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Today's Mishnah Yomi

Berachos 1:3 - 1:4

The Mishnah Yomi for Wednesday, September 22, 2027 is Berachos 1:3 - 1:4

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Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Berachos Perek 1 Mishnah 3

ברכות פרק א׳ משנה ג׳

3
Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disputed the proper way to recite Shema. Beit Shammai say: One should recite Shema in the manner indicated in the text of Shema itself. Therefore, in the evening every person must recline on his side and recite Shema, in fulfillment of the verse: “When you lie down,” and in the morning he must stand and recite Shema, in fulfillment of the verse: When you rise, as it is stated: “When you lie down, and when you rise.” And Beit Hillel say: Every person recites Shema as he is, and he may do so in whatever position is most comfortable for him, both day and night, as it is stated: “And when you walk along the way,” when one is neither standing nor reclining (Me’iri). If so, according to Beit Hillel, why was it stated: “When you lie down, and when you rise”? This is merely to denote time; at the time when people lie down and the time when people rise. With regard to this halakha, Rabbi Tarfon said: Once, I was coming on the road when I stopped and reclined to recite Shema in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai. Although Rabbi Tarfon was a disciple of Beit Hillel, he thought that fulfilling the mitzva in accordance with the opinion of Beit Shammai would be a more meticulous fulfillment of the mitzva, acceptable to all opinions. Yet in so doing, I endangered myself due to the highwaymen [listim] who accost travelers. The Sages said to him: You deserved to be in a position where you were liable to pay with your life, as you transgressed the statement of Beit Hillel. This statement will be explained in the Gemara.
בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, בָּעֶרֶב כָּל אָדָם יַטּוּ וְיִקְרְאוּ, וּבַבֹּקֶר יַעַמְדוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, כָּל אָדָם קוֹרֵא כְדַרְכּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם שׁוֹכְבִים, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם עוֹמְדִים. אָמַר רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן, אֲנִי הָיִיתִי בָא בַדֶּרֶךְ, וְהִטֵּתִי לִקְרוֹת, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי, וְסִכַּנְתִּי בְעַצְמִי מִפְּנֵי הַלִּסְטִים. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, כְּדַי הָיִיתָ לָחוּב בְּעַצְמְךָ, שֶׁעָבַרְתָּ עַל דִּבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל:
ג׳

יטו – [they should lean] on their sides as it is written (Deuteronomy 6:7), “when you lie down” – in the manner of lying down.

יעמדו – [the should stand] – as it is written (Deuteronomy 6:7), “and when you get up” – in the manner of rising.

כדרכו – whether [one is] standing or [one is] sitting or [one is] lying or [one is] walking.

כדי היית – you would have been liable to have been killed and if you had died, you would have been liable for [the loss of] your life.

יטו. על צדיהם, דכתיב בשכבך דרך שכיבה:

יעמדו. דכתיב ובקומך דרך קימה:

כדרכו. בין בקימה בין בישיבה בין בשכיבה בין בהליכה:

כדי היית. ראוי היית ליהרג, ואם היית מת היית מתחייב בנפשך:

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Berachos Perek 1 Mishnah 4

ברכות פרק א׳ משנה ד׳

4
From the laws of the recitation of Shema itself, the mishna proceeds to discuss the blessings recited in conjunction with Shema. Here, the order is established: In the morning when reciting Shema, one recites two blessings beforehand, the first on the radiant lights and the second the blessing on the love of Torah, and one thereafter, which begins with: True and Firm [emet veyatziv]. And in the evening one recites two blessings beforehand, on the radiant lights and on the love of God, and two thereafter, the blessing of redemption: True and Faithful [emet ve’emuna], and the blessing: Help us lie down. With regard to the blessing: True and Faithful, whether one recites it in its long formula and whether one recites it in its short formula, he fulfills his obligation (Tosafot). However, the general principle is: Where the Sages said to recite a long blessing, one may not shorten it, and so too, wherever they said to recite a short blessing, one may not lengthen it. Where the Sages said that a blessing must conclude with a second blessing at the end, he may not fail to conclude with that blessing. Similarly, if the Sages said that a blessing must not conclude with a second blessing, one may not conclude with a blessing.
בַּשַּׁחַר מְבָרֵךְ שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וְאַחַת לְאַחֲרֶיהָ, וּבָעֶרֶב שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַחֲרֶיהָ. אַחַת אֲרֻכָּה וְאַחַת קְצָרָה. מָקוֹם שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְהַאֲרִיךְ, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְקַצֵּר. לְקַצֵּר, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְהַאֲרִיךְ. לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי שֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם. וְשֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לַחְתֹּם:
ד׳

שתים לפניה – [The two blessings before the recitation of the Shema] – “who creates light”/יוצר אור and “love” [i.e “with great love, You, O LORD have loved us”/אהבה רבה]

ואחת לאחריה – [The blessing] “True and established/אמת ויציב”

ובערב – [And in the evening] one recites [the blessing(s)]

שתים לפניה – “One brings on the evening twilight/המעריב ערבים” and “With eternal love/אהבת עולם”.

And two afterwards – “True and Certain/אמת ואמונה” and “Cause us to lie down/השכיבנו.”

אחת ארוכה ואחת קצרה – Referring to the two [blessings recited] before the Shema, יוצא אור/”Who Forms light” is a “long” [blessing], in that it opens [with the words] “Praised [are You]” and concludes with “Praised [are You]” and similarly [with the blessing in the Evening service] “Who brings on the evening twilight” [which begins with “Praised are You” and concludes with “Praised are You”]. The blessing “Love” (“With great love” – and its evening equivalent “With eternal love”) is short as it concludes with “Praised [are You]” and does not open with “Praised [are You].”

לחתום – with [the word] “Praised [are You, O LORD].”

שלא לחתום – such as the blessings for fruits and blessing for the commandments.

שתים לפניה. יוצר אור ואהבה:

ואחת לאחריה. אמת ויציב:

ובערב. מברך:

שתים לפניה. מעריב ערבים ואהבת עולם:

ושתים לאחריה. אמת ואמונה והשכיבנו:

אחת ארוכה ואחת קצרה. אשתים שלפניה קאי, יוצר אור ארוכה שפותחת בברוך וחותמת בברוך, וכן מעריב ערבים. אהבה קצרה, שחותמת בברוך ואינה פותחת בברוך:

לחתום. בברוך:

שלא לחתום. כגון ברכת הפירות וברכת המצות:

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