Les femmes, les esclaves et les mineurs sont exemptés du Shema et des téfilines. [Même si le Shema est un commandement positif axé sur le temps (mitzvath aseh shehazman grama), une classe de mitsva dont les femmes sont exemptes, nous pensons qu'il les lie néanmoins car il contient l'acceptation du royaume de paradis—pour quelle raison nous devons être informés du contraire. Et la mitsva des tefillin est un commandement positif orienté vers le temps, car elle n'obtient pas la nuit et le jour du sabbat; mais on pourrait penser que puisqu'elle est assimilée à la mezouza, elle s'impose aux femmes. Nous devons donc être informés du contraire. "Mineurs": Un père n'est pas obligé de s'entraîner au récital du Shema même un mineur arrivé à l'âge de la formation; car le fils ne se trouve pas toujours avec son père au moment du récit. Et un père n'était pas obligé de former un mineur à la mitsva des téfilines, car on ne peut pas s'attendre à ce qu'il se prémunisse contre l'expulsion de l'air en les portant.] Et la tefillah, la mezouza et le récit de grâce les lient. [Car la tefillah est l'imploration de la miséricorde et une ordonnance rabbinique; et il a été institué pour les femmes aussi et pour la formation des mineurs. "Mezouza": Nous pourrions penser, puisque la mezouza est assimilée à l'étude de la Torah, que tout comme les femmes sont exemptées de l'étude de la Torah, il est écrit (Deutéronome 11: 9): "Et vous les enseignerez à vos fils"—et non à vos filles, elles devraient également être exemptées de la mezouza, même si ce n'est pas un commandement positif axé sur le temps; nous en sommes donc informés autrement. "Le récit de la grâce": Il est possible de se demander si le récit de la grâce lie les Écritures aux femmes, il est écrit (Deutéronome 8:10): "Et vous mangerez, vous serez rassasiés, et vous bénirez"— de sorte que ce soit un commandement positif non temporel —ou si elle ne lie pas les Écritures aux femmes, étant écrit (Ibid.): "pour le bon pays qu'Il vous a donné"; et la terre n'a pas été donnée aux femmes. La question n’a pas été résolue.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
נשים ועבדים פטורים מקריאת שמע – Even though it is a “positive, time-bound commandment”, and women are exempt from all “positive time-bound commandments,” you may possibly think we say (i.e., you may be misled to interpret) that [women] should be required, since there is [mention concerning the recitation of the Shema of] the “sovereignty of heaven,” it comes to teach us [that women are nevertheless exempt]; for [the wearing of] Tefillin is a “positive time-bound” commandment, but the nighttime and the Sabbath (and Festivals) are not times [for the wearing of Tefillin] and that since there is a juxtaposition between the [commandments of] Tefillin to that of the Mezuzah (which women are obligated to observe -see especially Deuteronomy 6:8-9) that women should be obligated [in the Mitzvah of Tefillin], it comes to teach us that this is not the case.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
This mishnah deals with other categories of people who are exempt from the Shema and some other mitzvoth.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
קטנים – [A minor] who has arrived at the age of where he can be educated, they [the Rabbis] did not place upon his father the obligation to teach him to recite the Shema since he is not always with him at the times when the Shema is recited (morning and evening) and neither with Tefillin since [even] a normal minor does not know how to guard his Tefillin [properly] so that he would not [desecrate the Tefillin] by breaking wind in them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Women, slaves and minors are exempt from reciting the Shema and putting on tefillin, but are obligated for tefillah, mezuzah, and Birkat Hamazon (the blessing after meals). The usual explanation for this mishnah is that women, children and slaves are exempt from time-bound positive commandments and obligated for non-time bound positive commandments, as well as all negative ones. The Shema is clearly time-bound and positive, as is tefillin (it is not worn at night, and according to most, not on Shabbat or Yom Tov). The mezuzah is clearly a positive non-time bound commandment. Birkat Hamazon is recited whenever someone eats, so it too is not time bound. The only problem with the list in the mishnah is that tefillah seems to be time-bound, as we shall learn in the next chapter. There are several answers to this. First of all, although each tefillah is time-bound, there is no time during the day when one could not recite the Amidah. When the time for reciting the morning Amidah is over, one can recite the Minhah (afternoon) Amidah, when Minhah time is over, one can recite the Maariv (evening) Amidah. Therefore, although each tefillah has its own set time, overall the mitzvah is not considered to be time-bound. A different explanation is that although the mitzvah is time-bound, women, children and slaves are obligated because every person is required to make requests and ask mercy directly from God. Tefillah is about asking for one’s needs and praising God for the needs that have already been fulfilled and women, children and slaves have needs as do free adult men. While I certainly don’t have the definitive answer to why women, children and slaves are exempt from these positive time-bound commandments, it seems that a strong possibility is that they don’t have full control over their own lives. They are, for the most part, subject to the free adult men with whom they live (father, husband, master). Since they don’t have control over their own lives, they are not subject to halakhot restricted in time. One problem with this theory is that a divorcee and a widow are still exempt, even though they are not attached to any man. My answer would be that the halakhah is addressed to the most common situation, and women are usually in some way attached to a man.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
וחייבין בתפילה – Since Tefillah/prayer [The Amidah] is [a request] for mercy, and it is Rabbinic (as opposed to Biblical in nature), and the Rabbis established that even women [are obligated in Tefillah] and to educate their young in praying.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ובמזוזה – For you might have said that since there is a juxtaposition between it [Mezuzah] and [the commandment to] study Torah (see especially Deuteronomy 11:19-20), that just as women are exempt from [the commandment of] studying Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 11:19), “and teach them to your children” – and not your daughters, so also here that they [women] would be exempted from [the commandment of [putting up a] Mezuzah, even though it [the commandment concerning the Mezuzah] is a “positive commandment which is NOT time-bound,” nevertheless, it comes to teach us [that women are required to observe the commandment of Mezuzah].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ובברכת המזון – We must ask if women are obligated [in the recitation of] the Blessing After the Meal/Birkat HaMazon from [the perspective of] the Torah-law, since it is written (Deuteronomy 8:10) “When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you],” this is a “positive commandment that is not time-bound” or possibly, [women] are not Torah-bound obligated to recite the Prayer after the Meal/Birkat HaMazon because it is written (Deuteronomy 8:10), “for the good land which He has given you,” but the land was not given to females, and it has not been [adequately] deduced.
