Mishnayos Brachos Perek 1 Mishnah 1
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ברכות פרק א׳ משנה א׳
The beginning of tractate Berakhot, the first tractate in the first of the six orders of Mishna, opens with a discussion of the recitation of Shema, as the recitation of Shema encompasses an acceptance of the yoke of Heaven and of the mitzvot, and as such, forms the basis for all subsequent teachings. The Mishna opens with the laws regarding the appropriate time to recite Shema:
From when, that is, from what time, does one recite Shema in the evening? From the time when the priests enter to partake of their teruma. Until when does the time for the recitation of the evening Shema extend? Until the end of the first watch. The term used in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:7) to indicate the time for the recitation of the evening Shema is beshokhbekha, when you lie down, which refers to the time in which individuals go to sleep. Therefore, the time for the recitation of Shema is the first portion of the night, when individuals typically prepare for sleep. That is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. The Rabbis say: The time for the recitation of the evening Shema is until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: One may recite Shema until dawn, indicating that beshokhbekha is to be understood as a reference to the entire time people sleep in their beds, the whole night. The mishna relates that Rabban Gamliel practiced in accordance with his ruling. There was an incident where Rabban Gamliel’s sons returned very late from a wedding hall. They said to him, as they had been preoccupied with celebrating with the groom and bride: We did not recite Shema. He said to them: If the dawn has not yet arrived, you are obligated to recite Shema. Since Rabban Gamliel’s opinion disagreed with that of the Rabbis, he explained to his sons that the Rabbis actually agree with him, and that it is not only with regard to the halakha of the recitation of Shema, but rather, wherever the Sages say until midnight, the mitzva may be performed until dawn. Rabban Gamliel cites several cases in support of his claim, such as the burning of fats and limbs on the altar. Due to the quantity of offerings each day, the priests were often unable to complete the burning of all of the fats and limbs, so they continued to be burned into the night, as it is written: “This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall remain upon the pyre on the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar burns it” (Leviticus 6:2). And, with regard to all sacrifices, such as the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings that are eaten for one day and night; although the Sages state that they may be eaten only until midnight, by Torah law they may be eaten until dawn. This is in accordance with the verse: “On the day on which it is offered must you eat. Do not leave it until the morning” (Leviticus 7:15). If so, why did the Sages say that they may be eaten only until midnight? This is in order to distance a person from transgression, as if one believes that he has until dawn to perform the mitzva, he might be negligent and postpone it until the opportunity to perform the mitzva has passed.
מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּעַרְבִית. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לֶאֱכֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן, עַד סוֹף הָאַשְׁמוּרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד חֲצוֹת. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ בָנָיו מִבֵּית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא קָרִינוּ אֶת שְׁמַע. אָמַר לָהֶם, אִם לֹא עָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר, חַיָּבִין אַתֶּם לִקְרוֹת. וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. הֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. וְכָל הַנֶּאֱכָלִים לְיוֹם אֶחָד, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעֲבֵרָה:
Bartenura
מאימתי קורין. משעה שהכהנים נכנסין לאכול בתרומתן. כהנים שנטמאו וטבלו, אין יכולים לאכול בתרומה עד שיעריב שמשן, דהיינו צאת הכוכבים. והא דלא תני משעת צאת הכוכבים, מלתא אגב אורחיה קמ״ל שאם נטמאו הכהנים בטומאה שטהרתן תלויה בקרבן כגון זב ומצורע, אין הכפרה מעכבתן מלאכול בתרומה, דכתיב (ויקרא כב, ז) ובא השמש וטהר ואחר יאכל מן הקדשים, ביאת שמשו מעכבתו מלאכול בתרומה. ואין כפרתו מעכבתו מלאכול בתרומה וכו׳:
עד סוף האשמורה הראשונה. שליש הראשון של לילה, שהלילה נחלק לשלש משמרות. ומשם ואילך לא מקרי תו זמן קריאת שמע דשכיבה, ולא קרינא ביה בשכבך. ומקמי צאת הכוכבים נמי יממא הוא ולאו זמן שכיבה. והמקדימים וקורים קריאת שמע של ערבית מבעוד יום, סומכים אהא דרבי יהודה דאמר לקמן בפרק תפלת השחר תפלת המנחה עד פלג המנחה, שהוא שעה ורביע קודם הלילה. וקי״ל דעבד כר׳ יהודה עבד, ומיד כשכלה זמן המנחה מתחיל זמן קריאת שמע של ערבית:
עד שיעלה עמוד השחר. דכל הלילה מקרי זמן שכיבה. והלכה כרבן גמליאל שגם חכמים מודים לו, ולא אמרו עד חצות אלא כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה. ומיהו לכתחילה משהגיע עונת קריאת שמע של ערבית דמתניתין דהיינו מצאת הכוכבים, אסור לסעוד וכל שכן לישן עד שיקרא קריאת שמע ויתפלל:
מעשה שבאו בניו מבית המשתה. בני רבן גמליאל שמעינהו לרבנן דאמרי עד חצות, והכי קאמרי ליה, הא דפליגי רבנן עלך, דוקא קאמרי עד חצות ותו לא, ויחיד ורבים הלכה כרבים, או דילמא רבנן כוותך סבירא להו, והאי דקאמרי עד חצות, כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה. ואמר להו, רבנן כוותי סבירא להו, והאי דקאמרי עד חצות כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה וחייבים אתם לקרות:
ולא זו בלבד. כולה מילתא דרבן גמליאל היא דאמר לבניו:
הקטר חלבים. של קרבנות:
ואברים. של עולת תמיד של בין הערבים שנזרק דמו ביום, מצוה להעלות הנתחים כל הלילה, דכתיב (ויקרא ו׳:ב׳) היא העולה על מוקדה על המזבח כל הלילה עד הבקר:
וכל הנאכלין ליום אחד. כגון תודה וחטאת ואשם וכיוצא בהם שהם נאכלים ליום ולילה, זמן אכילתן עד שיעלה עמוד שחר והוא המביא לידי נותר:
אם כן למה אמרו חכמים עד חצות. בק״ש ובאכילת קדשים, אבל בהקטר חלבים ואיברים לא אמרו בו חכמים עד חצות כלל, ולא נקט ליה הכא אלא להודיע שכל דבר שמצותו בלילה כשר כל הלילה:
כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה. שלא יבא לאכלן אחר שיעלה עמוד השחר ויתחייב כרת, וכן בק״ש שלא יאמר עדיין יש לי שהות ותעבור עונתה:
מאימתי קורין את שמעו בערבית? משעה שהכהנים נכנסים לאכול בתרומתן – Kohanim (Priests) who became defiled and immersed [in the Mikveh/Ritual Bath] are not able to eat of the Terumah/heave offering (2% of a yield that a person initially tithes for a Kohen), until after sunset, which is, (at the time) when the stars appear. And the fact the Mishnah does not teach, “from the time when the stars appear” is an incidental matter, which comes to tell us, that if Kohanim were defiled with an uncleanness whose purification is dependent upon [the offering of] a sacrifice, such as one afflicted with gonorrhea or leprosy – their [form of] atonement does not prevent them from eating the heave offering, as it written (Leviticus 22:7): “As soon as the sun sets, he shall be pure; and afterward he may eat of the sacred donations [for they are his food].” The setting of the sun prevents him from his eating the heave offering, but his atonement [sacrifice] does not prevent him from eating his heave offering.
עד סוף האשמורה הראשונה – The first third of the night (is the end of the first “watch”), as the night is divided into three watches, and from then onwards is no longer called the time [for the] Recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41) when lying down, and we do not refer to it as “when you lie down” (Deuteronomy 6:7), and prior to the stars coming out (literally, “going out”), it is also considered daytime and not the time of lying down. And those who recite Evening Shema early while it is still day, rely upon that [opinion] of Rabbi Yehuda who said further on in Chapter “Tefillat HaShahar”/The Morning Prayer/Amidah (Chapter 4 of Berakhot, Mishnah 1), that the Afternoon prayer is recited until “Plag HaMinhah”/the middle of the afternoon (the half-way point between the time when the Tamid/Daily Sacrifice was offered – 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm when the time of sunset arrives at the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes), which is an hour and a quarter prior to the night time. And we establish (literally, “hold”), that he followed [the opinion of] Rabbi Yehudah, and immediately when the time for Minhah ends, the time for the Evening Recitation of the Shema begins.
עד שיעלה עמוד השחר – Since all night long is called the time for lying down, and the Halakha/law follows [the opinion of] Rabban Gamaliel since the Sages also agree with him, and they [the Sages] did not say, “Until Midnight” (for the recitation of the Evening Shema) other than to distance a person from [the possibility of committing a] sin. However, ab initio, when the time for the recitation of the Evening Shema of our Mishnah arrives, that is, from the time that the stars come out, it is forbidden to eat, and all the more so, to lie down until he recites and the Shema and recites the [Amidah] prayer.
מעשה שבאו בניו מבית המשתה – The sons of Rabban Gamaliel followed the teaching of the Rabbis (regarding the ending time to recite the Evening Shema) who said, “until midnight,” and this is what they said to him: That when the Rabbis are in dispute with you, especially when they say, “until midnight” and not any longer, and [when there is a dispute between] and individual and a majority [view], the law follows the majority [view] (see Mishnah Eduyot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 5) or perhaps (alternatively), The Rabbis [hold] like you thinking and that which states, “until midnight, in order to distance a person from committing a sin,” and he (Rabban Gamaliel) said to the Rabbis that they hold like him, and that which [the Mishnah] states “until Midnight” in order to distance a person from [committing] a sin and you are required to recite the Shema [now].
ולא זו בלבד– It is entirely the words of Rabban Gamaliel which he said to his sons.
הקטר חלבים – of the Temple sacrifices.
ואברים – [the limbs of] the burnt offering sacrifice offered daily at even-time in which its blood is cast on the day he is commanded to offer up the pieces all night long, as it written (Leviticus 6:2): “The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night [until morning]…”
וכל הנאכלים ליום אחד – such as the thanksgiving offering, and the sin offering and the guilt offering and others like them, which are eaten in the daytime, but the nighttime is when they are eaten until the crack of dawn and he is the one who brings remnants [of the sacrifices left over beyond the legal time and bound to be burnt].
אם כן למה אמרו חכמים עד חצות – Regarding the Recitation of the [Evening] Shema and the eating of the Holy Things, but concerning the burning of the fats and limbs on the altar, the Sages did not say regarding it “until midnight” at all and [the Mishnah] did not hold this tradition other than to inform [us] that any Mitzvah which is to be performed at night is appropriate to be performed all night long (see Mishnah Megillah, Chapter 2, Mishnah 6).
כדי להרחיק את האדם מן העבירה – [Concerning the fats and limbs ]that he should not come to eat them after the crack of dawn and be liable for extirpation, and similarly regarding the Recitation of the Shema, that he shouldn’t say, “I still have time” and the time period would pass.