Berachos 10a

ברכות י׳ ע״א

Berakhot 10a

Learn Berachos 10a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 10a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Lessons from תהלים: ברוריה's readings, סמוכין, דוד's five songs of 'ברכי נפשי', and חזקיהו's refusal to stop praying

Overview

The גמרא first shows that תהלים chapters 1 and 2 are one chapter, because דוד opened and closed his favorite chapters with אשרי. It then tells two stories about ברוריה. She taught רבי מאיר to pray that sinners do תשובה, not that they die. She also answered a מין who mocked a פסוק about a barren woman. רבי אבהו answers another מין about the order of chapters in תהלים by using סמוכין, passages placed side by side. Next, רבי יוחנן teaches that דוד praised ה׳ with 'ברכי נפשי' in five stages of life, from the womb to the day of death. A second explanation says the five 'ברכי נפשי' match five ways the soul is like הקדוש ברוך הוא. The amud ends with the story of ה׳ making peace between חזקיהו and ישעיהו through חזקיהו's illness. When ישעיהו says the decree is final, חזקיהו insists that a person must never stop praying for mercy, even with a sword on his neck.

Opening lines

The steps (51)

1. Proofדוד opened and closed his favorite chapters with 'Happy is'
2. Statementרבי מאיר prays that the thugs who bothered him would die
3. Challengeברוריה: the verse says 'sins,' not 'sinners'
4. Challengeברוריה's second point: the end of the verse
5. Resolutionברוריה's advice: pray that they do תשובה
6. Conclusionרבי מאיר prays and the thugs repent
7. ChallengeA heretic mocks the verse telling a barren woman to sing
8. Rejectionברוריה tells the מין to read the end of the verse
9. ResolutionThe barren woman is the Jewish people, who bore no children for גיהנם
10. ChallengeWhy is the אבשלום psalm placed before the שאול psalm
11. ResolutionWe learn from passages placed side by side
12. ProofThe source in a פסוק for learning from juxtaposition
13. ResolutionWhy the אבשלום chapter sits next to the גוג ומגוג chapter
14. QuestionAbout whom did שלמה say 'She opens her mouth with wisdom'?
15. ResponseIt refers to דוד, who lived in five worlds and sang
16. ProofStage one: דוד sang in his mother's womb
17. ProofStage two: דוד sang when he was born and saw the stars
18. ProofStage three: דוד sang while nursing
19. QuestionWhat does 'all His kindnesses' mean?
20. Responseרבי אבהו: the breasts were placed by the seat of understanding
21. QuestionWhy place the breasts near the heart?
22. Responseרב יהודה's reason: modesty
23. Responseרב מתנא's reason: cleanliness
24. ProofFourth stage: דוד sees the downfall of the wicked
25. ProofFifth stage: דוד looks at the day of death
26. QuestionHow do we know this verse is about death?
27. ResponseProof from the end of the same chapter
28. QuestionBackground of the story and the question on ברכי נפשי
29. ResponseA human artist compared to הקדוש ברוך הוא
30. Proofחנה's words support this idea
31. Responseצור means artist
32. Responseבלתך means no one outlasts You
33. QuestionThe questioner clarifies his real question
34. ResponseThe five ברכי נפשי match הקדוש ברוך הוא and the soul
35. ResponseFive ways the soul is like God
36. ConclusionThe soul should praise God
37. StatementGod knows how to make peace between two צדיקים
38. Proofחזקיהו says the נביא should come to the king
39. Proofישעיהו says the king should come to the נביא
40. ResponseGod makes חזקיהו sick so ישעיהו visits him
41. QuestionWhy does the verse say both die and not live
42. ResponseDie in this world, not live in the next
43. Questionחזקיהו asks why he deserves this
44. ResponseBecause he did not have children
45. Resolutionחזקיהו explains why he had no children
46. Rejectionישעיהו rejects the excuse: do what you are commanded
47. Resolutionחזקיהו asks to marry ישעיהו's daughter
48. Rejectionישעיהו says the decree is already sealed
49. Rejectionחזקיהו sends ישעיהו away
50. ProofA family tradition: never stop praying
51. Proofרבי יוחנן and רבי אליעזר teach the same thing from a פסוק