Class #022 VIDEO / Berachot 4.1 / The abomination of desolation of the prophesied Daniel Does The prayer replaces sacrifice?

1. Text and central theme

Mishnah Berachot 4:1 set the limits of time (zmanim) for the three tefilot daily and the tefillah additionalmusaf).
This is a key text because it fixes the temporal structure of the prayer jewish in parallel with the korbanot (sacrifices) in the Temple.

“The sages said:

• The tefillah of Shacharit it can be said to jatot hayom (noon).
• Rabbi Yehuda says: until the fourth hour.
• The tefillah of Minchah it can be said until the night.
• Rabbi Yehuda says: until the pelag haminjá.
• The tefillah of Arvit you do not have a fixed limit: you can say all night.
• The tefillah of Musaf it can be said all day.
• Rabbi Yehuda says: until the seventh hour.”

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2. Context: Tefillah as a substitute for the sacrifices

a) biblical and historical

The Gemara Berachot 26b–27a he explains that the tefilot were established:

• According to the patriarchs (Avot) —Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov— or
• In correspondence with the korbanot temidim, the daily sacrifices in the Beit HaMikdash.

The mishnah here follows the line of the korbanotbecause every time corresponds to the time at which the sacrifices were offered:

Rabbi Yehuda introduces more stringent limits to preserve the precision ritual the model is sacrificial.

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3. Technical calculation of the times (zmanim)

Day halachic hours and proportional

The “day” is divided into 12 hours halájicas (sha ot zmaniot), each of which is equivalent to 1/12 of the time between alot hashajar (dawn) and tzeit hakojavim (out-of-stars).
Therefore, the “four hours” or “seven hours” are not clock hours fixed, but fraction of solar day.

b) practical Application

The pelag haminjáaccording to definition talmudic (Berachot 26a), it is 1¼ hours halájicas before sunsetpoint of separation between the end of Minchah and the start of Arvit for those who follow the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda.

4. Comparative analysis of the views

(a) Jajamim (the wise men)

• Looking for flexibility community and link the tefilot with the hours overall of the korban.
• Support pray until the close of the period of the sacrifice respective, even retroactively.
• Consider the tefillah is institution rabbinic independentnot an exact copy of the korban, and so their schedules are more extensive.

(b) Rabbi Yehuda

• Represents a view more strict and formalistic: the tefillah as an exact replacement of the korban.
• Each time limit is the “point-of-expiration” of the korban parallel.
• Introduces precision and spiritual discipline: “to pray within the time of grace.”

c) Implications halájicas

• Who prayed Shacharit after the fourth houraccording to Rabbi Yehuda, it meets to pray but no reward of your time (tashlumim).
• In Minchahif one prays after pelag, go to Arvit according to that view; that is why it is prohibited to combine —in a single day— Minchah according to the Jajamim and Arvit according to Rabbi Yehuda (the principle of temporal coherence).

5. Correspondence spiritual and theological

1. Shacharit – the awakening and the creation renewed every morning; it symbolizes source, mercy, vision.
2. Minchah – time stress and human workwhen the sacrifice it requires concentration to half a day.
3. Arvit – the darkness and faith without evidence; prayer of hope.
4. Musaf – sanctification of the sacred time additional (Shabbat, Yom Tov), the “plus” of divine consciousness.

Thus, the system schedules teaches a spiritual discipline of the time, where each strip of the day is a channel of communication other than with the divine.

6. Development talmud (Berachot 26b–28a)

The Gemara there develops three axes:

1. Origin of the tefilot: patriarchal (Avraham–Yitzchak–Yaakov) versus sacrificial (korbanot).
2. Definition of the limits: technical debate on pelag haminjá and tzeit hakojavim.
3. Cases of delay:
   • Shacharit after 4 hours: valid but “out of time”.
   • Minchah late (minchah gedolá / minchah ketaná): distinguishes between praying early (12:30) or afternoon (15:30 approx.).
   • Arvit: as a “reshut” (voluntary) in the initial stages, then converted into an obligation (chova).

7. Psak Halachah (decision rules)

(a) Encoding

• Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah 3:1-5) follows the line of the Jajamim:
  • Shacharit until noon.
  • Minchah until dusk.
  • Arvit all night.
  • Musaf all day.
  • Pray after the limits preferential is “not optimal” but valid.
• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Jaím 89-232:
  • Lejatjilá: follow limits Rabbi Yehuda (pray early in the morning).
  • Bedieved: still valid for Jajamim.
  • Minchah–Arvit: who adopts the system of Rabbi Yehuda must keep it consistent (not toggle).

(b) Custom ashkenazi / sephardic

• Most communities pray Shacharit until jatot according to the Jajamim.
• Minchah ketaná (2.5 hours before sunset) is the common practice, not pelag haminjá.
• Arvit it is prayed usually after dusk, even on Shabbat, many anticipate from pelag haminjá, supported by Rabbi Yehuda.

8. Profound symbolism: the time domain

The mishnah is not just technical: teaches that the time is a vehicle of sacredness.
Every moment has its spiritual quality:

• Shacharit – purity, birth, clarity.
• Minchah – effort, merit, persistence.
• Arvit – trust in the darkness, faith without any light.
• Musaf – the expansion of consciousness on holy days.

Thus, the halachah makes the day pass into rhythm divine connection.
The “error” or the “prayer out of time” is not only chronological, but existential: a mismatch between the human consciousness and the cadence of the cosmos.

9. Conclusion

Berachot 4:1 defines the skeleton temporary tefillah jewishbalancing two visions:

The normative practice follows the flexibility of the Jajamim, but recognizes the the ideal of discipline of Rabbi Yehuda:
pray with the timenot only in the time.