Study Berakhot folio 21A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
והרי תפלה, דדבר שהצבור עסוקין בו, ותנן: היה עומד בתפלה ונזכר שהוא בעל קרי — לא יפסיק, אלא יקצר. טעמא דאתחיל, הא לא אתחיל — לא יתחיל!
The Talmud challenges: And prayer, which is also a matter in which the community is engaged, and we learned in the Mishnah: One who was standing in prayer and remembered that he is one who experienced a seminal emission and did not yet immerse himself should not interrupt his prayer, rather he should abridge it. The Talmud infers: The reason is because he already began to pray; however, if he did not yet begin, then he should not begin, even by means of contemplation.
שאני תפלה דלית בה מלכות שמים. והרי ברכת המזון לאחריו דלית בה מלכות שמים, ותנן על המזון מברך לאחריו ואינו מברך לפניו! אלא: קריאת שמע וברכת המזון דאורייתא, ותפלה דרבנן.
The Talmud responds: Prayer is different in that it does not contain the acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven. The Talmud rejects this: And Grace after Meals does not contain the acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, and yet we learned in the Mishnah: Over food, one recites a blessing afterward, but does not recite a blessing beforehand. Rather, the differences must be explained otherwise: The recitation of Shema and Grace after Meals are both mitzvot by Torah law, while prayer is only by rabbinic law. Therefore, one who is impure need not pray.
אמר רב יהודה: מנין לברכת המזון לאחריה מן התורה — שנאמר: ״ואכלת ושבעת וברכת״.
Rav Yehuda said: From where is the mitzva by Torah law to recite Grace after Meals, derived? As it is stated: “And you should eat and be satisfied and bless YHWH your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10).
מנין לברכת התורה לפניה מן התורה — שנאמר: ״כי שם ה׳ אקרא הבו גדל לאלהינו״.
And from where is the mitzva by Torah law to recite the blessing over the Torah before it is read, derived? As it is stated: “When I proclaim YHWH’s name, give glory to our God” (Deuteronomy 32:3), meaning that before one proclaims YHWH’s name by reading the Torah, he must give glory to God.