| M. III. 1. The Recitation of the Shma‘ if a Relation is Dead, and at the Burial | Title page | M. V. 1; T. III. 4-21. The Posture and Attention in Prayer |
M.IV. 1. THE Morning Prayer [may be said] until midday. R. Judah says [only] till the fourth hour. [^172] The Afternoon Prayer until the evening. [1] R. Judah says [only] till half the afternoon. [2] The Evening Prayer has no fixed law, and the Additional Prayers [3] may be said the whole day. [4]
T.
III. 1. Just as a fixed law was given [5] for reciting the Shma‘, so did the Majority set a time for the Prayer. Why did they say: The Morning [ p. 29 ] Prayer [may be said] until midday? Because the T. morning continual burnt-offering was offered until midday. [6] R. Judah says: Until the fourth hour. And why did they say: The Afternoon Prayer until the evening? Because the continual burnt-offering between the evenings [7] was offered until the evening. R. Judah says: Until the division of the afternoon? The eleventh hour minus a quarter. [8]
2. The evening prayer has no fixed law. R. Eleazar bar Jose [9] says: [It ends] with the closing of the gates. [10]
3. If a man has prayed the additional prayers either while the morning continual burnt-sacrifice is offered, or up to a time when the morning continual burnt-sacrifice is no longer offered—he has accomplished his duty. R. Aqiba says, if his prayer flows freely in his mouth, it is a good sign for him, but if not, it is a bad sign for him. He used to say: [11] Everyone in whom the mind of man finds pleasure, the mind of God [12] finds pleasure [also]; if the mind of man does not find pleasure in him the mind of God 7 does not find pleasure in him.
Everyone whose own mind finds pleasure in what he does [13]—it is a good sign for him; if his own mind does not find pleasure in what he does it is a bad sign for him.
[ p. 30 ]
M.IV. 2. R. Nechuniah ben ha-Qanah [14] used to pray on his entering the School, [15] and on his going out, a short prayer. They said to him, What is the nature [16] of this prayer? He said to them: On my entering I pray that no offence [to others] happens through me, [17] and on my going out I give thanks for my lot. [18]
3. Rabban Gamaliel used to say: a man prays the Eighteen [Benedictions] every day. R. Joshua used to say the abstract [19] of the Eighteen. R. Joshua [20] used to say: If his Prayer [ p. 31 ] is fluent [21] in his mouth he prays the Eighteen, M. and if not the abstract of the Eighteen. [22]
4. R. Eliezer used to say: He that maketh his prayer a fixed portion [23]—his prayer is not true supplication. R. Joshua used to say: He that travelleth in a dangerous place prays the Prayer in a shortened form, the abstract of the Eighteen, and says: Save, O LORD, Thy people, the remnant of Israel; [24] and at every branch-road of their journey let their needs be before Thee. Blessed art Thou, O LORD, that hearest prayer.
T. III. 7. If one is walking in a place of danger and of robbers he prays the Prayer in a shortened form. What is the Prayer in a shortened form? R. Eliezer says: “Do Thy will in heaven above, and give quietness of spirit to them that fear Thee in the earth, and do that which is good in Thine eyes, blessed art Thou that hearest prayer.” R. Jose says: “Hear the voice of the prayer of Thy people Israel, and perform their request quickly, blessed art Thou that hearest prayer.” R. Eleazar bar Zadoq says: "Hear the voice of the cry of Thy [ p. 32 ] people Israel, and perform their request quickly, blessed art Thou that hearest prayer.“ Others say: ”The needs of Thy people are many and their intelligence is short, let it be acceptable before Thee, O LORD our God, that Thou shouldest give to each one all his needs, and (to) every creature sufficient for its wants, blessed art Thou that hearest prayer.“ R. Eleazar bar Zadoq said, My father used to pray the Prayer in a shortened form on sabbath eves: ”Of Thy love, O LORD our God, with which Thou hast loved Israel Thy people, and of Thy compassion, O our King, with which Thou hast had compassion on the sons of Thy covenant, Thou hast given to us, O LORD our God, this great and holy seventh day in love.“ And over the cup [25] he used to say: ”Who did sanctify the sabbath day“; and he did not add the ”seal.”
M.IV. 5. Should one be riding on an ass let him dismount. If he cannot dismount let him turn his face. [26] And if he cannot turn his face let him direct his intention towards the most Holy Sanctuary.
T. III. 18. If a man is riding on his ass, if he has anyone to hold the ass for him let him descend and pray; but if not let him pray where he is. Rabbi says: In either case he prays where he is, only he must direct his intention.
M.IV. 6. Should one be sitting in a ship, or on a raft, [27] let him direct his intention towards the most Holy Sanctuary.
[ p. 33 ]
B.
T. III. 19. If a man wakes up early to go on a journey, behold, he takes a trumpet 1 and blows it, a Lulab 2 and shakes it, a roll of the Book of Esther 3 and reads in it, and prays (the Eighteen). Then when the time of reciting the Shma‘ arrives, behold, he recites it. 4 If he wakes up early to sit in a waggon or in a ship, behold, he prays (the Eighteen). Then when the time of reciting the Shma‘ arrives, behold, he recites it.
M.IV. 7. R. Eleazar ben Azariah used to say: The Additional Prayers are said only in the local congregation. [28] But the Teacher [29] says: Both in a local congregation and where there is no local congregation. R. Judah used to say in his name: [30] In every place where there is a local congregation the individual is exempt from the Additional Prayers. [31]
T. III. 10. In every festival in which there is no Additional service, as, for example, Chanuka and Purim, at the morning and the afternoon service one [ p. 34 ] prays the Eighteen, and says an abstract corresponding to the needs of the occasion. [32] If he does not say this he is not made to turn back. And in every festival in which there is an Additional service, as, for example, the beginning of the month, and the ordinary days in a festival, at the morning and the afternoon service he prays the Eighteen, and says [the special section for] the sanctification of the day [33] in the Benediction about the Temple service. [34] R. Eleazar says (that he says it) in the Hoda’ah. [35] And if he does not he is turned back.
And in the Additional services he prays seven [36] [Benedictions] and says [the special section for] the sanctification of the day in the middle.
11. In the case of a sabbath which falls on the first day of the month, or on the ordinary day of a festival, at morning and afternoon prayer one prays sevens prayers, and says an abstract corresponding to the needs of the occasion in the “Temple worship” Benediction. [37] But R. Eleazar says, in the Hoda’ah. If one has not said it, he is not turned back. And at the Additional Prayers he prays seven prayers and says [the special section for] the sanctification of the day in the middle.
12. On sabbath, and festival, and the Day of Atonement, one prays seven prayers, and says [the special section for] the sanctification of the day in the middle. [38]
13. The case of the festival of New Year’s Day, which falls upon a sabbath. The School of [ p. 35 ] Shammai say: One prays ten 1 [Benedictions], and says that for the sabbath by itself, and that for the festival by itself, and he begins with that for the sabbath. But the School of Hillel says: he prays nine 2 [Benedictions].
The case of a festival which falls on a sabbath. The School of Shammai say: he prays eight [Benedictions], and says that for the sabbath by itself, and that for the festival by itself, and he begins with that for the sabbath. But the School of Hillel say: he prays seven, beginning with that for the sabbath, and ending with that for the sabbath, and he says [the special section for] the sanctification of the day in the middle. R. Nathan says: also he seals it with: “Blessed be Thou that sanctifiest the sabbath and Israel and the festival seasons.” 3
| M. III. 1. The Recitation of the Shma‘ if a Relation is Dead, and at the Burial | Title page | M. V. 1; T. III. 4-21. The Posture and Attention in Prayer |
The oldest “abstract” of the Eighteen Benedictions seems to be the Habinenu (SA, p. 55 with Abraham’s note), where, however, the rubric orders that the first three prayers of the Eighteen precede it. The early (Palestinian) form (c. 254 A.D.) is given in Dalman Worte, Appendix, p. 304; Staerk, p. 20.
28:2 the fourth hour. Until the end of it, which is the third part of the day (Bartenora), say so a.m. ↩︎
28:3 the evening. i.e. sunset, say 6 p.m. ↩︎
28:4 half the afternoon. The afternoon (Minchah) lasts from the ninth hour and a half, say 3.30 p.m., for two and a half hours, so that the half of this would be about 4.45 p.m. (cf. Bartenora). ↩︎
28:5 the Additional Prayers. Special prayers for Sabbaths and Feast days (SA, pp. 559-573, 233-238). Special sacrifices are ordered in Num. 2829. ↩︎
28:6 the whole day. B adds, “R. Judah says [the Additional Prayers may be said] until the seventh hour,” say 1 p.m. ↩︎
28:7 The Vienna MS. and the common text read, “Just as the Law appointed a fixed law,” and this may be right. ↩︎
29:1 was offered until midday. “The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning” (ba bôqer), clearly not later than midday (Ex. 2939) ↩︎
29:2 between the evenings. Exod. 2939, R. V. margin. ↩︎
29:3 the eleventh hour minus a quarter. 4.45 p.m. see mishna, note. ↩︎
29:4 Eleazar bar Jose. Eleazar, son of Jose the Galilean (p. 55), a mishna teacher of the third generation, c. 130-160 A.D. ↩︎
29:5 the closing of the gates. Presumably the Temple gates were closed at dusk. ↩︎
29:6 See Aboth III. 53 (15), where however the saying is attributed to R. Hananiah ben Dosa. ↩︎
29:7 God. Lit.: the Place, in Whom are all things, “for He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place.” See C. Taylor on Aboth. II. 18 (17); Lukyn Williams on Col. 117. ↩︎
29:8 what he does. Lit.: “what is his,” but the reference seems to be not to his possessions, but to his occupations and actions. ↩︎
30:1 R. Nechuniah ben ha-Qanah. One of the first generation of mishna teachers, C. 90 A.D., the teacher of R. Ishmael (p. 6). He is the reputed author of the Cabbalistic Sepher ha Bahir. ↩︎
30:2 the School. Literally, the Beth ha Midrash, the lecture room. ↩︎
30:3 nature. So Bartenora, literally “place.” Possibly it means only “occasion.” ↩︎
30:4 through me. By a wrong exposition, at which other scholars may laugh, glad at my mistake, and so sin. ↩︎
30:5 my lot. My calling as a frequenter of the School. Both the prayer and the thanksgiving are given in the Gemara, 28b. ↩︎
30:6 the abstract. The word (mê‘eyn) is properly “after the appearance of,” but is used here almost as an independent substantive, “a resemblance of,” “a paraphrase,” “an abstract” (see Levy, Neuh. u. Chald. Wörterbuch, 1883, iii. 640). ↩︎
30:7 R. Joshua. B. has R. Aqiba. But this may be due to the similarity of the sayings ascribed to the latter in T. III. 3. “R. Joshua” in the Mishna is R. Joshua ben Chananiah, a mishna teacher of the second generation, c. 90-130 A.D. “I said, I care p. 31 not if my lot be as that of Joshua ben Chananja: after the last destruction he earned his bread by making needles, but in his youth he had been a singer on the steps of the Temple, and had a memory of what was, before the glory departed” (“George Eliot,” Daniel Deronda, e. XL., 1876, iii. 179). ↩︎
31:2 the abstract of the Eighteen. If he remember the Eighteen without difficulty, let him pray them in full. ↩︎
31:3 a fixed portion. i.e. with a limit of time and matter not to be exceeded. ↩︎
31:4 Jer. 317. ↩︎
32:1 the cup. Drunk on Sabbath eve before the meal (Laible). ↩︎
32:2 _turn his fac_e. i.e. to Jerusalem and the Temple. ↩︎
33:4 he recites it—on his journey. ↩︎
33:5 in the local congregation. Not alone. The reason appears to be that the synagogue service was framed after the pattern of the Temple service. See Staerk, p. 21. ↩︎
33:6 the Teacher (haRab). B has ha-chakamim, the Majority. ↩︎
33:7 in his name. Presumably of R. Eleazar. ↩︎
33:8 It is sufficient for him to have taken part in the prayers of the congregation. ↩︎
34:1 SA, pp. 51, sq. ↩︎
34:2 SA, p. 50. ↩︎
34:3 The 16th or 17th Benediction. SA, pp. 49 sq. Staerk, pp. 54, 18. ↩︎
34:4 the Hoda’ah. The second of the last three Benedictions, i.e. the 17th or 18th, so called from the first word Modim, “we acknowledge” (SA, p. 51). ↩︎
34:5 seven. “The first three, and the last three, of the Eighteen, and a special one in the middle” (Laible). See Abrahams on SA, p. 159. ↩︎
34:6 Cf. SA, pp. 50, 140. ↩︎