Berakhot 005

18:
The very wording of the Torah [beshokhbekha, "when you lie down"] indicates that originally the recitation of the Shema at the end of the day was intended to be a final act of worship before retiring to bed for the night. This Keriat Shema al ha-mittah [recitation of the Shema upon one's bed] is still most important. However, in due course of time the recitation of the Shema was also added to the synagogue ritual. According to Rabbi Yosé in the Talmud of Eretz-Israel [Berakhot 2a], the recitation of the Shema was added to the Evening Service in the Synagogue in order that we might stand to recite the Amidah after Torah Study. Most interestingly, the discussion there makes clear that it was customary during Talmudic times in Eretz-Israel to hold the evening services in the synagogue before the onset of dark. Rabbi Yosé points out there that the recitation of the Shema in the synagogue as part of the evening service does not constitute fulfillment of the mitzvah of reading the Shema beshokhbekha, "when you lie down", because that service is held habitually before the earliest time that the Shema may be recited – the appearance of three medium-sized stars.

19:
Rashi quotes this statement of the Yerushalmi [Talmud of Eretz-Israel] (without attributing it). The Tosafists raise substantial objections to this view, and state a contrary view: the recitation of the Shema in the synagogue is the main one, keriat Shema al ha-mittah being for what we today would call superstitious reasons. They further say that the custom of reciting both the Shema and the Amidah before it is actually dark is perfectly legitimate. According to Rabbi Yehudah the last possible time for reciting the Afternoon Amidah is at a point in time called plag ha-minĥah – approximately 75 minutes before sunset. From that moment it is permissible, he says, to recite the Evening service. The rest of the sages are of the opinion that the time-frame for Minĥah [the Afternoon service] extends right up to sunset, and only after dark does the time-frame for Arvit [the Evening service] commence. Most interestingly, a pluralistic approach (as in the Conservative movement!) is adopted: "One can follow either opinion" [Man de-avad ke-mar avad, u-man de-avad ke-mar avad] – provided that the selected opinion is followed completely, and not a combination of the two. That is to say, we may recite Arvit before dark provided that we recite Minĥah before plag ha-minĥah; alternatively, we may recite Minĥah up to sunset provided that we recite Arvit only after dark. (For reasons that need not detain us now, Arvit on Erev Shabbat [Friday night] may be recited before dark even if Minĥah has been recited after plag ha-minĥah.

To be continued.

Michael Bohnen writes:

I did not think that the response Barukh shem k'vod… to the mention of the shem hameforash in the Temple was limited to Yom Kippur.

I respond:

Indeed, it was not so limited, but rather was the standard response. What I should have said was, that the reason why Barukh shem… is recited by us today out loud only on Yom Kippur is because on all other occasions other responses (Amen, Barukh hu uvarukh shemo) eventually supplanted Barukh shem…; but because the Yom Kippur ceremony in the Bet Mikdash had such a dramatic impact on the emotions and collective imagination of our people, it was retained for that day. (Misunderstandings like this are created when one tries to be brief!)

---

Rémy Landau writes:

The rule for reciting the Shema up to the first light is highly reminiscent of the Haggadah story of the 5 sages locked in discussion all night. Is there any connection between the two?

I respond:

Not really. When the pupils came to advise their teachers that "the time for reciting the morning Shema has arrived" they were referring to what is discussed in the next mishnah: from when onwards may the Shema be recited in the morning?

Shabbat Shalom!

Next Shiur