Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot

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3.1
For the meaning of Hebrew and Aramaic terms, see Glossary.
3.2
Who bad become ritually unclean and, after bathing, waited until the evening before they could eat "of the holy things" (cf. Lev. xxii. 4-7).
3.3
Whether the night is divisible into three or four watches will be discussed in the Gemara below : see pp. 6, 9 f.
3.4
The majority of the Rabbis.
3.5
According to Maimonides, in his Commentary on the Mishnah, this refers to the first light which becomes visible in the East, about 1 1/5 hours before actual sunrise. Cf. Pesah. 93 b.
3.6
Cf. Leviticus vi. and vii.
3.7
Cf. ibid. vii. 15 ff.
3.8
Lit. Where does the Tanna stand that he teaches, From what time ?
3.9
Two deductions are drawn from the verse : (1) The law of reading the Shema' since the Israelite is commanded "to talk of them" (viz. "these words which I command thee this day") on lying down and rising up ; (2) The right order is "lying down" and "rising up," i.e. evening and morning.
3.10
Hence the Jews reckon the day as commencing with the evening that precedes. See T. A. II. p. 418.
3.11
See below, p. 70.
3.12
In Mishnah II of this chapter, p. 55.
3.13
By defining the time for reading the evening Shema' as the time when the priests partake of their Terumah, the Mishnah wishes it to be understood that the priests who have been unclean regain their privilege at sunset (when the Shema' is read) whether they bring their sin-offering or not.
3.14
The Gemara requires the translation "it (the day) is clean," i.e. ended, and not "he (the man) shall be clean" from his impurity.
3.15
Meaning, the fact that the sun had not set.
3.16
I.e. the appearance of the stars.
4.1
I.e. the disappearance of the sun below the horizon, but not the appearance of the stars. So Tosafot ; Rashi, less probably, refers Lev, xxii. 7 to the dawn of the eighth day.
4.2
I.e. "then he shall be clean," whereas wetaher means "it (or he) is clean."
4.3
The Palestinian Schools, from the geographical standpoint of Babylon.
4.4
When the priests may partake of the Terumah.
4.5
On account of his poverty, he cannot afford artificial light ; therefore he takes his evening meal while there is yet sufiScient light. See fol. 3 a (p. 7) for a reference to sleeping in a dark room ; and on fol. 5 b (p. 24) it is mentioned that R. Eleazar, who was very poor, was lying in a dark room. According to Lane, p. 145, Orientals have their supper "shortly after sunset." In J. T. it is mentioned that the inhabitants of villages leave the fields before nightfall for fear of wild beasts.
4.6
The terminus ad quern does not agree with any of the views stated in the Mishnah.
4.7
The meal would be earlier on the Sabbath-eve, everything having been prepared before the advent of the Sabbath.
4.8
See p. 1 n. 2.
4.9
Viz. that the day ends with the appearance of the stars.
4.10
M. reads : but on account of the building of the Temple they started early and worked late.
4.11
"Come and hear" introduces a quotation or illustration, often with the object of refuting an argument. Its use in the present instance is as follows : According to Neh. iv. 15, the day-shift of workers laboured from "the rising of the morning" (i.e. dawn) until "the stars appeared." These two points of time may be regarded as defining the beginning and end of a day. But should it be objected that no such inference can be drawn, inasmuch as the workmen in their enthusiasm may have exceeded the normal hours of the day, the objection is met by v. 16, where it is explicitly stated "and may labour in the day." The conclusion, therefore, is that a normal day is intended in 5:15.
4.12
I.e. the poor man (mentioned in the first Baraita) who has his evening meal early through lack of artificial light, and people generally (mentioned in the second) on the Sabbath-eve who have their supper early.
4.13
The reasoning may be simplified by calling the meal-time of the poor man A, that of people on the Sabbath-eve B, and that of the priest for partaking of the Terumah C. In this paragraph A is assumed to equal B. If, then, A is said to equal C, then B = C. But R. Meir, who adopts B, is contrasted with the Sages who adopt C, so these cannot be identical.
4.14
And it is agreed by all that the evening Shema' must not be read in the daytime. This question is dealt with below.
4.15
R. Hannina adopts A and R. Joshua adopts C. According to the hypothesis A = C; but that cannot be, since these two Rabbis hold divergent views.
4.16
The time-standards of the poor man and the priest.
4.17
M. inserts: Rab Nahman b. Isaac said.
4.18
There is not sufficient data in the Gemara to account for this conclusion. Tosafot note the difficulty.
4.19
In Shab. 34 b R. Judah defines "twilight" thus: From the time the sun sets and so long as the sky in the East is coloured red. When the lower horizon is pale but not the upper horizon, it is still twilight; but when the upper horizon is pale like the lower, it is night. Cf. Lane, p. 74 n. 2.
4.20
Should, therefore, the priest bathe about the time of twilight (according to B. Jose's view), although it is still day, it is legitimate to read the Shema' then, since it is practically night.
5.1
In the first Baraita quoted, R. Meir's view is that the Shema' may be read from the time people go home for their meal on the Sabbath-eve (i.e. after twilight) ; but in the second Baraita his view is from the time the priest bathes (i.e. before twilight).
5.2
R. Meir's teaching is reported by two later Rabbis ; hence the discrepancy.
5.3
In the Mishnah, R. Eliezer's time-standard is when the priests enter to eat the Terumah (i.e. the appearance of the stars) ; in the Baraita, it is when the Sabbath is hallowed (i.e. sunset).
5.4
According to this explanation, only "until the end of the first watch" in the Mishnah are the words of R. Eliezer.
5.5
The division of the day was reckoned as follows : From sunrise to sunset consisted of twelve "hours," which would be longer in Summer and shorter in Winter. The sixth hour ended at noon ; hence it is convenient to speak of the day as commencing at 6 a.m., and the night (which was similarly divided into twelve hours) at 6 p.m. "Until the end of the fourth hour" would accordingly be 10 p.m.
5.6
The Romans divided the night into four vigiliae. So also Matt. xiv. 25, Mark vi. 48.
5.7
The ministering angels are formed into three bands, each doing duty a part of the night.
5.8
See Glossary, s.v. Baraita.
5.9
"Mightily roar" is literally in the Hebrew "roaring He doth roar." Hence the word "roar" occurs three times in the verse, and is referred to the three night-watches.
5.10
Windows were rare in houses, especially of the poor. Cf. T. A. I. p. 42, and p. 347 n. 539.
5.11
M. : Rab Isaac b. R. Samuel b. Marta.
5.12
It will be noted that the Talmud is careful to trace a teaching to its source; hence the frequent occurrence of the phrase "in the name of." Cf. Abot vi. 6 : "Whoever reports a thing in the name of him that said it brings deliverance into the world; as it is said, 'And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai' (Esth. ii. 22)" (Singer, p. 207).
5.13
The Greeks divided the night into three ***
5.14
Elijah is frequently represented in Rabbinic Literature as appearing on earth. See A. T. II. p. 163 n. 1, and the article in J. E. v. pp. 122 ff.
5.15
By "prayer" is usually, as here, meant the Eighteen Benedictions (see Glossary, s.v. Tefillah). This prayer must be said with the feet in a fixed position (see fol. 10 b, p. 65 n. 6) and without interruption.
5.16
I.e. the prayer "Give us understanding" (Singer, p. 55); see below fol. 29 a, p. 192.
5.17
For the bearing of this passage on Matt. iii. 16, see Abrahams, Studies in Pharisaism (First Series), p. 47.
5.18
The original reading was probably, "Woe to Me that I have destroyed," etc. See D. S. ad loc. The alteration was made for the purpose of euphemism.
5.19
This is the response in the important feature of the Synagogue Service, known as the Kaddish. Cf., e.g., Singer, p. 37, and p. 86 for the form used in the House of Study. On the Kaddish, see J. E. VII. pp. 401 ff.
5.20
To denote regret or meditation; cf. T. A. III. p. 245 n. 65.
5.21
Reading אוי ; see D. S. ad loc. The text has מה which means "What is there for the Father?"
5.22
Of immoral intent.
5.23
The Evil Spirits of Jewish Folklore correspond to the Jinn of the Arabs. Among the places they are supposed to frequent are "ruined houses" (Lane, p. 229). On Jewish Demonology, see J. E. IV. pp. 514 ff.
6.1
In which this danger is not so great.
6.2
According to Mishnah Kiddushin iv. 12, a woman may be accompanied by two men.
6.3
Rashi "field" and it is so usually rendered ; but cf. T. A. II. p. 470 n. 382.
6.4
"Rabbi," without any name following, refers to R. Judah the Prince, the redactor of the Mishnah.
6.5
In J. T., R. Nathan is answered: There are four watches, but the first is not counted because people are generally still awake.
6.6
M. : R. Simeon b. Lakish. Bacher adopts this as correct ; see A. P. A. I. p. 131 n. 5.
6.7
If by rising "at midnight" David forestalled "night-watches" (the plural signifying two), there must be four watches in the night.
6.8
See below fol. 9 b, p. 55.
6.9
If the day of royal personages commences with the beginning of the third hour (i.e. 8 a.m.), by rising at midnight David forestalled them by eight hours. Therefore a "watch" consists of four hours and there are three in the night.
6.10
This is an alternative answer to uphold R. Nathan's view. By "watches" is not necessarily to be understood two complete periods of time.
6.11
M.: R. Simeon b. Lakish. Bacher adopts this as correct; see A. P. A. I. p. 131 n. 5.
6.12
To be an auditor of a discussion on Torah and not take part in it was a mark of ignorance and one incurred shame thereby. The dead, being unable to participate, although for other reasons, would thus be disgraced. The idea will not seem so fantastic in view of the belief that the corpse was conscious of what transpired in its presence. Cf. the discussion on pp. 120 ff.
6.13
R.V. "at dawn"; but the Talmud wishes to give it the meaning of "evening." See the discussion in this and the following paragraphs.
6.14
In place of "in the name of R. Aha," M. reads: Another version: R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Osha'ya.
6.15
This is taken to be the meaning of Ps. cxix. 62, and therefore David rose before midnight.
6.16
The horse was known to be a light sleeper. According to Sukkah 26 b its sleep consisted of only 60 respirations.
6.17
Cf. Abot 5:23: "Judah b. Tema said : Be strong as a leopard, light as an eagle, fleet as a hart, and strong as a lion, to do the will of thy Father Who is in heaven" (Singer, p. 203).
6.18
M. : Rab Ashe.
6.19
This is the reading of M. The edd. read : To-morrow at midnight, the same time as now. See D. S. ad loc.
6.20
So M. correctly. Edd. : R. Aha b. Bizna. In J. T. the reference to the harp is in the name of R. Levi ; cf. A. P. A. III. p. 697.
6.21
A reminiscence of the Aeolian harp.
6.22
Let the rich help the poor.
6.23
The poor cannot remain satisfied with charitable doles, any more than a handful will satisfy a hungry lion. Moreover a nation needs external sources of supply. It cannot live on itself, just as the soil taken out of a pit will not completely fill the cavity. Others render the proverb: "A grasshopper cannot satisfy a lion ; nor can a cistern be filled by rain-water [but must also depend upon drawn water]"; cf. T. A. I. p. 419 n. 17.
6.24
Send out soldiers to obtain plunder.
6.25
The Jewish Senate, one of whose duties was to decide war. See J. E. XI. p. 41.
6.26
Objects connected with the High Priest's breastplate, used as a divine oracle by means of which questions were answered. See J. E. xii. p. 384.
6.27
This reading of edd. "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada" agrees with II Sam. 20:23. The Hebrew text of Chronicles reads "Jehoiada the son of Benaiah" which is also the reading of M. here.
7.1
He being the High Priest.
7.2
The text of M. has been followed, which is supported by the Tosafist, Rabbenu Tam. Edd. insert "Abiathar denotes the Urim and Tummim" after the word "Sanhedrin"; and accordingly the explanation of the Kereti and Peleti is referred to the Urim and Tummim.
7.3
M. adds : Why are they called Urim and Tummim ? They are called Urim because they give their answers clearly, and Tummim because they fulfil their words ; i.e. what they foretell comes to pass. This explanation is given in Joma 73 b.
7.4
To lead the marauding expedition.
7.5
M.: Rab Isaac b. Rab.
7.6
As to the precise time of midnight, and if Moses did not appear according to their reckoning bring discredit upon him.
7.7
The incident of Exod. xi. 4, and the preposition k is taken to mean "like," not "about."
7.8
This is the Palestinian Amora and not the Tanna of that name ; cf. Hyman, III. p. 862 a-b.
7.9
Making merriment.
7.10
So M. Edd. read "stained with [menstrual] blood, with foetus and placenta." In certain cases an abortive embryo would not make a woman liable to the restrictions of Lev. xii. 2 ff., and David is represented as deciding such a question as this instead of feasting.
7.11
Cf. II Sam. ix. 13 where it is stated, "But Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem ; for he did eat continually at the king's table." This is the only reference to intimate relations existing between them.
7.12
M. : R. Shesha b. Iddi.
7.13
Mephibosheth is explained as mippi "from my mouth" boshet "is shame."
7.14
Cf. II Sam. iii. 3.

Tractate Berakot by A. Cohen, Cambridge University Press, 1921. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH002182132 Licence: Public Domain. Source.