Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Rif Brachot 1a {Brachot 2a ... 3a}




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1a

{Brachot 2a}
MISHNAH. FROM WHAT TIME MAY ONE RECITE THE SHEMA' IN THE EVENING? FROM THE TIME THAT THE PRIESTS ENTER [THEIR HOUSES] IN ORDER TO EAT THEIR TERUMAH UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST WATCH. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF R. ELIEZER.

THE SAGES SAY: UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
R. GAMALIEL SAYS: UNTIL THE DAWN COMES UP.

{Alternatively, the breakup until this point is as follows, with the first statement until the word TERUMAH being the anonymous Tanna Kamma.

FROM WHAT TIME MAY ONE RECITE THE SHEMA' IN THE EVENING? FROM THE TIME THAT THE PRIESTS ENTER [THEIR HOUSES] IN ORDER TO EAT THEIR TERUMAH.


UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST WATCH. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF R. ELIEZER.
THE SAGES SAY: UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
R. GAMALIEL SAYS: UNTIL THE DAWN COMES UP.
}

ONCE IT HAPPENED THAT HIS SONS CAME HOME [LATE] FROM A WEDDING FEAST AND THEY SAID TO HIM: WE HAVE NOT YET RECITED THE [EVENING] SHEMA'.
HE SAID TO THEM: IF THE DAWN HAS NOT YET COME UP YOU ARE STILL BOUND TO RECITE.

AND NOT IN RESPECT TO THIS ALONE DID THEY SO DECIDE, BUT WHEREVER THE SAGES SAY 'UNTIL MIDNIGHT', THE PRECEPT MAY BE PERFORMED UNTIL THE DAWN COMES UP.

THE PRECEPT OF BURNING THE FAT AND THE [SACRIFICIAL] PIECES, TOO, MAY BE PERFORMED TILL THE DAWN COMES UP.
SIMILARLY, ALL [THE OFFERINGS] THAT ARE TO BE EATEN WITHIN ONE DAY MAY LAWFULLY BE CONSUMED TILL THE COMING UP OF THE DAWN.
WHY THEN DID THE SAGES SAY 'UNTIL MIDNIGHT'?
IN ORDER TO KEEP A MAN FAR FROM TRANSGRESSION.

{Brachot 3a}
Gemara:
The Rabbis learnt {in a brayta}: From what time may we begin to read keriat Shema' in the evenings? From the time that people enter [their houses] to eat their bread on Friday evenings. These are the words of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say from the time that the priests enter [their houses] in order to eat their terumah.

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