Berachos 11a

ברכות י״א ע״א

Berakhot 11a

Learn Berachos 11a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 11a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The dispute of בית שמאי and בית הלל about the position for קריאת שמע, the exemption for someone busy with a מצוה, and the start of the משנה on the ברכות of שמע

Overview

The גמרא explains why בית שמאי read 'when you lie down and when you rise' as actual lying down and standing: otherwise the תורה would simply have said 'morning and evening.' בית שמאי use 'when you walk on the way' to exempt someone busy with a מצוה, and a חתן. This leads to a side discussion. The source is the word 'your' in 'your sitting' and 'your walking.' A חתן who marries a בתולה is exempt because he is distracted by a מצוה, unlike a man marrying an אלמנה or a man whose ship sank. A ברייתא then lists every position בית הלל allow. It tells the story of רבי ישמעאל, who sat up so the students would not think lying down is required. Three אמוראים disagree about someone who follows בית שמאי: רב יחזקאל says he fulfilled the מצוה, רב יוסף says he did nothing, and רב נחמן בר יצחק says he deserves death. A new משנה then lists the ברכות before and after שמע and says their set form may not be changed. The גמרא begins asking what the first morning ברכה says.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. QuestionWhy don't בית שמאי accept בית הלל's reading?
2. ResponseThe wording 'lie down' and 'rise' means actual position
3. QuestionWhat do בית שמאי do with 'when you walk on the way'?
4. ResponseThe phrase exempts someone busy with a מצוה and a חתן
5. QuestionHow does 'walking on the way' teach the exemption?
6. Responseרב פפא: like an optional trip
7. ChallengeBut a trip could be for a מצוה
8. ResolutionThe proof is from the word 'your'
9. ChallengeThen one who marries a widow should also be exempt
10. ResolutionThe groom of a virgin is distracted; the groom of a widow is not
11. ChallengeIf distraction exempts, a person whose ship sank should be exempt too
12. ResolutionDistraction from a מצוה exempts; distraction from a personal matter does not
13. QuestionHow do בית שמאי read the verse?
14. Responseבית שמאי use the verse to exempt people on a מצוה errand
15. Responseבית הלל learn two things from the same words
16. StatementA ברייתא lists every position allowed by בית הלל
17. StatementThe story begins: the two rabbis switch positions
18. Challengeרבי אלעזר בן עזריה complains with a parable about a beard
19. Resolutionרבי ישמעאל explains: I followed בית הלל and protected the students
20. QuestionWhy did he need a second reason?
21. ResponseChanging position would look like following בית שמאי
22. Statementרב יחזקאל: either way, you have fulfilled the מצוה
23. Statementרב יוסף: following בית שמאי counts for nothing
24. Proofרב יוסף's source: the משנה about the סוכה
25. ProofThe visit to רבי יוחנן בן החורנית
26. Proofבית שמאי say he never fulfilled the מצוה
27. Statementרב נחמן בר יצחק: following בית שמאי deserves death
28. ProofProof from רבי טרפון on the road
29. StatementNew משנה: the ברכות around קריאת שמע
30. StatementDo not change the form of a blessing set by the Sages
31. QuestionWhat words of blessing does one say?
32. Responseרבי יעקב in the name of רבי אושעיא begins to answer