One whose dead [relative] lies before him is exempt from the recitation of the Shema, from Prayer and from [donning] tefillin. The pallbearers, and those who replace them, and those who replace their replacements, those in front of the bier and those behind the bier: those needed [to carry] the bier are exempt [from reciting the Shema], and those not needed [to carry] the bier are obligated. Both these and these are exempt from Pray-er.

[When] they have buried the deceased [and] are returning [from the grave], if they can begin and finish [their recitation] before they reach the ‘‘row’’, they should begin [the recitation]; but if not, they should not begin. [Regarding] those standing in the ‘‘row’’: the inner ones are exempt [from the Shema obligation], and the outer ones are obligated.

Women, slaves and minors are exempt from the recitation of the Shema, and from [donning] tefillin. But they are obligated in prayer, and in mezuzah, and in the Grace After Meals.

A baal keri contemplates [the text of the Shema] in his mind, but he does not recite the blessings [of the Shema], neither [the blessings] preceding it nor [those] following it. And with re-gard to food, he recites the blessings that follow [a meal], but he does not recite the blessings preceding [a meal]. R’ Yehudah says: He recites the blessings before them and following them.

[If] one was standing in prayer and he remembered that he is a baal keri, he should not stop [praying]; rather, he should shorten [his prayer]. [If] he went down to immerse [in a mikveh]: If he is able to go up [from the mik-veh], cover himself, and recite [the Shema] before sunrise, he should go up, cover himself, and recite [it]. But if not, he should cover himself with the water and recite [the Shema]. But he may not cover himself with foul water, nor with water used for soaking [flax], un-less he pours [clean] water into [it]. And how far must he distance himself from [it] and from excrement? Four amos.

A zav who experienced a seminal emission, and a niddah who emits semen, and a woman who had intercourse and saw niddah [blood] require immersion [in a mikveh]. But R’ Yehudah exempts [them].

The Morning Prayer [may be recited] until midday. R’ Yehudah says: Until four hours [into the day]. The Minchah Prayer [may be recited] until evening. R’ Yehudah says: Until plag haminchah. The Evening Prayer has no set [time]. And the Mussaf Prayer [may be recited] the entire day. R’ Yehudah says: Until seven hours [into the day].

R’ Nechunyah ben HaKannah would pray, upon entering and leaving the study hall, a short prayer. They said to him: What place is there for this prayer? He said to them: When I enter [the study hall], I pray that a mishap not come about through me, and when I exit I give thanks for my lot.

Rabban Gamliel says: Every day a person must pray the eighteen [blessings of the She-moneh Esrei]. R’ Yehoshua says: [He may recite] an abridgment of the eighteen [bless-ings]. R’ Akiva says: If his prayer is fluent in his mouth, he must pray the eighteen [bless-ings]; but if not, [he should pray] an abridgment of the eighteen.

R’ Eliezer says: [If] one makes his Prayer fixed, his Prayer is not a supplication. R’ Yehoshua says: One traveling in a dangerous place prays a short prayer. He says: Save, Hashem, Your nation, the remnant of Israel. Even when [they] turn away [from You] in sin, may their needs be before You. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who hears prayer.

[If] one was riding on a donkey, he should dismount [to pray]. But if he is not able to dismount, he should turn his face [and pray]. And if he is unable to turn his face, he should concentrate his thoughts toward the Chamber of the Holy of Holies [while pray-ing].

[If] he was sitting in a boat or a wagon, or on a raft, he should concentrate his thoughts toward the Chamber of the Holy of Holies [while praying].

R’ Elazar ben Azaryah says: The Mussaf Prayer is only [recited] with an assembly of the town. But the Sages say: [It is recited] with an assembly of the town and without an as-sembly of the town. R’ Yehudah says in his name: Any place where there is an assembly of the town, an individual is exempt from the Mussaf Prayer.

One should not stand up to pray except from a state of awe. The pious men of earlier times used to wait an hour before praying, so that they could direct their thoughts to-ward the Omnipresent. Even if the king inquires about one’s welfare, one may not reply to him [while praying]. And even if a snake is coiled around his foot, he may not interrupt.

We mention ‘‘the Powers of Rain’’ in [the blessing] ‘‘The Resuscitation of the Dead,’’ and we ask for rain in ‘‘the Blesssing of the Years,’’ and [we recite] the Havdalah [prayer] in [the blessing] ‘‘Who Graces [Man] with Understanding.’’ R’ Akiva says: He says it as a fourth blessing of its own. R’ Eliezer says: [He says it] in [the] ‘‘Thanksgiving’’ [blessing].

Someone who says, ‘‘Your mercy extends to the bird’s nest . . .,’’ or [who says] ‘‘For good things, may Your name be remembered,’’ [or who says,] ‘‘We give thanks. . ., We give thanks. . .’’ — we silence him. [If] someone passes before the ark and errs, another [person] should take his place. At such a time one should not refuse. From where does he begin? From the be-ginning of the blessing in which [the first person] erred.

The one who passes before the ark should not respond ‘‘Amen’’ after the [blessings of the] Kohanim because of the [risk of] confusion. And if there is no Kohen there except him, he should not lift up his hands. But if he is confident that he can lift up his hands and resume his prayer, he is permitted [to do so].

[If] someone is praying and errs, it is a bad sign for him; and if he is an agent of the con-gregation, it is a bad sign for those whom he represents, because the agent of a person is like [the person] himself. They said about R’ Chanina ben Dosa that when he would pray on behalf of the sick, he would say, ‘‘This one will live’’ or, ‘‘This one will die.’’ They said to him: ‘‘How do you know?’’ He said to them: ‘‘If my prayer is fluent in my mouth, then I know that it is accepted; but if not, then I know that he is rejected.’’