Gemara Clarity

Berachos 21a

ברכות כ״א ע״א

Berakhot 21a

Learn Berachos 21a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 21a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

A בעל קרי and דאורייתא versus דרבנן; Torah sources for ברכות; doubts about שמע and תפלה; davening a second time

Overview

The amud opens by asking why a בעל קרי thinks the words of קריאת שמע and says ברכת המזון, but may not begin תפלה. After an answer about מלכות שמים is rejected, the גמרא concludes that שמע and ברכת המזון are דאורייתא while תפלה is דרבנן. רב יהודה then brings פסוקים showing that ברכת המזון after eating and ברכת התורה before learning are from the Torah. רבי יוחנן tries to derive the other two ברכות from these by קל וחומר, but his statement is refuted. Next, רב יהודה rules that a doubt about שמע is not repeated, while a doubt about אמת ויציב is, because he holds שמע is דרבנן. The גמרא defends him against challenges from a פסוק and from the משנה. רבי אלעזר disagrees about שמע, and רבי יוחנן says one who is unsure should daven again. The amud ends with שמואל's rulings about someone who already davened, and begins explaining why both rulings are needed.

Opening lines

וַהֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה,

But what about prayer,

דְּדָבָר שֶׁהַצִּבּוּר עֲסוּקִין בּוֹ,

which is something the community is busy with,

וּתְנַן: הָיָה עוֹמֵד בִּתְפִלָּה

and we learned: if he was standing in prayer

וְנִזְכַּר שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל קֶרִי —

and remembered that he is a בעל קרי,

The steps (29)

  1. Challengeתפלה is also communal, yet he may not begin it
  2. Resolutionתפלה has no מלכות שמים
  3. Rejectionברכת המזון also lacks מלכות שמים, yet he says it
  4. ResolutionTorah-level obligations versus a Rabbinic one
  5. StatementTorah source for ברכת המזון
  6. StatementTorah source for ברכת התורה before learning
  7. Statementרבי יוחנן: Two blessings learned from each other
  8. StatementFirst argument: a blessing after Torah
  9. StatementSecond argument: a blessing before food
  10. RejectionBoth arguments can be broken
  11. ChallengeThe משנה says no blessing before food
  12. Conclusionרבי יוחנן's statement is refuted
  13. StatementUnsure whether he said שמע or אמת ויציב
  14. QuestionWhy the difference?
  15. Responseשמע is דרבנן, אמת ויציב is דאורייתא
  16. Challengeרב יוסף: The פסוק says 'when you lie down and when you rise'
  17. Resolutionאביי: That פסוק is about learning Torah
  18. ProofCiting the משנה about a בעל קרי
  19. ChallengeIf it were from the Torah, he should say it
  20. ResolutionHe already mentioned leaving Egypt in שמע
  21. ChallengeWhy not say אמת ויציב instead of שמע?
  22. Resolutionשמע is better because it has two things
  23. Statementרבי אלעזר on doubts about שמע and תפילה
  24. Statementרבי יוחנן: if only a person would daven all day
  25. StatementStop at once if you realize you already davened
  26. ChallengeChallenge: on שבת a mistaken weekday ברכה is finished
  27. ResolutionThe cases are different: on שבת he really is obligated
  28. StatementDavening again with a צבור only if you add something new
  29. StatementWhy both of שמואל's rulings are needed: the first case alone