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Berakhot 23 for kids: Taking Care of Tefillin

ברכות כ״ג

📦 This daf teaches that someone who really needs to use the bathroom should not pray until he has gone. It also explains careful rules for taking off tefillin before going into a bathroom, so they stay safe and respected.

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Stories from Berakhot 23

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Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 23 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 23a, in English Tab translation (25)
  1. One Sage held — The rule is that anyone who interrupts his prayer, if he paused for an interval long enough to complete the entire prayer, he returns to the beginning. As we say regarding the recitation of Shema later in this chapter (Berakhot 24b); here they are disputing about the case of such a pause.
  2. This should have been phrased 'if he paused, if he did not pause' — In the matter of Rav Chisda and Rav Hamnuna, it would have been necessary to distinguish between pausing and not pausing. Since the text does not make this distinction, it follows that the dispute applies even when he did not pause that long.
  3. He is a disqualified man — Since when he began praying he needed to relieve himself, he was disqualified from prayer; therefore what he prayed is not a valid prayer, and he must return to the beginning.
  4. And the other Sage holds he is a fit man — Even though he cannot wait until he finishes his prayer, what he prayed before he needed to relieve himself is a valid prayer.
  5. And for how long — must he be able to hold himself back from relieving himself in order to be permitted to begin praying?
  6. Some teach this directly — as the qualifying clause 'in what case is this said' within the baraita itself, rather than as an independent statement of Rav Zevid and Rav Yehuda; and when they discuss it, they discuss only the measure of time.
  7. Guard yourself lest you sin — so that your foot need not go to the house of God to bring a sin-offering.
  8. Be near to listen — meaning, repent when bringing your sacrifice, rather than being like the fools who bring it without repentance.
  9. Guard your orifices — meaning the area between your legs, similar to the phrase 'to cover his feet' (I Samuel 24:4); guard your orifices so that they do not break wind.
  10. A regular bathroom — one that already contains excrement; all the bathrooms mentioned in the Gemara are out in the open field, without a dug pit.
  11. A makeshift one — meaning this is the first time this spot is being used as a bathroom.
  12. He removes them and relieves himself immediately — holding the phylacteries in his hand, as stated further on. Even in a regular bathroom he also holds them in his hand, but there he must remove them at a distance of four cubits, because while they are on his head they are exposed, which is disgraceful.
  13. May he enter wearing his phylacteries — meaning while they are still on his head.
  14. Lest he relieve himself while wearing them — referring to defecation.
  15. The holes adjacent to the bathroom — inside the fence of the field where he relieves himself, he places them in holes in the wall.
  16. The holes adjacent to the public domain — the holes in the walls enclosing the field, where mice are not commonly found since people pass by there; he goes behind the fence to relieve himself.
  17. He rolls them up — together with their straps.
  18. And holds them in his right hand — not wrapped in his garment, so that they do not fall.
  19. So that the strap should not protrude — since it has sanctity, for with it he ties the knot, and the knot is formed to resemble the letter 'dalet,' one of the letters of the Divine Name Shaddai; the letter 'shin' is formed on the outer walls of the head-phylacteries box, and the letter 'yod' is formed at the top of the hand-phylacteries strap — a very small strap whose folded tip resembles a 'yod.'
  20. By day — when he removes them to enter the bathroom, he rolls them up like a scroll, as stated.
  21. And at night — when he removes them at home in order to put them away until morning.
  22. He makes for them a pouch a handbreadth deep — so that its hollow space, being a handbreadth, renders the vessel a 'tent' that separates between them and the ground.
  23. This was taught only — that a handbreadth is required in the case of a vessel made specifically to serve as their container; since such a vessel, being made for their purpose, is nearly considered nullified in relation to them, we therefore require something distinctly noticeable to serve as a partition before them.
  24. For indeed small jars protect — by means of a tightly sealed cover, in the case of a tent over a corpse, even though they are not a handbreadth deep, they still serve as a partition.
  25. He said: Since the Sages permitted them — to be held in the hand, for the sake of safeguarding them.
Tosafot on Berakhot 23a, in English Tab translation (3)
  1. Rather, everyone agrees that he returns to the beginning — The same reasoning would have allowed [Rav Ashi] to establish instead that everyone agrees he does not return to the beginning; since he did not state it that way, this shows that the halakha is that he returns to the beginning. Indeed, further on, Rabbi Abbahu explicitly says he returns to the beginning. But this is difficult: In tractate Rosh Hashanah (34b) Rabbi Yochanan said that one who heard nine shofar blasts over nine hours of the day has fulfilled his obligation — implying that the blasts combine even though he delayed long enough to have performed them all. Similarly in Megillah (18b) it is said: Rav said the halakha is not like Rabbi Muna, who held that if one delayed he returns to the beginning — concerning which it is said 'take hold of Rav Beivai's ruling.' The Sar of Coucy explains that a distinction can be made: there [in those cases] it is different, because during the interruption the person was not fit to read. Likewise, further on (Berakhot 24b), where Rabbi Abbahu walked through filthy alleyways — there everyone agrees he returns to the beginning. But where the person himself remained fit [to perform the mitzvah], as with Megillah and shofar, everyone agrees he does not return to the beginning but resumes from where he stopped. Rabbeinu Yehuda explained that here [in our sugya] one cannot say that everyone agrees he does not return to the beginning, and that the dispute is only about the length of delay — for according to everyone the person was fit, since he does not return to the beginning. But certainly, had it been possible to say this, Rav Ashi would have said so.
  2. We are concerned lest he relieve himself with them on, and it is forbidden — This concern applies specifically to a regular bathroom, where we worry he might relieve himself while wearing them. But in a makeshift bathroom, where people do not normally relieve themselves, it is permitted to urinate while wearing them, and we are not concerned he will relieve himself in them. The baraita cited later, which states that one may not urinate while wearing them even in a makeshift bathroom, refers specifically to a case where he holds them in his hand — there we are concerned he might smear drops of urine on them, if water splashes on his feet or he touches his member with them.
  3. For small jars protect [their contents] from impurity under a tent over a corpse — This must be because of the airspace inside them; for if they had no airspace at all, they would not provide protection, just like foods kneaded with clay, which do become impure under a tent over a corpse.
Rashi on Berakhot 23b, in English Tab translation (38)
  1. Lemma: ננטרן (they will protect me) — I will bring them in with me and they will protect me from harmful spirits.
  2. Lemma: לא יאחוז בידו וכו' ויתפלל (one may not hold them in his hand... and pray) — because his mind is not settled for prayer, since his heart is constantly on them lest they fall from his hand.
  3. Lemma: ולא יישן בהן (and may not sleep with them) — lest he pass gas.
  4. Lemma: הרי אלו כיוצא בהן (these are similar to them) — with regard to prayer, that he worries about them lest the knife fall and injure him, the bowl spill, the money be lost, or the bread become soiled.
  5. Lemma: לית הלכתא כי הא מתניתא (the halakha is not in accordance with this baraita) — which teaches that one may not urinate while wearing phylacteries.
  6. Lemma: דבית שמאי היא (it is in accordance with Beit Shammai) — who say above that one places them in the window near the public domain and should not bring them in his hand and enter.
  7. Lemma: דאי בית הלל (for if it were Beit Hillel) — they already said above that one may hold them in his hand and enter.
  8. Lemma: בית הכסא עראי (a makeshift bathroom) — such as for urinating, since a person does not go there specifically for that purpose, and this place only becomes a 'bathroom' for that one occasion.
  9. Lemma: שהתרתי לך כאן (that which I permitted you here) — in the regular bathroom.
  10. Lemma: אסרתי לך כאן (I prohibited you here) — in the makeshift bathroom.
  11. Lemma: מאי לאו תפילין (is it not referring to phylacteries) — that Beit Hillel said one may hold them in hand and enter the regular bathroom, but prohibited urinating while holding them there, as will be explained below.
  12. Lemma: הא לא שרו (they did not permit) — in the regular bathroom.
  13. Lemma: כי תניא ההיא (when that was taught) — it was not taught regarding phylacteries, but regarding the uncovering of one handbreadth or two handbreadths; for large needs one uncovers only a handbreadth, and for small needs one uncovers two handbreadths, and the statement 'that which I permitted you here, I prohibited you there' refers to that two-handbreadth uncovering.
  14. Lemma: לאחריו טפח (a handbreadth behind him) — and no more, out of modesty.
  15. Lemma: ולפניו טפחיים (and two handbreadths in front of him) — because of the stream of urine that sprays far.
  16. Lemma: מאי לאו וכו' (is it not...) — and this is what was said above, that matters which I permitted you in the makeshift bathroom I prohibited you in the regular one.
  17. Lemma: אלא אידי ואידי בגדולים (rather both cases refer to defecation) — and since one strains himself for a bowel movement, he may come to also urinate; therefore for a man, a handbreadth behind and two in front, but for a woman, nothing in front at all; and this means that the earlier statement 'matters I prohibited you' refers to a woman, and 'permitted you' refers to a man.
  18. Lemma: אי הכי (if so) — that regarding one or two handbreadths it is taught 'matters which I permitted you here I prohibited you there'...
  19. Lemma: הא דקתני עלה (that which is taught about this) — at the end, regarding a woman; and this is the a fortiori inference for which there is no answer: in this matter you could have raised a kal vachomer and I have no answer to counter it — granted if it speaks of phylacteries according to Beit Hillel as we explained, then one can raise the kal vachomer: if holding them is permitted in a regular bathroom, how much more should it be permitted in a makeshift one, and I have no answer; but if it refers to one or two handbreadths, what kal vachomer could be raised here?
  20. Lemma: אורחא דמילתא הכי הוא (that is simply the nature of the matter) — that a man must uncover himself in front but a woman does not.
  21. Lemma: תיובתא דרבא אמר רב ששת (this is a refutation of what Rava said in the name of Rav Sheshet) — that it follows Beit Shammai and not Beit Hillel; for if so, you could not establish this baraita that teaches 'what is that which I permitted you here, I prohibited you there.'
  22. Lemma: דליכא ניצוצות (where there are no splashes) — that would require him to wipe them off his feet with his right hand.
  23. Lemma: בית הכסא עראי (a makeshift bathroom) — for urination.
  24. Lemma: דאיכא ניצוצות (where there are splashes) — that spray onto his feet; and it is stated in tractate Yoma (30a) that it is a mitzvah to wipe them off, for it is forbidden for a person to go out with splashes on his feet lest he appear to have a running issue, causing people to slander his children as illegitimate; therefore it is impossible for him to hold phylacteries in his hand.
  25. Lemma: הא מילתא (this matter) — concerning phylacteries in a makeshift versus a regular bathroom.
  26. תיתי לה בתורת טעמא — Let it come through logical reasoning: to permit holding phylacteries in a regular bathroom what is forbidden in a makeshift bathroom, because of the reasoning about splashing drops.
  27. דאי אתיא לה בתורת קל וחומר — For if this would come by way of an a fortiori inference, one would say: logically, be lenient in the makeshift bathroom (which is a lighter case) and strict in the regular bathroom (which is a more severe case), and one should not deviate from following severity and leniency based on an independent reason. Yet we do the opposite [lenient in the severe case, strict in the light case]. 'I have nothing to answer you' means: I cannot find any case where a makeshift bathroom would be considered more severe than a regular one, so that I could answer that since I permitted something in the regular bathroom (a lighter case) in a certain matter, I should permit it in the makeshift bathroom (the more severe case) in that same matter. But there actually is a reason for what we do: here [in the makeshift bathroom] there are splashing drops, and here [in the regular bathroom] there are not. This distinction, then, is not a true a fortiori inference at all — neither lenient nor severe.
  28. הנכנס לסעודת קבע — One who sits down to a formal, fixed meal: it is considered disgraceful for him to need to relieve himself in the middle of the meal.
  29. מהלך עשרה פעמים כו' — He walks ten times, etc.: each time, he checks himself and sits down, to see if perhaps he can relieve himself, since walking causes the waste to descend toward the opening.
  30. חולץ תפיליו — He removes his phylacteries, lest he become drunk during the meal and disgrace himself while wearing them.
  31. וכן הדור לו — And so should they be made ready for him: that they be prepared for him, so that he can put them back on at the time of the blessing [after the meal].
  32. באפרקסותיה — In his head-scarf: the cloth wrapped around his head.
  33. עם מעותיו — With his coins: not literally together with the coins, but rather as two separate bundles tied next to each other.
  34. ה"ג הא דאזמניה הא דלא אזמניה — The correct text is: this case is where he designated it [for the phylacteries], and this case is where he did not designate it. This refers to that head-scarf meant for the phylacteries: once he designated it for that purpose, it becomes forbidden to tie coins in it, since he set it aside for a sacred use.
  35. צר ביה — He ties [coins] in it: if he designated it [for phylacteries], then yes [it is forbidden]; if he did not designate it, it never became sanctified, and it is permitted to tie coins in it — as it is explicitly taught in tractate Sanhedrin (48b): if he placed his phylacteries in it, he may also place coins in it.
  36. ולאביי דאמר הזמנה מילתא היא — And according to Abaye, who holds that mere designation for a purpose is significant — this is stated regarding one who weaves a garment for a dead person, in tractate Sanhedrin, in the chapter 'Nigmar HaDin' (47b).
  37. מהו שיניח תפיליו תחת מראשותיו — What is the rule about placing his phylacteries under his head[-rest]? This refers to nighttime, when he is sleeping.
  38. אם היה מקום גבוה ג' טפחים — If there was a place three handbreadths high above his head[-rest], upon which he places the phylacteries, or below his head[-rest], a place that juts out from the bed.
Tosafot on Berakhot 23b, in English Tab translation (1)
  1. Matters which I permitted you to do here, etc. — The Gemara did not want to answer: 'Matters which I permitted you to do here, in a regular bathroom, I prohibited you from doing there, in a makeshift bathroom' by explaining that it is forbidden to defecate (a major act) while wearing phylacteries on one's head, but permitted to urinate while wearing them. The reason the Gemara did not give this answer is that this distinction is not explicitly found stated in a baraita, whereas the distinction concerning one handbreadth and two handbreadths is explicitly found stated in a baraita. (Rabbi Yosef)

Sources

Kid summary and story cards written by Tab from the William Davidson Edition English (Sefaria, CC BY-NC 4.0).

Tab translation (machine-assisted) of Rashi and Tosafot, from the Vilna Edition Hebrew (public domain) on Sefaria. May contain mistakes.

In the app, the Gemara text comes from Sefaria (William Davidson Edition, CC BY-NC 4.0; Hebrew/Aramaic Vilna Edition). Rashi and Tosafot Hebrew: Vilna Edition (public domain) via Sefaria.

Also spelled: Berachot, Brachos, Berachos, Brachot 23.