רבי טרפון אומר בורא נפשות רבות וחסרונן אמר ליה רבא בר רב חנן לאביי ואמרי לה לרב יוסף הלכתא מאי אמר ליה פוק חזי מאי עמא דבר:
We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Tarfon says: Over water one recites: Who creates the many forms of life and their needs. Rava bar Rav Ḥanan said to Abaye, and some say to Rav Yosef: What is the halakha in this dispute? He said to him: Go out and observe what the people are doing and act accordingly.
רַב הוּנָא רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״צַדִּיק ה׳ בְּכׇל דְּרָכָיו״, וּכְתִיב: ״וְחָסִיד בְּכׇל מַעֲשָׂיו״! בַּתְּחִלָּה — צַדִּיק, וּלְבַסּוֹף — חָסִיד. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וּלְךָ ה׳ חָסֶד״, וּכְתִיב: ״כִּי אַתָּה תְשַׁלֵּם לְאִישׁ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ״. בַּתְּחִלָּה — ״כִּי אַתָּה תְּשַׁלֵּם כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ״, וּלְבַסּוֹף — ״וּלְךָ ה׳ חָסֶד״. אִילְפַי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אִילְפָא רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וְרַב חֶסֶד״, וּכְתִיב: ״וֶאֱמֶת״. בַּתְּחִלָּה — ״וֶאֱמֶת״, וּלְבַסּוֹף — ״וְרַב חֶסֶד״. ״וַיַּעֲבוֹר ה׳ עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאוֹמְרוֹ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּתְעַטֵּף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּשְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר, וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה סֵדֶר תְּפִלָּה. אָמַר לוֹ: כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטְאִין — יַעֲשׂוּ לְפָנַי כַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה וַאֲנִי מוֹחֵל לָהֶם. ״ה׳ ה׳״ — אֲנִי הוּא קוֹדֶם שֶׁיֶּחְטָא הָאָדָם, וַאֲנִי הוּא לְאַחַר שֶׁיֶּחְטָא הָאָדָם וְיַעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — ״אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: בְּרִית כְּרוּתָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן חוֹזְרוֹת רֵיקָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כּוֹרֵת בְּרִית״.
§ Rav Huna raised a contradiction between the two halves of a verse. It is written: “The Lord is righteous [tzaddik] in all His ways” (Psalms 145:17), indicating that God acts in accordance with the attribute of strict justice [tzedek], and then it is written in the same verse: “And kind [ḥasid] in all His works,” implying that He acts with grace and loving-kindness [ḥesed], going beyond the letter of the law. Rav Huna explained: Initially, at the time of judgment, He is righteous, but in the end, at the time of punishment, He is gracious. Rabbi Elazar raised a similar contradiction: It is written: “But to you, O Lord, belongs kindness” (Psalms 62:13), implying that God acts beyond the letter of the law, and then it is written in the same verse: “For You render to a man according to his deeds,” implying that He rewards and punishes measure for measure. Rabbi Elazar answered: Initially, at the time of judgment: “For You render to a man according to his deeds”; but in the end, at the time of punishment: “But to You, O Lord, belongs kindness.” Ilfai, and some say it was the Sage Ilfa, also raised a contradiction: It is written in the list of God’s attributes: “And abundant in kindness” (Exodus 34:6), and it is written in the same verse: “And truth,” which implies the attribute of justice. He answered: Initially, at the time of judgment: “And truth,” i.e., God employs strict justice, but in the end, when He sees that the world cannot survive on judgment based only on truth and justice: “And abundant in kindness,” i.e., He is merciful. § The verse states: “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Were it not explicitly written in the verse, it would be impossible to say this, as it would be insulting to God’s honor. The verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wrapped Himself in a prayer shawl like a prayer leader and showed Moses the structure of the order of the prayer. He said to him: Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them act before Me in accordance with this order. Let the prayer leader wrap himself in a prayer shawl and publicly recite the thirteen attributes of mercy, and I will forgive them. The verse continues: “The Lord, the Lord,” and it should be understood as follows: I am He before a person sins, and I am He after a person sins and performs repentance, as God does not recall for him his first sins, since He is always “God, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). Rav Yehuda said: A covenant was made with the thirteen attributes that they will not return empty-handed, meaning that if one mentions them, he will certainly be answered, as it is stated in this regard: “Behold, I make a covenant” (Exodus 34:10).
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וְאֵינוֹ מְלַמְּדָהּ, דּוֹמֶה לַהֲדַס בַּמִּדְבָּר. אִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי: כׇּל הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וּמְלַמְּדָהּ בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים — דּוֹמֶה לַהֲדַס בַּמִּדְבָּר, דְּחַבִּיב.
And Rabbi Yoḥanan also said: Anyone who studies Torah but does not teach it to others is likened to a myrtle in the wilderness. The myrtle has a pleasant fragrance, but there is nobody to enjoy it in the wilderness. There are those who say a different version of this statement: Anyone who studies Torah and teaches it to others in a place where there are no other Torah scholars is likened to a myrtle in the wilderness, which is especially precious and thoroughly enjoyed by those who find it.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: לְעוֹלָם יַסְדִּיר אָדָם תְּפִלָּתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְפַּלֵּל. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: מִסְתַּבְּרָא מִילְּתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בִּבְרָכוֹת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְשֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְשֶׁל פְּרָקִים, אֲבָל דְּכׇל הַשָּׁנָה — לָא. אִינִי?! וְהָא רַב יְהוּדָה מְסַדַּר צְלוֹתֵיהּ וּמְצַלֵּי! שָׁאנֵי רַב יְהוּדָה, כֵּיוָן דְּמִתְּלָתִין יוֹמִין לִתְלָתִין יוֹמִין הֲוָה מְצַלֵּי, כִּפְרָקִים דָּמֵי. אָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר עַוִּירָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חֲסִידָא: פּוֹטֵר הָיָה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אֲפִילּוּ עַם שֶׁבַּשָּׂדוֹת. וְלָא מִיבַּעְיָא הָנֵי דְּקָיְימִי הָכָא?! אַדְּרַבָּה: הָנֵי אֲנִיסִי, הָנֵי לָא אֲנִיסִי, דְּתָנֵי אַבָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב בִּנְיָמִין בַּר חִיָּיא: עַם שֶׁאֲחוֹרֵי כֹּהֲנִים — אֵינָן בִּכְלַל בְּרָכָה. אֶלָּא, כִּי אֲתָא רָבִין: אָמַר רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אִידֵּי אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חֲסִידָא: לֹא פָּטַר רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אֶלָּא עַם שֶׁבַּשָּׂדוֹת, מַאי טַעְמָא — מִשּׁוּם דַּאֲנִיסִי בִּמְלָאכָה, אֲבָל בָּעִיר — לֹא.
הַדְרָן עֲלָךְ יוֹם טוֹב וּסְלִיקָא לַהּ מַסֶּכֶת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
הַדְרָן עֲלָךְ יוֹם טוֹב וּסְלִיקָא לַהּ מַסֶּכֶת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
§ Rabbi Elazar said: A person should always arrange his prayer in his mind and only then pray. Rabbi Abba said: Rabbi Elazar’s statement is reasonable with regard to the blessings of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and in the case of prayers that are recited only intermittently. However, with regard to blessings recited all year, no, this practice is not necessary. The Gemara asks: Is that so? Didn’t Rav Yehuda first arrange his prayer in his mind and only then pray, even on an ordinary day? The Gemara answers: Rav Yehuda was different, since he would pray only once every thirty days. During the rest of the month he would not engage in prayer, as he was busy with Torah study. Therefore, for him even regular weekdays prayers were like prayers recited intermittently. Rav Aḥa bar Avira said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: Rabban Gamliel would allow the prayer leader to exempt even the people who were in the fields and away from the synagogue. The Gemara challenges: This statement implies that the prayer leader exempts even the people in the fields, and needless to say, he exempts those who are here in the city but did not attend the prayer service in the synagogue. The Gemara questions this conclusion: On the contrary, the opposite is more reasonable: Those in the fields did not come to the synagogue due to circumstances beyond their control, and therefore they should be allowed to fulfill their obligation through the prayer leader. By contrast, those in the city were not prevented from coming to the synagogue due to circumstances beyond their control. Consequently, they should not fulfill their obligation through the prayer leader. As Abba, son of Rav Binyamin bar Ḥiyya, taught in a baraita: Those people standing in the synagogue behind the priests during the Priestly Blessing, who are not positioned in front of them, face-to-face, are not included in the blessing. They are expected to make the minimal effort to stand in front of the priests. However, those in the fields are included in the Priestly Blessing. Rather, Rabban Gamliel’s statement should be understood differently: When Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he reported that Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi said that Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥasida said: Rabban Gamliel allowed the prayer leader to exempt only the people in the fields. What is the reason for this? Because the people in the fields are unable to come to the synagogue due to work circumstances beyond their control, and do not have time to prepare their prayers. However, Rabban Gamliel did not exempt those in the city who do not come to the synagogue, as they are able to prepare their prayers and pray by themselves.