Bavli Berakhot

b. Berakhot 62a

Ben Azzai said: I once entered a bathroom after R. Akiva, and I learned three things from his [behavior]: I learned that one should not defecate [while facing] east and west, but rather [while facing] north and south; I learned that one should not uncover himself [while] standing, but [while] sitting; and I learned that one should not wipe with his right [hand], but with his left. R. Judah said to him: You were impertinent to your teacher to that extent? He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn.

R. Kahana entered and lay beneath Rav’s bed. He heard [Rav] chatting and laughing [with his wife], and seeing to his needs, [i.e., having relations with her. R. Kahana] said to [Rav]: The mouth [of] Abba, [Rav,] is like [one who] has never eaten a cooked dish,¹ [i.e., his behavior was lustful]. [Rav] said to him: Kahana, you are here? Leave, as [this] is an undesirable mode of behavior. [R. Kahana] said to him: It is Torah, and I must learn.

b. Berakhot 60b–61a

What is meant by the statement [in the Mishnah]: one is obligated to bless God for evil as well as for good? Should I say that just as for the good one recites the benediction [that blesses God as] “He who is good and bestows good,” so too for evil one should recite the benediction [that blesses God as] “He who is good and bestows good”? But we learned [in a mishnah elsewhere]: For good news one is to recite, “He who is good and bestows good” and for evil tidings, “Blessed be the true judge.”

Rava said: It means that one must receive it [evil] with gladness.

R. Aḥa said in the name of R. Levi: What is the meaning of the verse: I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, will I sing praises (Psalm 101:1), whether it is mercy, I will sing, or whether it is justice, I will sing.

R. Samuel b. Naḥmani said: We learn it from here: In the Lord I will praise His word, in God I will praise His word (Psalm 56:11). In the Lord I will praise His word: this refers to benevolence [from God]. In God I will praise His word: this refers to suffering [from God]. R. Tanḥuma said: We learn it from here: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord (Psalm 116:13); I found trouble and sorrow, but I called upon the name of the Lord (Psalm 116:3–4).

The rabbis derive it from here: The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21).

R. Huna said in the name of Rav citing R. Meir, and so it was taught in the name of R. Akiva: A man should always accustom himself to say, “Whatever the Merciful One does is for good,” [as exemplified in] the following incident. Once R. Akiva was traveling along the road, and he came to a certain town and looked for a place to stay, but they would not provide it. He said, “Whatever the Merciful One does is for good,” and he went and slept in the open field. He had with him a cock, an ass, and a lamp. A gust of wind came and extinguished the lamp. A cat came and ate the cock. A lion came and ate the ass. He said, “Whatever the Merciful One does is for good.” The same night some brigands came and took the inhabitants of the town captive. He said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Whatever the Merciful One does is all for good?’”

b. Berakhot 31a–32a

R. Hamnuna said: How many significant [halakhot] can be derived from these verses [of the prayer] of Hannah? From And Hannah spoke in her heart, [only her lips moved and her voice could not be heard, so Eli thought her to be drunk] (1 Samuel 1:13). From here: And Hannah spoke in her heart, [we learn that—Ed.] one who prays must focus his heart [on his prayer].

From: Only her lips moved, [we learn that—Ed.] one who prays must enunciate with his lips.

From: And her voice could not be heard, [we learn that—Ed.] one is forbidden to raise his voice in his prayer. From: So Eli thought her to be drunk, [we learn that—Ed.] a drunk person is forbidden to pray.

And Eli said to her, “How long will you remain drunk? [Remove your wine from yourself”] (1 Samuel 1:14). R. Eleazar said: From here, [we learn that—Ed.] one who sees in another an unseemly matter, he must reprimand him.

And Hannah answered and she said, “No, my master, [I am a woman of sorrowful spirit, and I have drunk neither wine nor liquor, but I pour out my soul before the Lord”] (1 Samuel 1:15). Ulla, and some say R. Yosi ben Ḥanina, said: She said to him, “With regard to this matter, you are not a master, and the divine spirit does not rest upon you, as you suspect me of this.” Some say she said to him, “Aren’t you a master? Aren’t the divine presence and divine spirit with you that you judged me to be guilty, and you did not judge me to be innocent? Didn’t you know that I am a woman of distressed spirit? I have drunk neither wine nor liquor (ibid.).” R. Eleazar said: From here, [we learn—Ed.] that one who is suspected of something of which he is not [guilty] must inform [the one who suspects him that he is innocent].

Do not take your maidservant as a daughter of Belial [for out of the abundance of my complaint and anger have I spoken until now] (1 Samuel 1:16). R. Eleazar said: From here, [we learn—Ed.] that when a drunk person prays, it is as if he engaged in idol worship. It is written here: [Do not take your maidservant] as a daughter of Belial; [and] it is written there: Sons of Belial have gone out from your midst (Deuteronomy 13:14). Just as there [the term Belial indicates] idol worship, so too here [Belial indicates] idol worship.

And Eli answered and said, “May you go in peace” (1 Samuel 1:17). R. Eleazar said: From here, [we learn—Ed.] that one who suspects another of something that he has not [done], he must appease him. Moreover, [the one who suspected him] must bless him, as it is stated: And may the God of Israel grant your request (ibid.).

And she swore an oath and said, “Lord of Hosts” (1 Samuel 1:11). R. Eleazar said: From the day that the Holy One created His world, there was no person who called the Holy One Lord of Hosts until Hannah came and called Him Lord of Hosts. Hannah said before the Holy One, “Master of the Universe, of all of the hosts and hosts [of creations] that You created in Your world, is it difficult in Your eyes to grant me one son?”

[The Gemara suggests] a parable: To what is this similar? [To] a flesh-and-blood king who made a feast for his servants. A poor person came and stood at the door. He said to them: Give me one slice [of bread]! And they paid him no attention. He pushed and entered before the king. He said to him: My lord, the King, from this entire feast that you have prepared, is it so difficult in your eyes to give me a single slice [of bread]?

If you will look upon [‘im ra’oh tir’eh] (1 Samuel 1:11). R. Eleazar said: Hannah said before the Holy One: Master of the Universe, if You will look upon [ra’oh] [me now], fine, and if not, [in any case] You will see [tir’eh]. I will go and seclude myself [with another man] before Elkanah, my husband. Since I secluded myself, they will force me to drink the sotah water [to determine whether or not I have committed adultery. I will be found innocent,] and [since] You will not make Your Torah false, [I will bear children as the Torah] says: [And if the woman was not defiled, but was pure, then] she shall be acquitted, and she shall conceive (Numbers 5:28). [ . . . ]

And Hannah spoke on [i.e., about—Ed.] her heart (1 Samuel 1:13). R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Yosi ben Zimra: Concerning matters of her heart. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, [of] all [the organs] You created in a woman, You have not created one in vain: eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, a mouth to speak, hands with which to perform labor, feet with which to walk, breasts with which to nurse. These breasts that You placed upon my heart, to what [purpose did You place them? Was it] not to nurse with them? Grant me a son and I will nurse with them. [ . . . ]

And R. Eleazar said: Hannah spoke impertinently toward [God] on High. As it is stated: And she prayed onto [‘al, understood as “against”—Ed.] the Lord (1 Samuel 1:10) [as opposed to the common phrase: To the Lord. This] teaches that she spoke impertinently toward on High.

And R. Eleazar said: Elijah spoke impertinently toward [God] on High, as it is stated: And You have turned their hearts backward (1 Kings 18:37), [claiming that God caused Israel to sin]. R. Samuel bar R. Isaac said: From where do we know that the Holy One ultimately conceded to Elijah? As it is written: those with whom I have dealt in wickedness (Micah 4:6). [God states that He caused Israel to act wickedly.]

R. Ḥama, son of R. Ḥanina, said: Had it not been for these three verses, the legs of the enemies of Israel, [a euphemism for Israel itself,] would have collapsed, as [Israel would have been unable to withstand God’s judgment]. One [is the verse in which] it is written: Those whom I have dealt in wickedness (Micah 4:6). And one [is the verse in which] it is written: Behold, like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel (Jeremiah 18:6). And one [is the verse in which] it is written: And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). R. Papa said [there is a clearer proof] from here: And I will place My spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in My statutes (Ezekiel 36:27).

And R. Eleazar said: Moses spoke impertinently toward [God] on High, as it is stated: And Moses prayed to the Lord (Numbers 11:2). Do not read to [’el] the Lord, [but rather] onto [‘al] the Lord, [which indicates that he spoke impertinently]. As the school of R. Eliezer ben Jacob would read ’alef as ‘ayin and ‘ayin as ’alef [which is the difference between ’el and ‘al—Ed.].

The school of R. Yannai say: And Di-Zahav (Deuteronomy 1:1). What is and Di-Zahav? The school of R. Yannai said that Moses said the following before the Holy One: Master of the Universe, because of the gold [zahav] and silver that you lavished upon Israel [during the exodus from Egypt] until they said enough [dai], that caused [Israel] to make the [golden] calf.

The school of R. Yannai said: A lion does not roar over a basket of straw but over a basket of meat. R. Oshaya said: [This is] comparable to a person who had a lean but large-limbed cow. He fed it lupines, and [it started—Ed.] kicking him. He said to [the cow]: Who caused you [to begin] kicking me if not the lupines I fed you? [Here, too, the sin was caused by an abundance of good.]

R. Ḥiyya bar Abba said [that] R. Yoḥanan said: [This is] comparable to a person who had a son; he bathed him and anointed him [with oil], fed him and gave him drink, and hung a purse around his neck. [Then, he] brought [his son] to the entrance of a brothel. What could the son do to avoid sinning?

R. Aḥa son of R. Huna said [that] R. Sheshet said: That is what people say [in a popular maxim]: Filling his stomach is a type of sin, as it is stated: When they were fed and became full they were sated, and their hearts were lifted and they have forgotten Me (Hosea 13:6). R. Naḥman said: [This principle is derived not from the verse in Hosea, but] from here: And your heart is lifted and you forget the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:14). And the rabbis say from here: And they will have eaten and been sated and fattened, and they will turn [to other gods] (Deuteronomy 31:20).

And if you wish, say [instead that it is derived] from here: And Jeshurun grew fat and kicked (Deuteronomy 32:15). R. Samuel bar Naḥmani said that R. Jonathan said: From where [is it derived that] the Holy One ultimately conceded to Moses [that the reason for the sin of the golden calf was the riches lavished upon Israel]? As it is stated: And I gave them an abundance of silver and gold, which they used for the Baal (Hosea 2:10).

b. Berakhot 17a

[A pearl in the mouth of—Ed.] R. Meir: Study with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways and to be diligent at the doors of My Torah. Keep My Torah in your heart, and fear of Me should be before your eyes. Guard your mouth from all transgression, and purify and sanctify yourself from all fault and iniquity. And I will be with you everywhere.

[A pearl in the mouth of—Ed.] the sages in Yavneh: I am [God’s] creature and my counterpart is [God’s] creature. My work is in the city and his work is in the field. I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work. And just as he does not presume to [perform] my work, so I do not presume to [perform] his work. Lest you say: I [engage in Torah study] a lot, while he [only engages in Torah study] a little, it has been taught: One who brings a substantial [sacrifice] and one who brings a meager [sacrifice have equal merit], as long as he directs his heart toward heaven.

[A pearl in the mouth of—Ed.] Abaye: One must always be shrewd in fear [of heaven. One must fulfill the verse]: A soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1) [and take steps to] increase peace with one’s brethren and with one’s relatives, and with all people, even with a non-Jew in the marketplace, so that he will be loved above, pleasant below, and acceptable to all creatures. They said about Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in greeting, not even a non-Jew in the marketplace.

[A pearl in the mouth of—Ed.] Rava: The objective of wisdom [is] repentance and good deeds; that one should not read [the Torah] and study [Mishnah] and spurn his father and his mother and his teacher and one who is greater than he in wisdom or in number [of students], as it is stated: The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, a good understanding have all who fulfill them (Psalm 111:10). It is not stated: All who fulfill, but rather: All who fulfill them, [meaning] those who do [such deeds] for their own sake, not those who do them not for their own sake. [Rava continued]: One who does them not for their own sake, [it would have been] preferable for him had he not been created.

[A pearl in the mouth of—Ed.] Rav: The world to come is not like this world. In the world to come there is no eating, no drinking, no procreation, no negotiations, no jealousy, no hatred, and no competition. Rather, the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, enjoying the splendor of the divine presence, as it is stated: And they beheld God, and they ate and drank (Exodus 24:11).