Talmud for Deuteronomy 6:7

It is stated⁶We have three versions of this formulation, in the Yerushalmi, the Babli (Berakhot 31a), and the Tosephta (3:21). The main difference in formulation is between the Tosephta and the Talmudim, since the Tosephta requires that one start prayer מתיך דברים של חכמה. In Mishnaic Hebrew, as in Modern Sephardic Hebrew usage, the Ḥakham is the rabbi, and dibrē ḥokhmāh are halakhic rulings; as in the following paragraph, practices universally accepted and not subject to doubt or discussion. From the order of the Yerushalmi it seems that in practice the text of the Yerushalmi should be interpreted as implying the statement of the Tosephta. The tradition of the Babli is uncertain; see Diqduqe Soferim, Berakhot, p. 160, note ר. The Venice print of the Babli requires that one start prayer “out of joy over commandments”. Rashi, the Munich manuscript of the Babli, Halakhot Gedolot and the students of Rabbenu Jonah have simply “out of joy.” The Koronel manuscript and Menorat Hamaör have “out of joy of Torah”, parallel to the Yerushalmi. A Florence manuscript that is typically Sephardic has “out of joy of Halakhah”, directly parallel to the Tosephta. Rabbenu Asher ben Yeḥiel (Rosh) has “out of words of joy”; the insistence on “words” is parallel to Yerushalmi and Tosephta. While the Babli in the printed version would refer to the state of mind required for the Amidah, as implied in the two rulings preceding this Tosephta in the Yerushalmi, the Tosephta and the Yerushalmi require the correct state of mind before one starts with the preparatory sections of prayer, even preceding the recitation of Shema‘. This seems also to be confirmed by the preparatory prayer reported later by R. Ḥizqiah in the name of R. Abbahu. Most of the variants of the Babli text would demand an interpretation similar to that of the Tosephta. All three versions agree that one should start afternoon prayers with a word of Torah or Halakhah directly before the Amidah.: “One should pray neither out of conversation, nor out of jokes, nor out of frivolities, nor out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah. Similarly, one should not take leave from one’s friend either out of conversation, or out of jokes, or out of frivolities, or out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah, since we find that the earlier prophets were closing their words with expressions of praise and consolation.” Rebbi Eleazar said, except for Jeremiah who closed with words of reprobation. Rebbi Yoḥanan said to him, still he closed with words of consolation and said (Jer. 51:64) “So Babylon shall sink.” Because Jeremiah continued to prophesy about the Temple. One could think that he closed with the destruction of the Temple, but the verse states (Jer. 51:64) “So far the words of Jeremiah,” he finished with the downfall of its destroyers, he did not close with words of reprobation⁷The last chapter of the book of Jeremiah is not attributed by the Talmud to Jeremiah; it is a historical addition by the editor, Barukh ben Neriah.. But is it not written (Is. 66:24): “They will be a horror for all flesh?⁸Last verse in Isaiah.” That verse deals with Gentiles. But is it not written (Lament. 5:22): “But You much despised us⁹Last verse of Lamentations. A possible interpretation of the statement is that the last two verses of the book, chapter 5, were considered as one; then the book ends with a prayer.”? (Lament. 5:21) “Make us return” replaces “But You much despised us”. Also Elijah did take leave from Elisha only out of words of Torah, (2Kings 2:11) “they walked talking.” What did they talk of? Rebbi Aḥawa the son of Rebbi Zeïra¹⁰In the Babli, his name is R. Ahavah, son of Rebbi Zera, son of the famous Rebbi Zeïra. He was Tanna, a memorizer of tannaitic material, in his father’s Yeshivah. The entire section is a digression induced by the ancillary statements of the Tosephta. said, they discussed the recitation of Shema‘, (Deut. 6:7) “you should talk about them.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, they were discussing Creation, (Ps. 33:6) “through the word of the Eternal the heavens were made.” Rebbi Yudan, the son of Rebbi Ayvu¹¹Rebbi Ayvu was one of the main promoters of Aggadah in the third generation of Amoraïm. He learned from all Galilean Amoraïm of the second generation. His son Rebbi Yudan might be the Rebbi Yudan who otherwise is quoted without mention of his father’s name., said, they were occupied with the consolations of Jerusalem, as you say (Is. 40:2) “Speak to Jerusalem’s heart.” But the rabbis say, they were occupied with the Divine Chariot, as you say (2Kings 2:11) “behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, etc.”

“And the recitation of the Šema‘.” For it is written¹⁸Deut. 6:7. Nobody can discuss something he does not understand.: “You shall talk about them.” Rebbi says, I say that the Šema‘ is recited only in the holy language. What is the reason? “The words shall be¹⁹Deut. 6:7. It is understood that the verb היה “to be” in general describes a permanent state. In our case, this means that the words, Deut. 6:1–9, should not be changed. Then they cannot be recited in translation. The Babli, 32b, goes into an extended discussion on the relative merits of the two positions.”. Rebbi Levi bar Ḥaita²⁰In the Arukh, s. v. אלנסתין, reads בר הזותא but the reading here seems to be original. A Galilean preacher of the fourth/fifth generation. went²¹In the Arukh, על “he ascended”, to Caesarea Philippi. to Caesarea. He heard their voices when they were reading the Šema‘ in Hellenistic²²Greek ἑλληνιστί, adv., “in the Greek language”, here probably Judeo-Greek. [The final ן might indicate a nasal pronuciation]. In Tanḥuma texts, the word is always written אלנסטי. {While in the commentary to Gen. 35:8 [Tanḥuma Buber Wayyišlaḥ 26 (Note 100)], the word ἄλλον is Greek and is characterized as such in Gen. rabba 81(5), the identification of the root in קָטָבְךָ (Hos. 13:14) as κατάβα קאטאבא (“go down’, imperative, short for κατάβηθι) with a Semitic suffix [Tanḥuma Buber Ṣaw 4 (Note 30), Tanḥuma Ṣaw 2] can only be described as Judeo-Greek.} manner. He wanted to hinder them, but Rebbi Yose heard of it and was offended. He said, do I say that someone who does not know to read Assyrian letters²³Hebrew Square letters, which replaced the paleo-Hebrew script. Since the latter was retained by the Samaritans, the rabbinic authorities insisted on the exclusive use of the square alphabet. One might wonder whether the text expressly authorizes, e. g., Judeo-Arabic or Judeo-German translations written in “Assyrian” characters. should not recite it at all? But he fulfills his duty in any language he knows. Rebbi Berekhiah objected: But there is the Esther scroll, where somebody who knows to read both Asssyrian script and Greek²⁴לעז “barbaric”, is used in talmudic literature exclusively for Greek, for which approved translations existed. can fulfill his obligation only from Assyrian script²⁵The Babli, Megillah 18a, permits the bilingual person to hear the Esther story in Greek but rules that reading from a Hebrew scroll written in square letters is acceptable for everybody, even for those who do not know Hebrew. (In Halakhah 2, there is a discussion whether square letters are “Assyrian” or “rich” script.). Rebbi Mana said: About the Esther scroll, somebody who knows to read both Asssyrian script and Greek can fulfill his obligation only from Assyrian script; Greek only, he fulfills his obligation in Greek; and so he can fulfill his obligation in any language he understands.

MISHNAH: The school of Shammai say: In the evening, everyone must bend down¹⁷⁶Means to lie down on a couch, or as on a couch. “Reciting” always refers to the Shema‘ since, as a technical term, it is used only for formal recitation of Biblical texts. and recite and in the morning they should stand up since it is said (Deut. 6:7): “when you sit in your house or go on the road, when you are lying down and when you are getting up.” But the school of Hillel say: everyone should recite in the position he is in, since it says “or go on the road.” In that case, why does it say: “when you are lying down and when you are getting up;” this means the time when people go to sleep and the time when they are getting up.