“And Hashem

<<God

<<is truth.”

Does he repeat

<<and say

<<“True,”

<<or

<<does he not

<<repeat

<<and say

<<“True”?

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<he repeats

<<and says

<<“True.”

<<Rabbah

<<said:

<<he does not

<<repeat

<<and say

<<“True.”

<<A certain one

<<who went down [to lead]

<<before

<<Rabbah —

<<heard him

<<Rabbah

<<that he said

<<“True,”

<<“True”

<<two

<<times.

<<Rabbah said:

<<all

<<“True,

<<true”

<<has seized

<<this one.

Rav Yosef said:

<<how

<<excellent

<<is this

<<teaching,

<<for when

<<came

<<Rav Shmuel bar Yehuda,

<<he said:

<<they say

<<in the West

<<at night:

<<“Speak

<<to

<<the children of

<<Israel,

<<and say

<<to them …

<<I am

<<Hashem

<<your God;

<<True.”

Abaye said to him:

<<what

<<is the excellence?

<<But surely

<<Rav Kahana said in the name of Rav:

<<not

<<should he begin,

<<and if

<<he began

<<he finishes.

<<And if

<<you say

<<“and say

<<to them”

<<not

<<is

<<a beginning,

<<But didn't Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak say in the name of Rav:

<<“Speak

<<to

<<the children of

<<Israel”

<<not

<<is

<<a beginning;

<<“and say

<<to them”

<<is

<<a beginning.

Rav Pappa said:

<<they hold

<<in the West

<<“and say

<<to them”

<<too

<<not

<<is

<<a beginning

<<until

<<he says

<<“and they shall make

<<for themselves

<<tzitzis.”

Abaye said:

<<therefore,

<<we

<<beginning

<<do begin,

<<for

<<they begin

<<in the West;

<<and since

<<we have begun,

<<finishing

<<too

<<we finish,

<<for

<<Rav Kahana said in the name of Rav:

<<not

<<should he begin,

<<and if

<<he began

<<he finishes.

Chiya bar Rav

<<said:

<<if he said

<<“I am

<<Hashem

<<your God,”

<<he needs

<<to say

<<“True.”

<<If not

<<he said

<<“I am

<<Hashem

<<your God,”

<<he does not

<<need

<<to say

<<“True.”

But surely

<<he needs

<<to mention

<<the Exodus from

<<Egypt!

Where he says

<<thus:

<<“Thankful

<<are we

<<to You,

<<Hashem

<<our God,

<<that You brought us out

<<from the land of

<<Egypt,

<<and redeemed us

<<from the house of

<<slaves,

<<and did

<<for us

<<miracles

<<and mighty deeds

<<at

<<the sea,

<<and we sang

<<to You.”

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha said:

<<“Why

<<did precede

<<the section of

<<Shema,”

<<etc.

It is taught:

<<Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai

<<says:

<<by right

<<it is

<<that he should put first

<<“Shema”

<<before “And it will be

<<if

<<you surely listen,”

<<for this one

<<is to learn,

<<and that one

<<is to teach;

<<“And it will be

<<if

<<you surely listen”

<<before “And He said,”

<<for this one

<<is to learn,

<<and that one

<<is to do.

Is it that

<<“Shema”

<<to learn

<<there is

<<in it,

<<to teach

<<and to do

<<there is not

<<in it?!

<<But surely

<<it is written:

<<“And you shall teach them,”

<<“And you shall bind them,”

<<“And you shall write them”!

<<And further:

<<“And it will be

<<if

<<you surely listen” —

<<to teach

<<is it

<<that there is

<<in it,

<<and to do

<<there is not

<<in it?

<<But surely

<<it is written:

<<“And you shall bind them,”

<<“And you shall write them”!

Rather,

<<this is what he is saying:

<<by right

<<it is

<<that should precede

<<“Shema”

<<before “And it will be

<<if

<<you surely listen,”

<<for this one

<<is to learn

<<and to teach

<<and to do;

<<“And it will be

<<if

<<you surely listen”

<<before “And He said,”

<<for this one

<<there is

<<in it

<<to teach

<<and to do,

<<“And He said”

<<there is not

<<in it

<<anything but

<<to do

<<only.

But let him derive

<<it

<<from that of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha!

<<One reason

<<and another

<<he is saying:

<<one,

<<so that

<<he will accept

<<upon himself

<<the yoke of

<<the kingdom of

<<Heaven

<<first,

<<and after

<<that

<<he will accept

<<upon himself

<<the yoke of

<<mitzvos;

<<and another,

<<because

<<there are

<<in it

<<these

<<things

<<as well.

Rav

<<washed

<<his hands,

<<and recited

<<the Shema,

<<and put on

<<tefillin,

<<and prayed.

<<And how

<<could he do

<<so?

<<But surely it is taught:

<<one who digs

<<a niche

<<for a dead person

<<in the grave

<<is exempt

<<from the Shema,

<<and from

<<the prayer,

<<and from

<<tefillin,

<<and from all

<<the mitzvos

<<stated

<<in the Torah.

<<Arrived

<<the time of

<<the Shema —

<<he goes up

<<and washes

<<his hands,

<<and puts on

<<tefillin,

<<and recites

<<the Shema,

<<and prays.

This

<<itself

<<is difficult:

<<the first clause

<<says

<<“exempt,”

<<and the latter clause

<<“obligated”?!

This

<<is not difficult:

<<the latter clause

<<is with two [diggers],

<<and the first clause

<<with one.

In any case

<<it is difficult

<<for Rav!

<<Rav

<<like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha

<<holds,

<<who said:

<<the yoke of

<<the kingdom of

<<Heaven

<<first,

<<and after

<<that

<<the yoke of

<<mitzvos.

Say

<<that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha said

<<to put first

<<reading

<<before reading;

<<reading

<<before doing —

<<did

<<you hear

<<him say?!

And further,

<<does

<<he hold

<<it

<<like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha?

<<But didn't Rav Chiya bar Ashi say:

<<many times

<<I would stand

<<before

<<Rav,

<<and he would rise early

<<and wash

<<his hands,

<<and bless,

<<and teach

<<us

<<our chapter,

<<and put on

<<tefillin,

<<and then

<<recite

<<the Shema.

<<And if

<<you say:

<<when not

<<had arrived

<<the time of

<<the Shema —

<<if so,

<<what is

<<the testimony

<<of Rav Chiya bar Ashi?

To exclude

<<from the one

<<who says:

<<for Mishnah

<<there is no

<<need

<<to bless;

<<it teaches us

<<that even

<<for Mishnah

<<too

<<one needs

<<to bless.

In any case

<<it is difficult

<<for Rav!

<<The messenger

<<it was

<<who erred.

Ulla said:

<<anyone

<<who recites

<<the Shema

<<without

<<tefillin,

<<it is as if

<<he testifies

<<testimony

<<false

<<about himself.

<<Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<it is as if

<<he offered

<<a burnt-offering

<<without

<<a meal-offering,

<<and a sacrifice

<<without

<<libations.

And Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<one who wishes

<<that he accept

<<upon himself

<<the yoke of

<<the kingdom of

<<Heaven

<<complete,