R. Nechuniah b. Hakannah recitaría una breve oración al entrar en la casa de estudio y al salir de ella. Cuando se le preguntó: "¿Cuál es el lugar [es decir, la naturaleza] de esta oración?" él respondió: "Al entrar, rezo para que no ocurra ningún error por mi culpa" [que no creo un obstáculo, como se explica en el baraitha: "que no me equivoco en una halajá y mis amigos se regocijan (en mi desconcierto)"—por el cual me convierto en la causa del mal, castigando a mis amigos por mi culpa]; "Y al irme, doy gracias por mi parte". [Le agradezco el bien que me otorgó al colocar mi porción entre los que se sientan en la casa de estudio. Estas dos oraciones, al entrar en la casa de estudio y al salir de ella, son vinculantes para todos los hombres. Pues así se afirma en el baraitha: "Al entrar, ¿qué dice él?" y "Al salir, ¿qué dice él?", lo que implica que debe decirlas.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
מה מקום – that is to say, what is its nature?
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
In today’s mishnah we learn that Rabbi Nehuniah ben Hakaneh had a special prayer that he would say when he went in and out of the Bet Hamidrash (the rabbinic study hall).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
שלא תארע תקלה – that no stumbling block should come through me, as it is explained in the Baraitha: “that I should not stumble in a matter of Halakha and that my colleagues would rejoice [in my being in error],” that evil should come upon me in that I caused them to be punished [through my errant decision].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakaneh used to pray as he entered the Bet Hamidrash and as he left it a short prayer. They said to him: what is the reason for this prayer? He replied: When I enter I pray that that no mishap should occur through me, and when I leave I express thanks for my portion. The Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 28b) gives a fuller reading of this blessing. It reads: “Our Rabbis taught: On entering what does one say? “May it be Your will, O Lord my God, that no mishap should occur through me, and that I may not err in a matter of halakhah and my colleagues rejoice in my [embarrassment], and that I may not call unclean clean or clean unclean, and that my colleagues may not err in a matter of halakhah and that I may rejoice in their [embarrassment].” On leaving what does he say? “I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, that You have place my portion with those who sit in the Bet Hamidrash and You have not set my portion with those who sit in [street] corners, for I rise early and they rise early, but I rise early for words of Torah and they rise early for frivolous talk; I labor and they labor, but I labor and receive a reward and they labor and do not receive a reward; I run and they run, but I run to the life of the world to come and they run to the pit of destruction.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
אני נותן הודיה על חלקי – I express thanks for the good that has been my portion that my I have been placed among those who sit in the House of Study. And these two prayers [recited] when one enters the House of Study and when one leaves it are obligatory upon each and every person to recite them and so we say in the Baraitha – When he enters: What should he say? And when leaves, what should he say? – implying that it is obligatory to recite them [both].
