Gemara Clarity

Berachos 13a

ברכות י״ג ע״א

Berakhot 13a

Learn Berachos 13a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 13a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Later redemptions overshadow earlier ones: the name change of יעקב to ישראל, the פסוקים in ישעיהו, and the parable of the wolf, lion and snake. The גמרא then begins discussing the name change of אברם to אברהם.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion from the previous page: in the future, יציאת מצרים will still be mentioned, but it will become secondary to the final redemption. The idea is compared to יעקב getting the name ישראל, supported from ישעיהו, and illustrated with a parable about a traveler who survives a wolf, a lion and a snake. The גמרא then explains the name changes of אברם to אברהם and שרי to שרה. בר קפרא and רבי אליעזר rule that calling אברהם 'אברם' breaks a מצוה, and the גמרא explains why the same is not true of שרה or יעקב, and why a פסוק in נחמיה may still say 'אברם'. Then פרק מאימתי ends, and the second chapter opens with a משנה about reading שמע with focus, greeting people in the middle of שמע, the breaks between its sections, and the order of its paragraphs. The גמרא tries to prove from the משנה that מצוות need intent, but pushes the proof away. It then brings a מחלוקת between רבי and חכמים about saying שמע in any language, and traces which word each side learns from. Finally, a ברייתא has רבי אליעזר limiting how much of שמע needs כוונה, and רבי עקיבא begins to answer him on the next amud.

Opening lines

לֹא שֶׁיֵּעָקֵר ״יַעֲקֹב״ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ,

Not that "Yaakov" will be uprooted from its place,

אֶלָּא ״יִשְׂרָאֵל״ עִיקָּר

but rather "Yisrael" is primary

וְ״יַעֲקֹב״ טָפֵל לוֹ.

and "Yaakov" is secondary to it.

וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר

And so it says:

The steps (50)

  1. Statementיעקב's name is not erased, it becomes secondary
  2. ProofSupport from ישעיהו: don't dwell on the former things
  3. StatementThe 'new thing' is the war of גוג ומגוג
  4. StatementThe parable of the wolf, the lion and the snake
  5. ConclusionThe lesson: newer troubles make the old ones forgotten
  6. StatementNew topic: אברם becomes אברהם
  7. StatementFrom father of Aram to father of the whole world
  8. Statementשרי becomes שרה, a princess for the whole world
  9. StatementCalling אברהם 'אברם' breaks a positive commandment
  10. Statementרבי אליעזר: it breaks a negative commandment
  11. ChallengeWhat about calling שרה by her old name?
  12. ResolutionThe command about Sarah was said only to אברהם
  13. ChallengeWhat about calling יעקב by his old name?
  14. ResolutionThe Torah itself calls יעקב by his old name again
  15. ChallengeA verse in נחמיה calls him אברם
  16. ResolutionThe prophet was retelling history from the start
  17. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק מאימתי
  18. StatementReading the Torah when the time for שמע arrives
  19. Statementרבי מאיר: When you may greet someone during שמע
  20. Statementרבי יהודה: Answering is easier than greeting first
  21. StatementWhich places count as 'between the sections'
  22. Statementרבי יהודה: No break between ויאמר and אמת ויציב
  23. StatementWhy the sections of שמע are said in this order
  24. ProofAttempted proof that מצוות need intent
  25. RejectionMaybe 'focused his heart' only means intent to read
  26. ChallengeBut he is already reading
  27. ResolutionThe case is someone checking the text for mistakes
  28. StatementA ברייתא: in which language may שמע be said?
  29. QuestionWhat is רבי's source?
  30. Responseרבי learns from the word 'והיו'
  31. QuestionWhat is the חכמים's source?
  32. Responseחכמים learn from the word 'שמע'
  33. ChallengeDoesn't רבי also have the word 'שמע'?
  34. Resolutionרבי uses 'שמע' to teach: let your ears hear
  35. QuestionWhat about the חכמים and hearing your own words?
  36. ResponseThe חכמים say quiet recital still counts
  37. ChallengeWhat do the חכמים do with 'והיו'?
  38. ResolutionThe חכמים use 'והיו' to forbid saying שמע out of order
  39. QuestionWhere does רבי learn the rule about order?
  40. Responseרבי learns order from 'הדברים'
  41. QuestionDoes רבי think the whole תורה may be said in any language?
  42. ProofWhy else would the Torah need 'והיו'?
  43. RejectionThe word 'והיו' is needed because 'שמע' is also written
  44. QuestionDo the רבנן hold the whole תורה must be said in לשון הקודש?
  45. ProofIf the whole Torah could be said in any language, 'שמע' would be extra
  46. RejectionThe word 'שמע' is needed because 'והיו' is also written
  47. StatementA ברייתא: 'והיו' teaches not to say שמע out of order
  48. QuestionDoes the whole פרשה need כוונה?
  49. Response'האלה' limits כוונה to the first part, says רבי אליעזר
  50. Challengeרבי עקיבא begins his response with a verse