Berachoth, Chapter 4, Halacha 1

Unit 4: Multiple prayers

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The previous unit concluded by stating that Rabbi Yochanan says: “everyone agrees [the morning prayer is] until noon, and no later.”

Now the Babylonian Talmud will probe that further:

וְהָא אָמַר רַב מָרִי בְּרֵהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא, בְּרֵהּ דְּרַב יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן: טָעָה וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַרְבִית — מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּשַׁחֲרִית שְׁתַּיִם. טָעָה וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּשַׁחֲרִית — מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּמִנְחָה שְׁתַּיִם. — ?

But didn’t Rav Mari the son of Rav Huna, son of Rav Yirmiyah bar Abba, say that Rabbi Yitzchak said, that Rabbi Yochanan said: “If he erred and did not pray during the evening, he prays twice during the morning. If he erred and did not pray during the morning, he prays twice during the afternoon.” — ?

This quote seems to imply that Rabbi Yochanan permits praying the morning prayer during the afternoon?

The Babylonian Talmud continues:

צַלּוֹיֵי כֻּלֵּי יוֹמָא, מְצַלֵּי וְאָזֵל אֶלָּא עַד חֲצוֹת יָהֲבִי לֵהּ אֲגַר תְּפִלָּה בִּזְמַנָּהּ; מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ, שְׂכַר תְּפִלָּה יָהֲבִי לֵהּ, שְׂכַר תְּפִלָּה בִּזְמַנָּהּ לָא יָהֲבִי לֵהּ.

He can pray all day, [but] praying goes only till noon in order for him to be granted reward for prayer [recited] in its proper time; from that point onward, reward for prayer is granted to him, [but] reward for prayer in its proper time is not granted to him.

This clarifies Rabbi Yochanan’s latter statement, that a person may pray whenever he wishes. He can therefore always recite additional prayers to reach the required total. However, if he has missed the proper time for a specific prayer, that particular obligation can never be fully replaced.

The Babylonian Talmud continues with a dichotomous question regarding the previous paragraph, utilizing a lengthy preface to introduce the dichotomy:

אִבַּעְיָא לְהוּ: הקדמה: טָעָה וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּמִנְחָה, מַהוּ שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַרְבִית שְׁתַּיִם?

A dichotomous question to them: Preface: If he erred and did not pray during the afternoon, what about him praying twice during the evening?

אִם תִּמְצֵי לוֹמַר טָעָה וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַרְבִית מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּשַׁחֲרִית שְׁתַּיִם, דְּכֻלֵּי יוֹמָא חַד הוּא — דִּכְתִיב:

If you say when he erred and did not pray during the evening, he prays twice during the morning — because that whole day is considered a single unit — as it is written:

Genesis 1:5

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר — יוֹם אֶחָד.

“And there was evening and there was morning — one day”

אֲבָל הָכָא, אפשרות 1: [כֵּיוָן דְּלָא מְצַלֵּי בְּמִנְחָה קָרֵינָא בֵהּ] ”עָבַר יוֹמוֹ בָּטֵל קָרְבָּנוֹ,“ אוֹ דִּילְמָא, אפשרות 2: כֵּוָן דִּצְלוֹתָא רַחֲמֵי בְּעָלְמָא הוּא, כָּל אֵימַת דְּבָעֵי, מְצַלֵּי וְאָזֵל?

But here, Option 1: [since he did not pray during the afternoon, we say regarding it:] “its day has passed, his offering is invalidated,” or perhaps, Option 2: since prayer is a general request for mercy, whenever he wishes, he may go and pray?

Since the Torah describes each day as “evening followed by morning,” the transition from morning to evening marks the boundary between two separate days. Therefore, if one misses the afternoon prayer, is it comparable to a sacrifice whose day has passed and can no longer be brought? Or, since one may pray at any time, does a second prayer in the evening simply count toward the total number of prayers?

The Babylonian Talmud resolves the dichotomy:

תָּא שְׁמַע: דְּאָמַר רַב הוּנָא בַּר יְהוּדָה, אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן: טָעָה וְלֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּמִנְחָה, מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַרְבִית שְׁתַּיִם — וְאֵין בְּזוֹ מִשּׁוּם ”עָבַר יוֹמוֹ בָּטֵל קָרְבָּנוֹ.“

Come and hear: For Rav Huna bar Yehudah said, that Rabbi Yitzchak said, that Rabbi Yochanan said: If he erred and did not pray during the afternoon, he prays twice during the evening — and this [situation] is not “its day has passed, his offering is invalidated.”

Rabbi Yochanan’s earlier statement continues, teaching that if one missed the afternoon prayer by mistake, he can make up the total by praying twice in the evening. There is no reason to compare this situation to a sacrifice that can no longer be brought once its day has passed.

Background information: Rabbi Yochanan
Key Idea: Praying multiple times
Technical Terminology: אִבַּעְיָא לְהוּ — A dichotomous question to them
Background information: its day has passed, his offering is invalidated

The Expression “Its Day Has Passed, His Offering Is Invalidated”

The Talmudic expression עָבַר יוֹמוֹ בָּטֵל קָרְבָּנוֹ — “its day has passed, his offering is invalidated” — is an idiom to refer to time-specific commandments that have a have a strict temporal window. If that window closes without fulfillment, the opportunity is lost for that day. One cannot “make it up” the next day in the same way, because the offering (or its analogue) is considered time-expired and invalid.

The origin of the expression is in the legal principle governing time-bound sacrifices. Once the designated day for a particular offering has elapsed, the obligation to bring that sacrifice is nullified and cannot be fulfilled late.

Its use as an idiom first appears in the Tosefta on the tractate Berachoth, and is used frequently in the Babylonian Talmud, especially in discussions of prayer times.

There is an important dichotomy in how a “day” is defined in the context of sacrifices: one framework applies to bringing them, and another to eating them.

In the Torah’s account of Creation, each day is described as “evening and morning,” establishing the fundamental unit of a day as beginning with the evening (night) followed by daytime. This night-to-night model defines many Torah observances. For example, the prohibition against eating chametz and the obligation to eat Matzah on the holiday of Matzoth both begin at nightfall and continue until another nightfall — a complete seven-day unit. Similarly, the fast of Yom HaKippurim begins at night and ends the following night.

In contrast, sacrifices may be offered only during the daytime. Once evening arrives, the time for bringing that day’s offering has concluded.

However, when it comes to eating sacrifices, the Halachic “day” operates in the reverse order: the daytime portion comes first, followed by the night to complete the unit. Thus, a sacrifice offered during the daytime may generally be eaten that same day and throughout the following night, until dawn (and in some cases until the dawn of the following day). This reflects a daytime-to-nighttime framework for sacrificial validity.

It is noteworthy that the Torah employs both modes of reckoning time — night-to-day and day-to-night — depending on the specific Mitzvah or context.
Technical Terminology: תָּא שְׁמַע — Come and hear

Next Unit

Extra Material

Discussions
Additional Ideas
There are three distinct, noticeable periods during a full day:
- From morning until noon, when the sun is still rising.
- From noon until nightfall, when the sun sets.
- The nighttime, when there is no sun at all.
Each of these distinct periods is worthy of its own dedicated prayer.
Points to Ponder

It is clear that Rabbi Yochanan stated at one time: “If he erred and did not pray during the evening, he prays twice during the morning. If he erred and did not pray during the morning, he prays twice during the afternoon. If he erred and did not pray during the afternoon, he prays twice during the evening.”

Thus, the dichotomous discussion here is an artificial literary creation. Why did its authors choose to break off the third case and present it in the form of a question and answer? What information do we learn from the question, and why is it important?

Furthermore, since the additional prayer does not actually replace the missed prayer in its proper time — it merely counts toward the total number of prayers — was there ever any real doubt that praying a second time in the evening would not count toward the total?

This discussion centers on receiving reward for prayer. How might Antiginos, the man of Socho, have felt about such a discussion?

Mishna Avoth 1:3

אַנְטִיגִנַס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִיבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּהְיוּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁים אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרַס, אֶלָּא הֱיוּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁים אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנַת שֶׁלֹּא לְקַבֵּל פְּרַס. וִיהֵא מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם.

Antiginos the man of Socho received from Shimon the Righteous. He (Antiginos) used to say: “Don't be like the servants who attend to the master on condition to receive an allowance, rather be like the servants who attend to the master on condition to not receive an allowance. And the awe of heaven should be upon you all.”
Further Reading
- Mishnayoth Khati - Order of Zeraim vol i.
- Mishnayoth HaRambam - Mossad HaRav Kook - Orders of Zeraim/Moed.