Menachos 36b

מנחות ל״ו ע״ב

Menachot 36b

Learn Menachos 36b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Is night (and שבת) a time for תפילין? רבה בר רב הונא's view, the source that excludes nights and שבתות, wearing תפילין after sunset, touching one's תפילין, and the left arm

Overview

This amud asks whether night and שבת are times for wearing תפילין. The גמרא first says that רב חסדא and רבה בר רב הונא wore תפילין at evening prayers, so they held that night is a time for תפילין. It then shows that רבה בר רב הונא's rule about taking off תפילין at dark was said only about ערב שבת. That raises a problem: the פסוק that leaves out שבת also leaves out nights, as רבי יוסי הגלילי teaches. The answer is that רבה בר רב הונא learns the שבת exemption from רבי עקיבא's source. That source says שבת and יום טוב are already an 'אות', a sign, and it says nothing about nights. Next, רבי אלעזר and רבי יוחנן argue about whether wearing תפילין after sunset breaks a עשה or a לאו. They also explain how they read the word 'השמר'. רבי אלעזר permits wearing them at night to guard them, and רבינא tells how רב אשי held that night is allowed but did not rule so in public. The amud ends with two rules: a person must keep touching his תפילין, learned from the ציץ, and the תפילין של יד go on the left arm.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. ChallengeTwo sages wore תפילין when praying at night
2. ResolutionThose sages simply held a different opinion
3. ChallengeDid רבה בר רב הונא really hold that night is a time for תפילין?
4. ResolutionThat ruling was said about ערב שבת
5. ChallengeNights and שבת stand or fall together
6. ProofThe פסוק that leaves out both nights and שבתות
7. Statementרבי עקיבא: this פסוק is only about פסח
8. Resolutionרבה בר רב הונא learns the שבת exemption from a different source
9. Proofרבי עקיבא's source: שבת and יום טוב are themselves a sign
10. StatementWearing תפילין after sunset: breaking a עשה or a לאו
11. QuestionSuggesting they argue about רבי אבין's rule on 'השמר'
12. StatementSpelling out the suggestion
13. RejectionBoth accept רבי אבין's rule but argue about 'השמר' written on a positive command
14. StatementWearing תפילין at night to keep them safe is allowed
15. Statementרבינא sees רב אשי put on תפילין after dark
16. Conclusionרב אשי's real view: it is the הלכה, but not taught publicly
17. StatementA person must keep touching his תפילין
18. ProofProof from the ציץ of the כהן גדול
19. Statement'Your hand' means the left arm
20. QuestionMaybe it means the right arm?
21. ProofThree פסוקים where 'יד' is the left and 'ימין' is the right