R. Eleazar and R. Isaac were one day travelling on the road together when the time for the reading of the Shema arrived. R. Eleazar paused and recited the Shema and said his prayer. After he had finished, R. Isaac said to him: ‘Have we not learnt that before a man starts on a journey he must first ask leave from his Master and offer up his prayer?’
R. Eleazar said in reply: ‘When I left it was not yet time either for the reading of the Shema or for saying prayers. Now that the sun has risen I have said my prayer. But all the same, before commencing my journey I did offer a prayer to Him and consulted Him, as it were. I, however, did not say this prayer
because I have been occupied in studying the Torah since midnight, and from the early dawn up to now it was not yet the time for prayer, for while the morning is still dark the Wife is conversing with her Husband, being about to retire to her tent, where her maidens keep her company. Hence no man should then interrupt them and break in with other words.
Now, however, that the sun has risen it is the time for prayer, as it is written: “They shall fear thee with the sunrise” (Ps. 72, 5), which indicates the close connection between fear of God, or devotion, and the light of the sun, which makes it incumbent on man not to part them, but to associate them together.’
The two then proceeded on their way, until they arrived at a field, where they sat down. Raising their eyes, they saw a mountain, on the top of which they discerned strange creatures moving about. R. Isaac began to tremble. Said R. Eleazar to him: ‘Why are you afraid?’ He answered: ‘Because this mountain looks so formidable and on it are strange creatures, which I fear will attack us.’ R. Eleazar then said to him: ‘Whoever is afraid of his sins has cause to fear. Those creatures are not of the dangerous kind that haunt the mountains.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, וּמָטָא זִמְנָא דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, וְקָם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְקָרָא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ. לְבָתַר אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְהָא תָּנִינָן דְּעַד לָא יִפּוּק בַּר נַשׁ לְאָרְחָא אִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְנַטְלָא רְשׁוּ מִמָּארֵיהּ וּלְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתֵיהּ.
R. Eleazar and R. Isaac were one day travelling on the road together when the time for the reading of the Shema arrived. R. Eleazar paused and recited the Shema and said his prayer. After he had finished, R. Isaac said to him: ‘Have we not learnt that before a man starts on a journey he must first ask leave from his Master and offer up his prayer?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּכַד נָפִיקְנָא לָא הֲוָה זְמַן צְלוֹתָא וְלָא מָטָא זִמְנָא דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, הַשְׁתָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא נָהִיר צַלֵּינָא. אֲבָל עַד לָא נָפַקְנָא לְאָרְחָא בָּעִינָא בָּעוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ וְאִמְלַכְנָא בֵּיהּ, אֲבָל צְלוֹתָא דָא לָא צַלֵּינָא.
R. Eleazar said in reply: ‘When I left it was not yet time either for the reading of the Shema or for saying prayers. Now that the sun has risen I have said my prayer. But all the same, before commencing my journey I did offer a prayer to Him and consulted Him, as it were. I, however, did not say this prayer
דְּהָא אֲנָא אִשְׁתַּדַּלְנָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מִפַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, וְכַד אֲתָא צַפְרָא עַד כְּעָן לָא הֲוָה עִדְנָא לְצַלֵּי צְלוֹתָא. בְּגִין דְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דְּקַדְרוּתָא דְצַפְרָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח, אִתְּתָא מִשְׁתָּעֲיָא בְּבַעֲלָהּ, וְאִינוּן בְּרָזָא כְּחֲדָא, דְּבָעְיָא אִיהִי לְמֵיהַךְ לְמִשְׁכְּנָא בְּעוּלֵמְתָהָא דְּיַתְבֵי בַּהֲדָהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמִפְסַק מִלַיְיהוּ דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כְּחֲדָא וּלְאַעֳלָא מִלָּה אַחֲרָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ.
because I have been occupied in studying the Torah since midnight, and from the early dawn up to now it was not yet the time for prayer, for while the morning is still dark the Wife is conversing with her Husband, being about to retire to her tent, where her maidens keep her company. Hence no man should then interrupt them and break in with other words.
וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּנָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא הוּא עִדַּן צְלוֹתָא לְצַלָּאָה, כְּמָה דְאוּקְמוּהָ. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ע״ב:ה׳) יִירָאוּךָ עִם שָׁמֶשׁ. מַהוּ עִם שָׁמֶשׁ, לְנַטְרָא נְהוֹרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא בַּהֲדָן לְאַנְהָרָא לָהּ, דְּהָא יֵרָאֶה בַּהֲדֵי שִׁמְשָׁא אִצְטְרִיךְ וְלָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן. וְכַד לָא נָהִיר יְמָמָא לָאו הוּא יֵרָאֶה בַּהֲדֵי שִׁמְשָׁא, וּצְרִיכָא לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן כְּחֲדָא. וְדָא הוּא עִם שָׁמֶשׁ.
Now, however, that the sun has risen it is the time for prayer, as it is written: “They shall fear thee with the sunrise” (Ps. 72, 5), which indicates the close connection between fear of God, or devotion, and the light of the sun, which makes it incumbent on man not to part them, but to associate them together.’
אֲזְלֵי, כַּד מָטוּ חַד בֵּי חֲקַל, יָתְבוּ. זָקְפוּ עֵינַיְיהוּ וְחָמָא לֵיהּ לְטוּרָא דְּהֲווּ סָלְקוּ בְּרוּמֵיהּ בְּרִיָּין מְשַׁנְיָין, דָּחִיל רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַמַּאי דְחִילַת. אָמַר לֵיהּ חָמֵינָא דְּהַאי טוּרָא אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף, וְחָמֵינָא אִלֵּין בְּרִיָּין דְּאִינוּן מְשַׁנְיָין וְדָחִילְנָא דְּלָא יְקַטְרְגוּ לוֹן, אָמַר לֵיהּ מַאן דְּדָחִיל מֵחֶטְאוֹי דְּבִידֵיהּ אִית לֵיהּ לְמִדְחַל. תָּא חֲזֵי, לָאו אִלֵּין מֵאִינוּן בְּרִיָּין תַּקִּיפִין דְּהֲווּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין בְּטוּרַיָא.
The two then proceeded on their way, until they arrived at a field, where they sat down. Raising their eyes, they saw a mountain, on the top of which they discerned strange creatures moving about. R. Isaac began to tremble. Said R. Eleazar to him: ‘Why are you afraid?’ He answered: ‘Because this mountain looks so formidable and on it are strange creatures, which I fear will attack us.’ R. Eleazar then said to him: ‘Whoever is afraid of his sins has cause to fear. Those creatures are not of the dangerous kind that haunt the mountains.’