M.V. 1. Men stand [1] not to pray save with solemnity. [2] The pious of former time used to wait for one hour and then pray, so that they might direct their intention upon God. [3] Should the King [4] salute him, let him not return the
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M.salutation. And should even a snake [5] twist round his heel, he should not make a pause.
T. III. 4. Ben Azzai says: Everyone whose body suffers because of his learning [6]—it is a favourable sign for him; if his learning because of his body, it is a bad sign for him. Everyone whose mind is disordered because of his learning it is a favourable sign for him; and everyone whose learning is disordered because of his mind, [7] it is a bad sign for him. He that prayeth must direct his intention to it. Abba Saul [8] says, The Memoria technica [9] for the Prayer is, “When Thou directest their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear.” [10]
5. R. Judah said: When R. Aqiba was praying with the congregation he used to shorten [his prayers, hurrying] in front of them all; when he was praying quite alone, if a man left him on this side (of the room) he would come and find him on the other side, because of the bowings and prostrations that he used to make. [11]
6. Perhaps a man should pray the whole day long? He has clearly said in the case of Daniel: “three times a day was he kneeling upon his knees,” [12] etc. Perhaps [this was] from the time that he came into Captivity? It is expressly said: “as he did aforetime.” Perhaps one should say it loud enough for oneself to hear? He has clearly said in [ p. 37 ] the case of Hannah: “Now Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, [13] etc. Perhaps we should include them all (the Eighteen) at one sitting? He has expressly stated in the case of David: ”Evening, and morning, and noonday,“ [14] etc. ”Evening “that is, evening prayer; ”morning“—that is, morning prayer; ”noonday“—that is afternoon prayer (Minchah). Perhaps one should ask for what one needs and then depart (without saying the Benediction)? He has expressly stated in the case of Solomon: ”to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer“ [15] ”cry“—that is chanting (in praise), and so he says: ”Cry aloud, ye righteous, in the LORD,“ [16] etc. We do not say anything after ”True and sure," [17] but we do say things after the Prayer, even though it be the Order of Confession of the Day of Atonement. [18]
14. A blind man, and whoever is not able to determine the direction in which he faces, direct their intentions to God [19] and pray; for it is said: “and they shall pray towards the LORD.” [20]
15. They who stand [praying] outside the [Holy] Land set their intention opposite the land of Israel, and pray; for it is said: “and they pray towards the LORD in the direction of their land [21] which Thou hast chosen.” They who stand in the land of Israel set their intention opposite Jerusalem and pray; for it is said: “and they pray towards this city.” [22]
16. They who stand in Jerusalem set their intention opposite the Sanctuary, and pray; for it is said: “and they pray towards this place.” [23] a If they find themselves standing on the north [of the [ p. 38 ] temple] their faces should be towards the south, if standing on the south their faces should be towards the north, if standing on the east their faces should be towards the west, if standing on the west their faces should be towards the east, and so all Israel find themselves praying to one place.
17. A man may not stand upon a bed, nor upon a seat, nor upon a bench, and pray, for there may be no high position before God; [24] for it is said: “Out of the depths have cried unto thee, O LORD.” [25] if he is old, or ill, behold, then it is permissible. [26]
20. Suppose a man is standing and praying in a camp [27] or in an open highway, behold, he avoids an ass or an ass-driver or a seller of pots; [28] he does not pause [in his prayer]. They say concerning R. Chanina ben Dosa, that he was standing and praying, and an ‘arod [29] bit him, and he made no pause. His disciples went and found it dead on the mouth of its hole. They said: Woe to the man whom an ‘arod has bitten; [but] woe to the ‘arod which bit ben Dosa.
21. We do not stand up to pray straightway from conversation, nor from laughter, nor from frivolity, nor from idle talk, but (we do) from learned discourse.
And so a man should not take leave of his companion straightway from conversation, nor from laughter, nor from idle talk, nor from frivolity, but from learned discourse. For so we find in the [ p. 39 ] case of the prophets of old [30] that they closed their words with words of praise and supplications. [31]
M.V. 2. They make mention of [32] the powers of the M. rains [33] in the [Benediction of] the resurrection of the dead, [34] and they ask for rains in the Benediction of the years [35] and [they add] the Habdalah [36] in “Thou that graciously givest knowledge.” [37] R. Aqiba used to say: One says it (the Habdalah) as a fourth Benediction by itself. R. Eliezer used to say: With the Hoda’ah. [38]
T. III. 9. If he has not made mention of the power of the rains in [the Benediction of] the Resurrection of the dead, and has not asked for the rains in the Benediction of the years, he must be turned back.
If he has not said the Habdalah at “Thou that graciously givest knowledge,” he says it over the [ p. 40 ] cup. 1 If he has not said it [there] he must be turned back.
R. Jose said: Also he who has not made mention of [the covenant] in the thanksgiving for the land 2 must be turned back.
M.V. 3. He that saith: “Over a bird’s nest [39] do Thy mercies extend,” and “For good let Thy name be remembered,” [40] and “We praise, we praise,” [41] must be stopped. As for him that passes before the Ark [42] and makes a mistake let another pass in his stead. Let him not decline [when asked to say prayers at that time]. Where does he begin? At the beginning of the Benediction in which he [the former] made the mistake.
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M.4. He 1 that passes before the Ark must not answer Amen after the priests 2 [for fear of] distraction. If no priest is there he must not lift up his hands [to bless]. But if he has confidence that if he lifts up his hands 3 [to bless] he can return to his prayer, he is permitted to do so.
5. He who is praying and makes a mistake—it is a bad omen for him. And if he is the representative of the congregation [43] it is a bad omen for those that bid him represent them, because a man’s representative is like himself. [44] They tell of R. Chanina b. Dosa that he used to pray over the sick and say: This one will live, and this one will die. They said to him: Whence knowest thou [this]? He said to them: If my prayer is fluent [45] in my mouth I know that he [the sick
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M.man] is accepted, and if not I know that he is rejected.
35:3 SA, p. 238. ↩︎
35:5 with solemnity. The phrase is literally “with heaviness of head,” i.e. with bending it down, but probably the expression is here solely metaphorical, in contrast to “lightness of head,” i.e. irreverence, cf. T. III. 21 (p. 38). It is not far removed from the phrase “the poor in spirit” (Matt 53). ↩︎
35:6 God. Lit.: the Place (p. 29). B has “their Father who is in heaven.” ↩︎
35:7 the King. An Israelite, for to a heathen king one must answer, for fear of the consequences (Bartenora). ↩︎
36:1 a snake. An ordinary one, which does not generally bite. But in the case of a viper or a scorpion, which certainly bite and kill, he should pause (Bartenora). ↩︎
36:2 learning. Lit.: “wisdom,” and so throughout this section. ↩︎
36:3 mind. da‘ath, perhaps constitution. ↩︎
36:4 Abba Saul. Of the third generation of mishna teachers, c. 130-160 A.D. ↩︎
36:5 memories technica. Lit.: “sign.” ↩︎
36:6 Ps. 1017. ↩︎
36:7 The section shows the earnestness with which the great teacher prayed. ↩︎
36:8 Dan. 610. The phrases in the case of Daniel, Hannah, David, Solomon are literally “in Daniel,” etc., and possibly are of the same type as on p. 79. ↩︎
37:1 1 Sam. 113. ↩︎
37:2 Ps. 5517. ↩︎
37:3 1 Kings 828. ↩︎
37:4 Ps. 331. ↩︎
37:6 After the Prayer (Tephillah) serious variations may begin, exclusive of minor variations in the Tephillah itself. ↩︎
37:7 God. Lit.: “the Place.” ↩︎
37:8 1 Kings 844. ↩︎
37:9 their land. Not verbally in 1 Kings 844. ↩︎
37:10 Again, not verbally correct. ↩︎
37:11 this place. This also is not verbally exact. ↩︎
38:1 = the Place, and so, often. ↩︎
38:2 Ps. 1301. ↩︎
38:3 On this section see “The Hebrew-Christian Messiah,” p. 237. ↩︎
38:4 camp. στρατεία. ↩︎
38:5 a seller of pots (qaddar). But Kahan’s emendation in Laible to qarrar, or rather qârār (waggoner) may be accepted. ↩︎
38:6 an ‘arod. Usually a wild ass, but here evidently a species of venomous snake. The story comes also in T. J. V. 1. (p. 9a), but rather differently in T. B. 33a. ↩︎
39:1 the prophets of old. Literally “the former prophets,” but this technical term for the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings can hardly be intended here. ↩︎
39:2 For the principle compare the direction of the Massoretes to repeat Isa. 6623 after ver. 24. ↩︎
39:3 make mention of. In contrast to direct petition, see note 5. ↩︎
39:4 the powers of the rains. So literally, but the phrase connotes the manifestations of the Divine power in sending rain. ↩︎
39:5 the resurrection of the dead. The words “Thou causest the wind to blow and the rain to fall” are inserted in the second Benediction of the Eighteen during the winter months (SA, P. 44). ↩︎
39:6 the years. The petition for rain is used in the ninth Benediction from Dec. 4 to the first day of Passover (SA, p. 47). ↩︎
39:7 the Habdalah. A short Benediction at the conclusion of sabbath. See Staerk, p. 26; cf. SA, pp. 216 sq., Jewish Encyclopedia, vi. pp. 118-121. ↩︎
39:8 knowledge. The fourth Benediction (SA, p. 46). ↩︎
40:2 _the thanksgiving for the lan_d. In the Benediction after the meal, SA, p. 280. The Erfurt text is ungrammatical, but the Vienna and the ordinary text read “who has not made mention of the covenant in the Benediction for the land.” The covenant is “that which Thou hast sealed in our flesh.” ↩︎
40:3 Over a bird’s nest. Deut. 227. The prayer would continue “and therefore have mercy upon us.” But this implies that Deut. 227 was recorded to exhibit God’s mercy. It was not so. For otherwise God would not allow birds and beasts to be killed. That passage is to be accepted as God’s decree, without our making use of it for such a purpose (Tosaphoth Yom Tob). It is possible, as the following cases are connected with heretical opinions, that the remembrance of Matt. 1029 may also have had some influence. ↩︎
40:4 For good, etc. It seems to deny that evil is permitted by God as well as good. ↩︎
40:5 We praise, we praise. Twice over. The speaker may be referring to more than one divine principle (cf. the next mishna and M. IX. 8 (5), p. 87, and the common argument for the Trinity from the threefold use of “Holy” in Isa. vi. 3). ↩︎
41:3 his hands. Literally “his palms,” perhaps the palms of the hands were held up towards the congregation. ↩︎
41:4 the representative of the congregation (shliach tsibbur). In his duties for the occasion; it was not a permanent office (Elbogen, p. 488). ↩︎
41:5 like himself. Cf. Matt. 1040. See my Manual of Christian Evidences for Jewish People, §§ 339 sq. ↩︎