה כֵן לַכֹּל מַפְסִיקִין לְרָאשֵׁי חֱֳדָשִׁים לְחֲנוּכָּה וּלְפוּרִים. Jeremiah the Scribe97A scholar not otherwise known. As explained before, in Israel one interrupted the regular sequence of Torah reading, not just the reading for the maphtir as in Babylonia. The parallel discussion of this and the next paragraph is in Megillah.29b">Babli Megillah 29b. asked before Rebbi Jeremiah: What does one read if the day of the New Moon is a Sabbath? He said to him: One reads about the New Moon. Rebbi Ḥelbo said before Rebbi Ammi: The Mishnah says so (Megillah 3:5:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Megillah.3.5.2-4">Megillah 3:6), “One interrupts for everything, for New Moons, for Ḥanukkah, and for Purim.”
יִצְחָק סְחוֹרָא שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יִצְחָק רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בַּחֲנוּכָּה בְּמַה קוֹרִין. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוֹרִין שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וְאֶחָד בַּחֲנוּכָּה. רִבִּי פִּינְחָס וְרִבִּי סִימוֹן רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר זְמִינָא מָטוּ בָהּ בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אֶבְדִּימִא דְּמִן חֵיפָא קוֹרִין שְׁלֹשָׁה בַּחֲנוּכָּה וְאֶחָד בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. לְהוֹדִיעָךְ שֶׁלֹּא בָּא הָרְבִיעִי אֶלָּא מַחְמַת רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. בַּר שֶׁלֶמְיָא סַפְרָא שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי מָנָא הַגַּע עַצְמָךְ שֶׁחָל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וְלֹא שִׁבְעָה אִינּוּן קוֹרִין. אִית לָךְ לְמֵימַר שֶׁלֹּא בָּא הָרְבִיעִי אֶלָּא מַחְמַת רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ. שְׁאִילְתִּינְהוּ לְסַפְרָא אָמַר לֵיהּ וַהֲדָא שְׁאִלְתָא דְּסָפָר. Isaac the trader asked Rebbi Isaac: What does one read on a New Moon that falls in Ḥanukkah? He said to him: Three for the New Moon and one for Ḥanukkah. Rebbi Phineas and Rebbi Simon, Rebbi Abba bar Zamina98A student of Rebbi Zeïra. brought it in the name of Rebbi Eudaimon of Haifa99A teacher of Rebbi Zeïra, Amora of the second/third generation. In the Megillah.29b">Babli (Megillah 29b) he is called Rebbi Dimi.: Three read of Ḥanukka and one of the New Moon, to tell you that the fourth one comes only because of the New Moon100Usually on Ḥanukkah only three people read from the Torah, since it is a regular workday. On the day of the New Moon, four persons read since it is a day with a Musaph sacrifice in the Temple. On the Sabbath, seven read (and the maphtir reads one additional portion). Hence, it seems impossible that the fourth person should read about Hanukkah.. Bar Shelemiah the scribe asked Rebbi Mana: Think of it, if the New Moon of Ḥanukkah falls on a Sabbath, do not seven read? How can you say, to tell you that the fourth one comes only because of the New Moon? They asked the scribe101This phrase is missing in the parallels (Yerushalmi Taäniot 4:1, Megillah 3:3:2-3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Megillah.3.3.2-3">Megillah 3:4) but it may be justified to assume that the question was not his, but that he was asked by others on his authority as scribe to the rabbi. Most probably, as conjectured by Levi Ginzberg, it is a second version of Rebbi Mana’s answer, that this is a really stupid question from a scribe who has not learned to think by himself: Since one interrupts for the Sabbath, it is clear that the reading of the New Moon, which occurs at least 16 times a year, has precedence over Ḥanukkah which occurs only 8 times.; he said to him: That is a true question of a scribe.
רִבִּי מִפְקֵּד לְאַבְדָּן אֲמוֹרֵיהּ אַכְרִיז קוֹמֵי צִיבּוּרָא מַאן דְּמַצְלִי יַצְלִי דְּרַמְשָׁא עַד יוֹמָא קָאִים. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר ווָה מִפְקֵּד לַאֲמוֹרֵיהּ אַכְרִיז קוֹמֵי צִיבּוּרָא מַאן דְּמַצְלִי יַצְלִי דְּרַמְשָׁא עַד יוֹמָא קָאִים. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא מָשְׁכֵנִי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעְאֵל בֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אֵצֶל פּוּנְדוּק אֶחָד אָמַר לִי כַּאן נִתְפַּלֵּל אַבָּא שֶׁל לֵילֵי שַׁבָּת בְּעֵרֶב שַׁבָּת. אָמַר רִבִּי אַמִּי רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן פְּלִיג וְלָא הֲוָה צְרִיךְ מִפְלְגָה עַל הֲדָא לָמָּה שֶׁכֵּן מוֹסִיפִין מֵחוֹל עַל קוֹדֶשׁ. וְעוֹד דְּסַלְקוּן חוֹמָּרַייָא מִן עָרָב לְצִיפּוֹרִין וְאָֽמְרִין כְּבַר שַׁבָּת רִבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דוֹסָא בְּעִירוֹ. וְיֶידָה אָֽמְרָה דָּא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא מָשְׁכֵנִי רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעְאֵל בֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אֵצֶל פּוּנְדוּק אֶחָד אָמַר לִי כַּאן נִתְפַּלֵּל אַבָּא שֶׁל מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבָּת וַאֲפִילּוּ אַף עֲלָהּ לָא הֲוָה צְרִיךְ מִיפְלְגָה דְּרִבִּי מִפְקֵּד לְאַבְדָּן אֲמוֹרֵיהּ אַכְרִיז קוֹמֵי צִיבּוּרָא מַאן דְּמַצְלִי יַצְלִי דְּרַמְשָׁא עַד יוֹמָא קָאִים. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר ווָה מִפְקֵד לַאֲמוֹרֵיהּ אַכְרִיזוּ קוֹמֵי צִיבּוּרָא מַאן דְּמַצְלִי יַצְלִי דְּרַמְשָׁא עַד יוֹמָא קָאִים. דְּבֵית רִבִּי יַנַּאי אָֽמְרִין עָלָה אָדָם עַל מִיטָּתוֹ אֵין מַטְרִיחִין אוֹתוֹ לֵירֵד. אֲמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָא כָּל מַאן דַּהֲוִינָא עֲבַד כֵּן הֲוִינָא מְפָחֵד בַּלַּיְלִיָּא. לֵית לָךְ אֶלָּא כַהֲדָא דְּרִבִּי מִפְקֵּד לְאַבְדָּן אֲמוֹרֵיהּ אַכְרִיז קוֹמֵי צִיבּוּרָא מַאן דְּמַצְלִי יַצְלִי דְּרַמְשָׁא עַד יוֹמָא קַייָם. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר ווָא מִפְקֵד לַאֲמוֹרִיהּ כו׳. Rebbi102After the discussion of the side issues introduced by the mention of Neïlah and fast days, the discussion returns to the last part of the Mishnah. The text appears in modified form also in Bereshit rabba 8:10, Pesiqta rabbati 23; the parallel in Berakhot.27b">Babli Berakhot 27b disagrees fundamentally with the practice explained here.
According to the Mishnah, the time of Minḥah is until 5/4 hours before sundown for Rebbi Yehudah and until sundown for the other sages. As a corollary, the time of evening prayers starts at 5/4 hours before sundown for Rebbi Yehudah and at sundown for the others. Since Rebbi was a student of Rebbi Yehudah, it is possible that he simply followed his teacher and himself was followed by his own student R. Ḥiyya. Perhaps it is assumed here that we already know the result of the next paragraph, that evening prayer is not obligatory (this is also accepted in the Babli), and that because of this one permits evening prayer before sundown because it is a minor obligation and in Galilee apparently was not recited in the synagogue. This is the medieval Ashkenazic tradition. [The Babli states that evening prayers should be said in the night, that this is also Rebbi’s position, but that in case of error, under very dark clouds, one does not have to repeat the prayer which in Babylonia was recited in the synagogue.] commanded his speaker Abdan103It seems that his name was Abba Yudan. In the talmudic academies, the head of the academy never raised his voice to speak to a large class; he explained what he had to say to one or more speakers, Amoraïm, who spoke in a loud voice. It is probable that the situation described here is that of Sabbath afternoon when everybody came to listen to the sermon, since the audience is called “congregation” and not “students”, who were the weekday audience.: Proclaim before the congregation that he who wants to pray, should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba104He is Rebbi Ḥiyya the Great, in Rebbi’s Academy, not the student of R. Yoḥanan. commanded his speaker: Proclaim before the congregation that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥanina said: Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose105Ben Ḥalaphta, the Tanna. drew me to an inn and said to me: Here my father prayed Saturday (Friday night) prayers on Friday. Rebbi Ammi said: Rebbi Yoḥanan disagrees106And insists that Evening prayers may be said only after sundown. but he should not have disagreed since one adds from the profane to the holy time107It is an obligation to start the Sabbath (and holidays) before sundown and end it after sundown, not exactly at sundown. This obligation is not spelled out in the Babli; its source is here in the Yerushalmi.; in addition, donkey drivers come from Arab108The village of Arrabeh, North of Kafr Kanah in lower Galilee. to Sepphoris and say, Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa already did consecrate the Sabbath in his town. But so it has been said, that Rebbi Ḥanina said: Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose drew me to an inn and said to me, here my father prayed Saturday night prayers on the Sabbath. But even with that he should not have disagreed, since Rebbi commanded his speaker Abdan: Proclaim before the congregation that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba commanded his speaker: Proclaim before the congregation that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. In the house of Rebbi Yannaï they said: If a man went to bed, one does not bother him to get up109If one forgot to recite evening prayers. R. Yannai certainly agrees that evening prayers are not obligatory.. Rebbi Zeïra said, all the time that I followed this rule, I was afraid in the night110Even though evening prayers are not obligatory, it is the practice to recite them for peace of mind, subject to the leniencies of Rebbi and Rebbi Ḥiyya.. You have only what Rebbi commanded his speaker Abdan: Proclaim before the congregation that he who wants to pray should pray evening prayers as long as it is still daylight. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba commanded etc.
אָמַר רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אַחָא תַּנִּיֵי תַּמָּן תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב מַהוּ. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר חוֹבָה. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר רְשׁוּת. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא אַתְיָין אִילֵּין פַּלְגְּוָותָא כְּאִינּוּן פַּלְגְּוָותָא מָאן דָּמַר חוֹבָה אֵין נְעִילָה פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל עֶרֶב. וּמָאן דָּמַר רְשׁוּת נְעִילָה פּוֹטֶרֶת שֶׁל עֶרֶב. Rebbi Jacob bar Abba111An Israeli Amora of the second generation, student of Rav in Babylonia. His tradition from “there” (Babylonia) and the following story are reported at great length in Berakhot.27b">Babli 27b. said: There, they did state, what is the status of evening prayer? Rabban Gamliel said, it is obligatory. Rebbi Joshua112In a dispute between Rebbi Joshua and Rabban Gamliel, practice always follows Rebbi Joshua. There is never a doubt that the recitation of Shema‘ is obligatory. said, it is voluntary. Rebbi Ḥanina said, this difference parallels the other difference: He who holds that evening prayer is obligatory, holds that Neïlah does not free one from evening prayers. He who holds that it is voluntary, holds that Neïlah frees one from evening prayers113But, as stated before, evening prayers are still needed for mental health..
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּתַלְמִיד אֶחָד שֶׁבָּא וְשָׁאַל אֶת רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב מַהוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רְשׁוּת. בָּא וְשָׁאַל אֶת רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב מַהוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ חוֹבָה. אָמַר לוֹ וְהָא רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר לִי רְשׁוּת. אָמַר לוֹ לְמָחָר כְּשֶׁאֶכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַוַּועַד עֲמוֹד וּשְׁאוֹל אֶת הַהֲלָכָה הַזֹּאת. לְמָחָר עָמַד אוֹתוֹ תַּלְמִיד וְשָׁאַל אֶת רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל תְּפִילַּת הָעֶרֶב מַהוּ. אָמַר לוֹ חוֹבָה. אָמַר לוֹ הָא רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר לִי רְשׁוּת. אָמַר רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַתְּ הוּא אוֹמֵר רְשׁוּת אָמַר לֵיהּ לָאו. אָמַר לוֹ עֲמוֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְיָעִידוּךָ. וְהָיָה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עוֹמֵד עַל רַגְלָיו עַד שֶׁרִינְּנוּ כָל הָעָם וְאָֽמְרוּ לְרִבִּי חֻצְפִּית הַתּוּרְגְּמָן הַפְטֵר אֶת הָעָם. אָֽמְרוּ לְרִבִּי זֵינוֹן הַחֲזָן אֶמוֹר הַתְחֵיל וְאָמַר הַתְחִילוּ. וְעָֽמְדוֹ כָל־הָעָם עַל רַגְלֵיהֶם וְאָֽמְרוּ לוֹ כִּי עַל מִי לֹא עָֽבְרָה רָעָֽתְךָ תָּמִיד. הָֽלְכוּ וּמִינּוּ אֶת רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה בִישִׁיבָה בֶּן שֵׁשׁ עֵשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְנִתְמַלֵּא כָּל־רֹאשׁוֹ שֵׂיבוֹת. וְהָיָה רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא יוֹשֵׁב וּמִצְטָעֵר וְאָמַר לֹא שֶׁהוּא בֶּן תּוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא בֶּן גְּדוֹלִים יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּי. אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֶׁזָּכוּ לוֹ אֲבֹתָיו אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יָתֵד בְּמִי לְהִתָּלוֹת בָּהּ. וְכִי מַה הָֽיְתָה יְתֵידָתוֹ שֶׁל רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה שֶׁהָיָה דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי לְעֶזְרָא. וְכַמָּה סַפְסָלִין הָיוּ שָׁם. רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן סִיסִי אָמַר שְׁמוֹנִים סַפְסָלִים הָיוּ שָׁם שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים חוּץ מִן הָעוֹמְדִין לַאֲחוֹרֵי הַגֶּדֶר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי אָבוּן אָמַר שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם חוּץ מִן הָעוֹמְדִין לַאֲחוֹרֵי הַגֶּדֶר. כְּיַי דְּתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן בְּיוֹם שֶׁהוֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה בִישִׁיבָה. תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן זֶה מִדְרָשׁ דָרַשׁ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים בְּכֶרֶם בְּיַבְנֵה. וְכִי כֶרֶם הָיָה שָׁם אֶלָּא אֵילוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁהָיוּ עֲשׂוּיִין שׁוּרוֹת שׁוּרוֹת כְּכֶרֶם. מִיַּד הָלַךְ לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אֵצֶל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפַייְסוֹ בְבֵיתוֹ. אֲזַל גַּבֵּי רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ יְתִיב עֲבִיד מְחָטִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִילֵּין אַתְּ חַיֵּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְעַד כְּדוֹן אַתְּ בָּעֵי מִידְעֵי. אוֹי לוֹ לְדוֹר שֶׁאַתָּה פַּרְנָסוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ נֶעֱנֵיתִי לָךְ. וְשָֽלְחוּן גַּבֵּי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה חַד קַצָּר. וְאִית דָּֽמְרִין רִבִּי עֲקִיבָא הֲוָה. אָמַר לוֹ מִי שֶׁהוּא מַזֶּה בֶּן מַזֶּה יַזֶּה מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ לֹא מַזֶּה וְלֹא בֶּן מַזֶּה יֵימַר לְמַזֶּה בֶּן מַזֶּה מֵימֶיךָ מֵי מְעָרָה וְאֶפְרָךְ אֶפֶר מַקְלֶה. אָמַר לוֹ נִתְרַצִּיתֶם אֲנִי וְאַתֶּם נַשְׁכִּים לְפִתְחוֹ שֶׁל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. אַף עַל פִּי כֵּן לֹא הוֹרִידוּ אוֹתוֹ מִגְּדוּלָּתוֹ אֶלָּא מִינּוּ אוֹתוֹ אַב בֵּית דִּין. It happened that one student came and asked Rebbi Joshua: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is voluntary. He asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. He said to him: Tomorrow, when I enter the assembly hall, stand up and ask me about this practice. The next day, this student stood up and asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. Rabban Gamliel said to Rebbi Joshua: Are you the one who says it is voluntary? He answered him: No114Since Rabban Gamliel went to great lengths to insist on uniformity, not only of practice, but also of doctrine, Rebbi Joshua, the most important member of the generation preceding Rabban Gamliel, did not want to start a quarrel.. He said to him: Stand up on your feet so that they may testify against you. Then Rabban Gamliel was sitting down and lecturing while Rebbi Joshua was standing up until the people started talking and said to Rebbi Ḥuẓpit the interpreter115The “Amora” of Rabban Gamliel, one of the “Ten Martyrs”.: Send the people home. They said to Rebbi Zenon the ḥazan116The ḥazan was not only the reader in congregational prayers, but also the general organizer of religious affairs. In outlying communities he was the ritual slaughterer and the conduit through whom questions of religious practice were addressed to the Academies. Here it seems that he had to recite the prayer at the end of a study session discussed in the next Halakhah, that it was customary to start with a Bible verse and that the people spontaneously chose one which was a curse on the speaker.: Start! He said: Start! All the people stood up and said to him (Nahum.3.19">Nahum 3:19): “Certainly, on whom did your evil not pass always?” They went and appointed117In the Yerushalmi, “appoint” (מנה) is the equivalent of the Babli’s “ordain” (סמך). Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah was ordained the same day he was appointed head of the Synhedrion. Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah to the Yeshivah when he was 16 years old118In pre-war Poland, that was the usual age for sĕmikha. (In the Babli, the age is given as 18 years.) The difficulty of this age determination is discussed at length by the author in The Scholar’s Haggadah, p. 265–266.; his head became all white. Rebbi Aqiba sat and was sad; he said, not that he is a greater Torah scholar than I am, but he comes from a greater family than I do; hail to the man whose forefathers created merit for him, hail to the man who has a peg to hang on to. What was Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah’s peg? He was the tenth generation after Ezra119His family was of equal rank with that of the Patriarch. In the Rome manuscript, there is an addition that he alone was as rich as the Patriarch (and, hence, had the money to deal with the Roman government).. How many seats were there120This insertion is more detailed in the Berakhot.28a">Babli (28a), where the question is discussed how many seats were added when, with the deposition of Rabban Gamliel, also his elitistic exclusionary policies of admission to the Yeshivah were scrapped. The insertion is Amoraïc, as is shown by the names of the authorities and the quotes from the Mishnah. The previous paragraph and the following one are Tannaïtic.? Rebbi Jacob ben Sisi121A Galilean Amora of the fourth generation, contemporary of the Amora R. Yose, older than R. Yose ben R. Abun. said: Eighty seats were there of accomplished scholars, not to count those standing behind the railing. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said 300 were there, not to count those standing behind the railing. As we have stated there (Zevachim 1:3" href="/Mishnah_Zevachim.1.3">Mishnah Zebaḥim 1:3) “On the day Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah was appointed to the Academy.”122In the tradition of the Babli, all of tractate Idiut was presented on that day. There (Ketubot 4:6:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Ketubot.4.6.1">Mishnah Ketubot 4:6) we have stated: “This inference did Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah present before the sages at the vineyard of Jabneh.” Was there a vineyard? It means that the scholars sat there in rows like vines in a vineyard. Rabban Gamliel went immediately to pacify each one in his house. He came to Rebbi Joshua and found him occupied with the making of needles123In the Babli, his profession is given as charcoal-burner.. He asked him: This is how you earn your living? He answered him: Until now you did not know? Woe to the generation whose caretaker you are! He said to him: I humble myself before you. They sent a washerman to Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah, but some say that it was Rebbi Aqiba. He told him: The sprinkler, son of a sprinkler, should sprinkle. Should anyone who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to the sprinkler: your water is water from a cave and your ashes are ashes from a fireplace124The argument is taken from the ritual of the ashes of the red heifer. The ashes have to be given into “living” water, drawn from a stream. Sprinkling the water was not a reserved profession, but it may be assumed that the care of the ashes, and supervision of the cleansing ritual, was in the hands of the priests, of whom R. Eleazar ben Azariah was one. Hence, it was intimated to him that just as a non-Cohen should not presume upon his duties, so an outsider should not presume upon the duties of the Patriarch.? He said to him: You made your peace with him! I and you shall go in the morning to Rabban Gamliel’s door. Nevertheless they did not remove him from his dignity but made him head of the court.