The Synagogue as the Place for Prayer

4b

Actually, [the rabbis] hold in accordance with [the opinion of] Rabban Gamaliel, [and the fact] that they say until midnight is [in order] to distance a person from transgression. As it was taught [in a baraita], the rabbis created a “fence” for their pronouncements [with regard to the recitation of the Shema‘] in order to prevent [a situation where] a person comes home from the field in the evening, [tired from his day’s work, and knowing that he is permitted to recite the Shema‘ until dawn] says [to himself]: I will go home, eat a little, drink a little, sleep a little, and then I will recite [the Shema‘] and recite [the evening prayer. In the meantime,] he is overcome by sleep and ends up sleeping all night. However, [since one is concerned lest he fall asleep and fail to wake up before midnight in order to recite the Shema‘ at the appropriate time,] he will come from the field in the evening, enter the synagogue, [and until it is time to pray, he will immerse himself in Torah]. If he is accustomed to reading the Bible, he reads. If he is accustomed to learning [mishnayot, a more advanced level of study], he learns. And [then] he recites [the Shema‘] and prays [as he should. When he arrives home,] he eats his meal [with a contented heart] and recites a blessing. [ . . . ]

6a–b

It was taught [in a baraita that] Abba Benjamin said: One’s prayer is only [fully] heard in a synagogue, as it is stated [with regard to King Solomon’s prayer in the Temple: Yet have You turned toward the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, Lord my God,] to listen to the song and the prayer [which Your servant prays before You on this day (1 Kings 8:28). The following verse concludes: To hear the prayer Your servant directs toward this place (1 Kings 8:29). It may be inferred that] in a place of song, [a synagogue where God’s praises are sung,] there prayer should be.

[In explaining Abba Benjamin’s statement,] Ravin bar R. Ada said [that] R. Isaac said: From where [is it derived] that the Holy One is located in a synagogue? As it is stated: God stands in the congregation of God; [in the midst of the judges He judges (Psalm 82:1). The congregation of God is the place where people congregate to sing God’s praises, and God is located among His congregation]. [ . . . ]

R. Huna said: One who prays behind the synagogue is called wicked, [as while the entire congregation is facing one direction to pray, he faces the opposite direction, creating the impression that he is treating the synagogue and its congregation with contempt]. As it is stated: The wicked walk round about [when vileness is exalted among the sons of men (Psalm 12:9). In other words, only the wicked walk round about the synagogue in order to pray.]

Abaye said: This [halakhah] was said only [in a case] where one does not turn his face toward the synagogue. But [where] he turns his face toward the synagogue [and prays], we have no [prohibition] in [that case].