אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁקָּרָא אָדָם קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת — מִצְוָה לִקְרוֹתוֹ עַל מִטָּתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: מַאי קְרָא — ״רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ אִמְרוּ בִלְבַבְכֶם עַל מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם וְדֹמּוּ סֶלָה״.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even though one recited Shema in the synagogue, it is a mitzva to recite it upon his bed in fulfillment of the verse: “When you lie down.” Rabbi Yosei said: What verse alludes to the fact that one must recite Shema in the evening, upon his bed, as well? “Tremble, and do not sin; say in your heart upon your bed, and be still, Selah” (Psalms 4:5).
אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: אִם תַּלְמִיד חָכָם הוּא — אֵין צָרִיךְ. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַף תַּלְמִיד חָכָם מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר חַד פְּסוּקָא דְרַחֲמֵי, כְּגוֹן: ״בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי, פָּדִיתָה אוֹתִי ה׳ אֵל אֱמֶת״.
Rabbi Naḥman said: If one is a Torah scholar, he need not recite Shema on his bed. Abaye said: Even a Torah scholar must recite at least one verse of prayer, such as: “Into Your hand I trust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth” (Psalms 31:6).
אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי בַּר חָמָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: לְעוֹלָם יַרְגִּיז אָדָם יֵצֶר טוֹב עַל יֵצֶר הָרַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״רִגְזוּ וְאַל תֶּחֱטָאוּ״ אִם נִצְּחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אִמְרוּ בִלְבַבְכֶם״. אִם נִצְּחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יִקְרָא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַל מִשְׁכַּבְכֶם״. אִם נִצְּחוֹ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — יִזְכּוֹר לוֹ יוֹם הַמִּיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְדֹמּוּ סֶלָה״.
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: One should always incite (yargiz) his good inclination against his evil inclination, as it is stated: "Tremble (rigzu), and do not sin." If one succeeds and subdues his evil inclination, excellent, but if he does not, he should study Torah, as it says continuing in the verse: “Say to your heart.” If he then subdues, excellent; if not, he should recite Shema, as it is stated in the verse: “Upon your bed,”
If he then subdues, excellent; if not, he should remind himself of the day of death, whose silence is alluded to in the continuation of the verse: “And be still, Selah.”
And Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: God said to Moses, “Ascend to me on the mountain and be there, and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva that I have written that you may teach them” (Exodus 24:12).
- The “tablets” are the ten commandments written on the tablets.
- The “Torah” is the five books of Moses.
- The “mitzva” is the Mishna, which includes explanations for the mitzvot and how they are to be performed.
- “That I have written” (katavti) refers to the Prophets and Writings (ketuvim).
- “That you may teach them” refers to the Talmud.
This verse teaches that all aspects of Torah were given to Moses from Sinai.
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites Shema on his bed, it is as if he holds a double-edged sword, guarding him from evil, as it is stated: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands” (Psalms 149:6). The Gemara asks: From where is it inferred that this verse from Psalms refers to the recitation of Shema? Mar Zutra, and some say Rav Ashi, said: We derive it from the preceding verse, as it is written: “Let the pious exult in glory; let them joyously sing upon their beds.” And it is written thereafter: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands.”
חידושי אגדות על מסכת ברכות ה׳ א
מאי משמע כו'. משום דבתר הכי כתיב לעשות נקמה וגו' דמשמע דעלה קאי וחרב פיפיות בידם ממש וקאמר דמשמע טפי דארישא דענינא קאי דכתיב ירננו על משכבותם וכתיב בתריה רוממות וגו' וענינו בזה חרב פיפיות היינו שמכה מב' צדדין מימין ומשמאל וכן הוא בק"ש שמבטל המזיקין מב' צדדיו כמ"ש יפול מצדך אלף ורבבה מימינך וגו' כמפורש לקמן אלף משמאליה ורבבתא מימיניה:
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל הַקּוֹרֵא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע עַל מִטָּתוֹ — מַזִּיקִין בְּדֵילִין הֵימֶנּוּ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְנֵי רֶשֶׁף יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף״.
And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites Shema upon his bed, demons stay away from him. As it is stated: “For man is born into travail, and the b'nei reshef fly [uf ] upward” (Job 5:7).
Job 5:7
Translations of this verse include:
- "and the flaming ones fly high above" (Sefaria/JTS)
- "and the sparks fly upward" (William Davidson Talmud)
- B'nei reshef = "the sons of evil spirits." (Targum / Aramaic translation)
- Rashi on Job 5:7
flying: Heb. רשף, as in (Ps. 76:4), “arrows of (רשפי) a bow.” When the arrow flies, it is called רשפי, an expression of flying. This is what I heard from other commentators.
ברכות ה' א
וְאֵין ״עוּף״ אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ״. וְאֵין ״רֶשֶׁף״ אֶלָּא מַזִּיקִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מְזֵי רָעָב וּלְחֻמֵי רֶשֶׁף וְקֶטֶב מְרִירִי״.
Berachot 5a
The verse is explained: The word fly [uf ] means nothing other than Torah, as Torah is difficult to grasp and easy to lose, like something that floats away, as it is stated: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies into the heavens” (Proverbs 23:5). The word “sparks” means nothing other than demons, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks [reshef] and bitter destruction [ketev meriri], and the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust” (Deuteronomy 32:24). Here we see reshef listed along with ketev meriri, both of which are understood by the Sages to be names of demons.