| 6a. אמר ר' יוסי ברבי חנינא זוכה לברכות הללו שנאמר (ישעיהו מח, יח) לוא הקשבת למצותי ויהי כנהר שלומך וצדקתך כגלי הים ויהי כחול זרעך וצאצאי מעיך וגו':,תניא אבא בנימין אומר אלמלי נתנה רשות לעין לראות אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד מפני המזיקין,אמר אביי אינהו נפישי מינן וקיימי עלן כי כסלא לאוגיא,אמר רב הונא כל חד וחד מינן אלפא משמאליה ורבבתא מימיניה,אמר רבא האי דוחקא דהוי בכלה מנייהו הוי הני ברכי דשלהי מנייהו הני מאני דרבנן דבלו מחופיא דידהו הני כרעי דמנקפן מנייהו,האי מאן דבעי למידע להו לייתי קיטמא נהילא ונהדר אפורייה ובצפרא חזי כי כרעי דתרנגולא האי מאן דבעי למחזינהו ליתי שלייתא דשונרתא אוכמתא בת אוכמתא בוכרתא בת בוכרתא ולקליה בנורא ולשחקיה ולימלי עיניה מניה וחזי להו ולשדייה בגובתא דפרזלא ולחתמי' בגושפנקא דפרזלא דילמא גנבי מניה ולחתום פומיה כי היכי דלא ליתזק רב ביבי בר אביי עבד הכי חזא ואתזק בעו רבנן רחמי עליה ואתסי:,תניא אבא בנימין אומר אין תפלה של אדם נשמעת אלא בבית הכנסת שנאמר (מלכים א ח, כח) לשמוע אל הרנה ואל התפלה במקום רנה שם תהא תפלה,אמר רבין בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק מנין שהקב"ה מצוי בבית הכנסת שנאמר (תהלים פב, א) אלהים נצב בעדת אל,ומנין לעשרה שמתפללין ששכינה עמהם שנאמר אלהים נצב בעדת אל,ומנין לשלשה שיושבין בדין ששכינה עמהם שנאמר (תהלים פב, א) בקרב אלהים ישפוט,ומנין לשנים שיושבים ועוסקין בתורה ששכינה עמהם שנאמר (מלאכי ג, טז) אז נדברו יראי ה' איש אל רעהו ויקשב ה' וגו',מאי (מלאכי ג, טז) ולחושבי שמו אמר רב אשי חשב אדם לעשות מצוה ונאנס ולא עשאה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו עשאה,ומנין שאפילו אחד שיושב ועוסק בתורה ששכינה עמו שנאמר (שמות כ, כד) בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבוא אליך וברכתיך,וכי מאחר דאפילו חד תרי מבעיא תרי מכתבן מלייהו בספר הזכרונות חד לא מכתבן מליה בספר הזכרונות,וכי מאחר דאפי' תרי תלתא מבעיא מהו דתימא דינא שלמא בעלמא הוא ולא אתיא שכינה קמ"ל דדינא נמי היינו תורה,וכי מאחר דאפי' תלתא עשרה מבעיא עשרה קדמה שכינה ואתיא תלתא עד דיתבי:,א"ר אבין בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק מנין שהקב"ה מניח תפילין שנאמר (ישעיהו סב, ח) נשבע ה' בימינו ובזרוע עוזו,בימינו זו תורה שנאמר (דברים לג, ב) מימינו אש דת למו ובזרוע עוזו אלו תפילין שנאמר (תהלים כט, יא) ה' עוז לעמו יתן,ומנין שהתפילין עוז הם לישראל דכתי' (דברים כח, י) וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך ותניא ר' אליעזר הגדול אומר אלו תפילין שבראש,א"ל רב נחמן בר יצחק לרב חייא בר אבין הני תפילין דמרי עלמא מה כתיב בהו א"ל (דברי הימים א יז, כא) ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ,ומי משתבח קוב"ה בשבחייהו דישראל אין דכתיב (דברים כו, יז) את ה' האמרת היום (וכתיב) וה' האמירך היום אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל אתם עשיתוני חטיבה אחת בעולם ואני אעשה אתכם חטיבה אחת בעולם,אתם עשיתוני חטיבה אחת בעולם שנאמר (דברים ו, ד) שמע ישראל ה' אלהינו ה' אחד ואני אעשה אתכם חטיבה אחת בעולם שנאמר ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ,אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי תינח בחד ביתא בשאר בתי מאי,א"ל (דברים ד, ז) כי מי גוי גדול ומי גוי גדול (דברים לג, כט) אשריך ישראל (דברים ד, לד) או הנסה אלהים (דברים כו, יט)ולתתך עליון,אי הכי נפישי להו טובי בתי אלא כי מי גוי גדול ומי גוי גדול דדמיין להדדי בחד ביתא אשריך ישראל ומי כעמך ישראל בחד ביתא או הנסה אלהים בחד ביתא ולתתך עליון בחד ביתא | 6a. In terms of this reward, bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina said:One who waits in the synagogue for the other to finish his prayer bmerits the following blessings, as it is stated: “If only you had listened to My mitzvot then your peace would be as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea. Your seed would be as the sand, and the offspring of your bodylike the grains thereof; his name would be neither cut off nor destroyed from before Me” (Isaiah 48:18–19). The explanation of this passage is based on the etymological similarity between the word mitzva and the word itzevet /i, which means group. If he keeps the other person company and does not abandon him after his prayer, all of the blessings that appear later in the verse will be fulfilled in him ( iTalmidei Rabbeinu Yona /i).,In another ibaraita bit was taughtthat bAbba Binyamin says: If the eye was given permission to see, no creature would be able to withstand theabundance and ubiquity of the bdemonsand continue to live unaffected by them.,Similarly, bAbaye said: They are more numerous than weare band they stand over us like mounds of earth surrounding a pit. /b, bRav Huna said: Each and every one of us has a thousanddemons bto his left and ten thousand to his right.God protects man from these demons, as it says in the verse: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; they will not approach you” (Psalms 91:7).,Summarizing the effects of the demons, bRava said: br bThe crowding at the ikalla /i,the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar, bis fromthe demons; br bthose knees that are fatiguedeven though one did not exert himself bis fromthe demons; br bthose clothes of the Sages that wear out,despite the fact that they do not engage in physical labor, bis from frictionwith the demons; br bthose feet that are in pain is fromthe demons., bOne who seeks to knowthat the demons exist bshould place fine ashes around his bed, and in the morningthe demons’ footprints bappear like chickens’ footprints,in the ash. bOne who seeks to see them should take the afterbirth of a firstborn female black cat, born to a firstborn female black cat, burn it in the fire, grind it and place it in his eyes, and he will see them.He must then bplacethe ashes bin an iron tube sealed with an iron seal [ igushpanka /i] lest the demons steal it from him, andthen bseal the openingso bhe will not be harmed. Rav Beivai bar Abaye performed thisprocedure, bsawthe demons, band was harmed. The Sages prayed for mercy on hisbehalf band he was healed. /b, bIt was taughtin a ibaraitathat bAbba Binyamin said: One’s prayer is onlyfully bheard in a synagogue, as it is statedwith 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, bto listen to the song and the prayerwhich Your servant prays before You on this day” (I Kings 8:28). The following verse concludes: “To hear the prayer Your servant directs toward this place” (I Kings 8:29). We see that one’s prayer is heard specifically in the Temple, of which the synagogue is a microcosm (Rav Yoshiyahu Pinto). It may be inferred that bin a place of song,a synagogue where God’s praises are sung, bthere prayer should be. /b,In explaining Abba Binyamin’s statement, bRavin bar Rav Adda saidthat bRabbi Yitzḥak said: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, is located in a synagogue? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God;in the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalms 82:1). The congregation of God is the place where people congregate to sing God’s praises, and God is located among His congregation., bAnd from whereis it derived that bten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God,”and the minimum number of people that constitute a congregation is a quorum of ten., bFrom whereis it derived bthat three who sit in judgment, the Divine Presence is with them?It is derived from this same verse, bas it is stated: “In the midst of the judges He judges,”and the minimum number of judges that comprises a court is three., bFrom whereis it derived bthat two who sit and engage in Torahstudy, bthe Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with the other, and the Lord listened,and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that fear the Lord, and that think upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). The Divine Presence listens to any two God-fearing individuals who speak with each other.,With regard to this verse, the Gemara asks: bWhatis the meaning of the phrase, b“And that think upon His name”? Rav Ashi said:If ba person intended to perform a mitzva, but due tocircumstances bbeyondhis bcontrol, he did not perform it, the verse ascribes himcredit bas if he performedthe mitzva, as he is among those that think upon His name.,The Gemara returns to Ravin bar Rav Adda’s statement: bAnd from whereis it derived bthat when even one who sits and engages in Torahstudy, bthe Divine Presence is with him? As it is stated: “In every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you”(Exodus 20:21); God blesses even a single person who mentions God’s name, a reference to Torah study ( iIyyun Ya’akov /i).,The Gemara asks: bSincethe Divine Presence rests bevenupon bonewho engages in Torah study, bwas it necessaryto say that the Divine Presence rests upon btwowho study Torah together? The Gemara answers: There is a difference between them. bTwopeople, btheir wordsof Torah bare written in the book of remembrance,as it is stated: “And a book of remembrance was written”; however ba singleindividual’s bwordsof Torah bare not written in a book of remembrance. /b,The Gemara continues: bSincethe Divine Presence rests bevenupon btwowho engage in Torah study, is it bnecessaryto mention bthree?The Gemara answers: Here too, a special verse is necessary blest you say that judgment is merely tokeep the bpeaceamong the citizenry, band the Divine Presence does not comeand rest upon those who sit in judgment as they are not engaged in Torah study. Ravin bar Rav Adda bteaches us thatsitting in bjudgment is also Torah. /b,The Gemara asks: bSincethe Divine Presence rests bevenupon bthree,is it bnecessaryto mention bten?The Gemara answers: bThe Divine Presence arrives before a group of ten,as the verse: “God stands in the congregation of God,” indicates that when the ten individuals who comprise a congregation arrive, the Divine Presence is already there. For a group of bthreejudges, however, the Divine Presence does not arrive buntil they sitand begin their deliberations, as in the midst of the judges He judges. God aids them in their judgment, but does not arrive before them.,The Gemara cites another aggadic statement: bRabbi Avin bar Rav Adda saidthat bRabbi Yitzḥak said: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, wears phylacteries? As it is stated: “The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength”(Isaiah 62:8). Since it is customary to swear upon holy objects, it is understood that His right hand and the arm of His strength are the holy objects upon which God swore.,Specifically, b“His right hand” refers to the Torah, as it is statedin describing the giving of the Torah: b“From His right hand, a fiery law for His people”(Deuteronomy 33:2). b“The arm of His strength,”His left hand, brefers to phylacteries, as it is stated: “The Lord gave strength to His nation”(Psalms 29:11), in the form of the mitzva of phylacteries.,The Gemara asks: bAnd from whereis it derived bthat phylacteries provide strength for Israel? As it is written: “And all the nations of the land shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you”(Deuteronomy 28:10). bIt was taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Eliezer the Great says: This isa reference to bthe phylacteries of the head,upon which the name of God is written in fulfillment of the verse: “That the name of the Lord is called upon you.”, bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin: What is written in the phylacteries of the Master of the world? Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin replied:It is written: b“Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?”(I Chronicles 17:21). God’s phylacteries serve to connect Him, in a sense, to the world, the essence of which is Israel.,Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak continues: bIs the Holy One, Blessed be He, glorified through the glory of Israel?Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin answered: bYes,as indicated by the juxtaposition of two verses; bas it is stated: “You have affirmed, this day,that bthe Lordis your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His laws and commandments, and listen to His voice.” bAnd thesubsequent bverse states: “And the Lord has affirmed, this day,that byouare His treasure, as He spoke to you, to keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 26:17–18). From these two verses it is derived that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: You have made Me a single entity [ iḥativa /i] in the world,as you singled Me out as separate and unique. bAndbecause of this, bI will make you a single entity in the world,and you will be a treasured nation, chosen by God., bYou have made Me a single entity in the world, as it is statedthat Israel declares God’s oneness by saying: b“Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One”(Deuteronomy 6:4). bAndbecause of this, bI will make you a single entity in the world,unique and elevated with the utterance: b“Who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?”Consequently, the Holy One, Blessed be He, is glorified through the glory of Israel whose praises are written in God’s phylacteries., bRav Aḥa, son of Rava said to Rav Ashi: It works out wellwith regard to the contents of boneof the four bcompartmentsof God’s phylacteries of the head. However, all four compartments of Israel’s phylacteries of the head contain portions of the Torah that praise God. bWhatportions in praise of Israel are written in bthe rest of the compartmentsof God’s phylacteries of the head?,Rav Ashi bsaid to him:In those three compartments it is written: b“For who is a great nation,to whom God is close, like the Lord our God whenever we call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7); b“And who is a great nation,who has righteous statutes and laws, like this entire Torah which I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:8); b“Happy are you, Israel,who is like you? A people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and that is the sword of your excellence. And your enemies shall dwindle away before you, and you shall tread upon their high places” (Deuteronomy 33:29); b“Or has God attemptedto go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs and by wonders” (Deuteronomy 4:34); b“And to elevate youabove all nations that He has made, in praise, in name and in glory; that you may be a holy people to the Lord, your God, as He has spoken” (Deuteronomy 26:19).,Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, raises an objection: bIfall of these verses are included in God’s phylacteries of the head, bthere are too many compartmentsas more than four verses of praise were listed. bRather,the portions in God’s phylacteries must be arranged as follows: The verses b“For who is a great nation” and “And who is a great nation”are included bin one compartment,as they are similar. b“Happy are you, Israel” and "Who is like your people, Israel" are in one compartment. “Or has God attempted” is in one compartment and “And to elevate you” isin one bcompartment /b |
