The Torah says in the V'Ahavta that we should say the Shema "b'shochb'cha uvkumecha", "when you lie down and when you get up". The entire Talmud begins with trying to figure out how to implement that. What time can you start saying the Shema for it to count? What's the latest time you can say the Shema for it to count?
מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּעַרְבִית?
From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening?
If you want to say the Shema "when you lie down", what do you think is the earliest time you can say it and have it count? Why? _____________________________________ _____________________________________________________
מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לֶאֱכֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן,
From the time that the priests enter [their houses] in order to eat their terumah
"Terumah" was the part of crops grown in the Land of Israel which was reserved for the priests to eat.
Priests could only eat it after the stars came out.
So, if you want to say the Shema "when you lie down", what is the Mishnah's answer as to the earliest time you can say it and have it count? ___________________________
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If you say the Shema before that time, that's still fine, it's just considered "Saying part of the Torah".
עַד סוֹף הָאַשְׁמוּרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר.
until the end of the first watch, the words of Rabbi Eliezer.
Rabbi Eliezer thought that the night was divided into "three watches" (shifts for guards to be watching for enemies).
Let's say that it's March 14, 2020. Sunrise is at 7:00 AM, and sunset is at 7:00 PM. If the night is 12 hours, and there are 3 watches in the night, how long is each watch? ________________________________________
According to Rabbi Eliezer, what time does the first watch end? __________
So when would Rabbi Eliezer say is the last time you can say the Shema that night? ______________________________
How does Rabbi Eliezer understand the words in the Torah "When you lie down"? _______________________________________________________
וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד חֲצוֹת.
The sages say: until midnight.
When we talk about "midnight", we are talking about "the exact middle of the night".
Let's say that it's March 14, 2020. Sunrise is at 7:00 AM, and sunset is at 7:00 PM. If the night is 12 hours, how many hours until the exact middle of the night? __________
So what time would the exact middle of the night be? _________________
Therefore, according to the Sages, until what time can you say the evening Shema? _____________________________
Why do you think the Sages would say that? _________________________________
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רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר.
Rabban Gamaliel says: until dawn.
How does Rabban Gamliel understand the words "when you lie down"? ____________
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מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ בָנָיו מִבֵּית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא קָרִינוּ אֶת שְׁמַע.
Once it happened that his sons came home [late - after midnight but before dawn] from a wedding feast and they said to him: we have not yet recited the [evening] Shema.
Would the Sages say that his sons can still say the evening Shema? _________
Would Rabban Gamliel say that they can still say the evening Shema? _______
אָמַר לָהֶם, אִם לֹא עָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר, חַיָּבִין אַתֶּם לִקְרוֹת.
[Rabban Gamliel] said to them: if it is not yet dawn you are still obligated to recite.
Would the Sages agree? __________________________
וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. הֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. וְכָל הַנֶּאֱכָלִים לְיוֹם אֶחָד, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר.
And not in respect to this alone did [the Sages] so decide [in agreement with Rabban Gamliel], but wherever the sages say “until midnight,” the mitzvah may be performed until dawn. The burning of the fat and the pieces may be performed till dawn. Similarly, all [the offerings] that are to be eaten within one day may be eaten till dawn.
If the Sages really agree with Rabban Gamliel, why would they have said that you only have until midnight to say the evening Shema? _______________________________
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אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעֲבֵרָה:
Why then did the sages say “until midnight”? In order to keep a man far from transgression (doing wrong).
How would reducing the amount of time that you have to say the evening Shema keep somebody from doing the wrong thing? ___________________
How could this same idea be relevant to your life? _______________________
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(א) מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּעַרְבִית. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לֶאֱכֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן, עַד סוֹף הָאַשְׁמוּרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד חֲצוֹת. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ בָנָיו מִבֵּית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא קָרִינוּ אֶת שְׁמַע. אָמַר לָהֶם, אִם לֹא עָלָה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר, חַיָּבִין אַתֶּם לִקְרוֹת. וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. הֶקְטֵר חֲלָבִים וְאֵבָרִים, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. וְכָל הַנֶּאֱכָלִים לְיוֹם אֶחָד, מִצְוָתָן עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר. אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים עַד חֲצוֹת, כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעֲבֵרָה:
(1) From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening? From the time that the priests enter [their houses] in order to eat their terumah until the end of the first watch, the words of Rabbi Eliezer. The sages say: until midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: until dawn. Once it happened that his sons came home [late] from a wedding feast and they said to him: we have not yet recited the [evening] Shema. He said to them: if it is not yet dawn you are still obligated to recite. And not in respect to this alone did they so decide, but wherever the sages say “until midnight,” the mitzvah may be performed until dawn. The burning of the fat and the pieces may be performed till dawn. Similarly, all [the offerings] that are to be eaten within one day may be eaten till dawn. Why then did the sages say “until midnight”? In order to keep a man far from transgression.