Shabbat 10A

התם לא שכיחא שכרות, הכא שכיחא שכרות. אי נמי, במנחה ⁠— כיון דקביעא לה זימנא מירתת ולא אתי למפשע. ערבית ⁠— כיון דכולה ליליא זמן ערבית, לא מירתת ואתי למפשע. מתקיף לה רב ששת: טריחותא למיסר המייניה?! ועוד, ליקו הכי וליצלי! משום שנאמר: ״הכון לקראת אלהיך ישראל״.

The Talmud responds that there is a difference between the cases. There, at the time of the afternoon prayer, drunkenness is uncommon, as it is unusual to drink excessively during the day. However, here, in the case of the evening prayer, drunkenness is common, and therefore there was room to issue a decree requiring one to interrupt his meal to recite the evening prayer. Alternatively, it is possible to explain that with regard to the afternoon prayer, since its time is fixed, he is anxious, and he won’t come to be negligent and forget to pray. However, with regard to the evening prayer, since all night is the time for the evening prayer, he is not anxious, and he will come to be negligent. Rav Sheshet strongly objects to this: Is it a burden to tie his belt? In addition, if it is a burden, let him stand that way, without a belt, and pray. The Talmud answers: It is necessary to wear a belt while praying, since it is stated: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel” (Amos 4:12). One must prepare and adorn himself when standing before God.

רבא בר רב הונא רמי פוזמקי ומצלי, אמר: ״הכון לקראת״ וגו׳. רבא שדי גלימיה ופכר ידיה ומצלי. אמר: ״כעבדא קמיה מריה״. אמר רב אשי: חזינא ליה לרב כהנא כי איכא צערא בעלמא, שדי גלימיה ופכר ידיה ומצלי. אמר: ״כעבדא קמי מריה״. כי איכא שלמא לביש ומתכסי ומתעטף ומצלי. אמר: ״הכון לקראת אלהיך ישראל״.

Since the verse: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel,” was cited with regard to the obligation to prepare and adorn oneself before prayer, the Talmud cites that indeed Rava bar Rav Huna would don expensive socks and pray and he said he would do this as it is written: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel.” On the other hand, Rava would not do so; rather, in his prayer he would remove his cloak and clasp his hands and pray. He said that he would do so as a slave before his master, who appears before him with extreme submission. Rav Ashi said: I saw that Rav Kahana, when there is suffering in the world, would remove his cloak and clasp his hands and pray. And he said that he did so as a slave before his master. When there is peace in the world, he would dress, and cover himself, and wrap himself in a significant garment, and pray, and he said that he did so in fulfillment of the verse: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel.”