We mention the Exodus from Egypt at night. R’ Elazar ben Azaryah said: Behold, I am like a seventy-year-old man, yet I did not prevail [with my argument] that the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night, until this was expounded by Ben Zoma: For it is stated: So that you will remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life (Deuteronomy 16:3.). The days of your life — [this means] the days; all the days of your life — [this includes] the nights [also]. But the Sages say: The days of your life — [this means] this world; all the days of your life — [this comes] to include the days of the Messiah.

[If] one was reading from the Torah and the time arrived for the recital [of the Shema], if he directed his mind [properly], he has discharged his obligation; but if not, he has not discharged his obligation. At junctures [between sections of the Shema or its blessings] one may greet [an-other] out of respect, and he may reply [to a greeting]; but in the middle [of a section] he may greet [another only] out of fear and he may reply. [These are] the words of R’ Meir. R’ Yehudah says: In the middle [of a section] he may greet [another only] out of fear but he may reply out of respect; at junctures [between sections], he may greet [another] out of respect and he may reply with a greeting to any person.

These are between the sections [of the Shema and its blessings]: Between the first blessing and the second [blessing]; between the second [blessing] and [the passage of] ‘‘Shema’’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-9); and between ‘‘Shema’’ and [the passage of] ‘‘Vehayah im shamoa’’ (Deuteronomy 11:13-21); between ‘‘Vehayah im shamoa’’ and [the passage of] ‘‘Vayomer’’ (Numbers 15:37-41); between ‘‘Vayomer’’ and [the blessing of] ‘‘Emes Veyatziv.’’ R’ Yehudah says: Between ‘‘Vayomer’’ and ‘‘Emes Veyatziv’’ one may not in-terrupt. R’ Yehoshua ben Korchah said: Why does [the passage of] ‘‘Shema’’ precede [the passage of] ‘‘Vehayah im shamoa’’? Only so one will first accept upon himself the yoke of Heaven’s sovereignty, and afterward accept upon himself the yoke of [the] command-ments. And [why does] ‘‘Vehayah im shamoa’’ [precede the passage of] ‘‘Vayomer’’? Be-cause ‘‘Vehayah im shamoa’’ applies by day and by night, [whereas] ‘‘Vayomer’’ applies only by day.

[If] one recites the Shema and does not make [it] audible to his ears, he has discharged [his obligation]. R’ Yose says: He has not discharged [his obligation]. [If] he recited [the Shema] but was not meticulous in [enunciating] its letters, R’ Yose says: He has discharged [his obligation]. R’ Yehudah says: He has not discharged [his obligation]. [If] one recites [the Shema] out of sequence, he has not discharged [his obligation]. [If] one recited [the Shema] and erred, he must return to the place where he erred.