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Today's Mishnah Yomi

Berachos 3:4 - 3:5

The Mishnah Yomi for Wednesday, September 29, 2027 is Berachos 3:4 - 3:5

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Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Berachos Perek 3 Mishnah 4

ברכות פרק ג׳ משנה ד׳

4
Ezra the Scribe decreed that one who is ritually impure because of a seminal emission may not engage in matters of Torah until he has immersed in a ritual bath and purified himself. This halakha was accepted over the course of many generations; however, many disputes arose with regard to the Torah matters to which it applies. Regarding this, the mishna says: If the time for the recitation of Shema arrived and one is impure due to a seminal emission, he may contemplate Shema in his heart, but neither recites the blessings preceding Shema, nor the blessings following it. Over food which, after partaking, one is obligated by Torah law to recite a blessing, one recites a blessing afterward, but one does not recite a blessing beforehand, because the blessing recited prior to eating is a requirement by rabbinic law. And in all of these instances Rabbi Yehuda says: He recites a blessing beforehand and thereafter in both the case of Shema and in the case of food.
בַּעַל קֶרִי מְהַרְהֵר בְּלִבּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ, לֹא לְפָנֶיהָ וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֶיהָ. וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן מְבָרֵךְ לְאַחֲרָיו, וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ לְפָנָיו. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, מְבָרֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם:
ד׳

בעל קרי – Ezra (444 BCE) decreed that a person who suffered a nocturnal emission/pollution should not read from the Torah, whether he saw the emission as an unavoidable accident or whether it occurred willingly until he immerses himself [in a Mikveh/ritual bath], and not because of [ritual] defilement or ritual purity since the words of the Torah cannot receive defilement but in order that Sages should not be found with their wives like chickens.

מהרהר – He recites the Shema to himself when the time arrives for the recitation of the Shema.

ואינו מברך לפניה ולאחריה – And even meditating to himself since these blessings are not a Torah-requirement (the blessings before and after the Shema), the Rabbis did not require it of him.

ועל המזון מברך לאחריה – Since it is an obligation of the Torah (the recitation of the Blessing following the Meal).

But he does not recite the blessing before, since it is not a Torah-requirement, and the Halakha has already been decided that [the requirement of] immersion has been voided, and those who have had a nocturnal emission recite the Shema in the normal manner and engage in Torah [study] and pray, reciting all the blessings and he should not contest the legality of the matter.

בעל קרי. עזרא תקן שלא יקרא בעל קרי בתורה בין שראה קרי לאונסו בין לרצונו עד שיטבול. ולא מפני טומאה וטהרה שאין דברי תורה מקבלין טומאה אלא כדי שלא יהיו תלמידי חכמים מצויין אצל נשותיהן כתרנגולים:

מהרהר. ק״ש בלבו כשהגיע זמן המקרא:

ואינו מברך לפניה ולאחריה. ואפילו בהרהור, כיון דברכות לאו דאורייתא לא אצרכוהו רבנן:

ועל המזון מברך לאחריו. דחיובא דאורייתא הוא:

ואינו מברך לפניו. דלאו חיובא דאורייתא היא. וכבר נפסקה ההלכה דבטלוה לטבילותא, ובעלי קריין קורין ק״ש כדרכן ועוסקין בתורה ומתפללין ומברכין כל הברכות ואין מערער בדבר:

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Berachos Perek 3 Mishnah 5

ברכות פרק ג׳ משנה ה׳

5
This mishna contains various statements with regard to individuals with different types of ritual impurity as well as the need to distance oneself from filth and impurity. One who was standing in prayer and he recalled that he experienced a seminal emission, and according to this opinion he is prohibited from praying, should not interrupt his prayer, rather he should abridge each individual blessing. They stated a general principle: One who descended to immerse himself, if he is able to ascend, cover himself with a garment, and recite the morning Shema before sunrise, he should ascend, cover himself, and recite Shema, and if not, he should cover himself in the water and recite Shema there. He may not, however, cover himself in either foul water, or water in which flax was soaked, until he pours other water into it. And in general, how far must one distance himself from urine and feces in order to recite Shema? At least four cubits.
הָיָה עוֹמֵד בַּתְּפִלָּה, וְנִזְכַּר שֶׁהוּא בַעַל קְרִי, לֹא יַפְסִיק, אֶלָּא יְקַצֵּר. יָרַד לִטְבֹּל, אִם יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת וּלְהִתְכַּסּוֹת וְלִקְרוֹת עַד שֶׁלֹּא תָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, יַעֲלֶה וְיִתְכַּסֶּה וְיִקְרָא. וְאִם לָאו, יִתְכַּסֶּה בַמַּיִם וְיִקְרָא. אֲבָל לֹא יִתְכַּסֶּה, לֹא בַמַּיִם הָרָעִים וְלֹא בְמֵי הַמִּשְׁרָה, עַד שֶׁיַּטִּיל לְתוֹכָן מָיִם. וְכַמָּה יַרְחִיק מֵהֶם וּמִן הַצּוֹאָה, אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת:
ה׳

לא יפסיק – [He should not interrupt] his prayer completely, but rather shorten each blessing recited.

עד דלא תנץ החמה – Since the ultra-pious ones are exacting upon themselves to complete (the Amidah) with sunrise, as it states (Psalms 72:5), “Let them fear You as long as the sun shines [while the moon lasts, generations on end].”

יתכסה במים – and especially in turbid waters, where he cannot view his virile membrum but not in clear waters.

במים רעים – badly smelling waters

במי משרה – where they steep flax in them

עד שיטיל לתוכן מים – Our Mishnah is elliptical [and is missing something] and this is what should be taught: that he should not recite [the Shema] near urine until he places water in it and the measure of the water that he should place in it [to negate] the urine from one urination would be [the equivalent of] one-fourth of a LOG (1 LOG = 6 eggs in volume).

וכמה ירחיק מהם – [He should distance himself] from the urine so that he did not place in them water and from his defecation.

ארבע אמות – And especially o his sides or in back of him but in front of him, he should distance [himself as far as he can see.

לא יפסיק. תפלתו לגמרי אלא יקצר כל ברכה וברכה:

ולקרות עד שלא תנץ החמה. שהותיקין מדקדקים על עצמן לגמור אותה עם הנץ החמה, דכתיב (תהילים ע״ב:ה׳) ייראוך עם שמש:

יתכסה במים. ודוקא מים עכורים שאין לבו רואה את הערוה, אבל צלולים לא:

במים הרעים. מים סרוחים:

במי המשרה. מים ששורין בהם פשתן:

עד שיטיל לתוכן מים. חסורי מחסרא והכי קתני, ולא יקרא אצל מי רגלים עד שיתן לתוכן מים, ושיעור המים שיטיל למי רגלים של פעם אחת רביעית:

וכמה ירחיק מהם. מן המי רגלים שלא הטיל לתוכן מים, ומן הצואה:

ארבע אמות. ודוקא כשהוא לצדדים או לאחריו אבל לפניו מרחיק כמלא עיניו:

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