Berachos 19a

ברכות י״ט ע״א

Berakhot 19a

Learn Berachos 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 19a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The dead and their honor, נידוי for disrespecting תלמידי חכמים, and קריאת שמע at a funeral.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a proof that the dead know what happens in this world. The proof rests on the word 'לאמר', read as ה׳ telling משה to go inform the אבות, and the telling turns out to give credit to משה. Next, רבי יצחק says that speaking badly of the dead is like speaking about a stone. The גמרא answers a challenge to this: a תלמיד חכם is different, because הקדוש ברוך הוא guards his honor. That leads to teachings on כבוד תלמידי חכמים: insulting a dead scholar leads to גיהנם, and a scholar seen sinning is assumed to have done תשובה, unless the sin involved someone else's money. רבי יהושע בן לוי then says there are 24 cases of נידוי for a רב's honor in the משנה. רבי אלעזר finds only three: עקביא בן מהללאל, אלעזר בן חנוך, and חוני המעגל. The challenges from תודוס and the oven of עכנאי are answered. The difference is that רבי יהושע בן לוי reasons by comparing similar cases and רבי אלעזר does not. Finally the גמרא returns to the funeral laws of our משנה: when to take out the מת near קריאת שמע, how eulogizers and the mourner act, אביי's warning not to 'open your mouth to the שטן', and how much of שמע people returning from a burial must be able to finish.

Opening lines

The steps (41)

1. ProofThe verse only makes sense if the dead know
2. ChallengeIf they already know, why tell them?
3. ResolutionTelling them gives credit to משה
4. StatementSpeaking about the dead is like speaking about a stone
5. StatementTwo explanations of the stone comparison
6. ChallengeThe story of the man who insulted שמואל
7. ResolutionA Torah scholar is different
8. StatementSpeaking against dead תלמידי חכמים leads to גיהנם
9. StatementDo not think badly of a scholar who sinned at night
10. ChallengeIs it really only 'perhaps'?
11. ResolutionHe certainly repented
12. StatementThe rule applies only to personal sins, not money
13. StatementTwenty-four cases of excommunication for a rabbi's honor
14. Questionרבי אלעזר asks where they are
15. ResponseGo and you will find them
16. Responseרבי אלעזר searches and finds three
17. QuestionWhere is the case of speaking badly about dead scholars?
18. Responseעקביא בן מהללאל and the story of כרכמית
19. QuestionWhere is the case of belittling hand-washing?
20. Responseאלעזר בן חנוך was put in נידוי for doubting hand-washing
21. QuestionWhere is the case of arrogance toward Heaven?
22. Responseשמעון בן שטח's message to חוני המעגל
23. ChallengeAre there no more cases? The story of תודוס איש רומי
24. ResolutionThe story of תודוס does not count because it is only a ברייתא
25. ChallengeChallenge from the oven of עכנאי in the משנה
26. QuestionWhat does עכנאי mean?
27. ResponseThe חכמים surrounded the oven with halachic proofs like a snake
28. Proofברייתא: רבי אליעזר's pure items were burned and he was 'blessed'
29. ResolutionThe נידוי itself is not in the משנה
30. ChallengeThen where do the 24 cases come from?
31. ResolutionOne Sage compares similar cases, the other does not
32. StatementDo not take out a body for burial near the time of קריאת שמע
33. ChallengeBut רב יוסף was buried near the time of קריאת שמע
34. ResolutionAn important person is different
35. StatementHow eulogizers say קריאת שמע
36. StatementThe mourner accepts God's judgment while others pray
37. Challengeאביי objects: never open your mouth to the שטן
38. ProofA verse showing that negative words about yourself can come true
39. StatementReading the משנה: only if they can finish the whole שמע
40. ChallengeA ברייתא says even one section or one verse is enough
41. ResolutionThe משנה means the same thing: even one section or verse