Berachos 34b

ברכות ל״ד ע״ב

Berakhot 34b

Learn Berachos 34b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 34b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Bowing in prayer, signs of accepted prayer, and the hidden rewards of the righteous

Overview

The amud opens with rules for when a כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל and a king bow during the עמידה, then defines three kinds of bowing and reports how אביי ורבא bowed. The גמרא resolves conflicting ברייתות about bowing in מודים, defending רבא's practice by limiting the disapproval to the הודאה of הלל and of ברכת המזון. A new משנה teaches that a mistake in תפילה is a bad sign, while רבי חנינא בן דוסא knew his prayer was accepted when it flowed smoothly. The גמרא says the key ברכה is אבות and gives a פסוק as the source for רבי חנינא's sign. Teachings of רבי יוחנן about rewards that 'no eye has seen' lead to disputes with שמואל about ימות המשיח and with רבי אבהו about בעלי תשובה. Stories of רבי חנינא בן דוסא healing through prayer follow, along with rules about praying in a room with windows. The פרק ends with the הדרן for פרק אין עומדין.

Opening lines

The steps (51)

1. StatementWhere a high priest and a king bow
2. StatementA different report of the bowing rules
3. StatementThe meaning of bowing on the face
4. StatementThe meaning of kneeling
5. StatementThe meaning of full prostration
6. StatementAn observed way of bowing
7. ChallengeTwo teachings disagree about bowing in the thanksgiving blessing
8. ResolutionBeginning of the blessing versus the end
9. Statementרבא bowed at both the beginning and the end
10. QuestionThe רבנן ask רבא why he does this
11. Responseרבא relies on what he saw his teachers do
12. ChallengeChallenge to רבא from the teaching that calls it reprehensible
13. ResolutionThe disapproving ברייתא is about the הודאה in הלל
14. ChallengeA ברייתא that lists הלל separately
15. ResolutionThat ברייתא is about the הודאה in ברכת המזון
16. StatementA mistake in prayer is a bad sign
17. Statementרבי חנינא בן דוסא predicts who will live
18. QuestionHow did he know?
19. ResponseSmooth prayer means it was accepted
20. QuestionWhich blessing does the משנה mean?
21. ResponseThe answer: ברכת אבות
22. StatementA second version attaches the statement to a ברייתא about כוונה
23. StatementIn the second version, 'one' means ברכת אבות
24. QuestionWhere do we learn that smooth prayer is a good sign?
25. ResponseThe source is a פסוק in ישעיה about the 'fruit of the lips'
26. StatementThe reward of those who support תלמידי חכמים, and of the scholars themselves
27. StatementThe נביאים described ימות המשיח, but not עולם הבא
28. Statementשמואל disagrees: ימות המשיח differs only in freedom from foreign rule
29. StatementProphecies were about בעלי תשובה, but צדיקים גמורים get a hidden reward
30. Statementרבי אבהו disagrees: בעלי תשובה stand higher than צדיקים גמורים
31. Rejectionרבי יוחנן reads 'far' and 'near' the other way
32. QuestionWhat is the hidden reward of 'no eye has seen'?
33. Responseרבי יהושע בן לוי: wine preserved since creation
34. Responseרבי שמואל בר נחמני: it is עדן
35. ChallengeBut didn't אדם הראשון see עדן?
36. Resolutionאדם הראשון was only in the גן
37. ChallengeMaybe the גן and עדן are the same place
38. ProofA פסוק proves the גן and עדן are separate
39. Statementרבן גמליאל's son falls ill and רבי חנינא prays
40. Statementרבי חנינא announces the fever has left
41. QuestionAre you a prophet?
42. ResponseA fluent prayer is an accepted prayer
43. ProofThe exact moment is confirmed
44. Statementרבי חנינא heals רבי יוחנן בן זכאי's son
45. Statementרבי יוחנן בן זכאי says his own prayer would not work
46. QuestionHis wife asks: is חנינא greater than you?
47. ResponseA servant before the King versus a minister
48. StatementPray only in a room with windows
49. StatementPraying in an open field is brazen
50. StatementPublicly spelling out one's sins is brazen
51. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק אין עומדין