neither

<<in front of

<<his teacher

<<nor

<<behind

<<his teacher.

And it is taught:

<<Rabbi Eliezer

<<says:

<<One who prays

<<behind

<<his teacher,

<<and one who gives

<<greeting

<<to his teacher,

<<and one who returns

<<greeting

<<to his teacher,

<<and one who disputes

<<against

<<the yeshiva

<<of

<<his teacher,

<<and one who says

<<a thing

<<that not

<<he heard

<<from the mouth of

<<his teacher

<<causes

<<the Shechina

<<to depart

<<from Israel!

Is different

<<Rabbi Yirmiya bar Abba,

<<for a student

<<colleague

<<he was.

<<And this is

<<what said

<<to him

<<Rabbi Yirmiya bar Abba

<<to Rav:

<<Have

<<you separated [from work]?

<<He said to him:

<<Yes,

<<I have separated.

<<And not

<<did he say:

<<“Has

<<separated

<<the Master?”

But has

<<he separated?

<<But didn't Rabbi Avin say:

<<Once

<<prayed

<<Rebbi

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos,

<<and entered

<<the bathhouse,

<<and came out

<<and taught

<<us

<<our chapter,

<<and still

<<not

<<had it grown dark!

<<Rava said:

<<That was

<<that he entered

<<to sweat,

<<and before

<<the decree

<<it was.

Is that so?

<<But surely

<<Abaye

<<permitted

<<him,

<<Rav Dimi bar Leivai,

<<to sulfur

<<baskets!

That

<<an error

<<it was.

And an error —

<<does

<<one go back for it?

<<But surely

<<Avidan said:

<<Once

<<were bound up

<<the heavens

<<with clouds;

<<thought

<<the people

<<to say

<<dark

<<it is;

<<they entered

<<the synagogue

<<and prayed

<<that of

<<the conclusion of

<<Shabbos

<<on Shabbos.

<<And dispersed

<<the clouds

<<and shone

<<the sun,

and they came

<<and asked

<<Rebbi.

<<And he said:

<<Since

<<they prayed,

<<they have prayed!

<<Is different

<<a congregation,

<<for not

<<do we trouble

<<them.

Rabbi Chiya bar Avin said:

<<Rav

<<prayed

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos;

<<Rabbi Yoshiya

<<prays

<<that of

<<the conclusion of

<<Shabbos

<<on Shabbos.

<<Rav

<<prayed

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos:

<<does he say

<<Kiddush

<<over

<<the cup,

<<or

<<does he not

<<say

<<Kiddush

<<over

<<the cup?

<<Come and hear:

<<for Rav Nachman said in the name of Shmuel:

<<prays

<<a person

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos

<<and says

<<Kiddush

<<over

<<the cup.

<<And the halacha is

<<in accordance with him.

Rabbi Yoshiya

<<prays

<<that of

<<the conclusion of

<<Shabbos

<<on Shabbos:

<<does he say

<<havdalah

<<over

<<the cup,

<<or

<<does he not

<<say

<<havdalah

<<over

<<the cup?

<<Come and hear:

<<for Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel:

<<prays

<<a person

<<that of

<<the conclusion of

<<Shabbos

<<on Shabbos

<<and says

<<havdalah

<<over

<<the cup.

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rabbi Asi in the name of Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Chanina in the name of Rav:

<<Beside

<<pillar

<<this

<<prayed

<<Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos.

When

<<came

<<Ulla,

<<he said:

<<Beside

<<a palm tree

<<it was,

<<and not

<<beside

<<a pillar

<<was it.

<<And not

<<Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei

<<was it,

<<but

<<Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yosei

<<was it;

<<and not

<<that of

<<Shabbos

<<on the eve of

<<Shabbos

<<was it,

<<but

<<that of

<<the conclusion of

<<Shabbos

<<on Shabbos

<<was it.

“The prayer of

<<the evening

<<there is not

<<for it

<<a fixed time.”

<<What

<<is “there is not

<<for it

<<a fixed time”?

<<If you say

<<that if

<<he wishes

<<he prays

<<the whole

<<night,

<<let it teach:

<<“The prayer of

<<the evening

<<is all

<<the night”!

<<Rather,

<<what

<<is “there is not

<<for it

<<a fixed time”?

It is like

<<the one who says:

<<the prayer of

<<Maariv

<<is optional.

<<For Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel:

<<The prayer of

<<Maariv —

<<Rabban Gamliel

<<says

<<obligatory;

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<says

<<optional.

<<Abaye said:

<<The halacha is

<<like the words of

<<the one who says

<<obligatory.

<<And Rava

<<said:

<<The halacha is

<<like the words of

<<the one who says

<<optional.

The Rabbis taught:

<<An incident

<<with a student

<<one

<<who came

<<before

<<Rabbi Yehoshua.

<<He said to him:

<<The prayer of

<<Maariv —

<<optional

<<or

<<obligatory?

<<He said to him:

<<Optional.

He came

<<before

<<Rabban Gamliel.

<<He said to him:

<<The prayer of

<<Maariv —

<<optional

<<or

<<obligatory?

<<He said to him:

<<Obligatory.

<<He said to him:

<<But did not

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<say

<<to me

<<optional?!

<<He said to him:

<<Wait

<<until

<<there enter

<<the masters of

<<shields

<<into the study hall.

When entered

<<the masters of

<<shields,

<<stood up

<<the questioner

<<and asked:

<<The prayer of

<<Maariv —

<<optional

<<or

<<obligatory?

<<Rabban Gamliel said to him:

<<Obligatory.

<<Rabban Gamliel said to them

<<to the Sages:

<<At all,

<<is there

<<a person

<<who disputes

<<about this matter?

<<Rabbi Yehoshua said to him:

<<No.

<<He said to him:

<<But did not

<<in your name

<<they say

<<to me

<<optional!

He said to him:

<<Yehoshua,

<<stand

<<on

<<your feet

<<and let them testify

<<against you.

<<Stood

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<on

<<his feet

<<and said:

<<Were it that

<<I

<<were alive

<<and he

<<dead,

<<could

<<the living

<<deny

<<the dead.

<<And now

<<that I

<<am alive

<<and he

<<is alive,

<<how

<<can

<<the living

<<deny

<<the living?

Was

<<Rabban Gamliel

<<sitting

<<and expounding,

<<and Rabbi Yehoshua

<<standing

<<on

<<his feet,

<<until

<<murmured

<<all

<<the people

<<and said

<<to Chutzpis

<<the interpreter:

<<Stop!

<<And he stopped.

They said:

<<Until

<<how much

<<shall he distress him

<<and go on?

<<On Rosh Hashanah

<<last year

<<he distressed him;

<<in Bechoros,

<<in the incident

<<of Rabbi Tzadok,

<<he distressed him;

<<here

<<too

<<he distressed him.

<<Come,

<<and let us remove him!

Whom

<<shall we set up

<<for him?

<<Shall we set up

<<Rabbi Yehoshua?

<<A party to

<<the incident

<<he is.

<<Shall we set up

<<Rabbi Akiva?

<<Perhaps

<<he will punish

<<him,

<<for there is not

<<to him

<<merit of

<<ancestors.

Rather,

<<let us set up

<<Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya,

<<for he

<<is wise,

<<and he

<<is wealthy,

<<and he

<<is tenth

<<to Ezra.

<<He is

<<wise,

<<so that if

<<they challenge

<<him,

<<he resolves

<<it.

<<And he is

<<wealthy,

<<so that if

<<there is

<<for him

<<to serve

<<the house of

<<Caesar,

<<also

<<he

<<can go

<<and serve.

<<And he is

<<tenth

<<to Ezra,

<<for there is

<<to him

<<merit of

<<ancestors,

<<and not

<<can

<<he punish

<<him.

<<They came

<<and said

<<to him:

<<Is it agreeable

<<to him,

<<the Master,

<<to be

<<head of

<<the yeshiva?

<<He said to them:

<<Let me go

<<and consult

<<with the people of

<<my household.

<<He went

<<and consulted

<<with his wife.

<<She said to him: