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

Reuben Moses asked:

Hello Sir,

In reference to Berachot 4 (6a):

It mentions that at night we read Shema after tefilla. Is it refering to the Bedtime Shema or the normal Shema that we do at maariv? Usually at maariv we do shema, then shemini esrei right? Please clarify.

Reuben Moses, Singapore

The Kollel replies:

The Gemara that you are referring to cites a difference of opinion between R. Yochanan, who maintains that at night-time, as in the morning, the Sh'ma precedes Tefilah, and R. Yehoshua ben Levi, who switches the order, placing Sh'ma after the Amidah, closer to bed-time, like in the morning.

Clearly then, the Gemara is referring to the Sh'ma of Ma'ariv, and not to that of bedtime, as R. Yochanan would never say that the bed-time Sh'ma is said before the Amidah of Ma'ariv.

You conclude that "at Ma'ariv, we do Sh'ma, then Shemonah-Esrei". Indeed we do, because we follow the opinion of R. Yochanan.

After having written this, I noticed that R. Yehoshua ben Levi rules at the foot of the same Amud that even though one read the Sh'ma in Shul, it is nevertheless a Mitzvah to read it again before going to bed. This Gemara is of course, referring to the bedtime Sh'ma. Interestingly, the author of that statement is R. Yehoshua ben Levi, who requires the Sh'ma to be said in Shul after the Amidah; yet he prefers it to be recited again before going to bed, even though he may just have recited a few moments earlier, at the conclusion of Ma'ariv.

be'Virchas Kol Tuv

Eliezer Chrysler.