shema

R. Tanhum b. R. Hiyya, of the town of Acco, said : Thou mayest know from this that should a man recite the Shema' morning and evening, but omit it a single evening, he is like one who has never recited it at all.

R. Tahlifa b. Avimi said in the name of Shmuel: He who sleeps naked in a canopied bed, may put his head out of the canopied bed and read the Shema.

It was objected: He who sleeps in a canopied bed naked may not put his head out of it and read the Shema? The latter refers to a case where [the canopy] was ten [handbreadths] high.

This stands to reason also, since it was stated in the final clause To what can it be compared? To a man standing naked in a house, in which case he may not put his head out of the window and read the Shema’. Learn from this.

[Both texts] are necessary. For if he had only informed us of the former, I would have said [that they were free from the obligation there] because the time of the obligation of the pesah sacrifice had not yet come, but here where the time of the reading of the Shema had come, I would have said that he is obligated, [therefore] it was necessary [to have the later]. And if he had informed us of the case here only, I would have said [that one is exempt here] because this does not involve karet, but there where it involves karet, I would have said no. [Therefore the other was] necessary.

Our rabbis taught: The bridegroom, and the groomsmen and all the wedding guests are exempt from prayer and tefillin, but are obligated to read the Shema.

It has been taught: R. Elazar b. Zadok stated: This was the custom of the men of Jerusalem. When a man left his house he carried his lulav in his hand; when he went to the synagogue his lulav was in his hand, when he read the Shema and prayed his lulav was still in his hand, but when he read Torah or recited the priestly benediction he would lay it on the ground. If he went to visit the sick or to comfort mourners, he would go with his lulav in his hand, but when he entered the Bet Midrash, he would send his lulav by the hand of his son, his slave or his messenger.

A minor who knows how to shake the [lulav]. Our Rabbis taught, A minor who knows how to shake [the lulav] is subject to the obligation of the lulav; [if he knows how] to wrap himself [with a tallit] he is subject to the obligation of tzitzit; [if he knows how] to look after tefillin, his father must buy tefillin for him; if he is able to speak, his father must teach him Torah and the reading of the Shema.

What [in this context] could be meant by Torah? R. Hamnuna said: Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. What [in this context] is meant by the Shema? The first verse.

We are the Lord’s and our eyes are turned to the Lord etc But can it be so? Did not R. Zera say, One who says Shema, Shema is as though he said Modim, Modim [and he is silenced]? Rather this is what they used to say, “They worshipped toward the east” but as for us we give thanks to the Lord, and to the Lord do our eyes hope.”

We are the Lord’s and our eyes are turned to the Lord etc But can it be so? Did not R. Zera say, One who says Shema, Shema is as though he said Modim, Modim [and he is silenced]? Rather this is what they used to say, “They worshipped toward the east” but as for us we give thanks to the Lord, and to the Lord do our eyes hope.”

R. 'Abahu further said: The first rainfall is satisfactory if there is enough of it to enter the ground to the depth of a handbreadth; the second is satisfactory when the soil is fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask. R. Ḥisda said: If there is rainfall enough to make the soil fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask, the verse in Deuteronomy (11.17): "He will shut up (the heavens)," etc., has no application. R. Ḥisda further said: If rain fell before the reading of the verse just mentioned in the Shema', the verse in question no longer has application. Said 'Abbayi, this applies to the Shema' read in the evening, but if rain falls before the reading of the Shema' in the morning, the verse in question still has application, for R. Samuel, son of R. Isaac, said (Berakot, 59a): Those morning clouds have no real value, as it is written (Hos., 6.4): "Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away." Said R. Papa to 'Abbayi: But do not people say: "If there is rain at the opening of the doors (in the morning)—lay down thy bag, O ass-driver, and sleep"? That is no contradiction, for the proverb refers to a case when the rain pours down from a heavy cloud, while R. Samuel refers to a case when the rain comes from a light cloud.

R. 'Abahu further said: The first rainfall is satisfactory if there is enough of it to enter the ground to the depth of a handbreadth; the second is satisfactory when the soil is fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask. R. Ḥisda said: If there is rainfall enough to make the soil fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask, the verse in Deuteronomy (11.17): "He will shut up (the heavens)," etc., has no application. R. Ḥisda further said: If rain fell before the reading of the verse just mentioned in the Shema', the verse in question no longer has application. Said 'Abbayi, this applies to the Shema' read in the evening, but if rain falls before the reading of the Shema' in the morning, the verse in question still has application, for R. Samuel, son of R. Isaac, said (Berakot, 59a): Those morning clouds have no real value, as it is written (Hos., 6.4): "Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away." Said R. Papa to 'Abbayi: But do not people say: "If there is rain at the opening of the doors (in the morning)—lay down thy bag, O ass-driver, and sleep"? That is no contradiction, for the proverb refers to a case when the rain pours down from a heavy cloud, while R. Samuel refers to a case when the rain comes from a light cloud.

R. 'Abahu further said: The first rainfall is satisfactory if there is enough of it to enter the ground to the depth of a handbreadth; the second is satisfactory when the soil is fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask. R. Ḥisda said: If there is rainfall enough to make the soil fit to be used for sealing the mouth of a cask, the verse in Deuteronomy (11.17): "He will shut up (the heavens)," etc., has no application. R. Ḥisda further said: If rain fell before the reading of the verse just mentioned in the Shema', the verse in question no longer has application. Said 'Abbayi, this applies to the Shema' read in the evening, but if rain falls before the reading of the Shema' in the morning, the verse in question still has application, for R. Samuel, son of R. Isaac, said (Berakot, 59a): Those morning clouds have no real value, as it is written (Hos., 6.4): "Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away." Said R. Papa to 'Abbayi: But do not people say: "If there is rain at the opening of the doors (in the morning)—lay down thy bag, O ass-driver, and sleep"? That is no contradiction, for the proverb refers to a case when the rain pours down from a heavy cloud, while R. Samuel refers to a case when the rain comes from a light cloud.

3. On the first day of the week they read Genesis, 1, verses 1-8; on the second, verses 6-13; on the third, verses 9-19; on the fourth, verses 14-23; on the fifth, verses 20-31; on the sixth, verses 24-31, and chapter 2, verses 1-3. A long portion was divided between two men, and a short one was read by one. This procedure was adhered to only during the morning and Musaf prayers, but in the afternoon prayer everybody recited (the whole text) for himself by heart in the manner one recites for himself the Shema'. On Fridays the assemblage in the synagogues for the afternoon prayer did not take place, because the time was needed for preparations in honor of the Sabbath.

This procedure was adhered to only during the morning and Musaf prayers, but in the afternoon prayer everybody recited (the whole text) for himself by heart, etc. The question was asked: How is this passage to be understood? Does it mean to say that in the morning and Musaf prayers the portion is read from the book (Scroll) and in the afternoon by heart, as one reads the Shema', or that in the morning prayer it is read from the Scroll and in the Musaf and afternoon prayers by heart, as one reads the Shema'? Come and hear the reply: It is taught in a Baraita: During the morning and Musaf prayers the people assemble in the synagogue and read from the Torah in the same way as they do during the entire year, but during the afternoon prayer one individual recites the whole portion by heart. Said R. Jose: Is an individual ever allowed to recite the Torah for the congregation by heart? You must therefore say that all the congregants read it individually (for themselves) by heart, as one reads the Shema'.

This procedure was adhered to only during the morning and Musaf prayers, but in the afternoon prayer everybody recited (the whole text) for himself by heart, etc. The question was asked: How is this passage to be understood? Does it mean to say that in the morning and Musaf prayers the portion is read from the book (Scroll) and in the afternoon by heart, as one reads the Shema', or that in the morning prayer it is read from the Scroll and in the Musaf and afternoon prayers by heart, as one reads the Shema'? Come and hear the reply: It is taught in a Baraita: During the morning and Musaf prayers the people assemble in the synagogue and read from the Torah in the same way as they do during the entire year, but during the afternoon prayer one individual recites the whole portion by heart. Said R. Jose: Is an individual ever allowed to recite the Torah for the congregation by heart? You must therefore say that all the congregants read it individually (for themselves) by heart, as one reads the Shema'.

This procedure was adhered to only during the morning and Musaf prayers, but in the afternoon prayer everybody recited (the whole text) for himself by heart, etc. The question was asked: How is this passage to be understood? Does it mean to say that in the morning and Musaf prayers the portion is read from the book (Scroll) and in the afternoon by heart, as one reads the Shema', or that in the morning prayer it is read from the Scroll and in the Musaf and afternoon prayers by heart, as one reads the Shema'? Come and hear the reply: It is taught in a Baraita: During the morning and Musaf prayers the people assemble in the synagogue and read from the Torah in the same way as they do during the entire year, but during the afternoon prayer one individual recites the whole portion by heart. Said R. Jose: Is an individual ever allowed to recite the Torah for the congregation by heart? You must therefore say that all the congregants read it individually (for themselves) by heart, as one reads the Shema'.

Ravina said: We learn from this that if a man is seized with fright though he sees nothing, [the reason is that] his star sees. What is his remedy? He should recite the Shema. If he is in a place which is foul, he should move away from it four cubits. If he cannot do this, he should say this formula: “The goat at the butcher’s is fatter than I am.”

A Tanna stated: The same rule applies to Hallel, to the recitation of the Shema, and to the Amidah prayer.

“The recitation of the Shema”, as it has been taught: The Shema must be recited as it is written, the words of Rabbi. The Sages say: It may be recited in any language. What is Rabbi’s reason? Scripture says

“The recitation of the Shema”, as it has been taught: The Shema must be recited as it is written, the words of Rabbi. The Sages say: It may be recited in any language. What is Rabbi’s reason? Scripture says

But Rabbi also—is it not written, “hear”? — He requires that word to teach: Let your ear hear what comes out of your mouth. The Sages hold like the one who says: One who recites the Shema without making it heard by his ears, he has performed his obligation.

GEMARA. Who is the Tanna that holds that [even if] the deaf person has read, it does not count? R. Matanah said: R. It is R. Yose, as we have learned: One who read the Shema but doesn’t make it heard to his ears, he has fulfilled his obligation. R. Yose says that he has not fulfilled his obligation.

as it has been taught: R. Judah says in the name of R. Elazar b. Azariah: One who recites the Shema should make it heard to his ears, as it says, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One”—Make heard to your ear what your mouth says. R. Meir says: “Which I command you this day upon your heart” according to the words follow the intention of the heart.

Jacob the Min asked R. Judah: What do the six of Yom Kippur represent? He replied: The six who stood at the right of Ezra and the six who stood at his left, as it says, "And Ezra the scribe stood on a stand of wood which they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Matatyah, Shema and Aniaah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maasiyah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael and Malchiyah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam" (Nehemiah 8:14).

1) They do not recite the Shema responsively, 2) And they do not pass before the ark; 3) And [the priests] do not lift up their hands; 4) And they do not read the Torah [publicly]; 5) And they do not conclude with a haftarah from the prophets;

The one who concludes with the haftarah also leads the responsive reading of the Shema and he passes before the ark and he lifts up his hands. If he is a child, his father or his teacher passes before the ark in his place.

A person in rags may lead the responsive reading of the Shema and translate, but he may not read in the Torah, pass before the ark, or lift up his hands.

A blind man may lead the responsive reading of the Shema and translate. Rabbi Judah says: one who has never seen the light from his birth may not lead the responsive reading of the Shema.

A blind man may lead the responsive reading of the Shema and translate. Rabbi Judah says: one who has never seen the light from his birth may not lead the responsive reading of the Shema.

A person in rags may publicly recite the Shema etc. Ulla b. Rab asked of Abaye: Is a child in rags allowed to read in the Torah?

A blind man may publicly recite the Shema etc. It has been taught: They said to R. Judah: Many have seen [with their mind’s eye] to expound the Chariot, and yet they never saw it?

They objected: He who recites the Shema and repeats is disgraceful. He is only disgraceful, but we do not silence him. There is no difficulty: In the one he repeats each word as he says it, in the other that he repeats a whole sentence.