More Discussions for this daf
1. Getting things through prayer 2. Dovid Hamelech and the Harp 3. The speed of the angels
4. Chamor No'er 5. Shema after Tefilla 6. Bedai
7. Moshe and Pharaoh's astrologers 8. Ge'ulah Samuch la'Tefilah 9. Eliyahu in 4 Flights; Rav Elazar bar Avina
10. The Logic of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi 11. Rashi 12. Bushah & Kelimah
13. Verse proving David was not embarrassed 14. Ashrei 15. Rashi
16. Ashrei 17. Saying Shema before Shemoneh Esreh 18. Lulei
19. "Lulei" 20. Unneccessary repetition 21. Semichat Ge'ulah l'Tefilah
22. Interpretation of "BeShachbecha" 23. בחצות הלילה 24. הרקיע
25. King David dealing with Halachic issues
DAF DISCUSSIONS - BERACHOS 4

David asked:

Why did the Gemara question whether Chamor No'er etc. is the beginning, middle or end of the Mishmar? Let's listen to the Chamor, and then we will know!

David, israel

The Kollel replies:

To set the records straight, the Gemara does not suggest that Chamor No'er takes place in the middle of the watch, only either at the beginning or at the end.

In answer to your question, I do not imagine that at the exact moment of the respective Mishmaros (whenever they occur) all the donkeys suddenly start braying, all the babies start feeding and all the women start talking to their husbands. Clearly, all of these are merely a rough a guage (indeed, the Gemara refers to them as a 'Siman' and nothing more).

Consequently, it is possible that one or two donkeys do not abide by the rules and starts braying earlier or later, and it is only the majority who bray 'on time' (and what about donkeys that are sick, that are giving birth and that are dying?). It is also possible that they start braying at the beginning of the first Mishmar and finish at the end, leaving us with the two sides of the She'eilah.

Kol Tuv

Eliezer Chrysler.