Berachos 16b

ברכות ט״ז ע״ב

Berakhot 16b

Learn Berachos 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 16b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The חתן's exemption, רבן גמליאל's unusual conduct in mourning, honor for slaves, and the Sages' personal prayers after תפלה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the discussion of why a חתן who marries a בתולה is exempt from קריאת שמע. Only worry that comes from a מצוה exempts a person; a mourner's grief does not. Next comes a new משנה with two stories about רבן גמליאל. He bathed on the night his wife died because he was an אסטניס, and he accepted תנחומין for his worthy slave טבי. The משנה also brings a מחלוקת about whether a חתן may choose to say קריאת שמע anyway. The גמרא explains that mourning at night is only דרבנן, so the רבנן did not apply it to an אסטניס. It then brings ברייתות about how to treat slaves who die, including רבי אליעזר's story, and about who may be called אבות, אמהות, אבא and אמא. The amud ends with רבי אלעזר's praise of קריאת שמע and תפלה and a list of personal prayers that חכמים said after davening, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. ChallengeWhy only someone marrying a virgin?
2. ResolutionThe virgin's groom is preoccupied, the widow's is not
3. ChallengeIf preoccupation exempts, why is a mourner obligated?
4. ResolutionPreoccupation from a מצוה versus ordinary preoccupation
5. Statementרבן גמליאל bathes on the night his wife died
6. Statementרבן גמליאל accepts condolences for his slave טבי
7. StatementMay a groom choose to recite קריאת שמע on his first night?
8. QuestionWhy was רבן גמליאל allowed to bathe?
9. ResponseMourning at night is only rabbinic, and it was never imposed on a delicate person
10. StatementNo formal mourning rituals for slaves
11. Statementרבי אליעזר's students keep following him
12. StatementSay to the owner what you would say about a lost animal
13. StatementNo eulogy for slaves, with an exception from רבי יוסי
14. ChallengeThe חכמים object that רבי יוסי's praise is too high
15. StatementOnly three are called 'fathers' and only four 'mothers'
16. QuestionWhy only three fathers?
17. RejectionA suggested reason fails because of the mothers
18. ResponseOnly up to יעקב are they important enough
19. StatementSlaves are not called 'אבא' or 'אמא', but רבן גמליאל's were
20. ChallengeHow can a story contradict the rule?
21. Resolutionרבן גמליאל's slaves were especially important
22. StatementA פסוק that hints to קריאת שמע and תפלה
23. StatementThe reward for saying שמע and davening
24. Statementרבי אלעזר's personal prayer after davening
25. Statementרבי יוחנן's personal prayer after davening
26. Statementרבי זירא's personal prayer after davening
27. Statementרבי חייא's prayer that תורה be our life's work
28. Statementרב's prayer for a long and full life
29. Statementרבי's prayer for protection from harmful people and things
30. Statementרבי prayed this even though guards protected him
31. Statementרב ספרא's prayer begins with a request for peace