Introduction to Shema and its Berachot (8) – The Blessings and the Amida (5) – סמיכת גאולה לתפילה – Rav Amram Gaon
Last time, we introduced the fascinating position of Rav Amram, which explains the interruptions between the conclusion of the beracha of geula in Arvit as a result of the fact that Ma’ariv is not a full obligation. While there are a few echoes of this idea within the canon,1 the vast majority of Rishonim roundly reject this idea.
Let us take a step back and try to drill down to the debate between R. Yochanan and R. Yehoshua b. Levi. Perhaps a deeper understanding of what is happening there may shed light on this curious debate. The Gemara in Berachot 4b explains that their positions can be seen as revolving around a matter of logical reasoning or around Biblical commentary. …