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Daf Yomi for kids · Talmud Bavli · Masechet Berakhot

Berakhot 6 for kids: Demons, Tefillin, and Running

ברכות ו׳

🏃 This daf talks about demons all around us that we can't see, and how God is found in the synagogue when people pray together. It also teaches how we should hurry to learn Torah, but walk calmly when we leave shul.

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Stories from Berakhot 6

Words to know

Rashi and Tosafot on Berakhot 6 in simple English

Rashi on Berakhot 6a, in English Tab translation (30)
  1. Lu hikshavta — 'If only' is an expression of wishing/longing.
  2. Lemitzvotai — for the sake of My commandments which I commanded, to perform acts of kindness.
  3. Lirot — to see all the demons standing before him.
  4. Ki chasla le'ugya — like the furrow of a ditch surrounding the 'ogya' (mound) that they make under grapevines, as we learned (Moed Katan 2a): one does not make ogiyot for grapevines to collect water there to irrigate the vine. 'Kasla' is the furrow of a plowed row surrounding the mound of the ogya, and the vine is planted in that mound. And at the beginning of Nedarim (6b), this ogya is considered a corner (pe'ah).
  5. This crowding that occurs at the kalla — sometimes people sit with plenty of room on Shabbat when they come to hear the lecture, yet it feels to them as though they are sitting crowded together.
  6. Those knees that are fatigued — tired knees.
  7. The garments of the Sages that wear out — the students' garments wear out quickly even though they are not people who do physical labor that would cause their garments to wear out.
  8. From friction with them — the demons come and sit beside them and rub against them. 'Chofia' is a term meaning rubbing or chafing (as in Shabbat 50a); in Old French, 'freier.'
  9. The afterbirth of a cat — the afterbirth of the offspring of a female cat.
  10. Bechora — firstborn to its mother.
  11. Daughter of a firstborn — and her mother, too, was a firstborn.
  12. And he should fill his eye from it — he should place a small amount of it in his eyes. Any expression of 'giving' regarding the eye is called in the language of the Gemara an expression of 'filling,' because even a small amount fills it.
  13. An iron tube — a hollow tube made of iron.
  14. And he should seal it — the tube.
  15. With an iron seal — for something that is marked and sealed, they (the demons) have no permission [to tamper with it], as stated in the chapter 'Kol HaBasar' in the tractate dealing with slaughtering, Chullin (105b).
  16. In a place of song — in the synagogue, where the congregation recites songs and praises in a pleasant melody.
  17. In the congregation of God — in His house of assembly.
  18. And from where do we derive that ten [constitute a congregation], etc. — a congregation is called by the number ten, as it says, 'How long shall I bear with this evil congregation' (Numbers 14:27) — this was after Caleb and Joshua had gone out [leaving ten].
  19. In the midst of the judges He judges — and a court is called 'elohim' (judges) only with a minimum of three, as stated in the first chapter of Sanhedrin (3b).
  20. And the Lord listened — He waits for them there.
  21. That I cause My name to be mentioned — regarding My commandments and My words.
  22. I will come to you — this is phrased in the singular.
  23. Their words are written — as it is written, 'and a book of remembrance was written before Him' (end of the verse).
  24. The Divine Presence comes first — it arrives even before all ten are present.
  25. Stands in the congregation of God — this implies from the very start [even before the quorum is complete].
  26. Until they sit — As it is written, 'He judges,' meaning this refers to the time of judgment.
  27. Strength to His people — And from where do we know that tefillin are a source of strength for Israel? As it is written, 'And they shall see... and they shall be afraid of you.'
  28. What is written in them — Granted, in our tefillin it is written 'Shema' (Deuteronomy 6), 'Vehaya im shamoa' (Deuteronomy 11), 'Kadesh li kol bechor' (Exodus 13:2), and 'Vehaya ki yevi'acha' (Exodus 13) — portions commanded to us as a remembrance of the mitzvot of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as a sign and remembrance for Israel. But as for His tefillin, what is written in them?
  29. Ha'amarta — This is an expression of importance and praise, like 'yitamru kol po'alei aven' (Psalms 94:4), meaning 'they shall be praised.'
  30. What about the other compartments — For there are four compartments [in the tefillin].
Tosafot on Berakhot 6a, in English Tab translation (4)
  1. Lemma — 'ke-kasla le-ugya' (like mounds of earth around a pit): This is like the furrows that surround a garden bed, as we say at the beginning of Tractate Nedarim (6b), 'this ugya should be a border [peah].'
  2. Lemma — 'a single individual's words are not written in the book of remembrance': Meaning, not together with others; but by itself, it is written in its own book, as we say, 'all your deeds are written in a book' (Avot, chapter 2) — and all the more so a good measure (reward) is recorded.
  3. Lemma — 'these are the tefillin of the head': Because they contain most of the letters of the name Shaddai — the shin is formed in the crease of the compartments, and the dalet in the straps. But this is difficult from Tractate Shabbat, chapter 'Bameh Madlikin' (28b), which says 'from what is permitted to your mouth,' and does not exclude the straps from the category of 'God's [name]... in your mouth.' Furthermore, in the last chapter of Megillah (26b), the straps are called merely 'items used for sanctity' (not sacred in themselves). Rather, one must explain that these are called 'the tefillin of the head' because they sit at the height of the head and are visible, which fits the idea of 'and they shall see' (that others see them on you); but the tefillin of the arm are covered, as it says, 'it shall be a sign for you on your arm' — a sign for you, not for others.
  4. Lemma — 'Who is like Your people Israel': This is what the liturgical poet composed (for the first day of Passover): 'Totefet kelilo gadlei' (a phrase referring to the crown-like tefillin binding).
Rashi on Berakhot 6b, in English Tab translation (30)
  1. And all of them are written on the arm-phylactery — All these verses are written together in the arm-phylactery in one compartment, since the arm-phylactery has only a single compartment, as stated in Menachot (34b), and all the portions are written there.
  2. He asks about him — [meaning] what became of so-and-so, why did he not come?
  3. Who fears the Lord — one who was accustomed to come to Him [to the synagogue].
  4. Who walks in darkness and has no light for him — meaning he now went to a place of darkness, for he withholds himself from rising early to come to the gates [of prayer].
  5. And there was none to answer — [lacking] the quorum needed to answer the matters of sanctification [i.e., to recite Kedusha].
  6. The God of Abraham — because Abraham set a fixed place for his prayer.
  7. Assists him — in the same way that He used to assist Abraham.
  8. He should not take a large stride — because it shows that lingering in the synagogue feels to him like a burden.
  9. Let us pursue — the expression implies running, for one who pursues runs.
  10. To the lecture — to hear the discourse.
  11. The Sages are desecrating Shabbat — for the Master said (Shabbat 113b) that it is forbidden to take a large stride on Shabbat, as it is stated: 'If you restrain your foot because of the Shabbat.'
  12. The reward for the lecture — the primary reward earned by the people who run to hear a discourse from a Sage is for the running itself, since most of them do not grasp enough to retain the teaching and later repeat it in their teacher's name, so that they could receive reward for actual learning.
  13. The reward for the kalla gathering — [this refers to] the Shabbat before a Festival, when everyone gathers to hear the laws of the Festival.
  14. The reward for a halakhic tradition is the reasoning — for one labors, exerts effort, and thinks deeply in order to understand the logic behind the matter.
  15. The reward for a fast is the charity — for in the evening they give charity for the sustenance of the poor who fasted that day.
  16. Raising [the voice] — to raise the voice in a tone of wailing and grief, so that the listeners will weep.
  17. Words — to gladden the groom with [kind] words.
  18. Behind the synagogue — all synagogue entrances faced east, as taught in the Tosefta, Megillah (chapter 3), following the pattern of the Tabernacle and Temple, so that people faced west with their backs to the east. One who prays behind the synagogue without turning his face toward it appears to deny the One to whom the congregation is praying. Abaye's explanation of Rav Huna's statement refers to a case where he does not turn his face toward the synagogue.
  19. An Arab trader passed by — a trading Arab [merchant].
  20. 'Kadu bar' — meaning 'now outside,' in the sense of the public domain, similar to the usage in Sukkah (45a): 'that they enter within.'
  21. When vileness is raised — this is the end of the verse cited above.
  22. Matters that stand at the height of the world — such as prayer, which ascends on high.
  23. Once a person becomes dependent on others — he becomes lowly in their eyes.
  24. To our head — meaning to be a creditor over us, as the Targum renders 'creditor' (Exodus 22) as 'karshaya.'
  25. He transgresses against the five voices — he treats with contempt the five blessings with which the Holy One, Blessed be He, blessed Israel.
  26. Those voices were before the giving of the Torah — These latter voices are the same ones discussed above, and it says that they were visible; even though sound itself is not normally visible, this sound was visible.
  27. They bring a thanksgiving offering to the House of the Lord — [Referring to the verse] 'For I will return the captivity, etc.' This is the end of the verse discussing the five voices mentioned above.
  28. For this — that He should create this.
  29. To command — 'eslaveh' in Old French [meaning: to command/order].
  30. The robbery of the poor man — But is not robbing a rich man also robbery? Rather, it means the robbery of the poor man who has nothing else to be robbed of except that he is not greeted with inquiries about his welfare.
Tosafot on Berakhot 6b, in English Tab translation (1)
  1. Behind the synagogue — Rashi explains: All the entrances of synagogues faced east, with their backs to the west. So one who prays behind the synagogue and does not turn his face toward the synagogue appears to be denying the One before whom the congregation is praying. But this is not quite right, for on the contrary, if he turns his face toward the synagogue it would look like two authorities [being worshipped], since the congregation is praying facing west and he is praying facing them, i.e., facing east. Therefore it seems that 'behind the synagogue' means one who is behind the people, on the east side, while the people bow down facing west — and that is why it says 'and does not turn his face,' etc. And this applies specifically to them, whose custom was to pray facing west. But we pray facing east, since we are to the west of the Land of Israel, as it is written, 'and they shall pray to You by way of their land' (I Kings 8). So what was explained for them as facing west should be understood for us as facing east.

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 6.