Berachos 61b

ברכות ס״א ע״ב

Berakhot 61b

Learn Berachos 61b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

צדיקים and בינונים, רבי עקיבא's מסירות נפש for ״בכל נפשך״, and respect for the direction of the מקדש

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a list of what each organ does, then sorts people into צדיקים, רשעים, and בינונים by which יצר rules them. רבה calls himself a בינוני and אביי protests. רבא and רב add that each world belongs to one extreme: אחאב gets עולם הזה, and רבי חנינא בן דוסא gets עולם הבא. The גמרא then returns to the משנה's פסוק ״ואהבת את ה׳ אלהיך״. רבי אליעזר explains why it says both ״בכל נפשך״ and ״בכל מאדך״, and רבי עקיבא teaches that ״בכל נפשך״ means even if He takes your life. A long story follows: רבי עקיבא teaches תורה despite Rome's decree, explains himself with the משל of the fox and the fish, and dies saying שמע with his soul leaving at the word אחד. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה's rule about respect toward the מקדש. It limits that rule, then brings two ברייתות about which direction one may face when relieving oneself. The amud ends with רבה, who follows רבי עקיבא's view that it is forbidden everywhere.

Opening lines

The steps (42)

1. StatementThe jobs of the body's organs
2. StatementIf the sleep organ and the waking organ swap jobs
3. StatementIf both organs sleep or both wake
4. StatementWho rules a person: יצר טוב, יצר רע, or both
5. Statementרבה calls himself a בינוני
6. Challengeאביי protests רבה's humility
7. StatementThe world was made for the fully wicked or the fully righteous
8. StatementA person should know whether he is completely righteous
9. Statementאחאב and רבי חנינא בן דוסא: one world each
10. StatementReturning to the verse of loving God
11. QuestionWhy does the Torah need both 'soul' and 'might'?
12. ResponseDifferent people value different things
13. Statementרבי עקיבא: even if He takes your soul
14. Challengeפפוס asks רבי עקיבא if he is not afraid
15. ResponseThe parable of the fox and the fish
16. RejectionThe fish reject the fox's offer
17. ResponseThe lesson: Torah is our life
18. StatementBoth men end up in prison
19. Conclusionפפוס: fortunate is the one arrested for תורה
20. Statementרבי עקיבא recites שמע while being tortured
21. QuestionThe students ask: even now?
22. Responseרבי עקיבא explains בכל נפשך
23. StatementHis soul leaves at the word אחד
24. ChallengeThe angels protest: is this the reward for תורה?
25. Resolutionהקב"ה answers: their portion is in life
26. Conclusionרבי עקיבא is destined for עולם הבא
27. StatementBack to the משנה: respect toward the Eastern Gate
28. Statementרב limits the rule to the area of הצופים where one can see
29. Proofרבי יוחנן says the same and adds more conditions
30. Statementברייתא: which direction to face when relieving oneself
31. Statementרבי יוסי permits, under the same limits as רבי יוחנן
32. StatementThe חכמים prohibit
33. ChallengeThe חכמים seem identical to the תנא קמא
34. ResolutionThey differ about the 'sides'
35. StatementA second ברייתא: יהודה and the גליל
36. Statementרבי יוסי: only where one can see
37. Statementרבי יהודה: only while the בית המקדש stands
38. Statementרבי עקיבא: forbidden everywhere
39. Challengeרבי עקיבא seems identical to the תנא קמא
40. ResolutionThey differ about חוץ לארץ
41. Statementאביי moves רבה's bricks
42. Conclusionרבה: I hold like רבי עקיבא