Berachos 3a

ברכות ג׳ ע״א

Berakhot 3a

Learn Berachos 3a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 3a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The end time of רבי אליעזר's evening שמע, the watches of the night in heaven and on earth, and the story of רבי יוסי in the ruin

Overview

The גמרא first deals with two contradictions. רבי מאיר and רבי אליעזר each seem to give two different start times for the evening שמע. It answers that two students reported each sage differently. For רבי אליעזר it adds another answer: the opening of the משנה is not his words. Next it asks why רבי אליעזר said 'until the end of the watch' instead of giving a number of hours. The answer is that he wanted to teach that heaven has watches too, and at each one הקדוש ברוך הוא roars over the חורבן. The גמרא discusses the earthly signs for each watch, including one that tells a person in a dark room when to say the morning שמע. Then comes the story of רבי יוסי, who prayed in a ruin in ירושלים and learned three rules from אליהו. There he also heard a בת קול mourning the בית המקדש. The amud ends with a ברייתא giving three reasons not to enter a ruin, and the גמרא starts to question why the reason of suspicion is needed.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. Challengeרבי מאיר seems to contradict himself
2. ResolutionTwo students reported רבי מאיר's view differently
3. Challengeרבי אליעזר seems to contradict himself
4. ResolutionTwo answers: two reporters, or the first part is not רבי אליעזר
5. StatementQuoting the משנה: until the end of the watch
6. ChallengeWhy not just say the hour?
7. ResolutionWatches in heaven and on earth
8. Proofהקדוש ברוך הוא roars at every watch
9. StatementSigns on earth for each watch
10. ChallengeStart or end of the watches?
11. ResolutionThe signs mark the hard-to-know moments of the night
12. ResolutionA second answer: all the signs mark the ends of the watches
13. ResolutionWhy we need a sign for the end of the night
14. Statementהקדוש ברוך הוא mourns at every watch of the night
15. Statementרבי יוסי prays in a ruin and אליהו guards him
16. Questionאליהו asks why רבי יוסי went into the ruin
17. Challengeאליהו: you should have prayed on the road
18. Resolutionרבי יוסי was afraid of being interrupted
19. Rejectionאליהו: you should have said the short prayer
20. ConclusionThree lessons רבי יוסי learned from אליהו
21. Questionאליהו asks what voice רבי יוסי heard
22. ResponseA heavenly voice mourning the destruction
23. StatementThe mourning happens three times every day
24. Statementה׳'s response when ישראל answer יהא שמיה הגדול מבורך
25. StatementThree reasons not to enter a ruin
26. ChallengeWhy is suspicion needed if collapse is enough?