About this episode
It was implied from something Rabbi Zeira said that the blessing the priests said in the temple before shema was "God who created light." But the gemara rejects this and says that one can interpret that statement in a different way and it could be the blessing of "great love that God has for the Jewish people." Why were the ten commandments no longer used as part of the liturgy in the temple and outside the temple? What do the priests who are leaving their watch bless those who are beginning their watch? What does this teach you about priests' behavior in the temple? If someone starts a blessing thinking she is going to drink wine and then remembers that it is beer, and finishes the blessing correctly, does that work? Do we go by the main part of the blessing or the ending? The gemara tries to answer the question from other sources but is unsuccessful.. The gemara brings five statements of Rabba son of Chinnana Saba in the name of Rav: 1. If one doesn't say emet v'yatziv in the morning or emet v'emuna at night one does not fulfill one's obligation (what obligation?). Why? 2. During prayer, we bow at baruch and stand up at God's name. Why? 3. In the ten days of repentance we say "the holy king" and "the king of judgement". There are those who disagree. What if one forgets to say them? 4. One who can pray for others and doesn't is considered a sinner. 5. One who pray and is then embarrassed by one's sin is pardons from all of one's sins. This is learned from King Saul. The rabbis wanted Parshat Balak to be said daily as part of shema. Why did they want to and why didn't this happen? Parshat tzitzit was chosen for five themes. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria and the rabbis argue about whether one needs to mention the exodus from Egypt at night. What is the source of their debate?