Berakhot 2a - When Does the Evening Shema Begin?

From what time may the Shema' be read in the evening? From the time the priests enter [the Temple] to partake of their Terumah, until the end of the first watch. These are the words of R. Eliezer;

but the Sages say: Until midnight.

Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the rise of dawn.

It once happened that his sons returned from a feast [after midnight] and said to him, "We have not read the Shema' !" He told them, "If the dawn has not yet risen, you are still under the obligation of reading it. And not only in this connection do they so decide; but wherever the Sages use the expression 'Until midnight,' the obligation continues until the rise of dawn."

The duty of burning the fat and parts of the animal continues until the rise of dawn. Likewise with all offerings which have to be eaten the same day [they are sacrificed], the duty continues until the rise of dawn. If so, why do the Sages say "Until midnight"? In order to keep a man far from transgression.

GEMARA What authority has the Tanna [that the Shema' is to be read at all] that he raises the question: From what time?

Further, on what ground does he first deal with the evening ? Let him first deal with [the Shema'] of the morning !

The Tanna bases his authority on Scripture ; for it is written, "When thou liest down and when thou risest up" (Deut. vi. 7). His statement in the Mishnah is to be understood thus : When is the time for reading the Shema' which is to be recited when lying down? From the time the priests enter [the Temple] to partake of their Terumah.

Or if thou wilt, I can say that he derives [his reason for commencing with the evening] from the account of the Creation ; for it is written : "It was evening and it was morning, one day" (Gen, i. 5).

If this be so, in the sequel where he teaches : In the morning [the reading of the Shema'] is preceded by two benedictions and followed by one; in the evening it is preceded by two and followed by two, let him likewise treat of the evening first !

The Tanna commenced with the evening and then treats of the morning; but while on the subject of the morning, he explains matters connected with the morning, and afterwards explains matters connected with the evening.

The teacher stated : From the time the priests enter [the Temple] to partake of their Terumah. Yes, but when do the priests partake of their Terumah ? From the time the stars appear. Then let him explicitly teach : "From the time of the appearance of the stars" !

He wishes to tell us something incidentally : When do the priests partake of their Terumah ? From the time the stars appear. He thereby informs us that [the omission of] the sin-offering does not prevent [the priest from partaking of the Terumah]. This is in agreement with the teaching : "When the sun is down and it is clean" (Lev. xxii. 7) — i.e. the setting of the sun prevents him from partaking of the Terumah, but not [his failure to bring] his sin-offering.

How is it to be known, however, that the phrase "When the sun is down" means the [complete] setting of the sun, and the phrase "It is clean" means the day is clean?