Commentary for Berakhot 44:18
ת"ר היה עומד בתפלה ומים שותתין על ברכיו פוסק עד שיכלו המים וחוזר ומתפלל להיכן חוזר רב חסדא ורב המנונא חד אמר חוזר לראש וחד אמר למקום שפסק
Our Rabbis have taught : If he was standing in the Tefillah and the urine began to drip upon his knees, he should interrupt [his prayer] until it ceases and then repeat the Tefillah. To what point does he return? Rab Hisda and Rab Hamnuna [differ]. One says that he recommences from the beginning; the other says that he goes back only to the place where he stopped.
Tosafot on Berakhot
[HE] WAITS UNTIL THE URINE CEASES. We will learn later that when one prays in the presence of urine his prayer is invalid. If so, how can the Braiso say that after he finishes urinating he may continue his prayers? The Braiso is speaking of when one is urinating on the earth or on clothing, and the area where the urine is falling is not damp enough to moisten something that comes in touches that area as can be understood from the Gemara later on 25a. For example the flow of the urine was drop by drop so that they are immediately absorbed in the ground or clothing. So did Horav R’ Yosaif explain our Gemara so that it should not contradict the later Gemara that says that one may not pray in the presence of urine. That Gemara is speaking where the urine is moist enough to moisten something else and our Gemara is speaking where there is not enough to moisten something else.
However, it makes more sense to say, that even if there is sufficient urine to make the area moist enough to moisten something else, it is permitted to continue praying. Since by Torah law it is only prohibited to pray opposite the flow of urine, as one is urinating, and it is the Rabanan who decreed the prohibition to recite Torah in the presence of urine even when one is not urinating. And since in this Braiso, he is already standing in middle of his prayer, the Rabanan did not trouble him to repeat his prayer.
However, it makes more sense to say, that even if there is sufficient urine to make the area moist enough to moisten something else, it is permitted to continue praying. Since by Torah law it is only prohibited to pray opposite the flow of urine, as one is urinating, and it is the Rabanan who decreed the prohibition to recite Torah in the presence of urine even when one is not urinating. And since in this Braiso, he is already standing in middle of his prayer, the Rabanan did not trouble him to repeat his prayer.
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