What is the situation of falling asleep when reciting the Shema? It seems that one should at least recite the first line – then all is well. If one falls asleep then, at least one has recited that most important verse.
One must be careful about reciting the Shema in the correct position. One may not recite it on one’s back or on one’s stomach. Then again – one shouldn’t really sleep in this position either!
The Gemara discusses the teaching found in the Mishnah regarding making interruptions during the recital of the Shema. What types of interruptions are allowed? Does it make a difference if we are between paragraphs as to if we are in the middle of a particular paragraph?
We move on to Daf 14a:
Talking about interruptions, may one interrupt when one is reciting the Hallel prayer? May one interrupt when reading the Megillah?
The Gemara discusses the law about tasting food on a fast day. May one taste food because one is not really eating it, or do we say that perhaps the person had wished to deny himself any pleasure altogether? This then can make all the difference to the law.
The Gemara moves on to an important area of Halachah. May one greet one’s friends before praying? Or do we say that doing this shows some sort of disrespect to God? Does it make a difference in the way we greet another or the effort we go to to do so?
What about attending to one’s own affairs before prayer? May one engage in one’s own activities before one prays – or should one be careful to address the important Mitzvah of prayer before engaging in one’s own activities for the day? Perhaps one may even receive a special blessing for behaving in this latter way.
The Gemara – as is its way to digress from one topic to another, then moves onto the area of dreams! The Gemara tells us that one who goes seven days without a dream should know that this is a bad sign for him in some way.
Short of concluding page 14a, the Gemara tells us that there is a special and important Mitzvah to satiate oneself with words of Torah before one goes to sleep at night.
It’s an exciting Gemara with so many themes. Please join me to see it all inside!
