Study Berakhot folio 11A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
גמ׳ בשלמא בית הלל — קא מפרשי טעמייהו וטעמא דבית שמאי, אלא בית שמאי — מאי טעמא לא אמרי כבית הלל?
Talmud: The Talmud begins by clarifying the rationale for Beit Shammai’s opinion. Granted, Beit Hillel explain the rationale for their opinion and the rationale for Beit Shammai’s opinion. Beit Hillel explain both the verse that ostensibly supports Beit Shammai’s opinion: When you lie down, at the time when people lie down, etc., and the verse that proves that their own explanation is more reasonable: “And when you walk along the way.” However, what is the reason that Beit Shammai do not state their opinion in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel?
אמרי לך בית שמאי: אם כן, נימא קרא ״בבקר ובערב״, מאי ״בשכבך ובקומך״? בשעת שכיבה — שכיבה ממש, ובשעת קימה — קימה ממש.
The Talmud answers, Beit Shammai could have said to you: If so that the verse means only to denote the time for the recitation of Shema, as claimed by Beit Hillel, then let the verse say: “In the morning and in the evening.” What is the meaning of the ambiguous formulation: “When you lie down, and when you rise”? It must mean that at the time of lying down one must recite Shema while actually lying down, and at the time of arising one must recite Shema while actually risen.
ובית שמאי: האי ״ובלכתך בדרך״, מאי עביד להו?
The Talmud continues, asking: And what do Beit Shammai do with this verse: “And when you walk along the way,” which Beit Hillel use to prove that every person recites Shema as he is?
ההוא מבעי להו, לכדתניא: ״בשבתך בביתך״ — פרט לעוסק במצוה, ״ובלכתך בדרך״ — פרט לחתן. מכאן, אמרו: הכונס את הבתולה — פטור, ואת האלמנה — חייב.
The Talmud answers: Beit Shammai need this verse in order to derive other halakhot, as it was taught in a baraita which interpreted this verse that the obligation to recite Shema applies when you sit in your home, to the exclusion of one who is engaged in performance of a mitzva, who is exempt from the recitation of Shema; and when you walk along the way, to the exclusion of a groom, who is also exempt from the recitation of Shema. The baraita adds that from here, from this interpretation of the verses, they said: One who marries a virgin is exempt from the recitation of Shema on his wedding night, but one who marries a widow is obligated.