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Perek 5

Mishnayos Brachos Perek 5 Mishnah 3

ברכות פרק ה׳ משנה ג׳

3
Concluding the laws of prayer in this tractate, the mishna raises several prayer-related matters. This mishna speaks of certain innovations in the prayer formula that warrant the silencing of a communal prayer leader who attempts to introduce them in his prayers, as their content tends toward heresy. One who recites in his supplication: Just as Your mercy is extended to a bird’s nest, as You have commanded us to send away the mother before taking her chicks or eggs (Deuteronomy 22:6–7), so too extend Your mercy to us; and one who recites: May Your name be mentioned with the good or one who recites: We give thanks, we give thanks twice, they silence him. This mishna and the next one deal with the communal prayer leader. (If one says: “May the good bless You,” this is a path of heresy.) One who is passing before the ark, as prayer leader, and erred, another should immediately pass in his place, and at that moment, this replacement should not refuse in the interest of courtesy. The Amida prayer was interrupted and he should replace him as quickly as possible. From where does the replacement commence? From the beginning of the blessing in which the former had erred.

הָאוֹמֵר עַל קַן צִפּוֹר יַגִּיעוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ, וְעַל טוֹב יִזָּכֵר שְׁמֶךָ, מוֹדִים מוֹדִים, מְשַׁתְּקִין אוֹתוֹ. הָעוֹבֵר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּיבָה וְטָעָה, יַעֲבֹר אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, וְלֹא יְהֵא סָרְבָן בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה. מִנַּיִן הוּא מַתְחִיל, מִתְּחִלַּת הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁטָּעָה בָהּ:

ג׳

על קן צפור יגיעו רחמיך – Just as Your mercy reached the bird and you decreed (Deuteronomy 22:6), “Do not take the mother together with her young,” so too should God have compassion upon us as well.

משתקין אותו – [We silence him] for making the Holy One, blessed be He’s attributes ones of mercy, and they are none other than decrees of the King upon his servants.

על טוב יזכר שמך – Implying on Your [God’s] goodness (alone) we give thanks to you, but we do not thank Him [God] on the bad things , and yet we are obligated to bless God on the bad things as we do on the good things (see Tractate Berakhot, chapter 9, Mishnah 5).

מודים מודים – which [when you repeat the word “Modim/We thank you,” it appears like one is accepting upon oneself multiple deities, and the Jerusalem Talmud explains that this when it is recited by the community, whereas for an individual [worshipper], they are [words of] supplication.

ולא יהא סרבן באותה שעה – In the manner of those who descend before the Ark [to lead the service] that they must refuse once, but he should not refuse when they [the members of the congregation] tell him, “go down,” because it is shameful that the Prayer is interrupted so much.

על קן צפור יגיעו רחמיך. כמו שהגיעו רחמיך על צפור וגזרת לא תקח האם על הבנים כן חוס ורחם עלינו:

משתקין אותו. שעושה מדותיו של הקב״ה רחמים והן אינן אלא גזרות מלך על עבדיו:

ועל טוב יזכר שמך. משמע על טובתך נודה לך ועל הרע לא נודה, והרי אנו חייבין לברך על הרעה כשם שמברכין על הטובה:

מודים מודים. דמיחזי כמקבל עליו שתי אלוהות. ומפרש בירושלמי הדא דתימא בצבור, אבל ביחיד תחנונים הם:

ולא יהא סרבן באותה שעה. כדרך שאר יורדים לפני התיבה שצריך לסרב פעם ראשונה אבל זה לא יסרב כשאומרים לו לך רד לפי שגנאי הוא שתהא התפלה מופסקת כל כך: