Berakhot 3

מִי שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מוּטָל לְפָנָיו, פָּטוּר מִקְּרִיאַת שְׁמַע, מִן הַתְּפִלָּה וּמִן הַתְּפִלִּין. נוֹשְׂאֵי הַמִּטָּה וְחִלּוּפֵיהֶן וְחִלּוּפֵי חִלּוּפֵיהֶן, אֶת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַמִּטָּה וְאֶת שֶׁלְּאַחַר הַמִּטָּה, אֶת שֶׁלַּמִּטָּה צֹרֶךְ בָּהֶן פְּטוּרִים, וְאֶת שֶׁאֵין לַמִּטָּה צֹרֶךְ בָּהֶן חַיָּבִין. אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ פְּטוּרִים מִן הַתְּפִלָּה:

One whose dead one [(one of his kin that he is obliged to mourn, whom it is incumbent upon him to bury)] is lying before him, is exempt from the recital of the Shema [being preoccupied with a mitzvah], from tefillah, and from tefillin. As to the litter bearers, their replacements, [it being the practice to alternate, all wishing to partake in the mitzvah], and the latter's replacements, those before the litter [those set to carry it when it reaches them], and those behind it [that is, both those before it and those behind it] — those whose services are required [for carrying the litter], are exempt; and those whose services are not required [such as those who go only to accompany the deceased to honor him] are obligated. And both are exempt from tefillah, [it not being Scripturally mandated as is the recital of the Shema. And some say because it requires a greater measure of concentration.]

קָבְרוּ אֶת הַמֵּת וְחָזְרוּ, אִם יְכוֹלִין לְהַתְחִיל וְלִגְמֹר עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעוּ לַשּׁוּרָה, יַתְחִילוּ. וְאִם לָאו, לֹא יַתְחִילוּ. הָעוֹמְדִים בַּשּׁוּרָה, הַפְּנִימִים פְּטוּרִים, וְהַחִיצוֹנִים חַיָּבִין:

Once they bury the dead and return — if they can begin and finish [one section of the Shema] before they arrive at the file [They would make files of mourners to comfort him upon returning from the grave.], they should begin; and if not, [If the distance from the grave to the place where they made the file was short, so that there was no time to being and finish before arriving at the file], they should not begin. Those who stand in the file — the inner ones [(who see the mourners)] are exempt; the outer ones are obligated.

נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים פְּטוּרִין מִקְּרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּמִן הַתְּפִלִּין, וְחַיָּבִין בִּתְפִלָּה וּבִמְזוּזָה, וּבְבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן:

Women, bondsmen, and minors are exempt from the Shema and from tefillin. [Even though the Shema is a time-oriented positive commandment (mitzvath aseh shehazman grama), a class of mitzvah from which women are exempt, we would think that it is, nonetheless, binding upon them because it contains the acceptance of the kingdom of Heaven — for which reason we must be apprised otherwise. And the mitzvah of tefillin is a time-oriented positive commandment, for it does not obtain at night and on the Sabbath; but we would think that since it is likened to mezuzah, it is binding upon women. We must, therefore, be apprised otherwise. "Minors": A father is not obligated to train in the recital of the Shema even a minor who had arrived at the age of training; for the son is not always to be found with his father at the time of recital. And a father was not obligated to train a minor in the mitzvah of tefillin, for he cannot be expected to guard himself against expelling air while wearing them.] And tefillah, mezuzah, and the recital of grace are binding upon them. [For tefillah is the imploration of mercy, and a rabbinical ordinance; and it was instituted for women, too, and for the training of minors. "Mezuzah": We might think, since mezuzah is likened to Torah study, that just as women are exempt from Torah study, it being written (Deuteronomy 11:9): "And you shall teach them to your sons" — and not to your daughters, they should, likewise, be exempt from mezuzah, even though it is not a time-oriented positive commandment; we are, therefore, apprised otherwise. "The recital of grace": It is open to question whether the recital of grace is Scripturally binding upon women, it being written (Deuteronomy 8:10): "And you shall eat, and you shall be sated, and you shall bless" — so that it is a non time-oriented positive commandment — or whether it is not Scripturally binding upon women, it being written (Ibid.): "for the good land which He has given you"; and the land was not given to females. The question was not resolved.]

בַּעַל קֶרִי מְהַרְהֵר בְּלִבּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ, לֹא לְפָנֶיהָ וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֶיהָ. וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן מְבָרֵךְ לְאַחֲרָיו, וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ לְפָנָיו. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, מְבָרֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם:

One who had a seminal discharge [(Ezra instituted that one who had experienced a seminal discharge, whether inadvertently or wittingly, should not read in the Torah until he had immersed himself — not because of cleanliness or uncleanliness, for words of Torah are not susceptible of uncleanliness — but so that Torah scholars not be always "found with their wives like roosters.")] meditates [upon the Shema in his heart [when the time for its recital arrives], and he does not make the blessing before or after it [even by way of meditation. Since the blessings are not Scripturally mandated, the rabbis did not require them.] And for bread, he makes the concluding blessing [this being Scripturally mandated], but not the preliminary one [this not being Scripturally mandated. And it has already been ruled, with none demurring, that the immersion requirement has been rescinded and that those who had experienced a seminal discharge recite the Shema in the usual manner and study Torah and pray, and recite all of the blessings.] R. Yehudah says: He makes both the preliminary and the concluding blessing.

הָיָה עוֹמֵד בַּתְּפִלָּה, וְנִזְכַּר שֶׁהוּא בַעַל קְרִי, לֹא יַפְסִיק, אֶלָּא יְקַצֵּר. יָרַד לִטְבֹּל, אִם יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת וּלְהִתְכַּסּוֹת וְלִקְרוֹת עַד שֶׁלֹּא תָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, יַעֲלֶה וְיִתְכַּסֶּה וְיִקְרָא. וְאִם לָאו, יִתְכַּסֶּה בַמַּיִם וְיִקְרָא. אֲבָל לֹא יִתְכַּסֶּה, לֹא בַמַּיִם הָרָעִים וְלֹא בְמֵי הַמִּשְׁרָה, עַד שֶׁיַּטִּיל לְתוֹכָן מָיִם. וְכַמָּה יַרְחִיק מֵהֶם וּמִן הַצּוֹאָה, אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת:

If in the middle of tefillah (shemoneh esreh) he remembered that he had experienced a seminal discharge, he should not break off [his prayer entirely], but he should shorten [each blessing]. If he had gone down to immerse himself — if he can come up, cover himself, and recite the Shema before sunrise, he should do so. [For the vatikin (the exceptionally pious) are exacting with themselves to conclude it at sunrise, it being written (Psalms 72:5): "They shall fear You with the sun."] And if not, he should cover himself with the water and recite it. [And only in clouded water, where his nakedness is not exposed, but not in clear water.] But he should not cover himself with bad [i.e., foul] water, or with steeping water [water in which flax is steeped], until he dilutes it. [There is something missing here. It is to be understood thus: "And he should not recite it near urine until he has diluted it." The amount of water for diluting a single urinal discharge is a revi'ith.] And how far should one remove himself from it [from undiluted urine] and from feces" Four ells. [And only when it is to the side of him or behind him; but if it is in front of him, he must remove himself until it is out of sight.]

זָב שֶׁרָאָה קְרִי, וְנִדָּה שֶׁפָּלְטָה שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע, וְהַמְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת שֶׁרָאֲתָה נִדָּה, צְרִיכִין טְבִילָה, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה פּוֹטֵר:

A zav (one suffering from a genital flow) who discharged semen, a niddah who emitted semen, and a woman who had intercourse and became a niddah must undergo ritual immersion. [A zav who discharged semen: Though he is unclean seven days because of zav uncleanliness, and this immersion does not render him clean, still, he must undergo this immersion for words of Torah because of the semen discharge, as instituted by Ezra. Likewise, a niddah who wishes to pray and emits semen (from a prior intercourse) is regarded as one discharging semen. And such an emission of semen renders a woman unclean for three days after intercourse. After that time it putrefies in her body and is no longer viable. And it is to be understood thus: "A niddah who emitted, now, semen from an intercourse prior to her becoming a niddah, and a woman who had intercourse — one who, after intercourse, became a niddah — must undergo ritual immersion.] And R. Yehudah does not require it. [R. Yehudah does not require it even in the instance of a woman who after intercourse became a niddah, even though ab initio she must undergo ritual immersion and it can be contended that the immersion obligation does not leave her. And we have already written above that this immersion ordinance was rescinded, being "an ordinance by which the majority of the congregation cannot abide."]