Commentary for Berakhot 59:11
אבוה דשמואל ולוי כי הוו בעו למיפק לאורחא הוו מקדמי ומצלי וכי הוה מטי זמן ק"ש קרו
Samuel's father and Levi, when they wished to set out on a journey, used to rise up early and say the Tefillah; and when the time arrived for reading the Shema'
Tosafot on Berakhot
WHEN SHMUEL’S FATHER AND LEVI [WANTED TO SET OUT ON A JOURNEY IN THE MORNING], THEY WOULD PRAY EARLY. The father of Shmuel and Laivee would pray before day when they needed to go on a trip. Literally מקדמי translates as before. Before what? The Gemara is quite vague about this. Tosfos quotes Rashi’s opinion and disagrees with it. He then offers his own opinion. Rashi says that they prayed before the morning star1 rises. And this does not appear to be correct. For if so, they did not fulfill their obligation at all, for that time is still not day and shacharis must be said during the day.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
Before daybreak.
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