Berakhot 1

מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּעַרְבִית. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לֶאֱכֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן, עַד סוֹף הָאַשְׁמוּרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד חֲצוֹת. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ בָנָיו מִבֵּית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא קָרִינוּ אֶת שְׁמַע. אָמַר לָהֶם, אִם לֹא עָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר, חַיָּבִין אַתֶּם לִקְרוֹת. וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. הֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. וְכָל הַנֶּאֱכָלִים לְיוֹם אֶחָד, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעֲבֵרָה:

From which time may the Shema be recited in the evenings? From the time that the Cohanim have gone in to eat their terumah [Cohanim who became unclean and who immersed may not eat terumah until "their sun has set"; that is, until the stars have appeared. The reason "From the time the stars have appeared" is not stated is that we might thereby be apprised of an incidental learning, viz., if the Cohanim become defiled with the type of uncleanliness where their cleansing entails an offering (such as zav or metzora), the want of this expiatory offering does not prevent them from eating terumah, it being written (Leviticus 22:7): "And when the sun has set vetaher ('and the day has ended'), he may eat of the holy things" — the setting of the sun is a prerequisite for his eating terumah, but his expiatory offering is not], until the end of the first watch. [the first third of the night, the night being divided into three watches. From that point on, it is not considered the time of the recital of the Shema of reclining, and it does not satisfy (Deuteronomy 6:7): "…when you lie down." And before the stars come out, too, it is daytime, and not the time of lying down. And those who are beforehand and recite the evening Shema while it is still day, rely in this on R. Yehudah, who says (26a) that the Minchah prayer may be recited until midway through the afternoon, an hour and a quarter before the night. And it is ruled that one may follow R. Yehudah in this regard — that immediately upon the expiration of the time for the Minchah prayer, the time for the recital of the evening Shema begins.] These are the words of R. Eliezer. And the sages say: Until midnight. R. Gamliel says: Until the appearance of the morning star. [For the entire night is considered the time of lying down. And the halachah is in accordance with R. Gamliel, the sages, too, agreeing with him, having said "Until midnight" only to keep one far from transgression. However, ab initio, when the time of the recital of Shema of the Mishnah arrives —- that is, when the stars appear — one is forbidden to repast, and, it goes without saying, to sleep, until he recites the Shema and prays.] It once happened that his sons came late from a feast [The sons of R. Gamliel heard that the sages had said: "Until midnight," and this is what they said to him: Do the sages differ from you, saying: "Until midnight," specifically, and not afterwards? (and "one against many, the halachah is according to the many"), or do the sages hold with you, but say "until midnight" to keep one far from transgression? And he answered: The sages hold with me, and say: "Until midnight" to keep one far from transgression; and you are obliged to recite it.], and they said to him: We did not yet recite the Shema. He told them: If the morning star has not yet appeared, it is incumbent upon you to recite it. And not this alone [(This is still R. Gamliel speaking to his sons)] did they say, but wherever the sages say "until midnight," the mitzvah obtains until the appearance of the morning star. The mitzvah of burning the fats [of the offerings] and the pieces [of the daily afternoon burnt-offering — It is a mitzvah to offer up the pieces the entire night, viz. (Leviticus 6:2): "It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood on the altar all the night until the morning."] obtains until the appearance of the morning star. And the mitzvah of eating all of those offerings which must be eaten in one day [such as a thank-offering, a sin-offering, a guilt-offering, and the like, which are eaten a day and a night — the time for eating them is until the appearance of the morning star; and it is that which brings them to the status of nothar (left beyond the designated time and requiring to be burned)], ("the mitzvah, etc.") obtains until the appearance of the morning star. If so, why did the sages say: "Until midnight"? [in respect to the recital of the Shema and the eating of offerings. But they did not say "until midnight" at all in respect to the burning of the fats and the pieces, having mentioned this here only to apprise us that the mitzvah of all things designated for the night obtains the entire night.] To keep one far from transgression. [that he not come to eat them after the appearance of the morning star and incur kareth ("cutting-off"); and, similarly, with the recital of the Shema, that he not say "I still have time" and miss the designated time].

מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּשַׁחֲרִית. מִשֶּׁיַּכִּיר בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְלָבָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְכַרְתִּי. וְגוֹמְרָהּ עַד הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, עַד שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת, שֶׁכֵּן דֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי מְלָכִים לַעֲמֹד בְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת. הַקּוֹרֵא מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ לֹא הִפְסִיד, כְּאָדָם הַקּוֹרֵא בַתּוֹרָה:

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.]

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, בָּעֶרֶב כָּל אָדָם יַטּוּ וְיִקְרְאוּ, וּבַבֹּקֶר יַעַמְדוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, כָּל אָדָם קוֹרֵא כְדַרְכּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם שׁוֹכְבִים, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם עוֹמְדִים. אָמַר רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן, אֲנִי הָיִיתִי בָא בַדֶּרֶךְ, וְהִטֵּתִי לִקְרוֹת, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי, וְסִכַּנְתִּי בְעַצְמִי מִפְּנֵי הַלִּסְטִים. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, כְּדַי הָיִיתָ לָחוּב בְּעַצְמְךָ, שֶׁעָבַרְתָּ עַל דִּבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל:

Beth Shammai say: In the evening all men recline [on their sides, it being written: "when you lie down" — in the manner of lying down] and in the morning they stand, [it being written: "and when you arise" — in the manner of rising], as it is written (Deuteronomy 6:7): "and when you lie down and when you arise." And Beth Hillel say: Each man recites it in his own way, [either standing, sitting, reclining, or walking] it being written (Ibid.): "and in your walking on the way." If so, why is it written "when you lie down and when you arise"? The time when men lie down, and the time when men arise. R. Tarfon said: "Once, while on the road, I reclined to recite it in accordance with Beth Shammai, and I came close to being set upon by robbers" — whereupon they said to him: "You would have deserved to be killed [(and if you had died, your blood would have been upon your own head)] for having transgressed the words of Beth Hillel."

בַּשַּׁחַר מְבָרֵךְ שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וְאַחַת לְאַחֲרֶיהָ, וּבָעֶרֶב שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַחֲרֶיהָ. אַחַת אֲרֻכָּה וְאַחַת קְצָרָה. מָקוֹם שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְהַאֲרִיךְ, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְקַצֵּר. לְקַצֵּר, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְהַאֲרִיךְ. לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי שֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם. וְשֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לַחְתֹּם:

In the morning he recites two benedictions before it (the Shema) ["yotzer or" and "ahavah"], and one after it ["emeth veyatziv"]; and in the evening he recites two benedictions before it ["ma'ariv aravim" and ahavath olam"] and two after it ["emeth ve'emunah" and "hashkiveinu"], one long and the other short. [This refers to the two benedictions before it. "Yotzer or" is long, opening with "Baruch" and closing with "Baruch," as does "ma'ariv aravim." "Ahavah" is short, closing with "Baruch," but not opening with "Baruch."] Where the sages prescribe the lengthening of a benediction, it is not permitted to shorten it. Where they prescribe shortening, it is not permitted to lengthen. Where they prescribe closing [with "Baruch"], it is not permitted not to close. Where they prescribe not closing [as in the blessings over fruits and over mitzvoth], it is not permitted to close.

מַזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וְלֹא זָכִיתִי שֶׁתֵּאָמֵר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת, עַד שֶׁדְּרָשָׁהּ בֶּן זוֹמָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טז) לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַיָּמִים. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַלֵּילוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, לְהָבִיא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ:

The exodus from Egypt is mentioned at night. [The section of tzitzith is recited in the evening Shema even though the night is not a time for tzitzith, it being written (Numbers 15:39): "And you shall see it" — to exclude a night garment; it is recited at night because of the exodus of Egypt which it includes.] R. Elazar b. Azaryah said: "I am as one who is seventy years old [i.e., I looked old. He was not really old, but his hair turned white on the day he was appointed Nassi, so that he appear old, and qualified for the Nassiate. And on that day, Ben Zoma expounded this verse.] velo zachithi [I did not prevail over the sages. A similar instance (Niddah 38b): "In this, zichnahu R. Elazar over the rabbis" — that is, he prevailed over them] that the exodus from Egypt be recited at night, until Ben Zoma expounded it (Deuteronomy 16:3): "…so that you remember the day that you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life": "the days of your life" — the days; "all the days of your life" — the nights. And the sages say: "the days of your life" — this world; "all the days of your life" — to include the days of the Messiah.