And if

<<like Rabban Gamliel

<<they hold,

<<let them say

<<like Rabban Gamliel!

Actually

<<like Rabban Gamliel

<<they hold,

<<and that

<<which

<<they say

<<“until

<<midnight”

<<is in order

<<to distance

<<a person

<<from

<<transgression.

<<As it is taught:

<<the Sages

<<made

<<a fence

<<for their words,

<<in order

<<that not

<<will

<<a person

<<come

<<from

<<the field

<<in the evening

<<and say:

<<“I will go

<<to my house

<<and eat

<<a little,

<<and drink

<<a little,

<<and sleep

<<a little,

<<and afterward

<<I will recite

<<the Shema

<<and pray,”

<<and sleep

<<overtakes him

<<and he is found

<<sleeping

<<all

<<the night.

<<Rather,

<<a person

<<coming

<<from

<<the field

<<in the evening

<<enters

<<the synagogue;

<<if

<<he is accustomed

<<to read [Scripture]

<<he reads,

<<and if

<<he is accustomed

<<to learn [Mishnah]

<<he learns;

<<and he recites

<<the Shema

<<and prays,

<<and eats

<<his bread

<<and blesses.

And anyone

<<who transgresses

<<against

<<the words of

<<the Sages

<<is liable

<<to death.

What is different

<<in every

<<place,

<<that not

<<does it teach

<<“is liable

<<to death,”

<<and what is different

<<here,

<<that it teaches

<<“is liable

<<to death”?

If you wish, say:

<<because

<<there is

<<the compulsion of

<<sleep.

<<And if you wish, say:

<<to exclude

<<from the one

<<who says

<<“the prayer of

<<the evening

<<is optional” —

<<it teaches us

<<that it is obligatory.

Said

<<the master:

<<“he recites

<<the Shema

<<and prays.”

<<This supports

<<Rabbi Yochanan.

<<For Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<who is

<<one destined for the World to Come?

<<This is

<<one who joins

<<redemption

<<to the prayer

<<of

<<the evening.

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<says:

<<the prayers —

<<in the middle

<<they instituted them.

In what

<<do they disagree?

If you wish, say:

<<a verse;

<<if you wish, say:

<<reasoning.

If you wish, say:

<<reasoning.

For Rabbi Yochanan

<<holds:

<<redemption

<<from the evening

<<too

<<there was,

<<but

<<a redemption

<<complete

<<not

<<was there

<<except

<<until

<<the morning.

<<And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<holds:

<<since

<<not

<<was there [redemption]

<<except

<<from the morning,

<<not

<<is it

<<a redemption

<<complete.

And if you wish, say:

<<a verse,

<<and both of them

<<one verse

<<expounded,

<<as it is written:

<<“when you lie down

<<and when you rise.”

Rabbi Yochanan

<<holds:

<<it compares

<<lying down

<<to rising:

<<just as

<<at rising,

<<the Shema

<<and afterward

<<prayer,

<<so

<<at lying down

<<too,

<<the Shema

<<and afterward

<<prayer.

<<Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

<<holds:

<<it compares

<<lying down

<<to rising:

<<just as

<<at rising,

<<the Shema

<<is close

<<to his bed,

<<so

<<at lying down

<<too,

<<the Shema

<<is close

<<to his bed.

Raised an objection

<<Mar son of Ravina:

<<“In the evening

<<one blesses

<<two

<<before it

<<and two

<<after it.”

<<And if

<<you say

<<he needs

<<to join,

<<but

<<not

<<does he join

<<redemption

<<to prayer,

<<for

<<he needs

<<to say

<<“Hashkiveinu”!

They say:

<<since

<<instituted

<<the Rabbis

<<“Hashkiveinu,”

<<like a redemption

<<extended

<<it is.

<<For if

<<not

<<you say

<<so,

<<in the morning

<<how

<<can

<<he join?

<<But didn't Rabbi Yochanan say:

<<at the beginning

<<one says:

<<“Hashem,

<<my lips

<<open,”

<<and at the end

<<he

<<says:

<<“May they be

<<for favor

<<the words of

<<my mouth”?

Rather,

<<there,

<<since

<<instituted

<<the Rabbis

<<to say

<<“Hashem,

<<my lips

<<open,”

<<like a prayer

<<extended

<<it is;

<<here

<<too,

<<since

<<instituted

<<the Rabbis

<<to say

<<“Hashkiveinu,”

<<like a redemption

<<extended

<<it is.

Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Avina:

<<anyone

<<who says

<<“A praise

<<of David”

<<on every

<<day

<<three

<<times

<<is assured

<<of it

<<that he is

<<one destined for the World to Come.

What is the reason?

If you say

<<because

<<it goes

<<in alef-beis order,

<<let him say

<<“Happy are

<<the wholehearted

<<of way,”

<<which goes

<<in eight

<<facets!

Rather,

<<because

<<there is

<<in it

<<“You open

<<Your hand,”

<<let him say

<<the Great Hallel,

<<for it is written

<<in it

<<“He gives

<<bread

<<to all

<<flesh”!

Rather,

<<because

<<there is

<<in it

<<both.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<for what reason

<<is not

<<said

<<a nun

<<in “Ashrei”?

<<Because

<<there is

<<in it

<<the downfall

<<of

<<the enemies of

<<Israel,

<<as it is written:

<<“She has fallen;

<<not

<<will she again

<<rise,

<<the maiden of

<<Israel.”

In the West

<<they resolve

<<it

<<thus:

<<“She has fallen,

<<and not

<<will she again

<<fall

<<anymore;

<<rise,

<<maiden of

<<Israel.”

<<Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

<<even

<<so,

<<went back

<<David

<<and supported them

<<with the holy spirit,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Supports

<<Hashem

<<all

<<the fallen.”

Rabbi Elazar bar Avina said:

<<greater

<<is what

<<is said

<<of Michael

<<more

<<than what

<<is said

<<of Gavriel,

<<for while

<<of Michael

<<it is written:

<<“Then flew

<<to me

<<one

<<of

<<the serafim,”

<<whereas

<<regarding

<<Gavriel

<<it is written:

<<“And the man

<<Gavriel,

<<whom

<<I had seen

<<in the vision

<<at the beginning,

<<made to fly

<<in flight,”

<<etc.

What

<<indicates

<<that this

<<“one”

<<Michael

<<is?

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<it is derived

<<“one”

<<from “one.”

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“Then flew

<<to me

<<one

<<of

<<the serafim,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“And behold,

<<Michael,

<<one

<<(of)

<<the princes

<<foremost,

<<came

<<to help me.”

A Tanna taught:

<<Michael

<<in one [flight];

<<Gavriel

<<in two;

<<Eliyahu

<<in four;

<<and the angel of

<<death

<<in eight.

<<But in the time of

<<the plague,

<<in one.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<even though

<<has recited

<<a person

<<the Shema

<<in the synagogue,

<<it is a mitzvah

<<to recite it

<<upon

<<his bed.

<<Rabbi Yosei said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<“Tremble

<<and do not

<<sin;

<<speak

<<in your heart

<<upon

<<your bed,

<<and be still.

<<Selah.”

Rav Nachman said: