Berakhot 14a
ברכות י״ד א — ד"ה וּבַפְּרָקִים — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד וּמֵשִׁיב
Berakhot 14a:1
At the breaks between paragraphs of Shema one may greet out of respect and respond to any person's greeting; the baraita teaches that when one reciting Shema encounters a teacher or superior, Rabbi Meir permits greeting the teacher out of respect at the breaks and in the middle of paragraphs when encountering others out of fear, while Rabbi Yehuda permits greeting out of fear in the middle and out of respect at the breaks, with responding permitted in all cases.
וּבַפְּרָקִים — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד וּמֵשִׁיב שָׁלוֹם לְכׇל אָדָם. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: הַקּוֹרֵא אֶת שְׁמַע וּפָגַע בּוֹ רַבּוֹ אוֹ גָּדוֹל הֵימֶנּוּ, בַּפְּרָקִים — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא מֵשִׁיב, וּבָאֶמְצַע — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַיִּרְאָה וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא מֵשִׁיב. דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: בָּאֶמְצַע — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַיִּרְאָה וּמֵשִׁיב מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד, וּבַפְּרָקִים — שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד וּמֵשִׁיב שָׁלוֹם לְכׇל אָדָם.
And at the breaks between the paragraphs one may greet due to respect and respond with a greeting to any person. And if that is the case, the mishna is no longer difficult. The Gemara remarks: This version of the dispute was also taught in a baraita: One who is reciting Shema and happens upon his teacher or one who is greater than he, at the breaks between the paragraphs he may greet him due to respect and, needless to say, he may respond. And in the middle of each paragraph, he may greet another due to fear and, needless to say, he may respond. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: In the middle of each paragraph one may greet due to fear and respond due to respect. And in the breaks between the paragraphs one may greet due to respect and respond with a greeting to any person. The proposed additions to the mishna appear in the version of the dispute cited in the baraita.
