Commentary for Berakhot 5:5
מאי קסבר רבי אליעזר אי קסבר שלש משמרות הוי הלילה לימא עד ארבע שעות ואי קסבר ארבע משמרות הוי הלילה לימא עד שלש שעות
If he holds that the night is divided into three watches, let him say explicitly [in the Mishnah] "until the end of the fourth hour." If, on the other hand, he holds that the night is divided into four watches, let him say explicitly "until the end of the third hour."
Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
The division of the day was reckoned as follows : From sunrise to sunset consisted of twelve "hours," which would be longer in Summer and shorter in Winter. The sixth hour ended at noon ; hence it is convenient to speak of the day as commencing at 6 a.m., and the night (which was similarly divided into twelve hours) at 6 p.m. "Until the end of the fourth hour" would accordingly be 10 p.m.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
The Romans divided the night into four vigiliae. So also Matt. xiv. 25, Mark vi. 48.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy