Gemara Clarity

Berachos 27b

ברכות כ״ז ע״ב

Berakhot 27b

Learn Berachos 27b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 27b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Davening behind one's רב; davening early on ערב שבת and מוצאי שבת; whether עַרְבִית is רשות or חובה, and the removal of רבן גמליאל as נשיא.

Overview

The amud opens by asking how רבי ירמיה בר אבא could daven behind רב, since a student may not pray next to or behind his teacher. A ברייתא of רבי אליעזר makes this worse: it says such disrespect drives the שכינה away from ישראל. The גמרא answers that he was a תלמיד חבר, a student who was also a colleague. Next the גמרא discusses davening the שבת prayer early. Someone who does so on purpose must stop working, but a prayer said by mistake does not bind an individual, though a צבור's mistaken prayer stands. שמואל rules that one may daven שבת early and make קידוש, and daven מוצאי שבת early and make הבדלה. Then the גמרא explains the משנה's words 'תפלת הערב אין לה קבע' as meaning that עַרְבִית is רשות, the view of רבי יהושע against רבן גמליאל. A famous story follows: רבן גמליאל publicly embarrasses רבי יהושע over this question, the people remove רבן גמליאל as נשיא, and they choose רבי אלעזר בן עזריה to replace him. The amud ends as he consults his wife, and her answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

לֹא כְּנֶגֶד רַבּוֹ,

not next to his teacher,

וְלֹא אֲחוֹרֵי רַבּוֹ.

and not behind his teacher.

וְתַנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר:

And it was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says:

הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל אֲחוֹרֵי רַבּוֹ,

One who prays behind his teacher,

The steps (40)

  1. ChallengeA student may not pray next to or behind his teacher
  2. Challengeרבי אליעזר: disrespecting a teacher drives away the שכינה
  3. Resolutionרבי ירמיה בר אבא was a student and a colleague
  4. ProofProof: he spoke to רב as an equal
  5. ChallengeDid רב really have to stop working?
  6. Resolutionרבא: he only went in to sweat, before the גזירה
  7. Challengeאביי let רב דימי work after davening
  8. ResolutionThat davening was a mistake
  9. ChallengeCan a mistaken prayer be undone? רבי's ruling says no
  10. ResolutionA community is different
  11. StatementTwo אמוראים who davened at the edges of שבת
  12. QuestionAfter davening שבת early, may one say קידוש?
  13. Responseשמואל: yes, one may say קידוש early, and the הלכה follows him
  14. QuestionAfter davening מוצאי שבת early, may one say הבדלה?
  15. Responseשמואל: yes, one may say הבדלה early
  16. StatementA story: a תנא davened שבת early beside a pillar
  17. Rejectionעולא's different version of the story
  18. QuestionWhat does 'no fixed time' mean for the evening prayer?
  19. ChallengeIt can't just mean 'any time at night'
  20. ResponseIt means עַרְבִית is optional
  21. ProofThe source: רבן גמליאל and רבי יהושע argue
  22. Statementאביי and רבא argue over the הלכה
  23. StatementA student asks רבי יהושע and hears 'optional'
  24. StatementThe student asks רבן גמליאל and hears 'required'
  25. ChallengeThe student points out the clash
  26. ResponseWait until the scholars gather in the בית המדרש
  27. StatementThe question is asked in front of all the scholars
  28. Questionרבן גמליאל asks if anyone disagrees
  29. Responseרבי יהושע says no one disagrees
  30. Challengeרבן גמליאל confronts רבי יהושע
  31. Statementרבן גמליאל orders רבי יהושע to stand
  32. Responseרבי יהושע admits he said it
  33. StatementThe crowd stops רבן גמליאל's lecture
  34. StatementThe people decide to remove רבן גמליאל
  35. QuestionWho should replace רבן גמליאל?
  36. Rejectionרבי יהושע is ruled out
  37. Rejectionרבי עקיבא is ruled out
  38. Responseרבי אלעזר בן עזריה is chosen
  39. StatementWhy each of his three qualities matters
  40. StatementThe offer and consulting his wife