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Translation:Talmud/Seder Zeraim/Tractate Berakhot/6b

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And all these verses are written on [the tefillin of] His arm.

Rabin son of R. Adda in the name of R. Isaac says [further]: If a man is accustomed to attend Synagogue [daily] and one day does not go, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes inquiry about him. For it is said: Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, and now walketh in darkness and hath no light?[1] [And still] if he absented himself on account of some religious purpose, he shall have light. But if he absented himself on account of a worldly purpose, he shall have no light. Let him trust in the name of the Lord.[2] Why?[3] Because he ought to have trusted in the name of the Lord and he did not trust.

R. Johanan says: Whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, comes into a Synagogue and does not find ten persons there,[4] He becomes angry at once.[5] For it is said: Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there no answer?[6]

R. Helbo, in the name of R. Huna, says: Whosoever has a fixed place for his prayer has the God of Abraham as his helper. And when he dies, people will say of him: Where is the pious man,[7] where is the humble man,[8] one of the disciples of our father Abraham! — How do we know that our father Abraham had a fixed place [for his prayer]? For it is written: And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood.[9] And 'standing' means nothing else but prayer. For it is said: Then stood up Phinehas and prayed.[10]

R. Helbo, in the name of R. Huna, says [further]: When a man leaves the Synagogue, he should not take large steps. Abaye says: This is only when one goes from the Synagogue, but when one goes to the Synagogue, it is a pious deed to run. For it is said: Let us run to know the Lord.[11] R. Zera says: At first when I saw the scholars running to the lecture on a Sabbath day, I thought that they were desecrating the Sabbath.[12] But since I have heard the saying of R. Tanhum in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: A man should always, even on a Sabbath, run to listen to the word of Halachah, as it is said: They shall walk after the Lord, who shall roar like a lion,[13] I also run. R. Zera says: The merit of attending a lecture lies in the running. Abaye says: The merit of attending the Kallah sessions lies in the crush. Raba says: The merit of repeating a tradition lies in [improving] the understanding of it. R. Papa says: The merit of attending a house of mourning lies in the silence observed. Mar Zutra says: The merit of a fast day lies in the charity dispensed. R. Shesheth says: The merit of a funeral oration lies in raising the voice.[14] R. Ashi says: The merit of attending a wedding lies in the words [of congratulation addressed to the bride and bridegroom].[15]

R. Huna says: Whosoever prays at the rear of a Synagogue is called wicked. For it is said: The wicked walk round about.[16] Abaye says: This only applies where he does not turn his face towards the Synagogue, but if he does turn his face towards the Synagogue there is no objection to it. There was once a man who prayed at the rear of a Synagogue and did not turn his face towards the Synagogue. Elijah passed by and appeared to him in the guise of an Arabian[17] merchant. He said to him: Are you standing with your back to your Master?[18] and drew his sword and slew him.

One of the scholars said to R. Bibi b. Abaye (some say: R. Bibi said to R. Nahman b. Isaac): What is the meaning of: When vileness is exalted among the sons of men?[19] He replied to him: These are the things of supreme importance[20] which nevertheless people neglect.[21] R. Johanan and R. Eliezer both interpret: As soon as a man needs the support of his fellow-creatures his face changes colour like the kerum, as it is said: 'As the kerum is to be reviled among the sons of men'. What is the 'kerum'? When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said: There is a bird in the coast towns[22] whose name is kerum, and as soon as the sun shines upon it it changes into several colours.[23] R. Ammi and R. Assi both say: [When a man needs the support of his fellow-beings] it is as if he were punished with two [opposite] punishments, with fire and water. For it is said: When Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water.[24]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: A man should always take special care about the afternoon-prayer. For even Elijah was favourably heard only while offering his afternoon-prayer. For it is said: And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near and said … Hear me, O Lord, hear me.[25] 'Hear me', that the fire may descend from heaven, and 'hear me', that they may not say it is the work of sorcery. R. Johanan says: [Special care should be taken] also about the evening-prayer. For it is said: Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.[26] R. Nahman b. Isaac says: [Special care should be taken] also about the morning.prayer. For it is said: O Lord, in the morning shalt Thou hear my voice; in the morning will I order my prayer unto Thee, and will look forward.[27]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: Whosoever partakes of the wedding meal of a bridegroom and does not felicitate him does violence to 'the five voices' mentioned in the verse: The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to the Lord of Hosts.[28] And if he does gladden him what is his reward? — R. Joshua b. Levi said: He is privileged to acquire [the knowledge of] the Torah which was given with five voices. For it is said: And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders[29] and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn … and when the voice of the horn waxed louder … Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice.[30] (This is not so![31] For it is written: And all the people perceived the thunderings?[32] — These voices were before the revelation of the Torah.) R. Abbahu says: It is as if he[33] had sacrificed a thanksgiving offering. For it is said: Even of them that bring offerings of thanksgiving into the house of the Lord.[34] R. Nahman b. Isaac says: It is as if he had restored one of the ruins of Jerusalem. For it is said: For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith the Lord.[35]

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: If one is filled with the fear of God his words are listened to. For it is said: The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole man.[36] What means, 'For this is the whole man'? — R. Eleazar says: The Holy One, blessed be He, says: The whole world was created for his sake only. R. Abba b. Kahana says: He is equal in value to the whole world. R. Simeon b. 'Azzai says (some say, R. Simon b. Zoma says): The whole world was created as a satellite for him.

R. Helbo further said in the name of R. Huna: If one knows that his friend is used to greet him, let him greet him first.[37] For it is said: Seek peace and pursue it.[38] And if his friend greets him and he does not return the greeting he is called a robber. For it is said: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.[39]

Notes edit

  1. ↑ Isa. L, 10.
  2. ↑ Ibid.
  3. ↑ Has he no light.
  4. ↑ The number required for a public service.
  5. ↑ In the absence of a quorum of ten, a number of important features in the service are omitted.
  6. ↑ Sc. the congregational responses. Isa. L, 2.
  7. ↑ Aliter: Alas, the pious man (is no more)!
  8. ↑ Cf. previous note.
  9. ↑ Gen. XIX, 27.
  10. ↑ Ps. CVI, 30.
  11. ↑ Hos. VI, 3.
  12. ↑ It is forbidden to take large steps on the Sabbath, v. Shab. 113b.
  13. ↑ Hos. XI, 10. The text continues: For he shall roar, and the children shall come hurrying (E.V. 'trembling').
  14. ↑ I.e., in the loud lamentation of the listeners.
  15. ↑ These aphorisms are intended to bring home the lesson that the real merit of doing certain things lies not in themselves, but in their concomitants. For instance, the people running to the lectures do not benefit by the lectures, as they do not understand them. However they will be rewarded for enduring the rush and crush. The mechanical repetition of a tradition has no value if you do not try to understand it better. The merit of a fast day lies not in the fasting but in giving charity to the poor people, that they may have something to eat, etc.
  16. ↑ Ps. XII, 9.
  17. ↑ MS.M.: An Arab passed by and saw him.
  18. ↑ V. Jast. Rashi: 'As if there were two powers'.
  19. ↑ Ibid.
  20. ↑ Lit., 'standing on the highest point of the world'.
  21. ↑ He interprets, 'When the exalted things (kerum) are reviled among the sons of men'. The reference is to Prayer.
  22. ↑ The meaning is: In the distant countries lying across the sea.
  23. ↑ Lewysohn, Zoologie, p. 183 identifies the bird with the 'bird of Paradise'.
  24. ↑ Ps. LXVI, 12.
  25. ↑ I Kings XVIII, 36, 37.
  26. ↑ Ps. CXLI, 2.
  27. ↑ Ibid. V, 4.
  28. ↑ Jer. XXXIII, II.
  29. ↑ Lit., 'voices'. The plural is counted as two.
  30. ↑ Ex. XIX, 16, 19.
  31. ↑ There were not only five, but seven voices.
  32. ↑ Ibid. XX, 15. Cf. n. 5.
  33. ↑ One who felicitates the bridegroom.
  34. ↑ Jer. XXXIII, II.
  35. ↑ Ibid.
  36. ↑ Eccl. XII, 13. He interprets: 'Everything is heard, if you fear God'.
  37. ↑ [MS.M.: If one is used to greet his neighbour and fails to do so a single day, he transgresses the injunction 'Seek peace, etc.']
  38. ↑ Ps. XXXIV, 15.
  39. ↑ Isa. III, 14.
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