Gemara Clarity

Berachos 6a

ברכות ו׳ ע״א

Berakhot 6a

Learn Berachos 6a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 6a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Harmful spirits, where the שכינה rests, and God's תפילין

Overview

This amud starts by finishing an earlier topic: רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא says that someone who waits in the בית כנסת for his friend to finish praying earns the blessings of a פסוק in ישעיהו. Then אבא בנימין, אביי, רב הונא and רבא describe the countless מזיקין around us and the everyday troubles they cause. The גמרא gives a way to detect them and a way to see them, and tells how רב ביבי בר אביי was harmed after trying it. Next, אבא בנימין teaches that prayer is truly heard in the בית כנסת. רבי יצחק adds that the שכינה is with ten who pray, three who judge, two who learn, and even one who learns, and the גמרא explains what each larger group gains. Along the way רב אשי teaches that a מצוה someone planned but was forced to miss counts as if he did it. Finally, רבי יצחק teaches that God wears תפילין, which contain praise of ישראל such as 'Who is like Your people ישראל, one nation in the land'. The amud ends by showing how these פסוקים fit into four compartments.

Opening lines

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא:

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Ḥanina said:

זוֹכֶה לַבְּרָכוֹת הַלָּלוּ,

He merits these blessings,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לוּא הִקְשַׁבְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָי

as it is said: 'If only you had listened to My commandments,'

וַיְהִי כַנָּהָר שְׁלוֹמֶךָ

then your peace would be like a river,

The steps (35)

  1. StatementThe reward for waiting for a friend who is still praying
  2. StatementIf our eyes could see the harmful spirits
  3. Statementאביי: They outnumber us and surround us
  4. Statementרב הונא: A thousand on the left, ten thousand on the right
  5. StatementEveryday troubles that come from the harmful spirits
  6. StatementHow to find signs that the spirits are there
  7. StatementHow to actually see the spirits, and how to stay safe
  8. StatementThe story of רב ביבי בר אביי, who tried it and was harmed
  9. StatementPrayer is truly heard in the synagogue
  10. Statementה׳ is found in the synagogue
  11. StatementThe שכינה is with ten people who pray
  12. StatementThe שכינה is with three judges
  13. StatementThe שכינה is with two people learning תורה
  14. QuestionWhat does 'those who think of His name' mean?
  15. Responseרב אשי: a planned מצוה that was blocked counts as done
  16. StatementEven one person learning has the שכינה
  17. ChallengeIf even one person has the שכינה, why mention two?
  18. ResolutionTwo have their words written in the book of remembrance
  19. ChallengeIf even two have the שכינה, why mention three?
  20. ResolutionJudging is also תורה
  21. ChallengeIf even three have the שכינה, why mention ten?
  22. ResolutionFor ten the שכינה comes first; for three only once they sit
  23. StatementGod wears תפילין: the source
  24. ProofReading the פסוק: right hand is תורה, strong arm is תפילין
  25. QuestionHow do we know תפילין are strength for ישראל?
  26. ResponseThe nations see God's name on ישראל and fear them
  27. QuestionWhat is written in God's תפילין?
  28. ResponseGod's תפילין praise ישראל as one nation
  29. QuestionIs God praised through the praise of Israel?
  30. ResponseYes: Israel made God unique, and God makes Israel unique
  31. ProofThe sources: שמע ישראל and גוי אחד בארץ
  32. QuestionWhat is in the other compartments?
  33. ResponseMore פסוקים praising Israel
  34. ChallengeToo many פסוקים for the compartments
  35. ResolutionGrouping the פסוקים into four compartments