Berachos 4b - Part 2

The Gemara quotes the previous baraissa:

The Master said: One recites Krias Shma and then davens [maariv].

The Gemara says that this baraissa supports R' Yochanan's opinion that "Who is a ben olam haba? One who is somech geulah to tefillah of maariv.

The Gemara quotes R' Yochanan and then cites Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levy who argues. He says that tefillos were made to be "in the middle" [surrounded by krias shma].

Question: The Gemara asks, what is the source of this dispute?

The Gemara offers two answers to this question. One is based on pesukim and the other on sevara.

Answer #1 (Sevara): R' Yochanan holds that there was a geulah at night, only that the main geulah was in the morning. R' Yehoshua ben Levy on the other hand holds that since the main geulah was in the morning so that is the only geulah that counts.

Answer #2 (Pesukim): Both of them darshen the pasuk of b'shachbecha u'vekumecha. R' Yochanan says that going to sleep is compared to getting up that just like by getting up we are somech geulah l'tefillah - so too by going to sleep. R' Yehoshua ben Levy says that just like by getting up shma is said close to bedtime so too by going to sleep shma is said close to bedtime.

Mar Breih D'Ravina now asks a question based on the Mishna later on 11a.

Mishna: In the evening one makes two berachos before [shma] and two berachos after.

Question: How is it that we are being somech geulah l'tefillah in maariv? Isn't the beracha of Hashkivenu an interruption?

Answer: Once the Rabbis instituted Hashkivenu it all becomes part of a "lengthened" mentioning of geulah. It is a geulah arichta.

The gemara proves this sevara from a statement of R' Yochanan.

Statement of R' Yochanan: First [in shemoneh esrai] on says Hashem Sefasai and at the end he says yihiyu l'ratzon.

Proof from R' Yochanan's Statement: If one is saying Hashem Sefasai in Shacharis so how is he being somech geulah l'tefillah? One must answer that once the Rabbis instituted Hashem Sefasai it becomes part of a lengthened tefillah. So too, by Hashkivenu it becomes part of a lengthened geulah.