Berakhot — ברכות
Seder Zeraim | Blessings, prayer, and the times of Shema
About Berakhot
Masekhet Berakhot is the opening tractate of the Mishnah. It deals with the obligations of prayer and blessing — when to say Shema, the structure of the Amidah, the blessings recited before and after eating, and the blessings instituted for the various phenomena of nature and daily life. Rambam, in his introduction to the Peirush HaMishnayot, explains that Berakhot was placed first because Shema is the act through which a Jew accepts the yoke of Heaven, and every other mitzvah in the six orders flows downstream from that acceptance.
Structure
Berakhot contains 9 chapters and 57 mishnayot.
Available Days
- Berakhot 1:1-2 — The times for reciting Shema (evening and morning)
- Berakhot 1:3-4 — Posture for Shema (Beit Shammai vs Beit Hillel) and the blessings around it
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