O êxodo do Egito é mencionado à noite. [A seção de tsitzith é recitada à noite Shema, embora a noite não seja uma hora para tsitzith, sendo escrita (Números 15:39): "E você verá"—excluir uma roupa noturna; é recitada à noite por causa do êxodo do Egito que inclui.] R. Elazar b. Azaryah disse: "Eu sou como alguém que tem setenta anos de idade [ou seja, eu parecia velho. Ele não era muito velho, mas seu cabelo ficou branco no dia em que foi nomeado Nassi, de modo que ele parecia velho e qualificado para o Nassiado" E naquele dia, Ben Zoma expôs esse versículo.] Velo zachithi [eu não prevaleci sobre os sábios. Um exemplo semelhante (Niddah 38b): "Nisto, zichnahu R. Elazar sobre os rabinos"— isto é, ele prevaleceu sobre eles] para que o êxodo do Egito fosse recitado à noite, até Ben Zoma expô-lo (Deuteronômio 16: 3): "... para que você se lembre do dia em que saiu da terra do Egito todos os dias da sua vida ":" os dias da sua vida " —os dias; "todos os dias da sua vida"—as noites. E os sábios dizem: "os dias da sua vida"—este mundo; "todos os dias da sua vida"— para incluir os dias do Messias.
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
מזכירין יציאת מצרים בלילות – The section of Tzizit (Ritual Fringes – the third paragraph of the Shema: Numbers 15:37-41) is said during the Recitation of the Shema at night, and even though the night time is not the time [for the wearing of] Tzizit, as it says, “look at it (and recall all the commandments of the LORD and observe them…)” to the exclusion of nighttime clothing, we recite it (Numbers 15:37-41) at night because of [the mention of] the Exodus of Egypt which is in it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
In Eretz Yisrael during the time of the Mishnah people did not recite the third paragraph of Shema at night. This is the paragraph that talks about the tzitzit and about the Exodus from Egypt. The reason why it was not recited at night was that tzitzit, the central topic of the paragraph, are not worn at night. Our mishnah teaches that although the paragraph itself is not recited, the blessing after the Shema still makes mention of the Exodus.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כבן שבעים שנה – as I appeared old and not actually old, but because [the locks of] his hair had turned white on the day when he was appointed to be the Nasi/head of [the Sanhedrin] in order that he would look “old” and appropriate for the “presidency.” And on that self-same day, Ben Zoma expounded upon this Biblical verse.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
They mention the Exodus from Egypt at night. The Exodus from Egypt is mentioned in the blessing that follows the Shema. In this prayer God is the redeemer of Israel redeeming us from Egypt and continuing to redeem us (we pray) in our time. Although the third paragraph of the Shema is not recited, the mention of the Exodus is still made. We should note that it might have been confusing for people to recite completely different blessings in the morning and at night, especially if major themes were different. After all, there were no siddurim in this period; prayers were recited from memory. Therefore, the sages preserved some of the similarities between the morning and evening blessings.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
ולא זכיתי – I did win over by Sages and similar to this in the Talmud [is the episode] found in the chapter “B’not Kuttim” (chapter four of Tractate Niddah 38b), in that Rabbi Eleazar defeated the Rabbis, that is to say, he won out against them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: "Behold, I am almost a seventy-year old man and I have not succeeded in [understanding why] the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night, until Ben Zoma explained it from a verse (Deuteronomy 16:3): ‘In order that you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life.’ ‘The days of your life’ refers to the days. ‘All the days of your life’ refers to the nights. This section sounds, perhaps, familiar because it is contained in the Pesah Haggadah. Ben Zoma, a colleague of Rabbi Akiva, offers a midrash, an exegesis on the word “all” from Deuteronomy 16:3. It would have been sufficient for the Torah to state “the days of your life.” The extra “all” comes to teach that the Shema should be mentioned at night. As an aside, the process of midrash is revealed well in this story. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah has been mentioning the Exodus all of his life in the evening blessings, but he doesn’t really know why he does so. He would like a midrash, but in absence of one, his tradition is sufficient to maintain his practice. Finally, when he is nearing the end of his life, he hears a midrash which supports that which he already does.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
And the sages say: ‘the days of your life’ refers to this world. ‘All the days of your life’ includes the days of the Messiah. The other sages offer a competing interpretation for “all.” It refers to the Messianic period. In other words, even when the ultimate messianic redemption comes, the original story of the Exodus from Egypt will not be entirely surpassed. The previous redemption from Egypt will continue to serve as a reminder of God’s favor, even when it has been manifested in a more ultimate fashion. I like to compare this to the difference between the first time one realizes that one is in love with someone versus the day of the wedding. Although the wedding far surpasses that initial moment in intensity and significance, one doesn’t forget that first moment of love. So too with God and the people of Israel Jews must continue to recall their first moment of love with God, the love with which God took us out of Egypt.
