About this episode
Bruria corrects Rabbi Meir, her husband, that one should not pray for the death of evildoers but for their repentance. There is a discussion between Bruria and a heretic and Rabbi Avahu and a heretic regarding verses that are hard to understand. The verse in Proverbs "the her mouth is full of intelligence" is said regarding King David who praised God throughout different stages in his life. The verses of Barchi Nafshi are explained. Why the phrase used five times? The soul is similar to God is five ways. The gemara describes the story in which Yeshayahu visits Chizkiyahu who is dying. How did the story play out? How did Chizkiyahu end up not dying then? What was his sin for which he was supposed to die? Is it better to pray based on one's own merits or to pray baed on the merits of others? Can leaders accept gifts from others? Examples from both directions are brought from Elisha and Shmuel. One should pray from a place of humility. One should not eat before praying. What happens if one doesn't say shema in the first three hours of the day? Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel debate what position one should be in when saying shema. Rabbi Tarfon tried to do like Beit Shamai and was told he was deserving of death!