Brachot 25 – Reciting the Shema in a filthy alley

Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, “If one was walking in a filthy alley (where excrement or urine is found), and the time for Shema was passing, he may place his hand over his mouth, and then say the Shema. Rav Chisda answered him, “My God! Even if Rabbi Yochanan himself told me this, I would not listen to him.” Rather he should pause. If he did not, the verse from Ezekiel applies to him, “I (God) too gave you decrees that were not good” - since he denied the goodness contained in Shema. If he did stop, however, his reward is in the verse “And with this matter (or speech) shall you prolong your days.”

If one's hand is resting in the airspace of a latrine, can he say the Shema then? Rav Huna says that he is permitted, relying on the verse in the psalms, “All that breathe shall praise God” – that is, only the position of his nose and mouth matters. However Rav Chisda forbids it, based on a different verse, “All my limbs shall exclaim, 'God, who is like You!'”

Art: David The Younger Teniers - The Five Senses Series- Smelling

Brachot 24 – Saying Shema in the presence of nakedness

If two people are sleeping in one bed, and their buttocks are touching, can each turn his face away from the other and recite Shema? Some say that it is permitted, and even when the other person is his wife. Others say that, just the opposite, only with his wife it is permitted, because he and his wife are considered as one flesh, but with others it would not be allowed.

However, one should not say the Shema while looking at any part of a woman's body that is normally covered, and now happens to be uncovered. When does this apply? It goes without saying that one cannot enjoy a woman's beauty if she is not his wife, and looking at any part of her for his gratification is forbidden. This applies, however, to saying Shema while looking at his wife, looking at her hair, or listening to her singing.

Rabbi Chanina said, “I saw that during his Standing prayer Rabbi Yehudah the Prince belched, yawned, sneezed, and spat upon the ground.” How was he allowed to do this? – Belching and yawning are indeed allowed if done involuntarily, provided that when yawning one covers his mouth. Sneezing – if it is a euphemism for passing wind, then indeed it is not allowed, but sneezing with one's nose is actually a good sign: just as he got relief in this world, so he will get relief in the next one. Spitting is allowed if it bothers him and he does not have napkin, and even then, he should spit to the back of himself, and pause after it.

Art: Sir Anthony Van Dyck - Portrait of Mary Ruthven, wife of the artist

Brachot 23 – Attending to one's needs

If one was saying the Amidah (Standing prayer) and then remembered that he had a seminal emission, he should not stop praying, but rather shorten it,  saying the beginning and the end of each of the eighteen blessings. This rule goes back to the time before the lenient opinion of Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira was accepted.

If one who had an emission went to a mikveh just before the ideal time to say the Shema – sunrise –  then if he is able to get out of the water, cover himself, and recite the Shema – he should do it. However, if the time passes, he should “cover himself with water,” that is, stand with only his head above the water, and say Shema that way. But we know that the one is allowed to say the morning Shema much later, until the three hours into the day, why is he rushing? – He decided to do the “prayer of the refined” today, and that gives him the right to rush.

Since people used to wear tefillin all day, what is the proper way to go to a latrine in them? Initially, they would put the tefillin in a window of the latrine, facing the street, and that is the opinion of Beit Shammai. However, people were stealing them, and once a prostitute took a student's tefillin and brought them to the study hall, claiming that it was her reward from him. After that, Beit Hillel allowed to roll the tefillin and take them with oneself to the latrine, holding them in the right hand. Rabbi Yochanan took it a step further: if he had a scroll in his hand, he would leave it with his students, but he would take the tefillin into a latrine, saying that once the Sages allowed it, the tefillin will protect him there.

Art: Edward Henry Potthast - Bathing Boy

Brachot 22 – Words of Torah do not Become Impure

If one who had a seminal emission does not have a mikveh available to him, he can prepare a vessel with nine “kavin” – about nine liters of water – an pore it over himself, and he will be pure to read the Shema and study the Torah.

The discussion about the “immersion of Ezra” continued both in the time of the Mishnah and in the time of the Talmud. Who was it for, for a healthy person or even for a somewhat weak one? Was it for the one who had accidental emission, or also for one who experienced it at will, as a result of his marital relations? Also, the nine kavin vessel above, who was that for? – which combination of the factors allowed or even required it?

Finally, even though some individuals continued to practice it, the custom has become not to require the additional purification in the mikveh, following the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira. Here is how we know it. One student (who had an emission) was reciting Torah teachings in front of Rabbi Yehudah and was stammering. Rabbi Yehudah told him, “My son! Open your mouth and let your words shine forth!” As Jeremeiah said, “Behold, My words are like fire, says God.” Just as fire cannot contract impurity, so words of Torah cannot contract impurity.

Art: Antonio Rotta - Student Dreamer

Brachot 21 – Extra Purity for Shema

In the time of Ezra, the Sages wanted to establish an additional level of purity required for one who says Shema, other prayers, and generally studies the Torah. After he had a seminal emission, he was required to immerse in a mikveh, and immediately after that, he would be considered pure and fit to pray and study. The Sages derived this from the phrase “Just as on the day when you stood before your God on Horeb,” that is, just as for receiving the Torah, men had to separate from their wives prior to that, so later, they had to purify themselves before studying or reciting the Torah. Therefore, the rule reads: one who had a seminal emission thinks the words of Shema in his mind, and as far as the blessings before and after it – he does not say them at all.

Do we see from here that thoughts are the same as speech? – No, for if they were, he could say the words, and not just think them. Then, if the words are not as speech, why is he thinking them, since it does not give him the mitzvah of saying the Shema anyway? – So that he would be involved with the same subject as the congregation.

Art: Peder Vilhelm Ilsted - Boy Studying

Brachot 20 – Human Dignity vs Honor of God

Rav said: “If one was standing in the street and discovered that his garments had in them “shatnez,” a forbidden mixture of wool and linen, he needs to takes them off right there, and disregard his honor.” What is Rav's source? – Proverbs, which say, “There is no value to wisdom or understanding against the honor of God.” That is, in order not to transgress, one can disregard the honor due his teacher or himself.

But we learned that when accompanying a mourner, even a Kohen can go through a cemetery, to give mourner the comfort or to honor him!? – This refers to plowed-over cemetery, where there is only a suspicion of impurity, and the Sages therefore allowed him to go, but he would not be allowed to actually transgress the Torah.

But we learned that one does not have to return a lost object if the object is beneath his dignity!? So one can eschew a mitzvah if it would dishonor him!? – No, that is only because the Torah itself allowed it, by saying, “Hide? - No, you cannot hide from a lost object,” and the first word “Hide” allows one to disregard this mitzvah in special cases, but it would not apply generally. And it is due to the earlier generations' being ready to disregard their honor that miracles would happen for them.

Some groups of people are not required to say the Shema prayer, for example, a woman, because she may be busy at the right time, and a young child, who is anyway not obligated in mitzvot and whose father may not be home to remind him.

Art: Paul Mathey - Woman & Child in an Interior

Brachot 19 – Honor of the Sages

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi taught that there are twenty four cases when the court excommunicates someone for denigrating a Sage, and they are all mentioned in the Mishnah. Rabbi Elazar asked, him, “Where?” Rabbi Yehoshua answered, “Go and search.” Rabbi Elazar investigated and found only three such cases. Here is one:

Akavia ben Mahalalel held that the waters to remove suspicion of unfaithfulness cannot be given to an emancipated slavewoman. They told him, “But Shemayah and Avtalyon gave such a test to a former slavewoman called Charkemit!?” He answered, “It was the like” - meaning, they, too, did not have a pure genealogy, but descended from Sennacherib. On that, they excommunicated Akavia, and after he died, they symbolically put a stone on his coffin.

Rabbi Yehudah comments, “God forbid that they excommunicated Akavia, who was the purest of Israel. Rather it was another person.” What about the story above? His comment “It was the like” means that they gave her water that looked like the water of purification, but in fact it was not.

Still, he found at most three cases, and not twenty-four, as Rabbi Yehoshua taught!? – Rabbi Yehoshua made conclusions from all comparable circumstances, and held that an excommunication happened in those situations also, and Rabbi Elazar was looking only for explicit mentions of it.

Art: German Unknown Masters - Parable of the Unfaithful Servant

Brachot 18 – When one's dead lies before him

One whose dead relative lies before him is exempt from the Shema prayer, from the Amidah (Standing) prayer, from donning tefillin, and from all other mitzvot stated in the Torah – although he cannot violate any prohibitions. That is so, because he is preoccupied with the mitzvah of burial, just as a bridegroom was preoccupied with the mitzvah of consummating the marriage. This refers to his seven immediate relatives: mother, father, daughter, son, sister, brother, and spouse.

“Before him” is understood broadly: even if he is in a different house, burial is his obligation, and he therefore does not say Shema. So too is “One whose dead relative” – even if it is not his relative, but it is his obligation to bury him, he is exempt from mitzvot in his presence.

Even in the cemetery where other dead are buried, he should not wear his tzitzit, tefillin, or walk around with the Torah, since the phrase “He who mocks the pauper (that is, the dead, by showing them that he can do mitzvot and they can't) – he scorns His Maker.”

It once happened that Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yonathan were walking in a cemetery, and Rabbi Yonathan's tzitzit were dragging over the graves. Rabbi Chiya told him, “Lift them up, or else the dead will say, 'Tomorrow they are joining us here, and today they are mocking us!'” Rabbi Yonathan asked, “But do they know?” The Talmud goes into multiple proofs and disproof of whether the dead know what is going on in this world, with the tentative conclusion that they may know, because of their own high status, or because of the status of a live person who needs to communicate with them.

Art: Theodore Gericault - Head of a dead young man

Brachot 17 – Rabban Gamliel is a Delicate Individual

The students continued questioning Rabban Gamliel about seeming inconsistencies in his behavior. He washed in hot water on the first night after his wife died. They asked him, “Our teacher, you taught us that a mourner is prohibited to wash!?” He answered, “I am not like other people, I am a delicate individual.” He was teaching that the Sages only prohibited a mourner to wash for pleasure, not if it was for health reasons.

The word “delicate” is “istenis” in Hebrew. It has six letter, each hinting to one of the six reincarnated souls that were present in him, Abraham, Simon, Taviomi, Nachum, Yehuda, Sechorah.  For their honor and rectification, he had to wash himself.

When his servant Tavi died, he accepted condolences. His students asked, “Our teacher, you taught us not to accept condolences for slaves, but use a different way of expressing one's compassion, so that people will not mistakenly assume that the slave and his family were in fact free people, – which has implications for genealogy.” He told them, "Tabi was not like other people, he was a Torah Sage." This was a rare, unusual situation, and the regular decrees do not apply in exceptional cases.

The Talmud lists a number of special prayers and favorite moral lessons from various teachers. The common theme of them is that one should strive to become a better person, not just learn about it, and that a prayer, or moral lesson, needs to be repeated many times, in order to take effect.

Art: Vittore Ghislandi - Portrait Of Giovanni Secco Suardo And His Servant

Brachot 16 – Workers and Bridegroom Say Shema

The workers may recite the Shema on top of the tree or on top of the wall of stones. If they started their work before the time to recite the morning Shema arrived, they are not required to descend, but can concentrate while saying the first phrase, and continue with the rest, where such extreme concentration is not required. However, they are not allowed do this with the Amidah (Standing prayer), since it requires long concentration, and they might be afraid to fall.

A groom is exempt from saying the Shema from the first night after his marriage (which was usually performed on Wednesday), and until after Shabbat – if he was not yet intimate with her. All this time he is too nervous to concentrate on saying the Shema, but after Shabbat he will be more at ease with his wife, and will be able to concentrate.

Rabban Gamliel married a woman, and nevertheless read the Shema the night after the wedding. His students asked, “Our teacher, you taught us that a groom is not obligated to say the Shema!?” He answered them, “I will not listen to you to stop myself from accepting the sovereignty of Heaven even for a moment.” Rabban Gamliel knew about himself that he can concentrate in Shema, and he was teaching them the law that in that case one is a allowed to pray.

Antonius Heusler - Portrait of a Bridegroom

Brachot 15 – Proper Way

Rabbi Yochanan taught: “One who wishes to accept on himself Heaven's sovereignty in a complete manner, should relieve himself and wash his hands, don tefillin, then say the Shema, and the Amidah (Standing) prayer – and this is complete acceptance.”

If one said the Shema, but did not make it audible to his ears – this not the perfect way, but it counts. Rabbi Yose disagrees and says that he has not fulfilled his obligation and will have to repeat the Shema. What is the argument? Rabbi Yose says that the word “Shema” itself, which means “Hear” teaches that one should hear his words. And the first teacher (usually it is Rabbi Meir), what does he say? He says, “Shema,” or “Hear” means “Understand” and tells us that one can say the Shema in any language that he understands. And Rabbi Yose? He surelly agrees that one can say the Shema in any language!? – He says that the word “Shema” actually carries both lessons: that one must hear his words and that one can recite the Shema in any language that he understands.

Art: Jan Lievens - Washing the hands

Brachot 14 – Greeting a Fellow Before Morning Prayer

If one accepts on himself a fast (besides those mandated by the Torah or by the Sages), can he taste food, if he does not swallow it? Did he accept to refrain from eating and drinking – and he is not eating in this case? Or did he accept not to have any benefit from food, and there is a little benefit here? Rabbi Ami answered, “He can taste, and there is no problem in that.” From his reply we also understand that “in that” there is no problem, but he should not swallow, and no blessing is required. Some understand it differently and say that swallowing a small morsel is allowed.

If one greets a fellow before morning prayer, he is like praying to an idol. How could that be? We know that while reading the Shema prayer, one is allowed to interrupt, and initiate a greeting to another person, to show honor? – That is because this person chanced to come by, but the prohibition to greet others applies only when one goes out of his way to greet somebody before morning prayer, and he intends to derive some material benefit thereby.

Art: Daniele Crespi - Fasting

Brachot 13 – Remembering Egypt

The “Shema” consists of three parts, and the third one talks about tzitzit, which are not worn at night. However, it also mentions going out of Egypt, and for this reason Ben Zoma maitains that one should say it, even in the evening recitation of Shema, because the Torah required to “remember Exodus all the days of your life.” “Days” means just that, days, but “all days” includes nights. However, the Sages say that it is not necessary to mentions Exodus at night. How do they explain the word “all?” – To include the Messianic era. Ben Zoma then questioned the Sages, “But the Exodus troubles will be forgotten in the Messianic time!?” The Sages answered him, “Not forgotten entirely, but only relegated to the second place, in view of the new miracles that will happen then.”

If one happened to be reading the “Shema” - “Listen, Israel” in the Torah, at exactly the moment when the time to read this as a prayer arrived, does it count for him as prayer, or will he have to read it again? – That depends. If he had in mind, it counts, and if not, it does not. Does this mean in general that one has to be conscious  of his doing a mitzvah, and only then it counts? – Not necessarily. Perhaps “having it in mind” does not mean “to fulfill his prayer obligation” but simply means that he is  conscious  that he is saying the words. How can one not be  conscious  if he is talking? – If he is reading the letters to verify the spelling in the Torah scroll.

Art: Otto Herschel - Rabbi Reading The Torah

Brachot 12 – The Prayers of the Kohanim

The Kohanim, the priests in the Temple, could say only those prayers which superseded their services. They therefore said one, not two, blessings before the Shema. Then they recited the ten commandments, and afterwards the Shema. Then they said the blessing after Shema, because it mentions trust in God. Out of the Amidah (Eighteen blessings) they said the prayer for the acceptance of their services, and then the three-part blessing for the people.

The Sages wanted to establish the reading of the Ten Commandments also outside the Temple, but soon abolished the idea, because it gave rise to the argument that only the Ten Commandments were true.

On Shabbat, the Kohanim added another blessing, and the outgoing watch would say to the incoming watch: “The One who causes His Name to dwell in this House – may He cause among you: love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship.”

Every blessing should be said according the form that the Sages created for it. What if he started with one blessing in mind but ended with another? For example, he took a cup of beer and thought it was wine, and he started to say the blessing on the wine (which is more distinguished than that of beer), but then caught himself midway, and finished with the blessing on the beer? The Talmud tried to find an answer, but all examples are where even if he made a mistake, the blessing would still be valid, while in our case it would not be. Thus there is no definite proof, but for a simple answer – it is the conclusion of the blessing that counts.

Art: Pierre Auguste Renoir - Glass of Wine

Brachot 11 – Lying Down to Say the Shema

Bait Shammai say that in the evening one must lie down in order to read the Shema, and in the morning he needs to be standing, since the Torah said, “When you lie down and when you arise.”  However, Beit Hillel say that one can say the Shema in any position he finds himself, since the Torah also said, “While you go on the way,” and that is neither lying down nor standing up. How does Beit Hillel explain “when you lie down and when you arise?” They say, it is talking about the time when people lie down and arise, not about the physical position. And Beit Shammai, how do they know the times to say the Shema? They answer, the Torah said, “When you lie down,” and not “when lying down” to tell us both the time and the position.

Rabbi Tarfon said, “I was once on the road, and when the time for the evening Shema came, I lay down, to fulfill the words of Beit Shammai, and I almost came in danger because of the robbers.” His colleagues told him, “It would have been your own fault, for transgressing the words of Beit Hillel.”

The morning Shema is accompanied by two blessing before it and one after. These are thanks for giving the Torah and for help in studying it, as well as thanks and requests for God's help in all other areas. In parallel, the evening Shema has two blessings before and two blessings after it.

Art: Paul Cezanne - Boy Resting

Brachot 10 – Prayer of the Refined

One must say the Shema prayer in the morning, “when people rise.” When is that? When there is enough light to distinguish between the blue and the white wool (which is used in one's tzitzit). Some say, he needs to distinguish between a wolf and a dog, and some – to recognize his friend from four steps away. When does the time to say the Shema end? Rabbi Eliezer says, at sunrise, since most people are up by then, but Rabbi Yehoshua says, “Three hours into the day, since kings do sleep that late.”

People of refined character (“Vatikin”) would always say the Shema just before sunrise, so that they could then start their Amidah (prayer said while standing, or Eighteen Blessings) with the sunrise. “Vatikin” can also be translated as “devoted ones,” or “sharp, analytical individuals.” In that way, they could say the Shema at the right time, the Amidah at the ideal time, and moreover join the past redemption (Exodus, mentioned in the Shema) to the future redemption, mentioned in the Amida. Anyone who does this can expect that no harm will befall him that day.

What if did not say the Shema at the best time, before sunrise? He can still say it until three hours into the day, says Rabbi Yehoshua, since it is the way of princes to wake up that late.

Certain people in the neighborhoud of Rabbi Meir caused him considerable distress, and he wanted to pray that they should die. His wife Beruriah stopped him: “Does it say 'The sinners will be no more'? - No! 'The sins should be no more.' Pray that they should improve their ways!” He did, and they improved.

Art: John Phillip - Prayer

Brachot 9 – Evening Shema – Till Midnight or Till Morning?

Earlier we saw that Rabban Gamliel allows the Shema to be said till morning, while the Sages limit it at midnight. It once happened that the sons of Rabban Gamliel returned from a feast past midnight, and they have not yet said the Shema. They asked their father: “Can we still say the prayer?” He told them, “Yes. The Sages agree to me in principle, only they wanted to distance a man from a mistake. Also, for example, offerings that are eaten for one day can be eaten all night, but the Sages limited it till midnight.”

He did not mention the Passover offering as such an example! This must mean that Rabban Gamliel takes sides in another disagreement, about a Passover offering. Here it is: Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria says that the Passover offering can be eaten only until midnight, but Rabbi Akiva says that it can be eaten till morning. What are their proofs? Rabbi Elazar bases his on the phrase "They will eat the meat on this night," and since when God passed through Egypt, it was also "this night," and meant midnight, then here too, the eating is only until midnight. And Rabbi Akiva? He says, "It means, this night, but not the next night. For otherwise you might have though that the Passover offering is eaten for a night, a day, and a following night, and 'This night' excludes this possibility."

But what is the root cause of their disagreement? They argue about the word, "in haste," to whom it applies. If to Jews, then their haste was in the morning, and if to Egyptians, to send the Jews out, then this haste occurred at midnight.

Art: Hieronymous Bosch - Marriage Feast at Cana

Brachot 8 – The Synagogue

Rav Itzchak said to Rav Nachman, “Why does the master (Rav Nachman) not come to the synagogue to pray?” Rav Nachman answered, “I feel weak.” - “Then assemble ten people to pray with you!” - “I don't want to trouble them.” - “Then ask a messenger to come and inform you when they pray.” Finally, Rav Nachman asked, “What is the significance of all these questions?” Rav Itzchak answered, “Because it is a favorable time,” as in “but for me, my prayer to God is at the favorable time,” and what is this – when the congregation prays. Anyone who has a synagogues in his city and does not go there to pray is called an evil neighbor.

The phrase “Pray to God when He is (easily) found” can also be understood as “Pray to God when you need to find (something).” What is this something one should pray for? – A good wife, as Solomon said, “One who found a wife found goodness.” Some say, this is Torah, about which Solomon said “He who find me finds life.” And some say, easy death when his time comes. The hardest death is similar to pulling branches of thorns from a ball of wool shearings, and the easiest is like removing a hair from milk.

Rava asked Rafram bar Pappa, "Tell us some of the great things that Rav Chisda said about a synagogue." Rafram answered: “God loves the places where they study the Torah more than all the sanctuaries of Jacob (synagogues)” - that is, God loves places of practical study of the law more than all synagogues. Then how is this a great thing about synagogues? - It is, because, synagogues God He loves next, right after study halls.

Art: Allan Ramsay - The painters wife, Margaret Lindsay

Brachot 7 – God Prays

How do we know that the Holy One Blessed is He, prays? – From Isaiah, “I will make them rejoice in the House of My prayer” - and not “their prayer,” which tells us that the Holy One Blessed is He prays. What is His prayer? “May it be My will that My mercy conquer My anger... and I will go beyond the boundary of judgment with My children.” Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha, a High Priest, told that once on Yom Kippur he entered the Holy of Holies to burn incense and saw Achteriel God of Legions sitting on His throne, and God told him, “Ishmael, My son, bless Me.” He blessed God with “May it be Your will that Your mercy will conquer Your anger...” and saw God nod, demonstrating His approval. From here we saw that even a blessing of an ordinary person should not be unimportant in your eyes.

God also gets angry every day, as in psalms, “God is angered every day,” for a moment (“rega”) that lasts a quarter of a second. Bilam knew how to pronounce a curse at exactly this moment. The sign of this moment is a rooster standing on one foot, with a pale comb. Rabbi Yehoshua once took a rooster and tied him to his bed, in order to curse someone who was harassing him. However, when the time came, he dozed of, and said, “We see from here that it is not proper to curse, since 'God's mercy is on all his creations'.”

Moses asked God, “Why bad things happen to good people?” God answered, “A righteous who is the son (reincarnation) of a bad person may have it bad, but a righteous son of a righteous will have it good.”

In many instances the name of a person foretells his deeds. How do we know that a name actually influences one? – From the psalm, “God has made devastations (“shamot”) in the world.” Do not read “shamot” but “shemot” - names. Thus, names are put into the world to influence people.

Art: Caravaggio - The Seven Acts of Mercy (detail)

Brachot 6 – Demons

Abba Binyamin taught that there are many demons, invisible spiritual agents, and if an eye could see them, no creature would be able to stand in face of them. Abaye added “They outnumber us.” Rava said, “The feeling that one is squeezed at a public lecture – it's because of them. The garments of the students who only study and do no hard work, when they wear out fast – it's because of them.” If one wants to see their steps, let him take sifted ashes and spread them around his bed, and in the morning he will see marks like the footprints of a rooster. If one wants to see them, he should take a placenta of a female cat, that is a black cat, daughter of black cat, burn it, grind it, and put it in his eyes. He should hide the ashes in lead, and the whole practice is dangerous and not recommended.

God wears tefillin, as it were. What is written in them? “Who is like your people Israel.” But is the Holy One Blessed He praised with the praises of Israel? - Indeed, yes, as the Torah said, “You have praised God today, and He praised you.”

One who knows that his friend is accustomed to greet him, should greet his friend first, following the dictum of “Seek peace and pursue it.” If someone greets him, and he does not return the greeting, he is called a robber, as Isaiah said, “Property robbed from the poor is in your houses.” Why is "poor" mentioned? One should not steal from the rich either! - To tell us that he steals from a destitute, who does not have any possessions, and what he steals is a greeting.

Art: Henriette Ronner-Knip - A black cat

Brachot 5 – Prayer Shema at Bedtime

Even though one says the Shema in the synagogue during the evening prayer, it is still a mitzvah to recite it again before going to sleep. Why? The psalm says, “Reflect in your hearts while on your beds, and then be silent.” Resh Lakish sees another lesson here: a man should constantly agitate his good thoughts against the bad ones (“Agitate and don't sin”); if he removes the bad, good, but if not – let him study Torah (“reflect in your hearts”); if he wins, good, if not – let him say the Shema (“on your beds”); if that does not help, he should remind himself of the day of death (“be silent”).

Rabbi Zeira said, “Look how the Holy One Blessed Be He is not like a person of flesh and blood. If a person sells a cherished object to another, he is sad, and the buyer is happy. But the Holy One Blessed Be He gave the Torah to Israel, and He rejoiced, saying 'For I have given you a good doctrine, do not abandon My Torah.'”

If a person sees afflictions befalling him, he should investigate his deeds since the nature of the distress may have a hint for him. If he examined his deeds and did not find anything, he should attribute it to the neglect of Torah study, based on the phrase “Fortunate is the man whom God afflicts, and whom You teach from Your Torah.” If he did not find that either, they are “afflictions of love,” since “For God rebukes the one He loves.”

Art: Cornelis Bisschop - Old Woman Sleeping

Brachot 4 – The Morning of King David

The duration of night watches is derived from King David's words, “At midnight I will rise to give You thanks.” Since David also said, “My eyes preceded the watches,” we see that there are still two watches left at midnight. However, David's real schedule was as follows: during the first part of the night he would sleep like a horse, whose sleep is always light – that is, he would study Torah with occasional catnaps, and since midnight he arose strong as a lion, to sing praises. For that, David had a harp near his bed, and at midnight the northern wind would come and play on it, to wake him up.

David praised himself, “Guard my soul, for I am devout.” He meant, “All the kings of East and West sleep until three hours into the day, but I arise at midnight, to give thanks to You.” Some say, he meant, “All kings sit with honorable advisors, and my hands are soiled with blood, looking at the niddah stains, embryos, and afterbirths, to declare a woman pure for her husband. Not only that, but I will agree if my decision is incorrect.”

The Sages required saying the Shema before midnight. Why? This is later than people going to bed, but earlier than the sleep ends! – They wanted to distance a man from an error, lest he comes home and decides to eat a little and sleep a little, and then miss the evening Shema, and anybody who transgresses the words of the Sages deserves to be bitten by a snake. Why suddenly so strong a statement? Because of the danger of sleep.

Art: Andrea Celesti - King David Playing the Zither

Lion and Dove

The juxtaposition of a lion and a dove leaves little doubt that Shakespeare in his Midsummer Night's Dream was transmitting the same mystical knowledge that is imparted here in the Talmud. Just compare:

BOTTOM

Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.'

QUINCE

An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.

ALL

That would hang us, every mother's son.

BOTTOM

I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us: but I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale.

Brachot 3 – Night Watches

Rabbi Eliezer told us that the "Shema” may be said only during the first third of the night or “the first watch." Why did he use this expression? He wanted to tell us that there are "watches in heaven” and “watches on earth,” that is, there are spiritual changes during the night, reflected in propitious prayer and study times. At each and every watch, the Holy One Blessed Be He sits and roars like a lion, as Jeremiah has said, “God will roar from on high... He will roar and roar over his lodging.”

At the first watch, a donkey brays, at the second – dogs howl, at the third – and infant nurses from his mother's breasts, and a woman talks to her husband. But why do we need these signs? We know when it is morning anyway? – If one is sleeping in a dark house, once a woman begins speaking with her husband – let him arise and say the Shema.

Rabbi Yose told a story. I once traveled on the road and entered a ruin of Jerusalem to pray. Elijah came and waited for me at the entrance. When I finished my prayer, he told me, “You should have prayed on the road.” I learned then that one should not enter a ruin but pray a short prayer while on the road. He then asked, “What did you hear, my son?” I told him, “I heard a Heavenly voice that was cooing like a dove and saying, 'Woe to the sons because of whose sins I destroyed My house, burned my Temple, and exiled them among the nations of the world.'” Elijah told me, “God says this not once but three times every day. And when the people enter synagogues and houses of study, the Holy One Blessed Be He shakes His head and says, 'Fortunate is the King who is praised in His house thus, what is there for the Father who exiled His sons, and woe to the sons who have been exiled from the Father's table.”

Art: Rosa Bonheur - Lion and Prey

Brachot 2 - Saying the Shema Prayer (Blessings)

Twice a day, evening and morning, one must say that he will listen to God and love God. This is the Shema prayer, "Listen, Israel, God is our Lord, God is One." Since the Torah continues, "when you lie down and when you get up," we understand that this paragraph needs to be said twice.

However, the Shema is not said when one actually goes to sleep or wakes up, but rather in the general period when people lie down and get up. When is this? In the evening - when the Kohanim, who were impure, are returning from the mikveh to eat priestly portion (terumah), that is, at nightfall. That is when the time to say the Shema in the evening begins, but when does it end? Rabbi Eliezer said, "Until the end of the first watch, that is, the first part of the night." Rabbi Eliezer understands "when you lie down" to be the time when people go to sleep. The Sages say until midnight, and Rabban Gamliel says until dawn. We can understand Rabban Gamliel's 'when people lie down" means when people are asleep. However, the opinion of the Sages will require clarification.

Why did the teacher not simply state "nightfall" and instead talk about Kohanim coming home? - He wanted to teach an additional rule in passing, that the Kohanim can start eating their portion at night after immersion. That is true even if they had a severe impurity, such as that of a zav, and still need to bring a sacrifice - that offering does not prevent them from eating their kohen's portion.

Art: Vincent Van Gogh - Four Peasants at a Meal

Niddah 73 – Where Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel Agree

We have seen a disagreement between the two schools concerning the last, eleventh day, of a woman's niddah/zavah cycle, where Beit Shammai were consistently strict and gave the eleventh day the same stringencies as the previous ten days, but Beit Hillel's rulings were mixed. The two schools agree, however, on the laws of the previous ten days.

Beit Shammai said to Beit Hillel, “Why is the eleventh day different?” Beit Hillel answered, “Because the flow on the next day would be that of niddah, not zivah, and not combined with this day.” Beit Shammai continued, “But you do give her some of the ritual impurity laws! So the eleventh day is the same as the ten days before!?” Beit Hillel answered, “We talk only about the impurity decreed by the Sages, but not an actual sacrifice obligation because you can't bring it on your own, without the Torah telling you.”

What is the actual source for the zavah laws in the Torah? - The phrase "When a woman has a discharge of blood, she is ritually impure (niddah) for seven days" – teaches after the seven days she cannot be a nidah, only a zavah. But maybe a discharge during the day renders her a niddah, and at night – a zavah? No, that's cannot be, since the Torah said, “After her niddah period.”

The Talmud ends on a teaching from the academy of Elijah: Whoever learns practical Torah laws every day (and some say, whoever learns hard, or whoever learns complicated laws like these of niddah, or whoever changes these laws every day) – such a person has their next world prepared. Why? Habakkuk says, “The ways of the world are His.” The word “ways” (halichot) can be read as laws (halachot).

Art: James Kerr-Lawson - Caterina Reading a Book

Niddah 72 – Eleventh Day

After the seven days of niddah, a woman immerses herself in a mikveh, and the couple can resume normal marital relations. During the next eleven days, if she sees blood, she is not called a niddah, but a zavah. Now she only has to wait for one day, and immerse in the mikveh the next morning. However, if she sees blood on the following day, the two days now combine, and her immersion in nullified. Therefore, the correct behavior in the eleven days of the zivah period is to wait until the end of the following day, and immerse in the mikveh then.

Our ruling is concerned with the eleventh day itself, when, should the woman see blood on the day following, twelfth one, the two days would not combine, and her early immersion in the mikveh would not be nullified. In that particular case, the woman saw blood on the eleventh day, went to the mikveh at night, not waiting till daybreak, and then had relations with her husband. Beit Shammai nevertheless give the couple all the stringencies of the regular zavah: both make objects ritually impure, and both have to bring a sacrifice. Beit Shammai extend the laws of the previous ten days to the eleventh one. However, Beit Hillel consider them non-guilty from the Torah point of view, and tell them not to bring a sacrifice. The Sages, however, had declared them ritually impure, to prevent this situation.

We will see the different sides of the argument on the next, concluding page of the Talmud.

Art: Caspar David Friedrich - Woman on the Beach of Rugen