הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל וְטָעָה, סִימָן רַע לוֹ. וְאִם שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר הוּא, סִימָן רַע לְשׁוֹלְחָיו, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם כְּמוֹתוֹ. אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן דּוֹסָא, כְּשֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַחוֹלִים וְאוֹמֵר, זֶה חַי וְזֶה מֵת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, מִנַּיִן אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ. אָמַר לָהֶם, אִם שְׁגוּרָה תְפִלָּתִי בְּפִי, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְקֻבָּל. וְאִם לָאו, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְטֹרָף:
If one errs in his prayer, it is a bad sign for him. And if he is a prayer leader, it is a bad sign for those who deputed him, for a man's deputy is as the man himself. They said about R. Chanina b. Dossa that he would pray for the sick, and would say: "This one will live and this one will die." When asked how he knew this, he answered: "If my prayer is shagur in my mouth [ordered and flowing, and I do not stumble in it], I know that it has been accepted, and if not, I know shehu meturaf" [that the sick one is meturaf ("torn away"), as in (Genesis 44:28): "Surely, he (Joseph) has been torn ('tarof toraf')." Another interpretation: It may be understood in the sense of (Berachoth 5b): "Torfim lo tefilato befanav" ("His prayer is 'torn up' in his face"); that is, the prayer that he prayed for the sick one is torn away and taken from him and is not accepted.]
Tosefta Berakhot
Just like the Torah established a set time to read the Shema, so too the Sages established a set time for [the] prayer [of Shemoneh Esreh]. Why did they say [that] the morning prayer [of Shmoneh Esreh can be prayed only] until noon? Because the morning Tamid (daily offering) [sacrifice] could be brought [only] until noon. Rebbi Yehudah says, “[The morning prayer of Shmoneh Esreh can be prayed only] until [the end of the first] four hours [of the day].” And why did they say that the Mincha (afternoon) prayer [of Shemoneh Esreh can only be prayed] until the evening? Because the afternoon Tamid [sacrifice] could be brought [only] until the evening. Rebbi Yehudah says, “[The Mincha prayer of Shmoneh Esreh can be prayed only] until Plag Hamincha.” And when is Plag Hamincha? Eleven minus one quarter hours [of the day] (i.e. 10 ¾ hours). And why did they say that the evening prayer [of Shmoneh Esreh] does not have a set time? Because the limbs and fats [of the sacrifices] could be brought the whole night. And why did they say that the Mussaf prayer [of Shmoneh Esreh can be prayed] the whole day? Because the Mussaf (additional offering) sacrifice could be brought the whole day. Rebbi Yehudah says, “[The Mussaf prayer can be prayed] until [the end of the first] seven hours [of the day].”
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Tosefta Berakhot
Rebbi Yehudah says, “If a person is fluent with his prayer it is a good sign for him, and if he is not fluent with his prayer it is a bad sign for him.”
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