Berachos 2b

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Berakhot 2b

Learn Berachos 2b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 2b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

When does evening קריאת שמע begin? The meaning of וּבָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְטָהֵר, the different time markers (the כהן, the poor man, people's meals), and רבי יוסי's split-second בין השמשות.

Overview

The פסוק says a טמא כהן may eat תרומה after "the sun sets and וְטָהֵר." רבה בר רב שילא proves from the wording that וְטָהֵר means the day is 'cleared,' so full sunset is needed. In ארץ ישראל they reached the same answer from a ברייתא that gives צאת הכוכבים as the sign. The גמרא then compares our משנה's start time for evening שמע with other ברייתות. These use a poor man's meal, people's Friday-night meal, and more. A פסוק in נחמיה hints that night begins at צאת הכוכבים. After going back and forth, the גמרא concludes that the poor man's time is different from the כהן's time, and later than it. Finally, רבי מאיר answers רבי יהודה's objection about the כהנים immersing by day: he follows רבי יוסי, for whom בין השמשות lasts only a blink of an eye.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ChallengeMaybe it means only the start of sunset
2. ResolutionGrammar proves 'וטהר' refers to the day
3. QuestionIn ארץ ישראל they raised it as a question
4. ResponseResolved from the ברייתא: stars coming out
5. ChallengeThe poor person's meal versus the כהנים eating תרומה
6. QuestionDoes the start time also argue with the משנה?
7. ResponseThe poor man and the כהן eat at the same time
8. Challengeרבי מאיר: when people eat on ערב שבת
9. StatementThe חכמים: when the כהנים may eat, marked by the stars
10. ProofA hint from נחמיה that night starts with the stars
11. QuestionWhy did the ברייתא add a second פסוק?
12. ResponseThe second פסוק closes a loophole in the first
13. ChallengeIf the poor man and the כהן are the same time, the חכמים would match רבי מאיר
14. ConclusionSo the poor man and the כהן must be different times
15. RejectionNo: the poor man equals the כהן, but not ordinary people
16. ChallengeA ברייתא lists the poor man's time and the כהן's time separately
17. ChallengeIf the times were the same, רבי חנינא would just be repeating רבי יהושע
18. ConclusionThe poor man's time and the כהן's time are different
19. QuestionWhich time comes later, the poor man's or the כהן's?
20. ResponseThe poor man must be later, or רבי חנינא would match רבי אליעזר
21. ConclusionConclusion: the poor man eats later than the כהן
22. Challengeרבי יהודה objects that the כהנים immerse while it is still day
23. ChallengeThe גמרא agrees that רבי יהודה's objection looks strong
24. Resolutionרבי מאיר means רבי יוסי's definition of twilight
25. Statementרבי יוסי: twilight is only a blink of an eye