Yerushalmi Berakhot 5:1 ירושלמי ברכות ה׳:א׳

MISHNAH: One starts to pray only in a serious frame of mind. The first Ḥasidim waited one hour¹In preparation, reciting Psalms. before praying in order to be able to concentrate. Even if the king greets one, he should not respond. Even if a snake is wound around one’s heel²As explained in the Halakhah, if one sees a snake attacking from a distance one must interrupt and flee, or kill the snake. The Mishnah speaks only about the snake already being wound around his leg without biting; probably that is a nonpoisonous snake., he should not interrupt.

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Abba: Prayer is forbidden to him who comes from a trip. What is the reason? (Is. 51:21) “Listen to that, poor woman, drunk and not from wine.³This proves that there is drunkenness not induced by alcohol. Formal prayer, the Amidah, is forbidden to a drunk. The parallel in the Babli (Eruvin 65a) even notes that after a lengthy caravan trip one needs three days to get one’s thoughts together.” Rebbi Zeriqan, Rebbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rebbi Eliezer, son of Rebbi Yose the Galilean⁴Tanna of the fourth generation, active in the aftermath of the war of Bar Kokhba. He tried to systematize aggadic interpretation of the Bible.: Prayer is forbidden to one in pain; is that not our verse: “Listen to that, poor woman, drunk and not from wine”?

It is stated⁶We have three versions of this formulation, in the Yerushalmi, the Babli (Berakhot 31a), and the Tosephta (3:21). The main difference in formulation is between the Tosephta and the Talmudim, since the Tosephta requires that one start prayer מתיך דברים של חכמה. In Mishnaic Hebrew, as in Modern Sephardic Hebrew usage, the Ḥakham is the rabbi, and dibrē ḥokhmāh are halakhic rulings; as in the following paragraph, practices universally accepted and not subject to doubt or discussion. From the order of the Yerushalmi it seems that in practice the text of the Yerushalmi should be interpreted as implying the statement of the Tosephta. The tradition of the Babli is uncertain; see Diqduqe Soferim, Berakhot, p. 160, note ר. The Venice print of the Babli requires that one start prayer “out of joy over commandments”. Rashi, the Munich manuscript of the Babli, Halakhot Gedolot and the students of Rabbenu Jonah have simply “out of joy.” The Koronel manuscript and Menorat Hamaör have “out of joy of Torah”, parallel to the Yerushalmi. A Florence manuscript that is typically Sephardic has “out of joy of Halakhah”, directly parallel to the Tosephta. Rabbenu Asher ben Yeḥiel (Rosh) has “out of words of joy”; the insistence on “words” is parallel to Yerushalmi and Tosephta. While the Babli in the printed version would refer to the state of mind required for the Amidah, as implied in the two rulings preceding this Tosephta in the Yerushalmi, the Tosephta and the Yerushalmi require the correct state of mind before one starts with the preparatory sections of prayer, even preceding the recitation of Shema‘. This seems also to be confirmed by the preparatory prayer reported later by R. Ḥizqiah in the name of R. Abbahu. Most of the variants of the Babli text would demand an interpretation similar to that of the Tosephta. All three versions agree that one should start afternoon prayers with a word of Torah or Halakhah directly before the Amidah.: “One should pray neither out of conversation, nor out of jokes, nor out of frivolities, nor out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah. Similarly, one should not take leave from one’s friend either out of conversation, or out of jokes, or out of frivolities, or out of idle occupations, but out of words of Torah, since we find that the earlier prophets were closing their words with expressions of praise and consolation.” Rebbi Eleazar said, except for Jeremiah who closed with words of reprobation. Rebbi Yoḥanan said to him, still he closed with words of consolation and said (Jer. 51:64) “So Babylon shall sink.” Because Jeremiah continued to prophesy about the Temple. One could think that he closed with the destruction of the Temple, but the verse states (Jer. 51:64) “So far the words of Jeremiah,” he finished with the downfall of its destroyers, he did not close with words of reprobation⁷The last chapter of the book of Jeremiah is not attributed by the Talmud to Jeremiah; it is a historical addition by the editor, Barukh ben Neriah.. But is it not written (Is. 66:24): “They will be a horror for all flesh?⁸Last verse in Isaiah.” That verse deals with Gentiles. But is it not written (Lament. 5:22): “But You much despised us⁹Last verse of Lamentations. A possible interpretation of the statement is that the last two verses of the book, chapter 5, were considered as one; then the book ends with a prayer.”? (Lament. 5:21) “Make us return” replaces “But You much despised us”. Also Elijah did take leave from Elisha only out of words of Torah, (2Kings 2:11) “they walked talking.” What did they talk of? Rebbi Aḥawa the son of Rebbi Zeïra¹⁰In the Babli, his name is R. Ahavah, son of Rebbi Zera, son of the famous Rebbi Zeïra. He was Tanna, a memorizer of tannaitic material, in his father’s Yeshivah. The entire section is a digression induced by the ancillary statements of the Tosephta. said, they discussed the recitation of Shema‘, (Deut. 6:7) “you should talk about them.” Rebbi Judah ben Pazi said, they were discussing Creation, (Ps. 33:6) “through the word of the Eternal the heavens were made.” Rebbi Yudan, the son of Rebbi Ayvu¹¹Rebbi Ayvu was one of the main promoters of Aggadah in the third generation of Amoraïm. He learned from all Galilean Amoraïm of the second generation. His son Rebbi Yudan might be the Rebbi Yudan who otherwise is quoted without mention of his father’s name., said, they were occupied with the consolations of Jerusalem, as you say (Is. 40:2) “Speak to Jerusalem’s heart.” But the rabbis say, they were occupied with the Divine Chariot, as you say (2Kings 2:11) “behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, etc.”

Rav Jeremiah said, one should start to pray only from a practical rule¹²In the Babli (31a), this is a baraita and is considered a contrast to, not an explanation of, the requirement of the Mishnah that one pray only in a serious frame of mind. In the Yerushalmi it is considered to be the genuine interpretation of the Mishnah. דין של הלכה means a practical ruling that is well established, that gives no cause for discussion which could interfere with the concentration needed for prayer. The Babli and the personalities whose practices in preparation of prayer are reported are so early that the name here must be Rav Jeremiah and not Rebbi Jeremiah.. Rav Jeremiah said, he who deals with public needs is like him who studies Torah¹³This Halakhah is not found in the Babli, so it is accepted there.. Rav Ḥuna said: a woman who saw a spot like a mustard seed sits and watches seven days of purification because of it¹⁴This appears in the Babli (31a) in the name of Rav Huna’s student Rebbi Zeïra. A menstruating woman is ritually unclean and prohibited from having sexual contact until seven days have passed. On the other hand, a woman having a discharge looking like blood is subject to quite different rules that are more lenient for an occasional occurence and much more strict for recurrent discharges. A decision about the character of the discharge can be made only by a competent rabbi. In theory all women should show their discharges to a rabbi. Even in the time of the Temple, that was a practice only of wives of Cohanim who had to minimize their time of impurity by all means. It may be assumed that all other women chose to follow the method described here, to consider any discharge as a recurrent discharge and to wait seven days after the last day of discharge. In that way, no problems arise that would require a rabbi in intimate matters. Since this is a stringency adopted by Jewish women in excess of the strict Biblical law, there cannot be any rabbinic discussion about limits or details.; then he stood up and prayed. Zeïra bar Ḥinena¹⁵Galilean Amora of the second generation. He was once imprisoned by Zenobia, queen of Palmyra, and saved by the intervention of Rebbi Ammi and Rebbi Samuel. The parallel in the Babli (31a) is ascribed to Zeïri, a contemporary of Zeïra and student of Rav. said: He who draws blood from a dedicated animal committed larceny¹⁶An animal dedicated as sacrifice in the Temple cannot be used for any other purpose whatsoever, not even to draw blood from it.; that is one of the decided practices. Bar Qappara stated: Eleven days between periods is a practice taught to Moses at Sinai¹⁷If a woman has a discharge between the 8th and the 19th day of the begin of her last period, that discharge cannot be menstrual blood and must be treated by the rules of -זבה discharge. This is a tradition ascribed to Moses and, therefore, is a fact not subject to discussion.. Rebbi Hoshaiah stated: One may add produce on the stalk and be tricky in order to free it from tithes¹⁸Grain is subject to Terumah and tithes after the harvest, when it is separated from the stalk and collected in heaps or silos. By a rabbinic ordinance, it is forbidden to eat grain on the stalk as a meal, once it has been transported from the field to the farmhouse or barn. However, eating it as snack from the grain on the stalk is still permitted. Now Rebbi Hoshaiah approves of setting aside as much of the produce for animal feed as one desires, without incurring an obligation for Terumah and tithes. This is also quoted as beyond doubt in Babli 31a.. Abdan asked Rebbi: How many levels¹⁹Of derivative impurity. If originally impure matter (אב הטומאה “father of impurity”) touches something that can become impure, the latter becomes “first in impurity”. If a “first in impurity” touches other secular matter, nothing happens except if that matter is food, it will become “second in impurity”. If “second in impurity” touches anything secular, nothing happens, but if it touches either terumah or sacrificial meat, these become “third in impurity”. Sacrifial meat only can become “fourth in impurity” which will make it unusable either for the altar or for consumption by Cohanim. (Mishnah Ḥagigah 2:3, Tahorot 2:1). The additional levels of impurity are a rabbinic institution, not subject to discussion. are there for dedicated things? He answered him: four. And how many levels for Terumah? He answered: three, then he stood up and prayed.

Rebbi Ḥizqiah, Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: The following verse should never leave your lips²⁰Meaning, they should be mentioned in every prayer service. However, in current rituals, the verses are used only in the morning service and the קדושה דסדרא.: (Ps. 46:12) “The Eternal of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is a refuge to us, Selah”. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abin, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan and the colleagues: (Ps. 84:13) “O Eternal of hosts, hail to the man who trusts in You”.

Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: May it be please You, o Eternal, our God and God of our fathers, that You may save us from agressive, hard, evil hours that organize to come upon the world²¹This is clearly a supplication to be recited before the start of formal prayers, see the discussion above; in our prayerbooks its equivalent is a modification of a prayer of Rav (Babli Berakhot 16b)..

“One starts to pray only in a serious frame of mind.”²²With this quote from the Mishnah, the detailed discussion starts. The following verses seek to prove that a serious state of mind is required in a place of holiness (Babli 30b). Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, (Ps. 29:2) “Bow down before the Eternal in the splendor of the sanctuary,” in fear of the holy²³In some Galilean and all Babylonian dialects, ה and ח sounded the same and were not distinguished. In other dialects, the sounds were close.. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, (Ps. 2:11) “Serve the Eternal in fear, rejoice in trembling.” Rebbi Aḥa said, when an evil day should come, you may rejoice²⁴The person to rejoice even in bad times is the Just, who has nothing to fear. In the opinion of Tosaphot (Berakhot 31a, s. v. במקום), R. Aḥa gives the simple sense of the verse, in contrast to the homiletics of R. Yose ben R. Ḥanina..

Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, he who is about to pray has to sit down twice. Once before he prays and once after he prays. Before he prays, (Ps. 84:5) “Hail to those who sit in Your house.” Once after he prays, (Ps. 140:14) “But the righteous will thank Your name, the upright ones will sit before You.²⁵Under the influence of the tradition given in the next paragraph, the parallel of the Babli (32b) requires in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi that one sit in the synagogue one hour each before and after prayer. “One hour” probably means “some time.” The argument given here is that in Ps. 84 there is no qualification for those in God’s house, but in Ps. 140 this is restricted to the righteous, those who have fulfilled their obligation in praying.”

“The first Ḥasidim waited one hour before praying,²⁶Quote from the Mishnah.” they prayed for one hour and waited an hour after their prayer. When did they study Torah? When did they work? Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar²⁷The explanation of R. Isaac ben R. Eleazar is part of the baraita in the Babli (32b); this may indicate that the author here is the earlier of two Amoraïm of that name, a student of R. Yoḥanan. The Babli, which notes explicitly that the pious were spending 9 hours in prayer, must take “an hour” in its exact sense; the Yerushalmi may accept “an hour” as “some time”. On the other hand, the replacement of “sitting down” by “waiting” may indicate that in this paragraph ישב has its original Biblical meaning of “being occupied, being at one’s regular place of business.” said, because they were pious, their study was blessed and their work was blessed.

Ḥuna²⁸The parallel in the Babli (6b) shows that this is Rav Huna, the Babylonian. Authors of later generations in the Babli attenuate this statement to label as criminals only those who pray behind the synagogue facing away from the building; this is not accepted in the Yerushalmi. said, he who prays behind the synagogue is called criminal as it is said (Ps. 12:9) “Criminals walk around.” Rav Ḥuna²⁹In the (Yerushalmi) Midrash Tehillim the parallel statement is one of R. Joshua ben Levi, the author of the preceding homiletics, and is part of his homiletics on Ps. 84:5. said, one who does not enter a synagogue in this world will not enter the synagogue in the future world. What is the reason? (Ps. 12:9) “Criminals walk around.”

Rebbi Yoḥanan said: He who prays in his own house is as if he were surrounded by an iron wall³⁰I. e., his prayer is not heard because he is enclosed by such a wall. (Interpretation of R. Solomon Cirillo.). The argument of Rebbi Yoḥanan is inverted. There³¹Chapter 4, Halakhah 4. Rebbi Abba said, Rebbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan, one has to pray at a place that is dedicated to prayer³²Not necessarily in the synagogue, but in one’s own house only at a place that is dedicated to prayer. Hence, private prayer is acceptable and no wall will hinder the prayer from being heard.. And here he says that? One is about a single person, the other about the public³³A person living at a place where there is no synagogue has to pray at a dedicated place in his house. If, however, there is public prayer at his place of residence then private prayer in one’s house will not be heard. However, that statement is relativized by the statement of Rebbi Abbahu below that a place of Torah study is equal (or superior) to a synagogue..

Rebbi Phineas in the name of Rebbi Hoshaiah: He who prays in the synagogue is as if he had sacrificed a pure flour offering. What is the reason? (Is. 66:20) “As the children of Israel bring flour offering in a pure vessel in the Eternal’s House.³⁶Since the actual flour offering was brought by the Cohanim, the prophet speaks here of a symbolic act.” Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: (Is. 55:6) “Seek the Eternal where He is to be found”. Where is He to be found? In synagogues and houses of study. “Call on Him when He is close.” Where is He close? In synagogues and houses of study. Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar said, not only that but their God stands over them. What is the reason? (Ps. 82:1) “God stands in the assembly of the mighty; from the inside God will judge.”

Rav Ḥisda said: He who enters the synagogue must enter inside two doors. What is the reason (Prov. 8:34) “Hail to the man who listens to Me, always to be diligent at My doors³⁷The verse is spoken by Wisdom (or the Torah) but is interpreted as God’s word..” My doors and not my door. Doorposts and not doorpost³⁸This refers to the end of the verse which is omitted here: “To guard the doorposts of my entrances always.”. If he did that, what is written there? (Prov. 8:35) “Because he who found Me found life.³⁹In the Babli (8b), the statement of Rav Ḥisda appears without justification, but it follows a statement of R. Joshua ben Levi that he who frequents the synagogue will live long and which is supported by the two verses quoted here. Hence, the Babli is dependent on the Yerushalmi in this case.”

Rav Ḥuna said: He who goes to the synagogue must be light-footed. What is the reason? (Hos. 6:3) “We shall know, let us run to know the Eternal.” But when one leaves, one has to go in small steps. What is the reason? (Job 14:16) “For now You will count my steps.⁴¹In the Babli (6b), Rav Ḥuna is credited only with the second statement (without supporting verse). The first statement, with the supporting verse, is given by Abbaye, two generations later; clearly under the influence of the Yerushalmi tradition.”

Rebbi Yoḥanan said: A covenant is sealed that he who labors at his studies in the synagogue will not quickly forget. Rebbi Ḥanina from Ein Tana said: A covenant is sealed that he who labors at his studies in modesty will not quickly forget. What is the reason? (Prov. 11:2) “Wisdom is with the modest.” Rebbi Yoḥanan said: A covenant is sealed that he who studies homiletics from a book will not quickly forget. Rebbi Tanḥum said: He who understands what he has learned will not quickly forget. What is the reason? (Deut. 4:9) “That you shall not forget the things your eyes understood.⁴²The order of the items is not correct; it is better in the Rome manuscript and the fragments of the Yerushalmi from the Genizah: First come the two statements of the second generation Rebbi Yoḥanan. The first one is a continuation of the description of good behavior in the synagogue; the synagogue is a good place for study between times for prayer. The second statement appears here because it is from R. Yoḥanan; it is a polemic against the opinion of R. Joshua ben Levi (Yerushalmi Šabbat 16:1) that homiletics is a part of “oral Torah” that may not be written down. Next comes the statement of R. Ḥanina of Ein Tana, Amora of the fourth generation and student of R. Zeïra. (His name is corrupted in the Venice print to R. Yoḥanan of Ein Tana; it is correct in the Rome ms. Ein Tana was a place near Sepphoris.) At the end comes the statement of the fifth generation Rebbi Tanḥum (Tanḥuma bar Abba, the first known author of a collection of Midrashim and greatest of the preachers of the period of the Talmud Yerushalmi).”

Rebbi Jonah in the name of Rebbi Tanḥum ben Rebbi Ḥiyya⁴³The parallel in the Babli (55b) contains two traditions. The first one, attributed to the earlier R. Yoḥanan, is that one should assemble three people (a court of law) and declare before them: I saw a good dream. They should answer: It is good, should be good, the All-Merciful shall turn it into a good one sevenfold; may they decree from heaven that it should be good. Then they should recite the verses given here at the end, add three verses of peace and three of redemption. The second one, of Rav Ashi, Amemar, and Mar Zuṭra, two generations later than the authors in the Yerushalmi, has a text similar to the one given here but without the verses. Hence, the Yerushalmi represents an intermediate stage in the development of this prayer. The Babli requires, in contrast to the Yerushalmi, that the prayer be said during the priestly blessing given at morning prayers., He who sees a disquieting dream must say: “May it be Your pleasure, o Eternal, my God and God of my fathers, that all my dreams that I dreamed, in this night or in any other night, whether I dreamed or others dreamed about me, if they are good they should be fulfilled for me in enjoyment and joy, blessing and life. If they are something else then, just as You turned bitter water to sweet waters, the waters of Jericho to sweet ones through Elisha, and the curse of the son of Beör to a blessing, so may You turn all bad dreams, including what others dreamed about me, to good, blessing, healing, life, joy and enjoyment, and peace. (Ps. 30:12–13) ‘You turned my wailing into a dance, you opened my sackcloth and girded me with joy. So that the liver may sing to You and never be silent; o Eternal, my God, I shall eternally thank You! (Deut. 23:6) The Eternal, your God, refused to listen to Bileam, the Eternal, your God, turned curse into blessing since the Eternal, your God, loves you. (Jer. 31:12) Then the maiden will rejoice in dance, young and old men together; I shall turn their mourning to enjoyment and I shall console them and give them joy out of their hurt.’ ”

“Even if the king greets one, he should not respond.⁴⁴Quote from the Mishnah, title of the following discussion. The statement of R. Aḥa is quoted in the Babli (32b) in the name of the slightly earlier Rav Joseph.” Rebbi Aḥa said, that is, if the greeter is a king of Israel. But one returns greeting from a Gentile king. It was stated⁴⁵Slightly different versions appear in Tosephta Berakhot3:22,Massekhet Soferim 5:6.: If one is writing a Divine name, then even if the king greets him, he should not respond. If he is writing two or three Names, e. g. (Jos. 22:22) “Powerful, God, Eternal”, he finishes one of them⁴⁶The one he is currently writing. and then responds to the greeting.

Rebbi Yoḥanan⁴⁷The following notes show that the permission to accomodate Gentile rulers is not prescriptive but can be disregarded by genuinely holy men (though not by any other Jew.) The stories are ordered by rank of the Gentile involved. Rebbi Yoḥanan was reciting Shema‘ when the ἄρχων, the prefect of the district, passed by. He was in danger to be beaten up by prefect’s bodygard but, as ruler of a city with an important Jewish population, he was acquainted with their behavior and their adherence to the νόμος, “the law” of the Torah. was sitting and reciting in front of the Babylonian synagogue of Sepphoris. The prefect passed by and he did not get up before him. They wanted to whip him; he said to them: Let him, he is occupied in the laws of his Creator. Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi appeared before the proconsul⁴⁸Ἀνθύπατος “proconsul”, the Roman governor of an entire province. Both prefect and proconsul were also the local military commanders. of Caesarea. He saw them and rose before them. They said to him, you get up before these Jews? He said to them, I saw faces of angels. Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Jose appeared before Ursicinus⁴⁹The general in charge of all of Syria and Palestine under the Caesar Gallus, around 350 C. E. in Antiochia. He saw them and rose before them. They said to him, you get up before these Jews? He said, I win in battle if I see the faces of these. Rebbi Abun appeared before the king⁵⁰The “king” is either the emperor Diocletian or one of his immediate successors, so probably R. Abun here is R. Abun II. Diocletian changed the formally republican Roman principate into an absolute monarchy in which the sacred person of the emperor required veneration as a godlike person (this was not abolished by his Christian successors.) In particular, after an audience the visitor was supposed to walk backwards with his face always towards the throne. R. Abun’s act was one of denial of the godlike nature of the king. After this incident, R. Abun escaped to Babylonia, as noted in Babli Ḥulin 106a, “when Rabin came, it was because he was in danger of being killed.”. When he left, he turned his neck. They came and wanted to kill him but they saw two sparks of fire emanating from his neck, so they let him go, to affirm what is said (Deut. 28:10): “All peoples of the earth will see that the Name of the Eternal is called over you and they will be afraid of you.⁵¹This is a reference to a statement in Babli 6a: “All peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Eternal is called over you and they will be afraid of you;” the great Rebbi Eliezer said: These are the tefillin on the head. It can be safely assumed that this statement of an Israeli Tanna was known to the editors of the Yerushalmi, so they had no need for an explicit statement that the sparks came from the straps of R. Abun’s tefillin.”

Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: “All peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Eternal is called over you”, all - even spirits and demons. Rebbi Yannai and Rebbi Jonathan were promenading in a forest⁵²The hapax אסלטין seems to be Latin saltus, “forest”. The Rome ms. reading is אסרטין, Latin strata, “street”, Genizah fragments read אסטדין “stadion.” The forest is a more likely place to find promenading rabbis greeted by a demon.. One saw them, greeted them, and said: “Peace upon you, rabbis.” They said, even the religious title does not harm us.

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish⁵⁴This paragraph is a connection between the preceding and the following ones. First, it shows that great scholars are apt to be absent-minded (and, hence, may not notice the presence of potentially dangerous men or situations) and, second, to show that even snakes can be helpful to Torah sages. was thinking very hard about Torah. He overstepped the Sabbath boundary without noticing it, to confirm (Prov. 5:19): “In its love you will always err.” Rebbi Yudan ben Rebbi Ismael was thinking very hard about Torah. His toga slipped off from him and he did not notice it, to confirm: “In its love you will always err.” Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon was thinking very hard about Torah. His toga slipped off from him but a viper was caring for it. His students told him: Teacher, your toga has slipped off. He said to them, does this evil one not care for it?

“Even if a snake is wound around one’s heel, one should not interrupt.” Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Yose: They mentioned only a snake, but for a scorpion he interrupts⁵⁵In the Babli (33a), the statement is in the name of the earlier Rav Sheshet; no reason is given there.. Why, because it stings repeatedly. Rebbi Ilaï said: They stated only “wound around”, but if a snake is attacking him, he hides before him but he should not interrupt his prayer. It is stated: If he was praying in a thoroughfare or on a square⁵⁶Greek πλατεῖα (ὁδός) “wide open” (road). “Cart” is from Greek κάρρος, κάρρον. “Thoroughfare” is also found in Arabic as صرآط צִרַאט. he removes himself from before a donkey or before a cart but he should not interrupt his prayer⁵⁷The Babli (32a) states that one should shorten his prayer (by reciting only the final doxologies of all the remaining benedictions). R. Isaac Alfassi’s version is: “If he can shorten, he should shorten, and if not, he should interrupt.” In the Yerushalmi, one is permitted in an emergency to change his place and then continue with prayer at another place, but in the Babli the prayer is interrupted automatically if one moves..

They said about Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa⁵⁸Tanna of the first generation, from lower Galilee, companion of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai. He is the perfectly holy man who never committed a single sin. All his traditions are about ethical maxims. A text close to the present one [without the Aramaic insert] appears in Tosephta Berakhot 3:30; a very different version is in Babli 33a. that he was standing in prayer when a brightly dotted snake⁵⁹In Biblical Hebrew, חברברוֹת are the spots of a leopard. The root חבר “to shine” appears once more in the Bible (Job 16:4); in Arabic the parallel root is חבר “to be richly ornamented” [distinguished from Hebrew חבר, Arabic ח̇בר, “to be joined”.] The word could also denote a brightly striped snake. The more brightly a snake is colored, the more poisonous it is. came and bit him. He did not interrupt his prayer. They went and found that dotted snake lying dead at the entrance of its hole. They said, woe to the human who is bitten by a dotted snake, but woe to the dotted snake that bites Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa. [What is the nature of that dotted snake? If it bites a human and the human reaches water first, the dotted snake dies, but if the dotted snake reaches water first, the human dies.] His students asked him: Rabbi, did you not notice? He said to them: There should happen to me these things⁶⁰A formula of affirmation, taking the place of an oath.; I was concentrating on my prayer and did not notice! Rebbi Isaac ben Eleazar⁶¹This Amoraic addition belongs to the explanation given in the insert and is not part of the baraita tradition. said, the Holy One, praise to Him, created a well under his foot soles, to confirm what has been said (Ps. 145: 19): “He will do the will of those who fear Him, He will hear their entreaties and save them.”