and touched

<<his garment,

<<but

<<not

<<would he

<<wrap himself.

<<And when he

<<yawned

<<he would

<<place

<<his hand

<<upon

<<his chin.

They raised an objection:

<<one who makes heard

<<his voice

<<in his prayer —

<<this one is

<<of those of little

<<faith;

<<one who raises

<<his voice

<<in his prayer —

<<this one is

<<of the prophets of

<<falsehood.

One who belches

<<and yawns —

<<this one is

<<of the haughty

<<of spirit.

<<One who sneezes

<<in his prayer —

<<it is a sign

<<of ill

<<for him.

<<And some say:

<<it is evident

<<that he

<<is repulsive.

<<One who spits

<<in his prayer

<<is as if

<<he spat

<<before

<<the king.

Granted,

<<belching

<<and yawning —

<<it is not difficult:

<<here

<<involuntarily,

<<here

<<voluntarily.

<<But

<<sneezing

<<against sneezing

<<is difficult!

Sneezing

<<against sneezing

<<too

<<is not difficult:

<<here

<<from above,

<<here

<<from below.

<<For Rav Zeira said:

<<this

<<matter

<<was absorbed

<<by me

<<in the school of

<<Rav Hamnuna,

<<and it is weighed

<<for me

<<like

<<all

<<my learning:

<<one who sneezes

<<in his prayer —

<<it is a sign

<<of good

<<for him:

<<just as

<<they give

<<him

<<contentment

<<below,

<<so

<<they give

<<him

<<contentment

<<above.

Rather,

<<spitting

<<against spitting

<<is difficult!

<<Spitting

<<against spitting

<<too

<<is not difficult:

<<it is possible

<<like Rav Yehuda,

<<for Rav Yehuda said:

<<if he was

<<standing

<<in prayer

<<and there came

<<to him

<<saliva,

<<he absorbs it

<<in his garment;

<<and if

<<a fine

<<garment

<<it is,

<<he absorbs it

<<in his kerchief.

<<Ravina

<<was

<<standing

<<behind

<<Rav Ashi;

<<there came

<<to him

<<saliva;

<<he threw it

<<behind him.

<<He said to him:

<<“Does not

<<hold

<<[it]

<<the Master,

<<that [ruling]

<<of Rav Yehuda:

<<he absorbs it

<<in his kerchief?”

<<He said to him:

<<“I

<<am delicate

<<of mind.”

“One who makes heard

<<his voice

<<in his prayer —

<<this one is

<<of those of little

<<faith.”

<<Rav Huna said:

<<they taught this only

<<where he is able

<<to direct

<<his heart

<<in a whisper;

<<but

<<[if] he is not

<<able

<<to direct

<<his heart

<<in a whisper,

<<it is permitted.

<<And this applies

<<to an individual;

<<but

<<in a congregation

<<he will come

<<to disturb

<<the congregation.

Rabbi Abba

<<was

<<slipping away

<<from him,

<<from Rav Yehuda,

<<for he was

<<wanting

<<to go up

<<to the Land of Israel;

<<for Rav Yehuda said:

<<anyone

<<who goes up

<<from Babylonia

<<to the Land of Israel

<<transgresses

<<a positive commandment,

<<as it is stated:

<<“To Babylonia

<<they shall be brought,

<<and there

<<they shall be,

<<until

<<the day

<<I remember

<<them,

<<says

<<Hashem.”

<<He said:

<<“I will go

<<and hear

<<from him

<<a word

<<at the house of assembly,

<<and then

<<I will leave.”

He went;

<<he found

<<the tanna

<<who was teaching

<<before

<<Rav Yehuda:

<<“If he was

<<standing

<<in prayer

<<and sneezed,

<<he waits

<<until

<<the wind is gone,

<<and goes back

<<and prays.”

<<Some say:

<<“If he was

<<standing

<<in prayer

<<and wished

<<to sneeze,

<<he distances himself

<<behind him

<<four

<<cubits,

<<and sneezes,

<<and waits

<<until

<<the wind is gone,

<<and goes back

<<and prays,

<<and says:

<<‘Master of the world,

<<You formed us

<<orifices upon orifices,

<<hollows upon hollows;

<<revealed

<<and known

<<before You

<<is our shame

<<and our disgrace

<<in our lives,

<<and in our end

<<[we are] maggots

<<and worms,’

<<and begins

<<from the place

<<where he stopped.”

He said to him:

<<“Had

<<not

<<I come

<<except

<<to hear

<<this matter,

<<it would suffice me.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<if he was

<<sleeping

<<in his garment

<<and is not

<<able

<<to take out

<<his head

<<because of

<<the cold,

<<he separates

<<with his garment

<<at

<<his neck

<<and recites

<<the Shema.

<<And some say:

<<at

<<his heart.

And the first tanna —

<<surely

<<his heart

<<sees

<<the nakedness!

<<He holds:

<<his heart

<<seeing

<<the nakedness

<<is permitted.

Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<if he was

<<walking

<<in alleyways

<<that are filthy,

<<he places

<<his hand

<<upon

<<his mouth

<<and recites

<<the Shema.

<<Rav Chisda said to him:

<<“By God!

<<If

<<had said it

<<to me

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<with his own mouth,

<<not

<<would I listen

<<to him.”

Some say:

<<Rabbah bar bar Chana said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<if he was

<<walking

<<in alleyways

<<that are filthy,

<<he places

<<his hand

<<upon

<<his mouth

<<and recites

<<the Shema.

<<Rav Chisda said to him:

<<“By God!

<<If

<<had said it

<<to me

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<with his own mouth,

<<not

<<would I listen

<<to him.”

And did

<<say

<<Rav Huna

<<so?

<<But didn't Rav Huna say:

<<“A Torah scholar

<<is forbidden

<<for him

<<to stand

<<in a place of

<<filth,

<<because

<<it is impossible

<<for him

<<to stand

<<without

<<thought of

<<Torah”!

<<It is not difficult:

<<here

<<when standing,

<<here

<<when walking.

And did

<<say

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<so?

<<But didn't Rabbah bar bar Chana say in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<“In every place

<<it is permitted

<<to think

<<about words of

<<Torah,

<<except

<<for the bathhouse

<<and the lavatory.”

<<And if

<<you say:

<<here

<<too

<<here

<<when standing,

<<here

<<when walking —

<<is that so?!

<<But surely

<<Rabbi Abbahu

<<was

<<walking

<<after

<<Rabbi Yochanan

<<and was

<<reciting

<<the Shema.

<<When

<<he reached

<<alleyways

<<that are filthy,

<<he fell silent.

<<He said

<<to Rabbi Yochanan:

<<“To where

<<shall I go back?”

<<He said to him:

<<“If

<<you paused

<<long enough

<<to finish

<<the whole of it,

<<go back

<<to the beginning!”

This is what he was saying to him:

<<for me,

<<not

<<do I hold [so];

<<for you,

<<who holds [so]:

<<if

<<you paused

<<long enough

<<to finish

<<the whole of it,

<<go back

<<to the beginning.

It is taught

<<in accordance with

<<Rav Huna;

<<it is taught

<<in accordance with

<<Rav Chisda.

<<It is taught

<<in accordance with

<<Rav Huna:

<<“One who walks

<<in alleyways

<<that are filthy

<<places

<<his hand

<<upon

<<his mouth

<<and recites

<<the Shema.”

<<It is taught

<<in accordance with

<<Rav Chisda:

<<“If he was

<<walking

<<in alleyways

<<that are filthy,

<<he should not

<<recite

<<the Shema;

<<and not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that if

<<he was

<<reciting

<<and came [there],

<<he stops.”

[If] he did not

<<stop,

<<what?

<<Said

<<Rabbi Meyasha (grandson of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi):

<<about him

<<the verse

<<says:

<<“And also

<<I

<<gave

<<them

<<statutes

<<not

<<good,

<<and judgments

<<not

<<will they live

<<by them.”

Rav Assi

<<said:

<<“Woe

<<to those who draw

<<the iniquity

<<with cords of

<<vanity.”

<<Rav Ada bar Ahava

<<said,

<<from here:

<<“For

<<the word of

<<Hashem

<<he has scorned.”

And if

<<he stopped,

<<what is

<<his reward?

<<Rabbi Abbahu said:

<<about him

<<the verse

<<says:

<<“And through this matter

<<you shall lengthen

<<days.”

Rav Huna said:

<<if was

<<his garment

<<girded

<<on him

<<upon

<<his loins,

<<it is permitted

<<to recite

<<the Shema.

<<It is taught

<<also

<<so:

<<“If was

<<his garment

<<of

<<cloth,

<<or of

<<leather,

<<or of

<<sackcloth,

<<girded

<<upon

<<his loins,

<<it is permitted

<<to recite

<<the Shema.”