929/Psalm 130: The Nightwatch

(3) If You keep account of sins, O LORD, Lord, who will survive? (4) Yours is the power to forgive so that You may be held in awe. (5) I look to the LORD; I look to Him; I await His word. (6) I am more eager for the Lord than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.

From when, that is, from what time, does one recite Shema in the evening? From the time when the priests enter to partake of their teruma. Until when does the time for the recitation of the evening Shema extend? Until the end of the first watch. The term used in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:7) to indicate the time for the recitation of the evening Shema is beshokhbekha, when you lie down, which refers to the time in which individuals go to sleep. Therefore, the time for the recitation of Shema is the first portion of the night, when individuals typically prepare for sleep. That is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. The Rabbis say: The time for the recitation of the evening Shema is until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: One may recite Shema until dawn, indicating that beshokhbekha is to be understood as a reference to the entire time people sleep in their beds, the whole night. The mishna relates that Rabban Gamliel practiced in accordance with his ruling. There was an incident where Rabban Gamliel’s sons returned very late from a wedding hall. They said to him, as they had been preoccupied with celebrating with the groom and bride: We did not recite Shema. He said to them: If the dawn has not yet arrived, you are obligated to recite Shema. Since Rabban Gamliel’s opinion disagreed with that of the Rabbis, he explained to his sons that the Rabbis actually agree with him, and that it is not only with regard to the halakha of the recitation of Shema, but rather, wherever the Sages say until midnight, the mitzva may be performed until dawn. Rabban Gamliel cites several cases in support of his claim, such as the burning of fats and limbs on the altar. Due to the quantity of offerings each day, the priests were often unable to complete the burning of all of the fats and limbs, so they continued to be burned into the night, as it is written: “This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall remain upon the pyre on the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar burns it” (Leviticus 6:2). And, with regard to all sacrifices, such as the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings that are eaten for one day and night; although the Sages state that they may be eaten only until midnight, by Torah law they may be eaten until dawn. This is in accordance with the verse: “On the day on which it is offered must you eat. Do not leave it until the morning” (Leviticus 7:15). If so, why did the Sages say that they may be eaten only until midnight? This is in order to distance a person from transgression, as if one believes that he has until dawn to perform the mitzva, he might be negligent and postpone it until the opportunity to perform the mitzva has passed.

(2) These are the non-priestly watches: Since it is stated: “Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering of food, which is presented to Me made by a fire, of a sweet savor to Me, you shall guard the sacrifice to Me in its due season” (Numbers 28:2), this verse teaches that the daily offering was a communal obligation that applied to every member of the Jewish people. The mishna asks: But how can a person’s offering be sacrificed when he is not standing next to it? The mishna explains: Since it is impossible for the entire nation to be present in Jerusalem when the daily offering is brought, the early prophets, Samuel and David, instituted the division of the priests into twenty-four priestly watches, each of which served for approximately one week, twice per year. For each and every priestly watch there was a corresponding non-priestly watch in Jerusalem of priests, Levites, and Israelites who would stand by the communal offerings for that day to represent the community. When the time arrived for the members of a certain priestly watch to ascend, the priests and Levites of that watch would ascend to Jerusalem to perform the Temple service. And as for the Israelites assigned to that priestly watch, some of them went up to Jerusalem, while the rest of them assembled in their towns and read the act of Creation.

We pour the cup of Eliyahu and open the door.

Pour your wrath upon the nations that did not know You and upon the kingdoms that did not call upon Your Name! Since they have consumed Ya'akov and laid waste his habitation (Psalms 79:6-7). Pour out Your fury upon them and the fierceness of Your anger shall reach them (Psalms 69:25)! You shall pursue them with anger and eradicate them from under the skies of the Lord (Lamentations 3:66).

(1) THE LAWS OF LEAVING WATER OVERNIGHT One may not knead except with water that was left overnight, whether they are waters of a pool or of a spring or whether they are waters of a river and they should be drawn while it is still day (close to the twilight period)(His own words and Haghot Maimoni perek 5) or during the twilight period. One should not knead with them until the entire night has passed. One is able to draw large quantities of water in a single day. If it is hot at the time [of drawing], they[the waters] should be placed in the wine cellar which is cooler and if it is cold at the time, they should be placed out in the open, for the wine cellar is warmer, and one must rise early and bring them into the house prior to the sun rising, even if it's a cloudy day. REMA: and [regarding] if they were not brought in early, if they didn't stand [outside] to the extent that they became warm, they are not tainted. Ideally, the water should be left standing under the ceiling in case one forgets to bring them in early (B"Y in the name of A"CH). When transporting the water under the open sky, one should cover it(T"H siman 115 in the name of SMA"G and SMA"K and MA"HA"RIK). When Pesach occurs on the first of the week, one should draw the waters on the outset of the 13th which is [solar] Thursday night (Mordechai end of the first perek of Pesachim). Initially, one should draw from the rivers and not from the wells (ASHR"Y and Mordechai). However, when the rivers are expanded from the thawing snow and rainfall, ideally one should draw from the wells (MAHA"RIV). One should not spill water left overnight because of a death or the falling of a period [tekoopha] (Mordechai perek "kol sha'ah" and Haghaot Maimony perek 5).Nevertheless, initially, its good to place iron in them [the water containers]. Also, it is forbidden for a gentile to draw the water for Mitzvah Matzos and even regarding other Matzot, a Jew should draw the water (Mordechai and MAHA"RI on RI"N and MAHA"RIL) if possible. It is customary to gather water specifically for the Matzah[s] of the Mitzvah and to take [the water in] new earthenware vessels and one should not deviate from the custom. Regarding a wooden vessel, one need not be strict (about all this)

(10) In the vision of my mind in bed, I looked and saw a holy Watcher coming down from heaven.....

(14) This sentence is decreed by the Watchers; This verdict is commanded by the Holy Ones So that all creatures may know That the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man, And He gives it to whom He wishes And He may set over it even the lowest of men.’