Familiarity

<<toward

<<Heaven —

<<is there such?!

<<If

<<not

<<he focused

<<his mind

<<from the start,

<<we strike

<<him

<<with the hammer

<<of a smith

<<until

<<he focuses

<<his mind.

MISHNAH:

<<(One who says:

<<“May they bless You,

<<the good ones” —

<<this is

<<the way of

<<heresy).

<<One who passes

<<before

<<the ark

<<and erred,

<<let pass

<<another

<<in his place,

<<and let him not

<<be

<<a refuser

<<at that

<<hour.

<<From where

<<does he

<<begin?

<<From the start of

<<the blessing

<<in which erred

<<this one.

One who passes

<<before

<<the ark

<<should not

<<answer

<<“Amen”

<<after

<<the kohanim,

<<because of

<<the confusion.

<<And if

<<there is not

<<there

<<a kohen

<<other than

<<he,

<<he should not

<<lift

<<his hands.

<<But if

<<he is confident

<<that he

<<can lift

<<his hands

<<and return

<<to his prayer,

<<he is permitted.

GEMARA:

<<The Rabbis taught:

<<One who passes

<<before

<<the ark

<<needs

<<to decline.

<<And if

<<he does not

<<decline,

<<he is like

<<a dish

<<that has not

<<in it

<<salt.

<<And if

<<he declines

<<more

<<than enough,

<<he is like

<<a dish

<<that has been spoiled by

<<salt.

<<How

<<does he

<<do it?

<<The time

<<first,

<<he should decline;

<<the second,

<<he wavers;

<<the third,

<<he stretches out

<<his legs

<<and goes down.

The Rabbis taught:

<<Three [things] —

<<their large amount

<<is harmful,

<<and their small amount

<<is good,

<<and these

<<are they:

<<leaven,

<<and salt,

<<and declining.

Rav Huna said:

<<If he erred

<<in the three

<<first ones,

<<he goes back

<<to the beginning;

<<in the middle ones,

<<he goes back

<<to “You

<<graciously grant”;

<<in the last ones,

<<he goes back

<<to “Service.”

And Rav Assi

<<said:

<<The middle ones

<<have no

<<for them

<<order.

Raised an objection

<<Rav Sheshes:

<<“From where

<<does he

<<go back?

<<From the start of

<<the blessing

<<in which erred

<<this one.”

<<A refutation

<<of Rav Huna!

Would say

<<to you

<<Rav Huna:

<<The middle ones,

<<all of them,

<<one

<<blessing

<<are they.

Rav Yehuda said:

<<Always

<<let not

<<request

<<a person

<<his needs,

<<not

<<in the three

<<first ones

<<and not

<<in the three

<<last ones,

<<but

<<in the middle ones.

<<For Rabbi Chanina said:

<<The first ones —

<<he is like

<<a servant

<<who arranges

<<praise

<<before

<<his master.

<<The middle ones —

<<he is like

<<a servant

<<who requests

<<a gift

<<from his master.

<<The last ones —

<<he is like

<<a servant

<<who has received

<<a gift

<<from his master,

<<and takes leave

<<and goes

<<on his way.

The Rabbis taught:

<<An incident

<<with a student,

<<one,

<<who went down

<<before

<<the ark

<<in the presence of

<<Rabbi Eliezer,

<<and he was

<<prolonging

<<more

<<than enough.

<<They said

<<to him,

<<his students:

<<How much

<<of a prolonger

<<is he,

<<this one!

<<He said to them:

<<Is he at all

<<prolonging

<<more

<<than Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<as it is written

<<of him:

<<“The

<<forty

<<days

<<and the

<<forty

<<nights,

<<etc.”?!

Again

<<an incident

<<with a student,

<<one,

<<who went down

<<before

<<the ark

<<in the presence of

<<Rabbi Eliezer,

<<and he was

<<shortening

<<more

<<than enough.

<<They said

<<to him,

<<his students:

<<How much

<<of a shortener

<<is he,

<<this one!

<<He said to them:

<<Is he at all

<<shortening

<<more

<<than Moshe

<<our teacher,

<<as it is written:

<<“God,

<<please,

<<heal,

<<please,

<<her”?!

Rabbi Yaakov said in the name of Rav Chisda:

<<Anyone

<<who requests

<<mercy

<<for

<<his fellow

<<does not

<<need

<<to mention

<<his name,

<<as it is stated:

<<“God,

<<please,

<<heal,

<<please,

<<her,”

<<and not

<<does he mention

<<the name

<<of Miriam.

The Rabbis taught:

<<These are

<<the blessings

<<that a person

<<bows

<<in them:

<<in “Fathers,”

<<beginning

<<and end;

<<in “Thanksgiving,”

<<beginning

<<and end.

<<And if

<<he comes

<<to bow

<<at the end of

<<each

<<blessing

<<and blessing

<<and at the start of

<<each

<<blessing

<<and blessing,

<<they teach

<<him

<<that he should not

<<bow.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<in the name

<<of Bar Kappara:

<<A commoner —

<<as

<<we said.