M. V. 3-4. Three Examples of Benedictions at Wrong Times. On Mistakes made by the Leader

Tractate Berakoth, by , by A. Lukyn Williams, [1921], at sacred-texts.com

Three Examples of Benedictions at Wrong Times. On Mistakes made by the Leader.

M.V. 3. He that saith: "Over a bird's nest ³ do Thy mercies extend," and "For good let Thy name be remembered," ⁴ and "We praise, we praise," ⁵ must be stopped. As for him that passes before the Ark ⁶ and makes a mistake let another pass in his stead. Let him not decline [when asked to say prayers at that time]. Where does he begin? At the beginning of the Benediction in which he [the former] made the mistake.

p. 41

M.4. He 1 that passes before the Ark must not answer Amen after the priests 2 [for fear of] distraction. If no priest is there he must not lift up his hands [to bless]. But if he has confidence that if he lifts up his hands 3 [to bless] he can return to his prayer, he is permitted to do so.

Footnotes

40:1 the cup. At the end of the sabbath, SA, p. 216.

40:2 the thanksgiving for the land. In the Benediction after the meal, SA, p. 280. The Erfurt text is ungrammatical, but the Vienna and the ordinary text read "who has not made mention of the covenant in the Benediction for the land." The covenant is "that which Thou hast sealed in our flesh."

40:3 Over a bird's nest. Deut. 22⁷. The prayer would continue "and therefore have mercy upon us." But this implies that Deut. 22⁷ was recorded to exhibit God's mercy. It was not so. For otherwise God would not allow birds and beasts to be killed. That passage is to be accepted as God's decree, without our making use of it for such a purpose (Tosaphoth Yom Tob). It is possible, as the following cases are connected with heretical opinions, that the remembrance of Matt. 10²⁹ may also have had some influence.

40:4 For good, etc. It seems to deny that evil is permitted by God as well as good.

40:5 We praise, we praise. Twice over. The speaker may be referring to more than one divine principle (cf. the next mishna and M. IX. 8 (5), p. 87, and the common argument for the Trinity from the threefold use of "Holy" in Isa. vi. 3).

40:6 him passes before the Ark. p. 19 note. It was correct for him who was invited to lead the Tephillah to decline the first time, but to yield to a second and third invitation (Gemara T. B. 34^a).