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Berakhot 2a:5 ברכות ב א
Mishnah: From when may one recite the Shema in the evening? From the time when the kohanim (priests) enter to eat their terumah (agricultural gifts) [i.e., sundown] until the end of the first watch [of the night]; this is the view of Rabbi Eliezer. The Sages say: [The Shema may be recited] until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: [It may be recited] until the break of dawn. It once happened that [Rabban Gamliel’s] sons came [home late at night] from a place of feasting. They said to [their father]: “We have not recited the Shema." He said to them: “If dawn has not broken, you are obligated to recite it." Not only in this case was this said; rather, in all cases where the Sages said that [some precept can be performed only] until midnight — the precept is [still in force] until the break of dawn. [For example:] Burning the fats and organs [of the sacrifices, on the Temple altar] — this precept [can be performed] until the break of dawn. [Another example:] All [sacrifices] which may be eaten for one day — the precept [of eating them can be performed] until the break of dawn. "If so, why did the Sages say [that these precepts can be performed only] until midnight? To keep a person away from sinning." Gemara: What does the Tanna refer to, asking "From when"? Furthermore, why does he deal with [the Shema reading] of the evening first, rather than dealing with that of the morning first? The Tanna refers to Scripture, which says, "…when you lie down and when you get up," (Deut. 6:7) and he means to say thus: What is the time of the reciting of the Shema at lying down? From the time when the kohanim enter to eat their terumah. And if you want, you can say that he learned [the order] from the creation of the world, thus: "…and it was evening and it was morning, day one." (Bereshit 1:5). If so, in the concluding Mishna, where it states: "In the morning one says two blessings before [the Shema] and one after it, while in the evening one says two blessings before it and two after it," he should have dealt with the evening first! The Tanna started with the evening one first, and then dealt with the morning one; while he was dealing with the morning one, he expounded the details of the morning one, and then expounded those of the evening one. The master said, From the time when the kohanim enter to eat their terumah. Seeing that when do the kohanim eat terumah? – from the emergence of the stars, it should have stated, "from the emergence of the stars"! It teaches us something in passing: From when do kohanim eat terumah? – from the time of the emergence of the stars; this teaches us that the atonement is not preclusive [of eating terumah], as it is taught: "And the sun would set and he would become [ritually] pure" (lit.: and it would be pure) (Leviticus 22:7) – his sun-setting precludes him from eating terumah, but his atonement does not prevent him from eating teruma. How do we know that this [Scriptural reference], "and the sun would set" (lit.: "and the sun would come") refers to sunset, and "…and it would be pure" means that the day would be cleared? מאימתי קורין את שמע בערבין? משעה שהכהנים נכנסים לאכול בתרומתן. עד סוף האשמורה הראשונה, דברי רבי אליעזר. וחכמים אומרים: עד חצות. רבן גמליאל אומר: עד שיעלה עמוד השחר. מעשה ובאו בניו מבית המשתה, אמרולו: לא קרינו את שמע. אמר להם: אם לא עלהעמוד השחר, חייבין אתם לקרות. ולא זו בלבדאמרו, אלא כל מה שאמרו חכמים עד חצות, מצוותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר. הקטר חלבים ואיברים, מצוותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר. וכל הנאכלים ליום אחד, מצוותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר. אם כן, למה אמרו חכמים עד חצות? כדי להרחיק אדם מן העבירה: גמ' תנא היכא קאי, דקתני "מאימתי"? ותו, מאי שנא דתני בערביתא ברישא? לתני דשחרית ברישא! תנא אקרא קאי, דכתיב: "בשכבך ובקומך", והכי קתני: זמן קריאת שמע דשכיבה אימת? משעה שהכהנים נכנסין לאכול בתרומתן. ואי בעית אימא, יליף מברייתו של עולם, דכתיב: "ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום אחד". אי הכי, סיפא דקתני: "בשחר מברך שתים לפניה ואחת לאחריה, ובערב מברך שתים לפניה ושתים לאחריה", לתני דערבית ברישא? תנא פתח בערבית, והדר תני בשחרית. עד דקאי בשחרית, פריש מילי דשחרית, והדר פריש מילי דערבית: אמר מר: משעה שהכהנים נכנסים לאכול בתרומתן. מכדי כהנים אימת קא אכלי תרומה – משעת צאת הכוכבים, לתני משעת צאת הכוכבים? מילתא אגב אורחיה קמשמע לן; כהנים אימת קא אכלי בתרומה? משעת צאת הכוכבים. והא קמשמע לן, דכפרה לא מעכבא, כדתניא: "ובא השמש וטהר"; ביאת שמשו מעכבתו מלאכול בתרומה, ואין כפרתו מעכבתו מלאכול בתרומה. וממאי דהאי "ובא השמש" – ביאת השמש, והאי "וטהר" – טהר יומא?
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