Commentary for Shabbat 18:2

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> הי סמוך למנחה אילימא למנחה גדולה אמאי לא האיכא שהות ביום טובא אלא סמוך למנחה קטנה

YET IF THEY BEGAN, THEY NEED NOT BREAK OFF.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the service — providing that there will still be time when they finish. ');">³</span> ONE MUST BREAK OFF FOR THE READING OF THE <i>SHEMA'</i>, BUT NOT FOR PRAYER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Shema'('hear') is the name of the Biblical passages Deut. VI, 4-9; XI, 13-21; Num. XV, 37-41 the first of which commences with that word shema' (Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is One). The 'prayer' par excellence is the 'Eighteen Benedictions.' Both the shema' and the service must be recited daily, but the former is regarded as a Biblical obligation whereas the latter is a Rabbinical institution (v. Elbogen, Judische Gottesdienst, 27ff; J.E. art. Shemoneh Esreh); hence the activities mentioned in the Mishnah must be interrupted as soon as it is time to recite the shema', even though it can be recited later, but not for the 'service.' ');">⁴</span>

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