Learning - Day 1

So I am going to attempt to write what I learned today.
I began with Mishna.
I am using the website Master Torah, I downloaded the audio files of Mishna Brachos and began there.
so the Mishna starts with when do we say shema at night.  It is referring to the words from Devarim which we say in Shema ושכבך  ובקומך.  So since the phrase begins with ושכבך, that is likely why the mishna begins with the evening part too.  The definition of the word ושכבך is in question in this.. does it mean when you are sleeping, when you lie down, before you sleep etc.. so we will see what the Mishna says.
The Mishna will also discuss, when we say it, how to say it and under what circumstances.  So the Mishna goes on to say you can say it from the time that the Kohanim are able to eat the Teruma.  This refers to the evening how do we know, well we know that the Kohen went to the Mikva during the day and would have to wait until the sun went down to go and eat the Terumah.  So from there they get the rule that it is said at night.  The next question, until when?  Well there will be three opinions.  1- Rabbi Eliezer says until the end of the first watch.  (divide the night into three), and according to him, the end of the first portion of the night is the last time you can say shema.  He likely said that because the first third of the night is when people likely went to sleep. So his interpretation of ושכבך is when you lie down to sleep.
2 - the חכמים say until חצות-- it seems that they take the view that ושכבך is when people go to sleep, but they seem to think people go to sleep a bit later.  The other option is that they interpret ושכבך as while you are sleeping (during the hours that you are sleeping)
3- Raban Gamliel says until morning-  he takes the opinion that ושכבך is during the time that people are sleeping.
There is the story of the sons of Raban Gamliel, they came home from a party probably after חצות, and they did not say Kriyat Shema.  They wanted to know what the חכמים would say in this case.  He said to them, if the sun has not risen yet, you can say it.  So the question remains, why did the חכמים say until חצות if you can say it all night.  The answer goes back to the הקטר חלבים,   it is suppose to burn all night, and you can eat it until morning.  He said that whenever, the חכמים use the phrase עד חצות it really means until morning.  (like all the offerings that are brought they say can be eaten until morning), but why do they say until chatzot?  כדי להרחיק אדם מן העבירה.  So that you dont miss your opportunity and fall asleep accidentally.  
So we talked about beginning and ending evening shema, what about the second part of the verse.. ובקומך,  Unlike ושכבך, there is no question as to what this means.  All agree it means not when you are standing, but when you wake up.  Upon arising from sleep.  So when do people get up.  Well it says you can begin when it is light outside, when you can tell the difference between the blue and white in your tzitizs, but Rav Eliezer says no that is still to dark, when you can tell the difference between your tzizis and כרתי (green), or other colors., and you must finish by the time the sun rises (a really small window.) Rabi Yehoshua says until the third hour into the day (dividing the day by 12), and what is his rationale? Because it is the way of kings, they would wake up at the end of the first three hours and we are considered sons of kings.  If you missed the time, then you wont get credit for saying shema in the morning, but you do not lose out, because you get credit for reading the torah on that day.

I know that was a short class, but I wanted to listen and repeat.. it took about 30 minutes to listen and to take down notes on both pesukim.
some comments I have:
interesting how the mishna (and I think its the first book), begins with Shema. If it is truly the first book, then it provides strength to what we learned at Nishmat regarding Shema.  It is is essential, perhaps the essential thing that we need to do as a people.

After the Mishna I continued with the Parsha (devarim)
some questions in devarim from the getgo...
moshe says in pasuk 10: that Gd has multiplied them and they are today as numerous as the stars...but that is not exactly true... you can not count the stars in the sky, and yet just a few weeks ago, we just counted bnei yisroel
here is a nice line from 1:16 in Devarim:  וָאֲצַוֶּה֙ אֶת־שֹׁ֣פְטֵיכֶ֔ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁמֹ֤עַ בֵּין־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ וּשְׁפַטְתֶּ֣ם צֶ֔דֶק בֵּֽין־אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵין־אָחִ֖יו וּבֵ֥ין גֵּרֽוֹ׃.  Why do I like this?  Because so far, Moshe can be talking to Bnei Yisroel back then, or it could be Moshe talking to all future generations..in which case, our leaders need to to be just leaders and they need to look at the judgment between man and his brother, or between a foreigner.  In the Pasukim that follows it talks only about being fair to one another, it does not talk about Gd, or how to serve Gd.  
interesting in pasuk 25, the story of the spies, came back good.... and it was the bnei yisroel who chose to complain, but the first perek ends that Bnei Yisroel will be going into Canaan, but they can not take Esau land.  I tried to read several mefarshim on this... for instance why Moshe said that because of the sin of the spies he will not be going into Israel... I have to admit, it was and is still difficult, although I am understanding a bit more as the days go on.  
Anyway, this was my day today...