One who stands and prays must make his feet even (connect them).

Two Amora'im, R. Levi and R. Simon, argue about this. One says like angels, and one says like Kohanim;

The one who says like Kohanim [learns from] "Lo Sa'aleh v'Ma'alos Al Mizbechi" - they walked (and in each step, put the) heel next to the toe, and the toe next to the heel;

The one who says the angels [learns from] "v'Ragleihem Regel Yesharah."

(R. Chanina bar Andrai citing R. Shmuel bar Sotar): Angels do not have knees.

What is the source? "Kirves Al Chad Min Ka'amaya" (I approached one of the first - we read this like) Kaimiya' (standing).

(Rav Huna): One who sees the Kohanim [giving Birkas Kohanim] in the Beis ha'Keneses, in the first Brachah he must say "Barchu Hash-m Mal'achav";

In the second, he says "Barchu Hash-m Kol Tzeva'av." In the third, he says "Barchu Hash-m Kol Ma'asav."

In Musaf, in the first Brachah he says "Shir ha'Ma'alos Hinei Barchu Es Hash-m Kol Avdei Hash-m ha'Omdim b'Veis Hash-m ba'Leilos." In the second, he says "Se'u Yedeichem Kodesh [u'Varchu Es Hash-m]." In the third, he says "Yevarechecha Hash-m mi'Tziyon."

If there were four [times in the day for Birkas Kohanim, e.g. on Yom Kipur, Ta'anis Tzibur and Ma'amados], the third time he says like the first, and the fourth time he says like the second (Musaf).

(R. Chanina): From Ayeles ha'Shachar (this will be defined) until He'ir ha'Mizrach (the eastern sky lights up), there is [time to walk] four Mil. From He'ir ha'Mizrach until sunrise, there is four Mil.

Question: What is the source that from He'ir ha'Mizrach until sunrise, there is four Mil?

Answer #1 (R. Aba): It says "u'Chemo ha'Shachar Alah...", "ha'Shemesh Yatzah Al ha'Aretz v'Lot Ba Tzo'arah", and from Sedom to Tzo'ar is four Mil. (We explained this like HA'GAON RAV C. KANIEVSKY, SHLITA.)

Question: It is more than four Mil!

Answer (R. Ze'ira): The angel bore through [mountains] in front of them [to make a shorter] path (CHAREDIM).

Question: What is the source that from Ayeles ha'Shachar until He'ir ha'Mizrach, there is four Mil?

Answer: [It could have written] "Kemo". [Rather,] it says "u'Chemo" (to teach that there is another Shi'ur like this).

(R. Yosi bei R. Bun): This Ayeles ha'Shachar - the one who says that it is Kochav (Venus, one of the seven Kockvei Leket), he errs. Sometimes it (Kochav) precedes (is seen before Ayeles ha'Shachar), and sometimes it is later! (R. SHLOMO SIRILIYO)

Question: [If so,] what is [Ayeles ha'Shachar]?

Answer: It is two rays of light that rise from the east and illuminate.

A case occurred in which R. Chiya Ruba and R. Shimon ben Chalafta were walking in the valley of Arbel at the end of the night. They saw Ayeles ha'Shachar, that its light broke through;

R. Chiya Rubah (to R. Shimon ben Chalafta): Great one! So is the redemption of Yisrael - at first it is bit by bit, and it goes and illuminates more and more. (There are five stages - Ayeles ha'Shachar, dawn, the eastern sky lights up, sunrise, and noon.)

What is the reason? "Ki Eshev ba'Choshech Hash-m Ohr Li" (if one is in the dark, it is painful if it becomes light suddenly);

So too [we find stages in the redemption of Purim]. Initially, "u'Mordechai Yoshev b'Sha'ar ha'Melech", and afterwards "va'Yikach Haman Es ha'Levush v'Es ha'Sus...", and afterwards "u'Mordechai Yatza mi'Lifnei ha'Melech bi'Levush Malchus", and afterwards "la'Yehudim Haysah Orah v'Simchah."

R. Chiya holds like R. Yehudah;

(Beraisa - in the name of R. Yehudah): The thickness of the Raki'a is a 50 year journey. An average person walks 40 Mil in a day. It the time that the sun cuts through Raki'a, a 50 year journey. a person walks four Mil;

It turns out that the thickness of the Raki'a a 10th of [the trajectory of the sun during] the day.

Just like the thickness of the Raki'a is a 50 year journey, so the thickness of the land and the thickness of the Tehom (the sea, where it is deepest) is a 50 year journey.

What is the source? "Ha'Yoshev Al Chug ha'Aretz", and it says "v'Chug ha'ShamayimYis'halech", and it says "b'Chuko Chug Al Pnei Sehom" - we learn from a Gezeirah Shavah "Chug-Chug" (that all of these are the same thickness).

(Beraisa): The Etz Chayim (in Gan Eden) is a 500 year journey.

(R. Yehudah bei R. Ila'a'i): This is not only with the foliage. Rather, even the trunk [is this thick].

All the waters of Bereishis that were [initially together, and were] divided are under [Etz ha'Chayim].

What is the source? "V'Hayah k'Etz Shasul Al Palgei Mayim."

(Beraisa): Etz ha'Chayim is one part in 60 of [the size of] the Gan (of Eden). Gan is one part in 60 of Eden - "v'Nahar Yotzei me'Eden Lehashkos Es ha'Gan." (This shows that Gan and Eden are different entities.)

From Tamtzis (the water that exudes after irrigating a) Beis Kor (an area in which one seeds 30 Sa'im of barley, a Beis) Tarkav (half-Se'ah) drinks (this irrigates a place one 60th its own size. Similarly, from Tamtzis Eden, the Gan drinks.)

From Tamtzis Kush (Ethiopia), Mitzrayim drinks.

The size of Mitzrayim is a journey of 40 days. It turns out Kush is a journey of (60 times as much, i.e.) six years and a remainder.

Note: 'Journey' refers to the distance from one end to the other; it is not an area. Shir ha'Shirim Rabah (6:3, or 6:9 or 6:14 in other editions) says like our Gemara, and that Mitzrayim is 400 Parsah by 400 Parsah (a person walks 10 Parsah, i.e. 40 Mil, in a day. Why is Kush a journey of about seven years (60 times as long)? We said that from Tamtzis of a Beis Kor, a [Beis] Tarkav drinks. A Beis Kor is 60 times the area; its length is the square root of 60 (about 7.7) times the length of a Beis Tarkav! Also, that Midrash says that Kush is a 60th of the world, which is 500 years journey by 500 years journey. Even if '60 times' refers to length, the world should be only about a 400 year journey! To fix this, Ohr li'Yesharim suggests changing the text to say that Mitzrayim is a 50 day journey, but no Meforshim asked that the area is 60 times as much, and not the length! In the introduction to Noda bi'Yehudah (Divrei Yedidos, DH v'Al Zeh), and in a footnote in Tzelach Pesachim 94a (new editions), the author's son defended his father's Hagahah of Rashi there, based on this distinction between length and area, but he did not address the Yerushalmi or the Midrash. (PF) It seems that at least in one place, 'a 60th' is not literally true. Chazal often use 'a 60th' to denote a small semblance, i.e. 'sleep is a 60th of death.'

Rabanan say, [the distance between the land and Shamayim is a journey] like the [combined] days of the first Avos - 'ki'Mei ha'Shamayim Al ha'Aretz." (They lived a total of 502 years. Perhaps "ki'Mei" means almost as much, or it excludes two years that Yitzchak was in Gan Eden after the Akeidah, according to the Midrash cited in Riva Bereishis 25:27 - PF);

Just like between the land and the Raki'a is a 500 year journey, so between one Raki'a and another is a 500 year journey, and the thickness of the Raki'a is a 500 year journey. (This is unlike R. Yehudah, who said above that it is a 50 year journey.)

Question: Why do you say that the thickness of the Raki'a is a 500 year journey?

(R. Bun): "Yehi Raki'a b'Soch ha'Mayim" - the Raki'a will be in the middle. (MAHARA FULDA - R. Bun below does not come to answer the question; it is not answered.)

Note: Perhaps R. Bun gives the source that the distance between one Raki'a and the next equals the distance between the land and the first Raki'a; the upper water is in the second the Raki'a. (PF)

(Rav): Shamayim was fluid on the first day, and it congealed on the second day.

(Rav): "Yehi Raki'a" - the Raki'a will strengthen, the Raki'a will congeal, the Raki'a will form a crust, the Raki'a will be stretched. (Yehi connotes a new creation. Since it underwent all these changes, it is like a new creation - CHAREDIM.)

(R. Yudah bar Pazi): The Raki'a will be [spread] like a curtain. (He holds that on the first day, it was a mere drop);

This is like it says "va'Yrak'u Es Pachei ha'Zahav..." (they made the gold thin and flat).

(Beraisa - in the name of R. Yehoshua): The thickness of the Raki'a is like two fingers.

R. Chanina's words argue;

(R. Acha citing R. Chanina): "Tarki'a Imo li'Shchakim Chazakim ki'R'i Mutzak" - Tarki'a teaches that [the Raki'os] are like a metal plate (it is not two fingers thick)!

Suggestion: Perhaps [the Raki'os] is not strong!

Rejection: It says "Chazakim".

Suggestion: Perhaps [the Raki'os] will soften (later)!

Rejection: It says "ki'R'i Mutzak" - they always appear strong (R. SHLOMO SIRILIYO).

R. Yochanan and Reish Lakish (argued about this);

(R. Yochanan): The way of the world is, a man spreads a tent, and after time, it slackens. Here [is different] - "va'Yimtachem ka'Ohel Lashaves", and it says "Chazakim"!

(Reish Lakish): The way of the world is, a man melts [metal, and makes] Kelim, and after time, it rusts. Here [is different] - says "ki'R'i Mutzak", they always look like the time that they were poured (formed).

Support (R. Azaryah): "Va'Ychulu ha'Shamayim veha'Aretz v'Chol Tzeva'am; Va'Ychal Elokim ba'Yom ha'Shevi'i... Va'Yvarech Elokim Es Yom ha'Shevi'i" - what does it say afterwards? "Eleh Toldos ha'Shamayim."

Question: What is the connection [to the previous verses]?

Answer: It teaches that a day comes and passes. A week comes and passes. A month comes and passes. A year comes and passes, and it says "Eleh Toldos ha'Shamayim veha'Aretz b'Hibar'am b'Yom Asos Hash-m Elokim Eretz v'Shamayim" (they are still like the time they were created).