Gemara Clarity

Berachos 8b

ברכות ח׳ ע״ב

Berakhot 8b

Learn Berachos 8b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Berachos 8b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Reading the weekly פרשה with the ציבור, advice from רבי יהושע בן לוי and רבא, and the deadline for the night שמע

Overview

The גמרא finishes the rule that a person should read each weekly פרשה twice in the original and once in תרגום, together with the ציבור, even verses that are only lists of place names. Then comes a story: רב ביבי בר אביי learns that ערב יום כיפור is a day for eating, not for catching up, and that he may not read ahead early either. רבי יהושע בן לוי gives his sons three pieces of advice: finish your portions with the ציבור, cut the ורידין when slaughtering, and keep honoring a זקן who forgot his learning. רבא also gives his sons advice: don't cut meat on your hand, don't sit on the bed of an ארמית, and don't pass behind a בית הכנסת during davening. אביי then limits that last rule. רבי עקיבא and רבן גמליאל praise good habits of the מדיים and the פרסיים. The גמרא then returns to the משנה and rules like רבן גמליאל: the night שמע may be read until dawn. It brings two ברייתות of רבי שמעון בן יוחי about reading שמע twice, once around dawn and once around sunrise, and finds a contradiction in each. The first contradiction is answered on this amud, and the answer to the second comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַאֲפִילּוּ ״עֲטָרוֹת וְדִיבֹן״.

And even 'Atarot and Divon.'

שֶׁכָּל הַמַּשְׁלִים פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתָיו עִם הַצִּבּוּר

For anyone who completes his portions with the congregation

מֵאֲרִיכִין לוֹ יָמָיו וּשְׁנוֹתָיו.

has his days and his years lengthened.

רַב בִּיבִי בַּר אַבָּיֵי סָבַר

Rav Beivai bar Abaye thought

The steps (28)

  1. StatementEven a verse of place names must be read, and the reward is long life
  2. Statementרב ביבי's plan to catch up on ערב יום כיפור
  3. Challengeחייא בר רב מדפתי quotes a פסוק against the plan
  4. QuestionBut the fast is on the tenth, not the ninth
  5. ResponseEating on the ninth counts like fasting
  6. Statementרב ביבי's new plan: read ahead early
  7. RejectionAn elder rules: not early and not late
  8. ProofFinish your portions together with the community
  9. StatementBe careful to cut the jugular veins
  10. StatementRespect an elder who forgot his learning
  11. Statementרבא's advice: don't cut meat on your hand
  12. ResponseTwo reasons for not cutting on your hand
  13. StatementTwo more pieces of advice from רבא
  14. ResponseThree ways to understand the bed of an Aramean woman
  15. ProofThe story of רב פפא and the bed
  16. Proofרבא's advice matches רבי יהושע בן לוי
  17. Statementאביי limits when the rule applies
  18. StatementThree good habits of the Medes
  19. ProofA verse for taking counsel in the field
  20. StatementThree modest habits of the Persians
  21. StatementThe Persians are destined for punishment
  22. StatementThe הלכה follows רבן גמליאל
  23. StatementReading שמע twice, just before and just after dawn
  24. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to contradict itself
  25. ResolutionIt is really night, but people are already getting up
  26. StatementThe halacha follows רבי שמעון בן יוחי
  27. StatementAnother version places the ruling on a different ברייתא
  28. ChallengeThe sunrise ברייתא seems to contradict itself