Rav Avya

<<was weak

<<and did not

<<come

<<to the lecture

<<of Rav Yosef.

<<The next day,

<<when

<<he came,

<<wanted

<<Abaye

<<to settle

<<the mind

<<of Rav Yosef.

<<He said to him:

<<What is the reason

<<not

<<did come

<<the Master

<<to the lecture?

<<He said to him:

<<Because was

<<weak

<<my heart,

<<and not

<<was I able.

<<He said to him:

<<Why

<<did you not

<<taste

<<something

<<and come?

<<He said to him:

<<Does not

<<hold

<<it

<<the Master,

<<that

<<of Rav Huna?

<<For Rav Huna said:

<<It is forbidden

<<for him,

<<for a person,

<<to taste

<<anything

<<before

<<he prays

<<the prayer of

<<the Mussafim!

<<He said to him:

<<It was needed

<<for him,

<<for the Master,

<<to pray

<<the prayer

<<of the Mussafim

<<individually,

<<and to taste

<<something

<<and to come.

<<He said to him:

<<And does not

<<hold

<<it

<<the Master,

<<that

<<which said

<<Rabbi Yochanan:

<<It is forbidden

<<for him,

<<for a person,

<<to advance

<<his prayer

<<before the prayer of

<<the congregation?

<<He said to him:

<<Was it not

<<stated

<<about it:

<<Rabbi Abba said:

<<with a congregation

<<they taught it?

And there is not

<<the halacha

<<not

<<like Rav Huna

<<and not

<<like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

<<Like Rav Huna:

<<this

<<that we said.

<<Like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<Once

<<has arrived

<<the time of

<<the prayer of

<<Mincha,

<<it is forbidden

<<for him,

<<for a person,

<<to taste

<<anything

<<before

<<he prays

<<the prayer of

<<Mincha.

MISHNAH:

<<Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKana

<<would

<<pray

<<on his entering

<<the study hall

<<and on his leaving

<<a prayer

<<short.

<<They said

<<to him:

<<What

<<place

<<is there for a prayer

<<such as this?

<<He said to them:

<<On my entering,

<<I

<<pray

<<that not

<<should occur

<<a matter of

<<stumbling

<<through

<<me;

<<and on my leaving,

<<I

<<give

<<thanks

<<for

<<my portion.

GEMARA:

<<The Rabbis taught:

<<On his entering,

<<what

<<does he say?

<<“May it be

<<the will

<<before You,

<<Hashem

<<my God,

<<that not

<<should occur

<<a matter of

<<stumbling

<<through

<<me,

<<and may I not

<<stumble

<<in a matter of

<<halacha,

<<and rejoice

<<over me

<<my colleagues;

<<and may I not

<<say

<<about

<<impure

<<‘pure,’

<<and not

<<about

<<pure

<<‘impure’;

<<and may not

<<stumble

<<my colleagues

<<in a matter of

<<halacha,

<<and I rejoice

<<over them.”

On his leaving,

<<what

<<does he say?

<<“Thankful

<<am I

<<before You,

<<Hashem

<<my God,

<<that You placed

<<my portion

<<among those who sit in

<<the study hall,

<<and not

<<did You place

<<my portion

<<among those who sit at

<<corners.

<<For I

<<rise early

<<and they

<<rise early:

<<I

<<rise early

<<for words of

<<Torah,

<<and they

<<rise early

<<for matters

<<idle.

<<I

<<toil

<<and they

<<toil:

<<I

<<toil

<<and receive

<<reward,

<<and they

<<toil

<<and do not

<<receive

<<reward.

<<I

<<run

<<and they

<<run:

<<I

<<run

<<to the life of

<<the World to Come,

<<and they

<<run

<<to the pit of

<<destruction.”

The Rabbis taught:

<<When fell ill

<<Rabbi Eliezer,

<<entered

<<his students

<<to visit him.

<<They said

<<to him:

<<Our teacher,

<<teach us

<<the paths of

<<life,

<<and we will merit

<<through them

<<the life of

<<the World to Come.

He said to them:

<<Be careful

<<with the honor of

<<your colleagues;

<<and keep

<<your children

<<from

<<the ‘higayon’ (lit. musing);

<<and seat them

<<between

<<the knees of

<<Torah scholars;

<<and when you

<<pray,

<<know

<<before

<<whom

<<you

<<stand.

<<And for the sake of

<<this

<<you will merit

<<the life of

<<the World to Come.

And when fell ill

<<Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai,

<<entered

<<his students

<<to visit him.

<<When

<<he saw

<<them,

<<he began

<<to cry.

<<They said

<<to him

<<his students:

<<“Lamp of

<<Israel,

<<pillar,

<<the right one,

<<hammer,

<<the mighty one!”

<<For what reason

<<do you

<<cry?

He said to them:

<<If

<<before

<<a king of

<<flesh

<<and blood

<<they were

<<leading

<<me,

<<who today

<<is here

<<and tomorrow

<<in the grave;

<<that if

<<he is angry

<<at me,

<<not

<<is his anger

<<an anger

<<eternal;

<<and if

<<he imprisons me,

<<not

<<is his imprisonment

<<an imprisonment

<<eternal;

<<and if

<<he kills me,

<<not

<<is his death

<<a death

<<eternal;

<<and I

<<can

<<appease him

<<with words

<<and bribe him

<<with money —

<<even so

<<I would be

<<crying.

<<And now

<<that they are leading

<<me

<<before

<<the King of

<<the kings of

<<the kings,

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<who

<<lives

<<and endures

<<forever

<<and for all

<<eternity;

<<that if

<<He is angry

<<at me,

<<His anger

<<is an anger

<<eternal;

<<and if

<<He imprisons me,

<<His imprisonment

<<is an imprisonment

<<eternal;

<<and if

<<He kills me,

<<His death

<<is a death

<<eternal;

<<and I am not

<<able

<<to appease Him

<<with words

<<and not

<<to bribe Him

<<with money.

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that there are

<<before me

<<two

<<paths,

<<one

<<of

<<Gan

<<Eden

<<and one

<<of

<<Gehinnom,

<<and I do not

<<know

<<on which

<<they are leading

<<me —

<<and shall not

<<I cry?!

They said

<<to him:

<<Our teacher,

<<bless us.

<<He said to them:

<<“May it be

<<the will

<<that be

<<the fear of

<<Heaven

<<upon you

<<like the fear of

<<flesh

<<and blood.”

<<They said

<<to him

<<his students:

<<Only up to

<<here?

<<He said to them:

<<If only!

<<Know:

<<when a person

<<commits

<<a transgression,

<<he says:

<<“That not

<<will see me

<<a person.”

At the time of

<<his passing,

<<he said to them:

<<Clear out

<<vessels

<<because of

<<the impurity,

<<and prepare

<<a chair

<<for Chizkiyahu,

<<king of

<<Yehuda,

<<who is coming.

MISHNAH:

<<Rabban Gamliel

<<says:

<<Every single day

<<prays

<<a person

<<eighteen [blessings].

<<Rabbi Yehoshua

<<says:

<<a digest of

<<eighteen.

<<Rabbi Akiva

<<says:

<<If

<<fluent

<<is his prayer

<<in his mouth,

<<he prays

<<eighteen;

<<and if

<<not,

<<a digest of

<<eighteen.

Rabbi Eliezer

<<says:

<<One who makes

<<his prayer

<<fixed —

<<is not

<<his prayer

<<supplication.

Rabbi Yehoshua

<<says:

<<One who walks

<<in a place of

<<danger

<<prays

<<a prayer

<<short,

<<and says:

<<“Save,

<<Hashem,

<<Your people,

<<the remnant of

<<Israel;

<<in every

<<matter of

<<‘crossing’ [transgression]

<<may be

<<their needs

<<before You.

<<Blessed

<<are You,

<<Hashem,

<<who hears

<<prayer.”

If he was

<<riding

<<on

<<a donkey,

<<he should dismount

<<and pray;

<<and if

<<he is not

<<able

<<to dismount,

<<he should turn

<<his face;

<<and if

<<he is not

<<able

<<to turn

<<his face,

<<he should direct

<<his heart

<<toward

<<the House of

<<the Holy of

<<Holies.

<<If he was

<<traveling

<<on a ship

<<or

<<on a raft,

<<he should direct

<<his heart

<<toward

<<the House of

<<the Holy of

<<Holies.

GEMARA:

<<These

<<eighteen —

<<corresponding to

<<what?

Said

<<Rabbi Hillel (son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani):

<<Corresponding to

<<eighteen

<<mentions [of the Name]

<<that David said

<<in “Give

<<to Hashem,

<<sons of

<<the mighty.”

<<Rav Yosef

<<said:

<<Corresponding to

<<eighteen

<<mentions

<<that are in the Shema.

<<Rabbi Tanchum said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<Corresponding to

<<eighteen

<<vertebrae

<<that are in the spine.

And Rabbi Tanchum said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<One who prays

<<must

<<bow

<<until

<<are loosened

<<all

<<the vertebrae

<<that are in the spine.

Ulla

<<said:

<<Until

<<so that

<<he sees

<<an issar

<<opposite

<<his heart.

<<Rabbi Chanina

<<said:

<<Once

<<he has nodded

<<his head,

<<further

<<he does not

<<need to.

<<Rava said:

<<And that is

<<when he pains

<<himself

<<and appears

<<like one

<<who bowed.

These

<<eighteen?!

<<Nineteen

<<they are!

Rabbi Levi said:

<<The blessing of

<<the heretics

<<in Yavneh

<<they instituted it.

<<Corresponding to

<<what

<<did they institute it?

Rabbi Levi said:

<<According to Rabbi Hillel (son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani),

<<corresponding to

<<“the God of

<<glory

<<thunders.”

<<According to Rav Yosef,

<<corresponding to

<<“One”

<<that is in the Shema.

<<According to Rabbi Tanchum,

<<in the name of

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi,

<<corresponding to

<<the vertebra

<<small

<<that is in the spine.

The Rabbis taught:

<<Shimon HaPakuli

<<arranged

<<eighteen

<<blessings

<<before

<<Rabban Gamliel

<<in

<<order

<<in Yavneh.

<<Rabban Gamliel said to them

<<to the Sages:

<<At all,

<<is there

<<a person

<<who knows

<<how to compose

<<the blessing of

<<the heretics?

<<Stood up

<<Shmuel HaKatan

<<and composed it.

The following

<<year

<<he forgot it,