משנה: מַזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת. אָמַר לָהֶן רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא זָכִיתִי שֶׁתֵּאָמַר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת עַד שֶׁדְּרָשָׁהּ בֶּן זוֹמָא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמַעַן תִּזְכּוֹר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הַיָּמִים. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הַלֵּילוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ לְהָבִיא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ. MISHNAH: One must mention the Exodus in the night. Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah286A descendant of Ezra in the tenth generation who was appointed vice president of the Synhedrion at age 18 (according to the Babli) or 13 (Yerushalmi). said to them287Neither the Mishnah in the Babli nor manuscripts of the Mishnah have “to them”; in the Haggadah the Yerushalmi text is preserved only in the text of Maimonides and the Yemenite Haggadot. Nevertheless, the phrase cannot refer to the discussion at Bne Beraq reported in the Haggadah. As R. Saul Lieberman points out, the Yerushalmi takes R. Eleazar ben Azariah at his word that he made his statement when he was close to 70 years old and it is quite impossible that R. Eliezer should still have been alive at least 50 years after the deposition of Rabban Gamliel and the elevation of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah. The most likely interpretation is that the Israeli Haggadah, but not the Mishnah, read “to them” and that the copyist of the Yerushalmi followed his memory from the Haggadah instead of the text before him. For a similar occurrence in the Septuagint, see The Scholar’s Haggadah, p. 257–258.: Here I am about 70 years old and I could not succed in proving that the Exodus must be mentioned every night288Everybody agrees that the third benediction of the Shema‘ and the mention of the Exodus are obligatory as an institution of the Men of the Great Assembly. The only question is whether the benediction was instituted as a Rabbinic ordinance or was formulated in fulfillment of a Biblical commandment. until Ben Zoma289A mystic of the first generation of Tannaïm who died young. derived it from the verse (Deuteronomy.16.3">Deut. 16:3): “… that you should remember the day of your leaving Egypt the entire days of your life.” The days of your life - the days. The entire days of your life - the nights. But the Sages say, the days of your life - this world; The entire days of your life - this includes the times of the Messiah.
הלכה: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּכְנַס לִגְדוּלָּה הֶאֱרִיךְ יָמִים. הֲדָא אָֽמְרָה שֶׁהַגְּדוּלָּה מְקַצֶּרֶת יָמִים. HALAKHAH: Even though he entered high office he lived long. This means that high office shortens one’s life.
תַּמָּן אָֽמְרִין לֹא יַתְחִיל וַיֹּאמֶר וְאִם הִתְחִיל גּוֹמֵר. וְרַבָּנָן [דְּהָכָא] אָֽמְרִין מַתְחִיל וְאֵינוֹ גּוֹמֵר. מַתְנִיתִין פְּלִיגָא עַל רַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא מַזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת. רִבִּי בָּא רַב יְהוּדָה בְשֵׁם רַב מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וּפְדִּיתָנוּ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים לְהוֹדוֹת לִשְׁמָךְ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רַבָּנָן דְּתַמָּן וַיֹּאמֶר אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָּא בַיּוֹם כָּל־פָּרָשַת וַיֹּאמֶר אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָּא בַיּוֹם. There291“There” always means Babylonia; “here” is the Land of Israel. they say one should not start wayyomer292The third section of the Shema‘, Num. 15:37–41. This is the only part of Shema‘ that mentions the Exodus. The statement of “there” is reported in the Babli by Rav Cahana in the name of Rav (Berakhot.14b">Berakhot 14b). but if one did start he has to finish. The rabbis here293The Israeli practice is reported in the Babli (loc. cit.) as reciting only the first and last sentences of the section; our text also requires one to start, i.e., to recite the first verse, and to mention the Exodus, the last words of the last verse. say one starts but does not finish. The Mishnah disagrees with the rabbis here294Both R. David Oppenheim and R. Moshe ben Ḥabib note that in this section and the next, “here” and “there” should be switched since the first question is against those who say that one does not have to recite the third section at all, against the Babylonian practice, and the baraita in the next section seems to imply that one does not mention the third section at all, against Israeli practice.: “One must mention the Exodus in the night.” Rebbi Abba, Rav Yehudah in the name of Rav: We thank You that You took us out of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slavery to give thanks to Your Name.295This is the proposed text of the evening benediction after the recitation of Shema‘. It is the answer to the objection raised in the first sentence. The obligation of mentioning the Exodus does not refer to the recitation of the third section of Shema‘ but to the benediction after the Shema‘ and, therefore, would be fulfilled even if the third section were to be omitted completely. The text in the Babli is longer. A baraita disagrees with the rabbis there: Wayyomer is used only during daytime. The entire section of wayyomer is used only during daytime296But in the night one recites only first and last verses..
רִבִּי בָּא בַּר אָחָא נָחֵית לְתַמָּן חָמֵיתוֹן מַתְחִילִין וְגוֹמְרִין וְלָא שְׁמִיעַ דְּתַמָּן אָֽמְרִין לֹא יַתְחִיל וַיֹּאמֶר וְאִם הִתְחִיל גּוֹמֵר. וְרַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא אָֽמְרִין מַתְחִיל וְאֵינוֹ גּוֹמֵר. Rebbi Abba bar Aḥa297An early Israeli Amora who went to study in Babylonia, probably in the Yeshivah of Rav. Hence, he did not know of the rule established by Rav before he arrived at the Yeshivah. descended there and saw them start and finish; he had not heard that there they say one does not have to start but if he started he has to finish. The rabbis here298This sentence is superfluous here, it is inserted only in parallel to the previous section. This is frequent in the Yerushalmi and not a sign of dittography. say one starts and does not finish.
בָּעוּן קוֹמוֹי רִבִּי אֲחִייָא בֵּרִבִּי זְעִירָא הֵיךְ הֲוָה אֲבוּךְ נָהוּג עֲבֵיד כְּרַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא אוֹ כְּרַבָּנָן דְּהָתָם. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר כְּרַבָּנָן דְּהָכָא. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה אָמַר כְּרַבָּנָן דְּהָתֶָם. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָא מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵה דְּרִבִּי זְעִירָא מַחְמִיר וִינוּן מַחְמִרִין וְהוּא עֲבַד נְהִיג דִּכְוָותְהוֹן. They asked before Rebbi Aḥiyya ben Rebbi Zeïra: How did your father do in practice, like the teachers here or the teachers there299Since Rebbi Zeïra was a Babylonian immigrant to Galilee. Note that they speak to his son in Babylonian Aramaic.. Rebbi Ḥizqiah said, like the teachers here. Rebbi Yose300Both Rebbis Ḥizqiah and Yose are from the fourth generation, students of Rebbis Jeremiah and Ilaï who in turn were students of Rebbi Zeïra. The answer of Rebbi Zeïra’s son has not been recorded. said, like the teachers there. Rebbi Ḥanina said, it is reasonable like R. Yose, since R. Zeïra always chose the harder way301He tended to follow the stricter Babylonian rules, cf. later Berakhot 8:6:2-12" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.8.6.2-12">Halakhah8:7, fol. 12c. and they chose the harder way, so he did what he was used to, like them.
תַּנִּי הַקּוֹרֵא אֶת שְׁמַע בַּבּוֹקֶר צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בֶּאֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב. רִבִּי אוֹמֵר צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר בָּהּ מַלְכוּת. אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר בָּהּ קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף וּמַכַּת בְּכוֹרִים. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אוֹמֵר צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר אֶת כּוּלָּן וְצָרִיךְ לוֹמַר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ. We have stated302This section is composed of a Tosephta (Berakhot 2:1:2-20" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.2.1.2-20">Berakhot 2:1) containing the statements of the anonymous first Tanna, Rebbi, and “Others” (usually: Rebbi Meïr), and then the comment by the Amora R. Joshua ben Levi. In practice, the ruling of R. Joshua ben Levi applies to both morning and evening prayers.: “He who recites Shema‘ in the morning must mention the Exodus in Emet veyaẓiv. Rebbi says, he must mention [God’s] kingdom. Others say, he has to mention the splitting of the Reed Sea and the slaying of the firstborn.” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi says, he has to mention all these and has to say “Rock of Israel and its Redeemer”.303The formula was the Israeli conclusion of the benediction of redemption, in contrast to the Babylonian “He Who redeemed Israel” (Pesachim.117b">Babli Pesaḥim 117b). This formula has survived in the poetic forms of Ashkenazic evening prayers for the holidays, while in ordinary prayers the form prescribed by the authoritative Babylonian Talmud has prevailed.
רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר לֹא הִזְכִּיר תּוֹרָה בָּאָרֶץ מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ. מַה טַּעַם וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אַרְצוֹת גּוֹיִם מִפְּנֵי מַה בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמְרוּ חוּקָּיו וְתוֹרוֹתָיו יִנְצוֹרוּ. רִבִּי בָּא בֵּרִבִּי אָחָא בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אִם לֹא הִזְכִּיר בְּרִית בָּאָרֶץ אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הִזְכִּיר בְּבוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי אִילָא אִם אָמַר מְנַחֵם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם יָצָא. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi says: If someone did not mention Torah in the benediction on the Land304Since the Talmud started discussing required topics of otherwise personal texts, they continue with a discussion of the relevant parts of Grace. The benediction of the Land is the second benediction, and that on Jerusalem the third. The parallel in the Berakhot.48b">Babli (Berakhot 48b) is a Tannaïtic text in different order. The Amoraïc text of the Yerushalmi is in strict chronological order: R. Joshua ben Levi of the very early second generation, R. Abba bar Aḥa of the second, and Rebbi Ilaï of the third generations. The second statement of R. Abba bar Aḥa is attributed by the printed editions and most Medieval authors of the Babli to Rebbi Eliezer but in the Munich ms. to Rebbi, as in the Yerushalmi. The first statement is attributed to an otherwise unknown Tanna Naḥum the elder. The statement of R. Joshua ben Levi is attributed to Rebbi Yose (ben Ḥalaphta) but without the verse that gives the reason. The Yerushalmi gives a statement of Amoraïm, not to claim that the required topics were introduced by Amoraïm (that is quite obvious from the mention of Rebbi), but in order to point out the Scriptural basis and to fix the exact place where Torah has to be mentioned in Grace. one tells him to repeat. What is the reason? (Psalms.105.44">Ps. 105:44) “He gave them the lands of peoples”; why? “That they should keep His decrees and preserve His teachings.” Rebbi Abba ben Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi: If one did not mention the covenant in the benediction on the Land or the kingdom of David’s dynasty in “Builder of Jerusalem”305The old doxology of the third benediction was: “Praised be You, o Eternal, Builder of Jerusalem.” The final adoption of the text “He Who in His mercy builds Jerusalem” is on the authority of Shulḥan Arukh, cf. The Scholar’s Haggadah, p. 357–358., one tells him to repeat. Rebbi Ilaï said: if he said “He Who consoles Jerusalem”306In the text, not in the final sentence., he did his duty.
בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר הַקּוֹרֵא לְאַבְרָהָם אַבְרָם עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה. רִבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר בַּעֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְלֹא יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָם הֲרֵי בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם הֲרֵי בַּעֲשֵׂה. הָתִיבוּן הֲרֵי אַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה קָֽרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ אַבְרָם. אַתָּה הוּא יי֨ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ בְּאַבְרָם. שַׁנְיָיא הִיא שֶׁעַד שֶׁהוּא אַבְרָם בָּחַרְתָּ בוֹ. Bar Qappara307Bar Qappara belongs to the generation of transfer between Tannaïm and Amoraïm. In the Yerushalmi his words are presented as those of an Amora. The place was chosen here because we discussed required language for benedictions (Shema‘ and Grace); now we turn to required language in general speech. In the Babli, the parallel (13a) appears also at the end of the first Chapter, somewhat disconnected. One may assume that it is mentioned in parallel to the Yerushalmi.
In the printed editions of the Babli, the text is: “Bar Qappara stated”, a Tannaïtic statement. However, in the Munich ms. and the Pisqe RYD the text reads דרש בר קפרא “Bar Qappara preached”, an Amoraïc statement. (It also seems that Rebbi Eliezer, who completes the statement of Bar Qappara in the Babli in parallel to Rebbi Levi in the Yerushalmi, is “Rebbi Eleazar, the son of Bar Qappara’s sister”.) The people who object are determined in the Babli to be Rebbi Yose bar Abin or Rebbi Yose bar Zabida, of the later generation of Galilean Amoraïm. The statements of Bar Qappara and Rebbi Levi/Rebbi Eleazar are not mentioned in any of the Medieval codes, Halakhot Gedolot, Alfasi, Mishneh Torah; their authors took also the text in the Babli as Amoraïc sermon. said: He who calls Abraham Abram transgresses a positive commandment. Rebbi Levi said, a positive and a negative commandment. (Genesis.17.4">Gen. 17:4) “Your name shall not in the future be called Abram”, that is the negative commandment, “But your name shall be Abraham”, that is the positive commandment. They objected: But the Men of the Great Assembly called him Abram, (Nehemiah.9.7">Neh. 9:7) “You are, o Eternal, the God Who selected Abram”. There is a difference, while he was still Abram You selected him.
וְדִכְוָתָהּ הַקּוֹרֵא לְשָׂרָה שָׂרַי עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה. הוּא נִצְטַוָּה עָלֶיהָ. וְדִכְוָותָהּ הַקּוֹרֵא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יַעֲקֹב עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה. שֵׁינִי נִיתְוַסֵּף לוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן לֹא נֶעֱקַר מִמֶּנּוּ. Similarly, does he who calls Sarah Sarai transgress a commandment? He308Abraham alone was commanded not to call Sarah Sarai as it is written (Genesis.17.15">Gen. 17:15): “God said to Abraham: Your wife Sarai, do not call her name Sarai but Sarah is her name.” The commandment to call Sarai Sarah was directed to Abraham alone. was commanded regarding her. Similarly, does he who calls Israel Jacob transgress a commandment? The second name was given him in addition, the first was not taken away from him309Since the Torah continues to call him Jacob even after he received his new name of Israel..
וְלָמָּה נִשְׁתַּנָּה שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָֹהָם וּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב וּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק לֹא נִשְׁתַּנָּה. אֵילּוּ אֲבוֹתָן קָֽרְאוּ אוֹתָן בִּשְׁמָן. אֲבָל יִצְחָק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קְרָאוֹ יִצְחָק שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שֶׁמוֹ יִצְחָק. אַרְבָּעָה נִקְרְאוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא נוֹלְדוּ וְאֵילּוּ הֵן. יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וּשְׁלֹמֹה. יִצְחָק וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק. יִשְׁמָעֵאל דִּכְתִיב וְקָרָאת אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל. יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ הִנֵּה בֶן נוֹלָד לְבֵית דָּוִד יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ שְׁמוֹ. שְׁלֹמֹה כִּי שְׁלֹמֹה יִהְיֶה שְׁמוֹ. עַד כְּדוֹן בְצַדִּיקִים. אֲבָל בָּֽרְשָׁעִים זוֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם. Why were the names of Abraham and Jacob changed but Isaac’s name was not changed? The former were given their names by their fathers; but Isaac was called Isaac by the Holy One, Praise to His Name, as it is said (Genesis.17.19">Gen. 17:19) “You shall call his name Isaac”. Four were given names before they were born, and they are Isaac, Ismael, Josiah, and Solomon. Isaac, (Genesis.17.19">Gen. 17:19) “You shall call his name Isaac”. Ismael as it is written (Genesis.16.11">Gen. 16:11): “You shall call his name Ismael”. Josiah, (1Kings 13:2): “Behold, a son will be born to the dynasty of David; his name will be Josiah”. Solomon, (1Chr. 22:9) “Solomon will be his name”310While in 2Sam. 12:24–25 it seems that David gave the name Solomon to his son and Nathan called him Yedidiah after his birth; it is clear from Chronicles that the name Solomon was not David’s invention but prophetically pre-ordained.. All this for the just. But the wicked (Psalms.58.4">Ps. 58:4) “The wicked are perverted from the womb.”
בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר עֲתִידִין הֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא לְהַזְכִּיר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם לְעָתִיד לָבוֹא וּמַה טַעַם לָכֵן הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם יי֨ לֹא יֵאָמֵר עוֹד חַי יי֨ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כִּי אִם חַי יי֨ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה וַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֶת זֶרַע בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא שֶׁיֵּעָקֵר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם אֶלָּא מִצְרַיִם מוֹסַף עַל הַמַּלְכִיּוֹת. מַלְכִיּוֹת עִיקָּר וּמִצְרַיִם טְפֵילָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא יִקָּרֵא עוֹד שִׁמְךָ יַעֲקֹב כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. אָֽמְרוּ לֹא שֶׁיֵּעָקֵר שֵׁם יַעֲקֹב אֶלָּא יַעֲקֹב מוֹסַף עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. יִשְׂרָאֵל עִיקָּר וְיַעֲקֹב טָפֵל. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר אַל תִּזְכְּרוּ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת אֵילּוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים וְקַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת אַל תִּתְבּוֹנָנוּ אֵלּוּ הַמַּלְכִיּוֹת. הִנְנִי עוֹשֶׂה חֲדָשָׁה עַתָּה תִצְמָח זוּ שֶׁל גוֹג. מָֽשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל לְמַה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וּפָגַע בּוֹ זְאֵב וְנִיצַּל מִמֶּנּוּ. הִתְחִיל מְסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂה הַזְּאֵב וְאַחַר כַּךְ פָּגַע בּוֹ הָאֲרִי וְנִיצַּל מִיָּדוֹ. שָׁכַח מַעֲשֵׂה הַזְּאֵב הִתְחִיל מְסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֲרִי. וְאַחַר כַּךְ פָּגַע בּוֹ נָחָשׁ וְנִיצַּל מִיָּדוֹ. שָׁכַח מַעֲשֵה שְׁנֵיהֶם וְהִתְחִיל לְסַפֵּר מַעֲשֵׂה הַנָּחָשׁ. כַּךְ הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַצָּרוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת מְשַׁכְּחוֹת אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת. Ben Zoma said: There will be a future time when Israel will no longer mention the Exodus. What is the reason? (Jeremiah.23.7-8">Jer. 23:7–8) “Therefore, days will come, says the Eternal, that one no longer will say, by the Eternal Who brought the Children of Israel up from Egypt, but rather, by the Eternal Who raised and brought the descendants of the House of Israel from the Northern land …” They said to him, not that the Exodus will be eliminated but the Exodus will be additional to the Kingdoms311“Kingdoms” is short for שעבוד מלכיות “subjugation by alien kingdoms,” a general term for the sufferings of the Jewish people inflicted by Gentiles.. The Kingdoms will be principal and the Exodus additional. And similarly it was said (Genesis.35.10">Gen. 35:10): :Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” Not that the name Jacob will be taken away but Jacob will be additional to Israel. Israel will be principal and Jacob additional. And so it says (Isaiah.43.18-19">Is. 43:18–19): “Do not remember the first things”; this means the Egyptians, “And what was earlier do not dwell on”; this means the Kingdoms, “Behold, I create something new, now it will grow”; this refers to Gog. They gave a simile: to what can this be compared? To someone who encountered a wolf and was saved from it. He started telling about the wolf when he encountered a lion and was saved from it. He forget about the wolf and started telling about the lion.After that, he encountered a snake and was saved from it. He forgot about both of them and started telling about the snake. So it is with Israel, the last troubles make them forget the earlier ones.