t yet said the Shemah." He said to them, "if the pillar of the
morn be not yet ascended, you are bound to say it; and not only this, but
all that the Sages say, 'till midnight,' they command till the pillar of
the morn ascend." The burning of the fat and members they command "till
the pillar of the morn ascend." And all offerings, which must be eaten the
same day, they command "till the pillar of the morn ascend." If so, why do
the Sages say "until midnight"? "To withhold man from transgression."

2. "From what time do we recite the Shemah in the morning?" When one can
discern betwixt "blue and white." R. Eleazar says "betwixt blue and leek
green." And it may be finished "until the sun shine forth." R. Joshua says
"until the third hour."(11) For such is the way of royal princes to rise
at the third hour. He who recites Shemah afterward loses nothing. He is
like a man reading the Law.

3. The school of Shammai say that in the evening all men are to recline
when they recite the Shemah; and in the morning they are to stand up; for
it is said, "when thou liest down and when thou risest up."(12) But the
school of Hillel say, that every man is to recite it in his own way; for
it is said, "when thou walkest by the way."(13) If so, why is it said,
"when thou liest down and when thou risest up"? "When mankind usually lie
down, and when mankind usually rise up." R. Tarphon said, "I came on the
road, and reclined to recite the Shemah according to the words of the
school of Shammai, and I was in danger of robbers." The Sages said to him,
"thou wast guilty against thyself, because thou didst transgress the words
of the school of Hillel."

4. In the morning two blessings are said before (the Shemah), and one
after it; and in the evening two blessings before and two after it, one
long and one short.(14) Where the (Sages) have said to lengthen, none is
allowed to shorten; and to shorten none is allowed to lengthen: to close,
none is allowed not to close; not to close, none is allowed to close.

5. We commemorate the departure from Egypt at night; said R. Eleazar, son
of Azariah, "truly I am a son of seventy years, and was not clear that
thou shouldst say the departure from Egypt at night until the son of Zoma
expounded, 'that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out
of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life;'(15) the days of thy life
(are) days; all the days of thy life (include) the nights." But the Sages
say, "th