Gemara Clarity

Berachos 14a

ברכות י״ד ע״א

Berakhot 14a

Learn Berachos 14a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 14a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Interrupting קריאת שמע and הלל, tasting on a fast, and putting תפילה before greetings and business

Overview

The גמרא finishes its fuller reading of the משנה about greeting people during קריאת שמע. It brings a ברייתא with the views of רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה that supports this reading. רבי חייא rules that one may interrupt הלל and מגילה to greet someone. רבה adds that how much you may interrupt depends on whether it is a day when the full הלל is said. רבי אמי rules that a person who is fasting may taste food, and רבי אמי and רבי אסי tasted up to a רביעית. רב and שמואל teach from a פסוק in ישעיהו that you should not go out of your way to greet someone before praying. Other אמוראים add that taking care of your own affairs before תפילה is forbidden, and that one who prays first will have his needs cared for by ה׳. After a short side teaching about dreams, the גמרא returns to the משנה and rules like רבי יהודה that one may not stop between אלהיכם and אמת ויציב. It then begins to give his source from a פסוק, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וּבַפְּרָקִים —

And at the breaks between the paragraphs

שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד

he may greet out of respect

וּמֵשִׁיב שָׁלוֹם לְכׇל אָדָם.

and answer a greeting to any person.

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי:

This was also taught in a baraita:

The steps (33)

  1. ResolutionFinishing the corrected reading of the משנה
  2. ProofA ברייתא supports the reading: רבי מאיר's view
  3. ProofThe ברייתא continues: רבי יהודה's view
  4. Questionאחי asks: may one interrupt הלל and מגילה?
  5. QuestionThe two sides of the question
  6. Responseרבי חייא answers: one may interrupt
  7. Statementרבה's distinction between kinds of הלל days
  8. Challengeרבינא did not stop הלל for רב בר שבא
  9. Resolutionרב בר שבא was not important to רבינא
  10. QuestionMay someone who is fasting taste food?
  11. QuestionEating and drinking, or any pleasure?
  12. Responseרבי אמי: he may taste
  13. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי אמי
  14. QuestionHow much may a fasting person taste?
  15. Responseרבי אמי and רבי אסי tasted up to a רביעית
  16. StatementGreeting someone before praying is like building an altar
  17. Proofרב's source: reading בַּמֶּה as בָּמָה
  18. Statementשמואל reads the same פסוק in its plain way
  19. Challengeרב ששת's challenge from greeting during קריאת שמע
  20. ResolutionOnly going early to his door is the problem
  21. StatementTaking care of your business before praying is like building an altar
  22. QuestionDid you really say 'an altar'?
  23. ResponseNo, I only said it is forbidden
  24. Statementרב אידי בר אבין: forbidden to take care of your affairs before praying
  25. ProofThe פסוק: righteousness goes first
  26. StatementPray first, then travel, and God takes care of your needs
  27. ProofThe proof from the same verse in תהלים
  28. StatementSeven nights without a dream
  29. ProofReading 'satisfied' as 'seven'
  30. Rejectionרב אחא's different version: sleeping full of Torah
  31. StatementBack to the משנה: the breaks between the sections
  32. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי יהודה: no stopping before אמת ויציב
  33. Proofרבי יוחנן begins to give רבי יהודה's reason from a verse