Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Rif Brachot 4b




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4b

(Brachot 8a}
Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehuda cite Rav Menachem citing Rav Ami: one should always finish his parsha with the congregation {/community}, twice the Scripture {in Hebrew} and once Targum {in translation}. And even Bamidbar 32:3

ג עֲטָרוֹת וְדִיבֹן וְיַעְזֵר וְנִמְרָה, וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְאֶלְעָלֵה, וּשְׂבָם וּנְבוֹ, וּבְעֹן. 3 'Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

{which are place names and thus do not have a translation in Targum Onkelos. Tosafot discusses how in Targum Pseudo-Yonatan/Yerushalmi there is a translation}

for all who finish their parsha with the congregation twice Scripture and once Targum, his days and years are extended.

{Brachot 9b}

MISHNAH.
FROM WHAT TIME MAY ONE RECITE THE SHEMA IN THE MORNING?
FROM THE TIME THAT ONE CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN BLUE {techelet}AND WHITE.
R. ELIEZER SAYS: BETWEEN BLUE AND GREEN {karti}.

UNTIL SUNRISE.
R. JOSHUA SAYS: UNTIL THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY,
FOR SUCH IS THE CUSTOM OF KINGS, TO RISE AT THE THIRD HOUR.
IF ONE RECITES THE SHEMA' LATER HE LOSES NOTHING, BEING LIKE ONE WHO READS IN THE TORAH.

Gemara:
We learnt in a brayta: Rabbi Meir says: such that one can distinguish between a wolf and a dog. Rabbi Yehuda {in our gemara, we have Rabbi Akiva} says: such that one can distinguish between a donkey and a wild donkey. Others say: such that one can see his friend from 4 cubits away and recognize him.

{Note: this would be in terms of the start time.}

Rav Huna said: the halacha is like "Others."
Abaye said: For donning tefillin, like "Others." For reading the Shema, like the Vatikin {strong in piety}.

As Rabbi Yochanan said: The Vatikin would finish it {reading the Shema} with sunrise.
A brayta also says so: the Vatikin would finish it with sunrise, so as to juxtapose geula {the bracha after Shema} with prayer {=Shemoneh Esrei}.

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