From which time may the Shema be recited in the morning? When it is possible to distinguish between the tcheleth (blue) and the white. [between the strands of tcheleth and the strands of white in the tzitzith. That is, after the shearing of the wool, which is dyed tcheleth, there are places where the dye does not take well and which remain white.] R. Eliezer says: Between tcheleth and leek-green. [The color of tcheleth is close to the green of leeks.] And the time of its recital is until sunrise. R. Yehoshua says: Until the third hour [of the day. Until the end of the third hour, which is one-quarter of the day when the days and the nights are equal. And the time of the recital of the Shema is always until one-quarter of the day, whether the days are long or short. Similarly, in (Chapter 4, Mishnah 1): "The time of the morning prayer is until the fourth hour of the day," the meaning is until one-third of the day, "the fourth hour" being mentioned because one-third of the day is four hours long when the days and nights are equal. Whenever the Mishnah mentions "thus and thus hours of the day," it is to be understood along these lines. I understand this to be Rambam's interpretation and I accept it. The rationale for R. Yehoshua's "Until the third hour of the day" is that usually the sons of kings do not rise from their beds until the end of the third hour; and the intent of the Torah in "and when you rise" is until the time when all men have risen from their beds. And the halachah is in accordance with R. Yehoshua. However, ab initio, one should attempt to synchronize the recital of Shema with sunrise, as the vatikim ("the early saints") did.], it being the custom of the sons of kings to rise at the third hour. One who recites it after this time does not forfeit anything thereby [that is, he does not forfeit the blessing before and after; but even though he goes beyond its time, he recites it along with the blessing before and after], as one who reads in the Torah. [Even though he did not recite the Shema in its designated time, he receives reward as one who reads in the Torah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
בין תכלת ללבן – Between the threads of azure and the threads of white in the ritual fringes (of the Tallit. The Torah – Numbers 15:38 – commands that a “cord of blue” be attached to the fringe at each corner; these two colors – blue/azure and white – are sufficiently distinct from each other that one can with relative ease distinguish between people and objects). Another explanation: The sheering of wool whose color is azure/blue and (yet) there are places (in the wool) where the color was not absorbed [properly] and which remained white.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
Today’s mishnah proceeds to discuss when the morning Shema is recited. The Torah says that it should be recited “when you get up,” so the debate in our mishnah is essentially over the meaning of this phrase.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
בין תכלת לכרתי – The color of the azure/blue is close to/resembles the color “leek-green” which is called “PORUSH” in a foreign language.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
From what time may one recite the Shema in the morning? From the time that one can distinguish between blue and white. Rabbi Eliezer says: between blue and green. Both opinions in the mishnah determine when one can recite the morning Shema by whether it is light enough to distinguish colors. This is probably connected to the wearing of tzitzit in the morning and the ability to recognize the colors of the threads. The first opinion holds that one must be able to distinguish between blue and white, the two colors in one’s tzitzit. Rabbi Eliezer holds that one must be able to distinguish between blue and green. Green is close to the color of tzitzit, so Rabbi Eliezer is saying that one must be able to tell that the tzitzit are blue and not green. This would require more light than distinguishing between blue and white.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
עד שלש שעות – In the day until the conclusion of the third hour, which is one-quarter of the day, at the time when [the length of] the days and the nights are equal. And always, the time for the Recitation of the [Morning] Shema is until the [end of the] first quarter of the day, whether the [length of the] days are long or short. And similarly, that which is taught [in the Mishnah] further on [in the fourth chapter of Berakhot, Mishnah 1], Tefillat HaShahar/The Amidah of the Morning Service is [recited] until the fourth hour of the day that is until one-third of the day, and the “four hours” that was used [by the Mishnah] is because it is one-third of the day – four hours at occasion when the [hours of] daylight and the [hours of] night time are equal. And every place in the Mishnah where it is mentioned “such and such hours” in the day – by this manner you must consider and adjudicate. This I understood from the commentaries of Maimonides that I have received. And the reason of Rabbi Yehoshua [ben Hananiah] who said, “until the third hour of the day” (Mishna Berakhot 4:1), is that it was the practice of royalty who did not rise from their beds until the end of the third hour [of the day], for as the All-Merciful One (God) who stated (Deuteronomy 6:7), “and when you get up”, until the time when all people get up from their beds, it is stated. And the Halakha/law is according to Rabbi Yehoshua. However, ab initio, one must have the intention to recite the [Morning] Shema with sunrise like the conscientious pious ones of former days would do.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
And he must finish it by sunrise. Rabbi Joshua says: until the third hour of the day, for such is the custom of the children of kings, to rise at the third hour. If one recites the Shema later he loses nothing, like one who reads in the Torah. According to the first opinion one must finish reciting the Shema by sunrise. This is the time of day when most people would get up. Rabbi Joshua holds that “when you get up” doesn’t refer to when an average working person rises, but to when the last people, the children of kings who do not have to work, get up. They rise at the third hour of the day, meaning when one quarter of the day has passed. Therefore, all of Israel has until this time to recite the Shema. Rabbi Joshua adds that after the third hour one who reads the Shema has not transgressed. We might have thought that by reciting a prayer which he was not obligated to recite he thereby recited God’s name in vain. However, this is not so because the Shema is in the Torah and reading the Torah and pronouncing God’s name is not considered taking God’s name in vain. Nevertheless, one who recites the Shema after the third hour has not fulfilled the mitzvah of reciting the Shema.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
לא הפסיד – that is to say, they did not lose out from reciting [the blessings] before and after [the Shema] but even though the time had passed [for its recitation], he recites [the Shema] and the blessings before it and after it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כאדם הקרוא בתורה – Even though he did not fulfill his religious obligation of reciting the Shema at its appropriate time, he does receive the reward as one who reads [these verses] from the Torah.
