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Rambam Laws of Reciting Shema, Chapter 2 – Intention and Position When Reciting Shema

Introduction to the Shiur

Good. We are going to learn Rambam, Sefer Ahava, the second chapter of the Laws of Reciting Shema. Our shiur today has been sponsored by our esteemed friend, president of Machon Keren Torah V’Chochma, the pious Rabbi Yoel Wertzberger, mimenu yilmedu v’chen ya’asu (from him they should learn and do likewise). Whoever wants to sponsor shiurim should let us know through one of the channels, and in this way one can be a partner in spreading Torah. There is also apparently a link on the page of the shiur, one should be able to send directly whoever wants to send, and merit all the merits.

Now, in the first chapter of the Laws of Reciting Shema we learned the main mitzvah of the Laws of Reciting Shema, that one must read at the time of Reciting Shema, the blessings before and after it, and so forth. And here we are going to learn more detailed laws about the ways in which one is or is not fulfilling the mitzvah of Reciting Shema, or how it is honorable to recite Shema, or appropriate to recite Shema, and so forth.

Law 1 – The Law of Intention When Reciting Shema

What Does Intention Mean?

The first thing we are going to learn about is something called kavana (intention). It’s not clear what the word kavana means here, I don’t know exactly what to say. But first let’s learn when one must have kavana when reciting Shema. I mean, kavana, I thought when I saw the words “v’lo kivein libo” (and did not direct his heart) in the Laws of Prophecy the Rambam also said, that his heart should be free, it shouldn’t be preoccupied with other things, one should be able to focus. But we’ll actually see this in the next law, it will say about when he’s walking, he must stop. But here, kavana, I mean that the simple meaning of kavana here means he must know that he’s reciting Shema, not that he’s reading just as if he’s proofreading or he’s just saying.

Yes, and in the Gemara one sees that there are three levels of… There are many times people ask, I read, I’m in the middle of the beit midrash davening, and I got distracted. Apparently that doesn’t yet mean “lo kivein.” “Lo kivein” here means literally when he’s writing a Sefer Torah and he’s reading the words that he’s writing, when he hasn’t actually prayed the reading. That means there’s a lack of kavana, and it’s even less than “lo kivein libo.” But in any case, let’s learn inside the Rambam. It doesn’t say so clearly what kavana means.

The Language of the Rambam

Yes, let’s see four amos. The Rambam says, “One who recites Shema and did not direct his heart,” he wasn’t focused, he didn’t focus, let’s now call it, on the verse of Reciting Shema, “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad” (Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One). He didn’t think about the words, “lo yatza yedei chovato” (he has not fulfilled his obligation), he has not fulfilled the obligation of the mitzvah of Reciting Shema.

The Moreh Nevuchim on Intention

He notes that the Moreh Nevuchim says very beautiful words about this. He says, he speaks there that an adam hashalem (complete person) must accustom himself to remove all thoughts, all other thoughts, and focus, have complete full focus when one recites Shema. And he says, not only the manner of kavana, but you should think deeply into what the words “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad” mean, because the word that the Almighty is echad (one) has levels of deeper and deeper meaning of what the word echad means.

Discussion: What Is the Basic Level of Intention?

Speaker 1: Yes, but I don’t know if that’s the meaning. That’s according to mussar. The basic basic is simply that there is one yichud Hashem (unity of God’s name), as was said earlier. But even that, “kivein libo” here doesn’t mean that he thought about the Almighty. “Kivein libo” means that he doesn’t know that he’s doing the mitzvah of Reciting Shema. That’s what I mean simply according to halacha.

Speaker 2: It could be, because you’re saying that it says in Moreh Nevuchim it’s more. But it could be yes, because earlier he said nicely yichud Hashem, it could be that it’s not enough that I know that I’m now saying words which is yichud Hashem, but one must think about yichud Hashem.

Speaker 1: Yes, but it doesn’t say. The Rambam doesn’t say “lo chashav peirush hamilot” (didn’t think about the meaning of the words) or “lo yada ma yichudo” (didn’t know what His unity is) or the like. What simply says here in the Mishna, yes, he’s going to bring the example in the next law. The example that we have here of “lo kivein” is if he is “korei l’magiha” (reading to proofread), he doesn’t realize that he’s reading Shema. He’s reading just like that, he’s learning, but he doesn’t know that he’s reading Shema. Certainly there are many levels, but the simple meaning I mean is only that.

Speaker 2: But I mean it’s nice, that when one speaks about yichud Hashem, if in your head you have as it says in the shiur, you’re thinking about the Almighty and also something else, it’s lacking in the yichud. The whole idea of yichud, so “kivein libo,” that’s apparently the halacha.

Speaker 1: Yes, okay, we’re talking now about the halacha.

The Distinction Between the First Verse and the Rest

He goes on further “u’she’ar” (and the rest), but the two other parts, “v’haya im shamo’a” and “vayomer.” Even the rest of the first parsha itself, the remainder of Reciting Shema, “v’ahavta,” “v’haya im shamo’a.” They learned that there are actually only three parshiyot, so “Shema” and “v’ahavta” is one parsha, but regarding this there is indeed a distinction. As we discussed, according to how the Rambam rules there is a dispute in the Gemara, Tannaim and Amoraim about this, but according to how the Rambam rules only the first parsha requires kavana, the rest even if he didn’t have kavana he has fulfilled. But he should have kavana.

The Example of “Korei BaTorah K’darkah”

So the Rambam says, the “lo kivein” doesn’t only mean to say… He says this quite clearly, it doesn’t only mean to say when he didn’t actually have in mind “kabalat ol malchut shamayim” (acceptance of the yoke of Heaven’s kingdom), but even his “lo kivein” means that he wasn’t there at all, he didn’t think that he’s now doing the mitzvah of Reciting Shema. For example, “haya korei baTorah k’darkah” (he was reading in the Torah in his usual way), he’s reading the Torah, the reading from Mishneh Torah, he’s reading through the entire Book of Deuteronomy, and in that are the three parshiyot.

Speaker 2: Oh, it doesn’t need to be in order? I mean the Rambam did say earlier that at least in order it must be.

Speaker 1: Okay, or “higi’a haparsha ela b’onat kri’ah” (the parsha arrived at the time of reading), at the time of Reciting Shema, in the morning in the first hour of the hours or whatever, a book came to him, the parshiyot came, and he reads it, has he thereby fulfilled the mitzvah of Reciting Shema because he said the words.

But as we said, that by the first verse there must be “v’yashuv vichavein b’perek rishon” (and he should return and have intention in the first section), that by the first verse when he went through in the Torah he had kavana, and later even if he didn’t have kavana he fulfilled.

Novel Idea: There Could Be a Law in the Verse “Shema Yisrael” Itself

I’m thinking to myself, it’s an interesting thought, it could be that it’s not even a law in Reciting Shema, it could be that it’s a law in the verse “Shema Yisrael,” that one may not say the words “Shema Yisrael” without kavana. You’re talking about a Jew who has kavana, he’s proofreading the Torah.

Speaker 2: No, I think, it’s not even like the truth, a person is proofreading the Torah, he’s proofreading other places in the Torah and it doesn’t give him a shock, nu. But when he reads “Shema Yisrael,” these are holy words.

Speaker 1: Yes, but I remember from Shloiber when it’s not at the time of reading, when it’s not at the time of Reciting Shema he doesn’t need to, on the contrary, I mean it doesn’t say that he shouldn’t, but he doesn’t need to, he’s proofreading in the Torah.

Speaker 2: Why should such a thing happen that a person is in the middle of proofreading and he doesn’t think about Reciting Shema? Why shouldn’t he think about Shema? I think, he doesn’t mean thinking about yichud Hashem.

Speaker 1: Ah, at the time of reading he means that he must have kavana to fulfill the obligation of Reciting Shema. Yes, at the time of reading he did have in mind that he wants to fulfill the mitzvah of Reciting Shema. Okay, very good.

Three Levels of Intention

As we discussed, it’s true that there are three levels one can say of kavana. There’s the very basic kavana that I’m now doing a mitzvah. Knowledge that I’m now doing a mitzvah. There’s a level before that. There’s a level of actual memory, and there’s a level of yechida (singularity), that one shouldn’t think about anything else. There’s even a level zero, which I mean that here we’re really talking about, because it doesn’t say “kivein libo latzeit yedei chovato” (directed his heart to fulfill his obligation). There’s a level before that, which means that he doesn’t know he’s doing this. He’s doing it like an action that’s called Reciting Shema.

Parable of the Shofar Blower

Or for example by the shofar, for example, let’s see something simpler. A shofar blowing shiur, yes? He’s learning the trop (cantillation), for example. Someone is learning the trop, he’s not even reading the Torah, he’s learning now. He’s reviewing, let’s see reading the Torah. He’s reviewing, he’s such a ba’al korei (Torah reader), or I don’t know what, he’s doing that. He’s reviewing in order to remember the trop. What is he doing now? He knows what he means? He’s holding before his nose from crying what he means. He’s not at all now reading the Torah, he’s not at all now reading Shema, he’s now reading the techinos (supplications). It’s a different action. Do I need to know? No. Except taking, what I’m doing Chumash, is a mechavein libo (directing his heart), I have in mind that I’m now reading Shema. That’s simple, he’s doing the action to produce as one assigns it. He’s doing the same action, he needs to remember it. The same physical action that a person does can have two meanings.

Principle: The Same Action Can Have Two Meanings

We learned in other… Where did we learn about this? I don’t know, we learned it in Rambam already, but in the… in the Laws of Shabbat, in Sukkah? Yes, more in the Laws of… in the eighth chapter we spoke about this.

When a person does something, yes, one says a parable that a person is standing at the bus stop. What is he doing? One is waiting for the bus to come. A second, actually he’s on the way to do a mitzvah, he’s osek b’mitzvah (engaged in a mitzvah). A third has completely gotten dressed, he went to the bus stop to wait, he intends to read Shema. The physicality, the externality, looks the same, but not only is the kavana different, that he has in mind something else, the action is a completely different deed, he’s doing something else. The same I say here, one is reading the Torah, he’s reading the Torah, he’s not reading Shema. He’s reading Shema, it’s a thing, he intends to read Shema.

Practical Difference

So only this is certain that when a Jew stands with tallit and tefillin in the beit midrash and he’s reading Shema, it’s certain that this is kavana. What people say that they don’t have kavana, they mean that they don’t have the higher level of kavana, which is indeed very important, very significant. True. But if it’s exactly such a… as he says, one is a ba’al korei, then it happens. Let’s say, it’s Parshat Va’etchanan, and I’m reading “Shema,” and it’s exactly the time of Reciting Shema, but I didn’t have in mind now I’m reading Shema, I had in mind I’m preparing for the reading. Or that a sofer (scribe) is proofreading the Torah, that’s the example which is not kavana. But further, here the Rambam goes into what position a person should be in when reading Shema.

Law 2 – Position When Reciting Shema

The Law: One Can Read in Any Position

The Rambam says, “Kol adam korei k’darko, bein omeid bein mehalech, bein shochev bein rochev al gabei behema” (Every person reads in his way, whether standing or walking, whether lying down or riding on an animal). Whatever position he’s in, and I mean the Gemara also says this, “b’shochev kaima chachamim” (regarding lying down the Sages established), there’s no difference whether one sits, whether one stands, one can read Shema.

Which Positions Are Forbidden

But how not? “V’asur likrot kriat Shema” (And it is forbidden to recite Shema), it says apparently, “v’asur” means not that one doesn’t fulfill Shema, but it’s not respectful, it’s not l’chatchila (ideally) to read Shema when one is lying face down, “tachuv bakarka” (buried in the ground), when the head is buried in the earth, or “mushlach al gabo” (thrown on his back), or conversely, when he’s lying on his back “u’fanav l’ma’ala” (and his face upward), and his face is up. As the Gemara says the reason, because he can come to disgrace. These are not respectful ways of reading Shema. I mean that this is not a law that prevents, because it says “v’asur,” this is not respectful.

“Aval korei hu v’shochev al tzido” (But he reads while lying on his side). But lying down, the problem isn’t lying down, but the problem is how one lies. The two ways are not respectful ways.

Law of One Who Is Overweight or Sick

The Rambam says, “Mipnei ma amarti she’im haya ba’al basar harbeh v’eino yachol l’haseiv al tzido” (Why did I say that if he was very overweight and cannot turn on his side), one who is overweight and it’s hard for him to lie on his side, or it’s hard for him, or he’s sick, therefore it’s hard for him to move, a sick person it’s hard to turn around in bed, “noteh me’at al tzido v’korei” (he leans a little on his side and reads). He means to say, because it’s not preventing, it’s only a matter of honor, therefore if it’s so hard for you, honor isn’t so lacking, because when one knows he doesn’t care about Shema, he’s lying in a disgraceful way, but a sick person lies that way because he has no choice, so it’s enough that he bends a little.

Speaker 2: It could be that it’s a frivolous way, like a gentile lies at the beach, something like that, he stretches out. It could be that I don’t know from where one must come to this topic, it’s more that it’s not a respectful way of lying for Shema.

Law 3 – Stopping During the First Verse

The Rambam says further, “Mi she’haya mehalech al raglav” (One who was walking on his feet), one is in the middle of walking, he already said earlier by walking, okay, let’s see. Very good. But, one can indeed read Shema while walking, but the first verse, it could be because one must have full kavana, he should stop, “omeid b’pasuk rishon” (stands for the first verse). Is it about kavana or is it a matter of respect? I don’t know. Apparently it’s kavana, because “she’ar korei v’yimalech” (the rest he reads and walks), the rest one can indeed read while walking. I mean, when one walks it’s hard to focus, yes, one sees sometimes this and that, one walks through, one gets distracted. But for the first verse one should be in one place.

Laws of Reciting Shema: Laws of Sleeping, Working, and Public Needs

Law 3: If He Was Sleeping — We Trouble Him Until He Reads the First Verse

Speaker 1:

Or it could be it’s a matter of honor. These are basically two more laws where the first verse is different from the other verses, right?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Haya yashen, a person is sleeping, metzarim oto (we trouble him), generally one may not wake a person and trouble him, but here it’s a mitzvah, one should indeed nudge him a bit, u’me’irim oto ad sheyikra pasuk rishon (and we wake him until he reads the first verse), we wake him up until he reads the first verse, because the first verse one must be fully awake. But the rest one can say drowsily.

Question: What Does “Mitnamnem” Mean?

One can be because he’s a mitnamnem (dozing). If he’s mitnamnem, he doesn’t need to say the rest of the verses, only “Shema Yisrael.” What is the meaning in the Rambam? This is very difficult which the commentators weren’t happy with. In practice, not only that I don’t know where it says that he says the rest mitnamnem, I don’t know what it means he says the rest mitnamnem. A Jew who is mitnamnem is sleeping.

Imagine the story, he says “Shema Yisrael,” okay, he must read it l’shma (for its own sake), I mean that’s a simple thing.

Speaker 2:

No, we’re not talking here about fully fully sleeping. Mitnamnem means he’s dozing. You’re sitting in the car, he’s dozing off.

Speaker 1:

He’s going to put in the mitnamnem. It doesn’t say. “Haya yashen” (If he was sleeping), a Jew who was sleeping. The Rambam says, this comes from a story in the Gemara, that there was someone, Rav Nachman had a servant Daru, Rav Nachman told him, the first verse I’ll call you, the rest I shouldn’t trouble you. And so the Gemara also tells about another one, “lo yatzar harav shelo” (his master didn’t trouble him). So it’s implied simply that he’s not fulfilling, he went to sleep, he gave a say “Shema Yisrael” and he went to sleep and went on.

I don’t know exactly what the reality of mitnamnem is. In general, mitnamnem doesn’t mean that he says every third word, he’s not going to give a shiur saying everything. That’s what I mean.

Novel Idea: No Obligation to Wake a Sleeping Jew

Laws of Shema: Those Engaged in Public Needs, Time of Reading, and Honor of the Reading

Not only that, but I don’t see that the Rambam says there’s an obligation that when one sees a Jew sleeping at the time of Krias Shema, one should go wake him up. That’s not what he means. He means in the manner that the Gemara speaks of, that there was someone who had a gabbai, a friend, he tells him, “Make sure I read Krias Shema,” then he is obligated. But that this should be a new halacha in the Torah, it’s a constant mitzvah, that when one sees a Jew sleeping at the time of Krias Shema one must wake him up, I don’t see that there’s such a source for this. It must be very weak.

I can indeed understand why the Gerer Mishnah Berurah says what he says, because we haven’t yet seen the thing that one fulfills Krias Shema with just saying the first verse. With the first verse we haven’t yet fulfilled the mitzvah of Krias Shema. There is a matter that one fulfills the mitzvah of Krias Shema where you have the option to say only the first verse. And why the first verse yes? Because it’s more important. The first verse is more important, there are already three halachos that the first verse is more important.

The first verse, even if you’re sleeping, you must consider it a great effort. Imagine if the mashgiach would follow the halacha of the Rambam, yes? The mashgiach goes around in the yeshiva, and he pursues that the people should get up. He should go to each bachur and say, “Say Shema Yisrael.” It only takes three seconds. Say the first verse and go back to sleep. That’s what the Rambam says one should do. You know what? Let’s believe that the bachur says the rest while drowsy. That’s what one does.

Digression: What Does “Obligate” Mean?

What one does is, one who obligates, no one fulfills this, I mean that on Rosh Hashanah the entire Mussaf has a law of the first verse of Krias Shema, where you say Malchiyos, Zichronos, Shofros. And then it means “Awaken sleepers from your sleep,” one obligates a person, one blows a shofar for him, one wakes him up. I mean this is in a homiletical way. What is obligate? Here one sees that it’s an obligation. Okay, obligate means to say one arouses, one makes him…

Speaker 2:

Yes, already, arouser of Mussaf reminded me of that one, when the one learned in Chovas HaTeshuva, and we’re going to learn it again soon in Chovas HaMachshava.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I know, I’m trying very hard to judge favorably the bachurim who sleep. Rabbi Yitzchak in Tosafos says that sleeping is a good thing, but the one who holds that sleeping is not a good thing… Rabbi Elazar says they sleep eight hours. You know what I say?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

In any case, one must be precise.

Halacha 4: One Who Was Engaged in Work — Stops Until He Reads the First Parsha

Speaker 1:

So now we’re going to learn further, in a manner that one may do Krias Shema while doing other things. Ah, here one sees yes, that there is a concept of casual reading. Let’s see.

He says further, one who was engaged in work, someone who is in the middle of working, stops until he reads the entire first parsha. He must stop until he reads not just the first verse, but he must read “Shema” and “V’ahavta.”

Precision: The Practical Reality

Ah, here one must also be precise. Usually, when does one go to work? After midday hours one goes to work, right? After a few minutes, after half an hour, I know, the time of Krias Shema comes. What does he do? He stops for thirty seconds, yes? The reading doesn’t take more than six minutes, with all the blessings it only takes six minutes. So he stops for thirty seconds and he says “Shema” and “V’ahavta,” the first parsha. The rest he says already while working.

And so the craftsmen, it says that craftsmen are people who don’t work for someone else, but they’re still busy with work. They’re not slaves, not hired workers, but they’re craftsmen, they do work. Craftsman means like a carpenter, such things. A craftsman, one who does professional work, must stop from his work for the first parsha, for the first parsha, for “Shema” and “V’ahavta,” so that his reading should not be casual. That means, he can’t do it while he works, while he does things, because that would be called casual reading.

Innovation: Distinction Between Kavana and Casual Reading

Interestingly, earlier he called it the word kavana. Kavana is the first verse, but for the first parsha there is something of a concept of casual reading. It’s a new thing. This has to do as you said, it’s a matter of honor. I mean so. That it shouldn’t be the second thing he does, not during work.

And also, as the Barditchover Rav said, that he… while he greases the wheels.

Speaker 2:

No, first he does that.

Speaker 1:

Now, the first parsha one doesn’t do while he greases the wheels.

Speaker 2:

No, but the rest, the remainder, they may indeed read the remainder while greasing, and further, because he is engaged in his work.

Speaker 1:

No, good.

Even One Standing at the Top of a Tree or at the Top of a Wall

The Rambam says further, even one standing at the top of a tree or at the top of a wall, the craftsman, he’s standing in a difficult situation, simply that he’s working very hard, he’s standing at the top of a tree or at the top of a wall. You would think that he doesn’t have peace of mind, he’s troubled. He says, no, he’s troubled. When he’s holding a watch in his hand and he’s fixing the watch, yes. But he’s standing there on top of the ladder, also for the first parsha one must stop. But the rest, he reads in his place, he can read there while he stands on the roof, and Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam, we can also make the blessings of Krias Shema because he’s working.

These are the laws of one who works. If one needs to know who works, today the custom is to go to work after davening, true, which then is normal. But thank God that we don’t have to go work at sunrise. Someone who works at sunrise doesn’t have a soul? Another one does have a soul? He’s exempt.

Innovation: Lesson for Today’s Times

But there’s also a lesson in another way, someone who says, unfortunately, I can’t go to shul. Okay, so daven where you are, also the Almighty accepts the prayer even more. The first parsha he should stop, afterwards he can already say while he… Simply a Jew, every Jew can indeed know Krias Shema, he can say it in the middle of doing his work, whatever. He doesn’t have a set time.

Speaker 2:

No, here one sees that he doesn’t have a set time. He can say it.

Question: Oral Torah

Speaker 1:

One thing, a question, one may not say Oral Torah, because it says that Krias Shema one may indeed. It’s very strong, because this is matters of holiness. I mean that when a person stands at the top of a tree or at the top of a wall, I say that here he must specifically then say Krias Shema, it’s a situation of danger. Even a thief when he stands up on the… how he breaks in, he is obligated in Krias Shema. Now he calls his Krias Shema, he comes the police.

Halacha 5: One Engaged in Torah Study — Stops for Krias Shema

Speaker 1:

Further the Rambam says, that there’s another type of craftsmen, there’s one engaged in his work, and there are craftsmen. And now there’s another type of craftsmen, people whose craft is learning Torah. Oh, oh, there is indeed a Torah world, learning Torah. Must he also learn Torah, he has indeed… He has indeed said that one must learn Torah day and night. He must make the blessing on Torah before that, have you already seen this?

Speaker 2:

He already made a blessing perhaps before that.

Speaker 1:

Okay, anyway. Where is this said? He says that before davening one must not stop learning. Krias Shema is more important, as it is a mitzvah in its time, one stops for Krias Shema. This is a broad Gemara. The Gemara says that for davening, Mizmor, don’t stop learning. Learning Torah is more important than prayer. But Krias Shema is much more important than Torah study. And also therefore the blessings. He should stop, and read, and he should read Krias Shema with blessings before and after it. Very good.

Halacha 5 (Continued): One Engaged in Public Needs — Should Not Stop

Speaker 1:

But what if he’s engaged in a greater mitzvah than Torah study? What’s a more important thing? Public needs. If he’s engaged in public needs, a person is engaged in public needs. For example, he goes to make an eruv. Yes, he makes an eruv. It doesn’t necessarily mean public needs mitzvos he does. Even if he goes to intercede with the mayor that he should let the Jews sell chametz.

Speaker 2:

Yes, but I would say that public needs doesn’t have to mean that every action is for the entire public. Someone, a Jew who sits and receives notes, that he hears out the troubles of Israel, he hears out one person at a time, but that means he’s engaged in public needs.

Speaker 1:

No, the Gemara’s example is eruv, but public needs can also mean one person at a time, but his occupation is public needs. Can also be. The Gemara speaks of judges, the beis din sits, in general, he makes enactments, he takes care of public needs.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1:

So he should not stop, he should not stop for Krias Shema, because public needs indeed overrides. Very good. He brings a language of the Tosafos: “That one could say he should not stop at all, but should finish his work”. Public needs is always very important. It’s honoring father and mother, honoring the soul, one makes a break, one just goes to daven, on that interpretation it’s not so serious, simply, come back. Very important.

Connection to the Rambam in Laws of Repentance

This is what the Rambam says in Laws of Repentance, that when one is… the public is always very important. When one disgraces a public, repentance doesn’t help, because the public has great power. But rather, he should finish his affairs, he should finish the affair for the public, and then he should read, if time remains, if time remains. If he had to be engaged until the time passed, the time passed.

Digression: Rabbi Tuvia Zilber of Williamsburg

There is in Williamsburg a Jew, a tzaddik, a rebbe, his name is Rabbi Tuvia Zilber, a great servant of God, a Chassidic Jew. I heard someone once accompanied him, he was busy, I don’t know, raising money for a Jew. He said, someone who has never even missed a Mincha because he was so strongly occupied with public needs, he’s not a lover of Israel. One must sometimes invest oneself so strongly, that one forgets the entire world.

Speaker 2:

Yes, my brother-in-law told me, he said that he was at the Amshinover Rebbe, on a mission, it would help some bachur get into a yeshiva, some such thing. And he says, the Rebbe only has a problem, I go as long as the queen, and afterwards I go as long as the queen.

Laws of Krias Shema: Engaged in Public Needs, Time of Reading, and Honor of the Reading

Digression: Stories About Being Engaged in Public Needs

I heard someone once accompanied something, he was busy, I don’t know, raising money for her. He says, someone has never even missed a Mincha because he was so strongly occupied with public needs. He’s not a servant of Israel, he must sometimes invest himself so strongly, that one forgets the entire world.

Yes, my brother-in-law told me, he said that he was at the Amshinover Rebbe, he had a mission to help some bachur get into a yeshiva, some such thing. He says to the Rebbe, “No problem, I’ll go daven Mincha now, and afterwards I’ll go do the mission.” The Rebbe told him, “Are you sure you need to daven Mincha now? Perhaps this is first, the public needs?” Because of this he almost doesn’t daven, because he’s engaged in public needs. That’s the real truth according to halacha. Why he davens later, that’s a question, but that he doesn’t daven at its time is certain.

And there was also a story with the Chofetz Chaim, there was a gathering at his place about some public need, and someone said, “Nu, let’s go daven Mincha.” The Chofetz Chaim didn’t let him. He says, “Hello, this is such a thing that one doesn’t stop.”

Distinction Between One’s Own Needs and Public Needs

So, we must truly understand, when a person is engaged in his own needs, he must tear himself away and go daven. What happens here? Because he’s engaged in someone else’s, he’s doing service of God. Yes, service of God is the greatest need. When a person wants to put his own son into yeshiva, okay, he’s also perhaps engaged in public needs, because it’s his son. But when it’s putting someone else’s son into yeshiva, he doesn’t need to daven. Yes, I say. It’s certain.

The only answer that people say today is, “Okay, that one is engaged in public needs, but I sometimes go on my vacation, I must also be engaged in his, he shouldn’t burst.” As if, why according to the holy mitzvah of Krias Shema does he also help him, the Almighty must affect him. And in any case, when God is pleased with a man’s ways, if He wants, if not, it’s not something that is die rather than transgress, that one must invest oneself so strongly in such things. The world is engaged in public needs, not just a Torah mitzvah. At the very least there’s a halacha that he must tear himself away.

Public Needs Includes Giving a Shiur

We’re learning now for the thing right before Pesach time, and I was indeed very busy with public needs, but Rabbi Yitzchak tells me that even learning the shiur is also public needs, and he’s right.

There is what we’re going to learn, the Ramban is in the hand of the prince, if he gives a shiur, someone has a shiur in the morning, or he must prepare the shiur, it can also be that he’s exempt, understand? We have such an idea that public needs must be such charity, he must do also the private mitzvos more than another. What it can be that someone for example who must prepare a shiur, he doesn’t go to minyan, he doesn’t have time, let’s say, to daven with a congregation, such things, because he has the public needs to do. There’s a very beautiful responsum of the Chasam Sofer on this, on the verse of and they traveled from the place of God from Israel, but let’s not now, let’s go learn further.

Already, one must know the practical halacha, I’m just saying what the halacha is, already, one engaged in public needs, the Rema says further, is exempt.

Story from the Zohar: Bringing in a Bride

It says in the Zohar a story that there was, the friends went to do bringing in a bride, and they didn’t read Krias Shema for three days, and a youth came, he sensed that they didn’t read Krias Shema, and he says, yes, you are indeed great clarifiers of holiness, but you know that they didn’t read Krias Shema, but you can’t make a halacha, they were exempt. Ah, but he sensed from the youth, yes. Such a story is written.

Rema: Engaged in Eating, in the Bathhouse, in Haircut, Tanning Hides, Engaged in Judgment — Finishes

Already, the Rema says further, or he was engaged in eating, here we speak of a person who is engaged in his own needs, in his bodily needs. Yes, good. He’s engaged in eating, or he was in the bathhouse, or he was engaged in a haircut, cutting hair in honor of Yom Tov, or he was tanning hides, he’s busy with his livelihood, preparing leather, or he was engaged in judgment, or he’s engaged in a Torah judgment. Ah, a Torah judgment isn’t public needs? He has a Torah judgment for himself, or don’t say, not the judge, perhaps the judge is indeed called public needs. Okay. He finishes, he should finish what he’s in the middle of, he doesn’t need to stop.

“Its Time Arrived” — He Began Permissibly

Does he mean that he began permissibly? He began when the time came, he may finish. But there is indeed a matter, as we have with God’s help, that when it’s the time of reading, he stops, he must stop what he’s in the middle of doing and read his Krias Shema. My rabbi of blessed memory, the responder, he did a very good thing. But what is indeed the simple meaning of before its time? Why shouldn’t one say ideally that a person must stop doing what he has to do and grab a mitzvah in its time? Yes, one doesn’t have to, there is what to say what he must say. And it’s God forbid we don’t stop, that’s the language of the Gemara, God forbid we don’t stop. Simply, if a person began, ideally one may not begin. Why may one not begin?

The Rambam: And One Should Not Begin to Eat Until the Time of Krias Shema Arrives

A bit different, I saw it in the Rambam. The Rambam says there, and one should not begin to eat until the time of Krias Shema arrives. But he’s already speaking of its time arrived, one has already begun. The whole thing is its time arrived. We stop, we’re speaking about all these things. Its time arrived, its time arrived, all these laws speak of its time arrived.

Which Time Do We Mean?

It could be that we’re speaking here of the ideal time of reading, meaning until sunrise. But the three hours, seemingly, if he’s passing the time, certainly.

Shema Reading – Laws of Reading: Precision, Audibility, and Intention

In the name of God, what is zman kriah (time of reading)? Does this mean the zman kriah that is lechatchilah (ideally), which is until netz hachamah (sunrise)? But perhaps if the three hours have passed and one has missed it, it’s only like Talmud Torah (Torah study), perhaps one must [interrupt]. I can be that this is simply so, because a bathhouse doesn’t last three hours, or because eating doesn’t last three hours. It stands thus, that you’re addressing the she’at hachiyuv (time of obligation). Certainly, that’s the point. That thing can be there, how long does it last from a bit before netz? It’s only a few minutes, I know, half an hour.

Fine, but the prohibition of standing, it doesn’t have to be mafseek (interrupt), meaning it doesn’t have to call now from the mitzvah mehadrin (enhanced mitzvah) of doing it bish’atah (at its proper time). It doesn’t have to be the beginning, it doesn’t mean that one can be mevatel (nullify) mitzvat kriat Shema (the commandment of reciting Shema) entirely. No, no. It means that it doesn’t have to be for the entire matter. This is the Rambam, one who passes over should pass the time, he is praiseworthy. It’s certainly so that it’s praiseworthy. But the point is not mehadrin. In other words, one doesn’t advance kriat Shema to be an activity if that has already begun before this.

Rambam: One Who Descended to Immerse – If He Can Ascend and Cover Himself and Read Before Sunrise

Good. The Rambam says further, mi sheyarad litvol (one who descended to immerse), another case where a person has gone down. Mikvaot (ritual baths) are deep, yes, especially in the past, a well, the language is always “yarad” (descended), or what goes with the water. Im yachol la’alot (if he can ascend), he went to immerse himself, here we see an honest Jew going early to the mikvah before kriat Shema, or a ba’al keri (one who had a seminal emission), or yes. Im yachol la’alot, he can come out of the mikvah, ulehitkasot v’likro kodem shetanetz hachamah, ya’aleh v’yitkasseh v’yikra (and cover himself and read before the sun rises, he should ascend and cover himself and read). And here we see clearly that we’re talking about netz hachamah, right? Meaning it’s already netz hachamah. V’im lav, yitkasseh b’mayim she’omed bahen v’yikra (and if not, he should cover himself in the water he’s standing in and read). If he won’t be able to do it in the time that is mehudar (enhanced), he should cover himself in the water and he should read.

With Which Water Can One Cover Oneself?

But the Rambam says thus, with which water can one cover oneself in the water. Right, this is the chiddush (novel teaching). Simply so, when one is naked it’s not kavod (respectful) to read kriat Shema. And the Rambam hasn’t yet explained it. Here is how he says it. What does he say? With which water can one cover oneself? He says, water that is transparent one cannot, because that doesn’t mean covered. He says, it’s not proper to cover oneself with dirty water, b’mayim she’reicham ra (water whose smell is bad), uv’mei hamishra (and in soaking water), water in which one soaks things, also what is dirty, she’ervato nir’eit mehen (that his nakedness is visible from them), it doesn’t mean that someone can see, but it’s nir’eh (visible), it’s not kavod even toward oneself. Yes, it’s the kavod, kavod haMakom (honor of the Omnipresent). Yes, they will go stand more matters of kavod.

Chiddush: Bedieved in Order That the Time Not Pass

But the chiddush here is only regarding the matter of time, that in such a manner that he is indeed in the mikvah or in whatever is the place where he goes to immerse in the water, and he fears that the time will pass, he may use the bedieved (ex post facto) thing. Indeed bedieved, seemingly lechatchilah one must get dressed, but bedieved he can read kriat Shema still in the mikvah because the time is going to pass. This is another thing that one does in order that the time not pass. Very good.

Rambam: One Who Reads Kriat Shema – Should Not Signal With His Eyes, So That It Not Be a Casual Reading

Now we’re going to learn about what one must do, how one must read kriat Shema itself. The Rambam says, hakorei kriat Shema (one who reads kriat Shema), how should he do it? While he reads kriat Shema he shouldn’t be busy with any thing. As it stood earlier v’yichaven libo (and he should direct his heart), that only stood on the first verse, but in any case, this makes it a matter of kavod kriat Shema. He shouldn’t at that time conduct business with his eyes, with his mouth, saying “yes, no, yes.” Lo yirmoz b’einav (he should not signal with his eyes), he shouldn’t hint with his eyes, kedei shelo tehei kriat arai (so that it not be a casual reading). Then it’s a casual reading. It means he’s still busy with what he’s holding in the middle of being busy. He’s standing at a cash register, and he’s still conducting the cash register, just not with his mouth, because his mouth is busy with kriat Shema. It means that kriat Shema is the less important thing. He shouldn’t do that.

Distinction Between This Law and Standing on a Tree

It’s interesting, for example, he may indeed remain standing on a tree, and that doesn’t make it a casual reading. One shouldn’t understand that he’s unfortunately a hard worker, and he’s indeed standing on a tree, but he’s now directing his heart. But here… also that is only the first parshah (section) that he shouldn’t be allowed to work. Here we’re talking about all the parshiyot seemingly, but we’re talking about things that have no connection to him, he can stop for a few minutes the conversation.

And If He Did So, Even Though He Fulfilled His Obligation, This Is Disgraceful

He says, v’im asah kein, afilu yatza yedei chovato, harei zeh meguneh (and if he did so, even though he fulfilled his obligation, this is disgraceful). So, it means that the heter (permission) is when someone won’t be when he’s a craftsman or when he does it as part of his livelihood. Let’s say, he works in a bank, and yes, just like other craftsmen, actually just people, perhaps they may indeed be allowed, because that’s how we learned earlier that a craftsman may…

Have you encountered such a nafka minah (practical difference)? I don’t know. I think that someone who works in a bank, the bank should forgive giving time for a little kriat Shema. What I mean to say, but earlier we learned that a craftsman may read kriat Shema because he does his work. So the person who thinks that it’s his job in shul to conduct the cash register, it’s not really your job. You can go to the side and read kriat Shema.

Um, so, no, okay. This is a fine nafka minah, according to what I said somewhere. He says, v’im asah kein, afilu yatza yedei chovato, harei zeh meguneh. Even though he indeed fulfilled his obligation, ah, very good, it fits very well. Essentially he fulfilled his obligation, just like someone does it because he must do it for livelihood, fine. But someone does so, harei zeh meguneh. Not a nice thing.

What Does “Kriat Arai” and “Meguneh” Mean?

Kriat arai means literally, he does two things at once. Harei zeh meguneh doesn’t mean that the reading is meguneh, but rather the person is a disgraceful person, that he chooses this. It’s not a way, yes.

Simply it means that it’s a disgraceful reading, it’s not a nice way to read kriat Shema. Ah, meguneh is even… ah, you can say so for other things, that mi she’amar rav lisaper harei zeh meshubah (one who said much in telling, this is praiseworthy). The simple meaning is, one thing is meguneh and one thing is meshubah. He tells you two things that aren’t related to the action, but this is condemning the action. Not every thing that is meguneh and meshubah is a mitzvah or me’akev (indispensable). This also means in the Haggadah, harei zeh meshubah means to say, it’s a nice thing, I agree, it’s praiseworthy, as one says in English, it’s praiseworthy. Ra’ui leshevach (worthy of praise), but it doesn’t mean that one is obligated, one fulfills it without this too. Or conversely, it doesn’t mean that one is particular, but there is, how does one say, criticism-worthy, I don’t know, it’s blameworthy, right? He gets good smacks, as my mother would say. It would be a Rambam, but not malkot (lashes). But for malkot he should go get smacks.

Kriat Shema – Laws of Reading: Precision, Audibility, and Intention

“Ra’ui Leshevach” – The Concept of “Ra’ui”

Speaker 1:

Not every thing that is meguneh and not meshubah is a mitzvah or me’akev. This also means in the Haggadah, “ra’ui leshevach,” I mean to say, it’s a nice thing, I agree. It’s “praiseworthy,” as one says in English, it’s “praiseworthy,” ra’ui leshevach, but it doesn’t mean that one is obligated, one fulfills it without this too. Or conversely, it doesn’t mean that it’s me’akev, but it’s not… how does one say in English? It’s “blameworthy,” right?

Law 8: “And One Must Make It Audible to His Ear When He Reads”

The Rambam’s Law

Speaker 1:

The Rambam says further, “v’tzarich lehashmi’a l’ozno k’shehu korei” (and one must make it audible to his ear when he reads). When one reads kriat Shema, one must say it, not… because “korei” can mean one reads with the eyes. That’s also a way of “korei,” and seemingly… there is what I learned earlier, “v’ra’ui l’chol korei gadol v’katan she’yomar b’kol ram” (and it’s proper for every reader, great and small, that he say it in a loud voice), that he should indeed say out the words.

And here he brings the Maggid, “korei lignai” (reading disparagingly), the Gemara says this. The Rambam says, “v’tzarich lehashmi’a l’ozno k’shehu korei, v’im lo hishmi’a l’ozno, yatza” (and one must make it audible to his ear when he reads, and if he didn’t make it audible to his ear, he fulfilled his obligation). People don’t always know this, one mumbles. I don’t know, this one must know, one must know if you’re correct.

Discussion: What Does “Lo Hishmi’a L’ozno” Mean?

Speaker 1:

In other words, there are two levels for “hishmi’a l’ozno,” right? There’s someone who speaks very quietly, he can’t hear himself. Then there is, as you say, someone reads with his eyes, or you can call it in thought almost. The question is, whether “lo hishmi’a l’ozno” is to exclude that he reads very quietly, or is to exclude that he reads with his eyes?

I think it’s clear that when he reads very quietly, he still hears. That’s called “hishmi’a l’ozno,” he hears something. No, for example, there’s a nafka minah, for example, a person is in a beit midrash where everyone davens loudly, and he davens quietly. He says out the words, but he says very quietly, he can’t hear his own voice. He certainly doesn’t mean that. Seemingly he doesn’t mean that. “Lo hishmi’a l’ozno” means he reads with visual reading, he reads with his eyes. That’s what I think, I’m not sure, but that’s what I think.

“Korei” in the Language of the Sages – From the Language of Calling, Not From the Language of Reading

Speaker 1:

By the way, in the language of the Sages almost never does “kriah” mean reading with the eyes. Always… “kara v’torik,” he read a letter. “Korei” always means, “korei” is from the language of calling. “Korei hagever” – the chicken doesn’t read, the chicken crows. “Korei” is always from the language of calling, like calling out, not from the language of reading. And when one wants to say reading, one says “le’ayein.” Le’ayein means with the eyes, one looks with the eyes. I don’t know, it’s close to hearing that this would mean. Perhaps it still means that, I don’t know.

Law 8 (Continued): “And He Should Be Precise in Its Letters”

The Rambam’s Law

Speaker 1:

Another thing, be precise in its letters, not just fast, not to say very fast, but one should be precise in the letters, if you want to fulfill your obligation. This is halachah lema’aseh (practical law), this is presumably a matter of kavod, kavod for the… both things are presumably a protection, that one should be precise in its letters. He said this, this is nicely said.

Law 9: How Does One Be Precise?

“That He Not Weaken the Strong and Not Strengthen the Weak”

Speaker 1:

He explains, first of all, what does precise mean? He explains, shelo yarfeh hachazak (that he not weaken the strong), one shouldn’t say weak words that one must indeed press on them. What does yarfeh mean? This means like a chaf, not saying a kaf, right? Rafeh and chazak. Rafeh is what we call dagesh kal, I think that’s what it means. Yud-chaf should be yud-chaf, not yud-kaf, if it stands so. And the same thing, chazak harafeh, a thing that one must say kaf, he says kaf. Or bet and vet, bet and vet.

Another thing, and not… I think there by the spies they asked, yes, hechazak hu harafeh (is it strong or weak). One must hear kriat Shema.

“And Not Move the Stationary and Not Rest the Moving” – Shva Nach and Shva Na

Speaker 1:

Further, and not move the stationary and not rest the moving.

Speaker 2:

You’re a better ba’al korei (Torah reader) than us, there are words that are… simply, it means shva nach and shva na, true?

Speaker 1:

Lo yanid, he shouldn’t make shva na… how do we call this? Shva nach and shva na. The Rambam calls it shva nach, nua and nad. There’s a shva that one says, and there’s what one doesn’t say. That is, what makes a tenu’ah (vowel). There are two other shvas, true?

Speaker 2:

Not “ba” should one say? I heard that one hears the aleph.

Speaker 1:

No, how is nach and nad?

Speaker 2:

You brought an example from kriat Shema. An example?

Speaker 1:

Yes, but this will be a controversial example. For example, “chasaftem” or “chasaf vetem”? One should hear the vav. One doesn’t say “chasaf vetem,” just to be clear. It’s certainly not a shva na, but it would be an example of yani’ach hana, of yanid hanach.

The Rambam says, he doesn’t understand whom it concerns. For example, the Rambam says, yes, “libo etc.” There’s a certain dispute. Levavcha, what does hadomot (similar ones) mean? Shtei otiyot hadomot (two similar letters). There are those who say levavcha or levavcha. The Rambam says that he doesn’t see that it should go badly if one says levavcha. But there are indeed things that… okay, from the Rambam one says one must say according to grammar. The Rambam in Perush HaMishnayot says that these things cannot be written in a book, one must learn them from a teacher.

But it means literally, a shva na and a shva nach, one should say the correct way, not make a shva na into a shva nach. For example, if it stood levavcha, not say levavcha. Or conversely, if it stands levavcha, according to those who say so, one shouldn’t say levavcha, not levavcha.

Speaker 2:

Yes, a shva nach is simply that it’s a vowel. A shva na is a vowel, it makes like a half segol. A shva nach one simply says the word, one doesn’t say any vowel, right?

Speaker 1:

Today’s siddurim already write in the signs which is a shva na and which is a shva nach. The trop (cantillation) doesn’t help for this. The trop helps for a dagesh, the trop helps for mil’eil and milra (accent on penultimate or final syllable), the Rambam doesn’t speak of this at all. But for shva na and shva nach almost no trop helps, or not at all, and one must know the rules. But yes, the beginning of a word is always usually a shva na. The same thing, it’s more usually a dagesh, and the like.

“Therefore One Must Be Careful Between Every Two Similar Letters”

Speaker 2:

Okay. Lefikach (therefore), the Rambam says, because one must be precise, this is another thing. One must be precise, this is another thing. It’s not necessarily one. But you say there’s a thing that you say lefikach from the Rambam.

Speaker 1:

No, lefikach, because one must be precise, one must not hold back at all from being precise. Okay, and what must one do? Tzarich lizaher bein kol shtei otiyot hadomot, she’achat mehen besof teivah v’achat bitchilat teivah hasmuchah lah (one must be careful between every two similar letters, that one of them is at the end of a word and one at the beginning of the word adjacent to it). There are two lameds, bechol (in all), and the next word is again levavcha. So when one says fast, bechol levavcha, it’s one lamed. Korei bechol, v’shoneh, v’chozer v’korei levavcha (he reads “bechol,” and repeats, and returns and reads “levavcha”). Bechol levavcha. V’chein “avadetm meherah” (and so “you will perish quickly”), and it shouldn’t go one word into the second.

Hacking a verse is harder, because it’s a peh-aleph and a peh-aleph. It could be that in the Rambam’s times, the Gemara says this, one said peh-aleph and peh-aleph similarly.

The Reason for Precision – Kavod HaKriah

Speaker 1:

What’s the simple meaning of all these things? Because you know what it means. It appears that it’s a matter of kavod, that one should say it with kavod. Like someone reads poetry, he reads something important, it’s not like when one reads simply, one says whatever one says. But when one reads something nice, a badchan (entertainer) and he says nice words, then he’s more particular about the reading. It’s a matter of kavod hakriah (honor of the reading). It’s not because he’s going to make a mistake, that’s a different level here.

“And One Must Clarify the Zayin of Tizkeru”

Speaker 1:

He says further, “v’tzarich lehavhir hazayin shel tizkeru” (and one must clarify the zayin of “tizkeru”), one must say out the zayin of tizkeru. Why? Because “shelo yishama” (so it not be heard), if one says it very fast one has to let out the tizkeru, no. He says, he brought that there are other languages about this. There are those who say that if one says fast it can become “tishkeru,” that one will mean that it’s “oseh al menat lekabel pras” (doing in order to receive reward), “lema’an tizkeru” to receive reward, something like that. In short, a zayin is close to a shin or a samech, that’s the point. One must say “z,” so that it be clear that it’s tizkeru, that it’s a zayin.

“And One Must Lengthen the Dalet of Echad”

Speaker 1:

“V’tzarich leha’arich b’dalet shel echad” (and one must lengthen the dalet of “echad”). Why does he say “b’dalet”? I don’t know why he called it so. One cannot lengthen with the dalet, because an Ashkenazi dalet is not possible to lengthen. If it’s a dalet rafeh, like “z,” one can, not really, or like, then one can. But a dalet that lets out a bit of air. Our dalet stops all air, one cannot lengthen.

In any case, how long must one lengthen? “Kedei sheyamlichehu” (enough that he crown Him), it means that he should crown Him in his intention. While saying he should think that he is crowning the Almighty “al hashamayim v’al ha’aretz v’al arba ruchot” (over the heavens and over the earth and over the four directions). This is very nice language, he crowns the Almighty. It means the Almighty is the Master, but the way that He is a King, a King is indeed a human metaphor. The meaning is that the person makes Him a King. He declares that he remembers that He is the Master, and with this He becomes a King. That the way that the Almighty is the Master is more in reality, and that He is the First Cause and He is the Master over nature. The “that he crowns” means that he makes Him like being a King, he makes that He is. He mentions that He is.

Yes, this has to do with “echad,” because “echad” means essentially a hint that there is no other who has power or in any corner of the world.

Discussion: How Long Does the Kavana Take?

Speaker 1:

Then, how long does this take? I think it doesn’t take more than a twentieth of a second. Even when one says a dalet as quickly as we do. It could be that “leha’arich b’dalet” also means essentially something like making the dalet clearer, perhaps here, because you need to remember that our dalet is very different from a resh. But a final dalet that isn’t a tav, but more like a resh, like when you say in English, those who speak English, not the Hasidic Jews say… It’s a T, but there are D’s that are said like this, “rudder,” a “rudder” of a ship, one says “rudder.” It’s almost a resh, a strong resh. One shouldn’t say it that way. One must say “echad” the way we say it, not because of doubt. But from this it says in other places, one can confuse “echad” and “acher,” “elohim acherim” or “echad.”

So, apparently the “leha’arich b’dalet” apparently means to emphasize the dalet, so that one shouldn’t err with a resh. Because then it would also be as if “Hashem acher,” I don’t know what kind of thing. So, it could be according to how we say it, there’s really no problem at all. Because “leha’arich” doesn’t have to mean that you specifically lengthen, you need to understand, the rule of thought doesn’t take any time. How long does it take? “Echad” is the entire world in one… How long does it take another second for the heavens, for the earth, for all the directions? A thought goes very quickly, it’s not a real thing.

Okay, I think now that the simple meaning is that it’s to distinguish from a resh, and therefore we can do it quite well. People tend to say “echaad,” but then they add another alef in between, I don’t know what the meaning of that is. But between the chet and the dalet they make it like “echaad,” like an alef. Yes, one lengthens the vowel point, and another kamatz before a chet is a bit funny. Like it’s the custom in most Haggadot, “echad chacham.” Few say the Rema further. What does the echad know? The echad has rishon. If there is chad, few say some Haggadot.

“And One Must Not Rush the Chet”

Speaker 1:

And another thing, “and one must not rush the chet,” one shouldn’t say the echad quickly, because of sin, one must say “ichud.” If there is sin, God forbid,

Kriat Shema in Any Language, Laws of Retroactive Reading, and Doubts in Reading

Kriat Shema in Any Language

The Rambam says: “One reads Shema in any language that he understands.”

One can read Kriat Shema in other languages. Very good, if someone doesn’t have nerves, let him read it in Yiddish.

But here’s the thing, but who tells you that your translation is good?

Says the Rambam, the next step he goes, “One who reads in any language must be careful of errors in that language.”

If you read in another language, you must make sure that you translate it, “and be precise in that language just as one is precise in the Holy Tongue.”

Just as when one speaks the Holy Tongue one must be precise, one must also in that language that there shouldn’t be any error. The Rambam doesn’t say that you can say a phrase that could be a candidate for translation. You must say it correctly, precisely, the correct words of English.

Speaker 2: No, but how does one actually know that the person knows what “ve’ahavta” means?

Speaker 1: “Ve’ahavta” means “and you should love.” There can be no doubt.

The Objection of the Raavad

Okay, the holy Raavad actually disagrees with this. The Raavad says the opposite, the Raavad says that he doesn’t even agree with the Rambam’s stringency. The Rambam says that one must be precise in that language.

Says the Raavad, he doesn’t understand, “All languages are explained in Hebrew, and what more precision is needed after its explanation?”

He says a simple meaning. The Raavad didn’t think, it didn’t occur to him at all that it could be that you translate and you’re not yotzei. If “reading in any language” means the translation that you may say the meaning in any language. So says the holy Raavad.

So, there are Acharonim who say the problem that you’re saying, but it seems to us that the assumption of the Rishonim, of the Rambam and of the Raavad, was everything was that if someone says a translation, he says a translation. It could be another translation, okay, so who says that one must say the most correct translation? That’s how it seems to us.

And already, what should I do? God forbid one shouldn’t be a reformer who prays in English. I’m only saying what the halacha is.

Speaker 2: You can look in the sefer… No, the Rambam would perhaps say here that “reading” means that one should positively, so that if he doesn’t understand the Holy Tongue, he should say it differently in the language that he understands?

Speaker 1: No, he doesn’t say that. He says “and what”? What is preferable is another question. It’s certain that preferably one should learn the Holy Tongue. I’m talking about all Jews in all generations, so-called. In short, from both. Someone who really can’t, or a baal teshuva can’t read and so on. There’s no doubt that one is yotzei in the Holy Tongue.

Reading Out of Order — Reading Not in Sequence

Okay, another halacha, yes? Yes. “One who reads out of order.”

Ah, this has to do with what you wanted to know. We learned by the blessings that it must be in order. Now we need to see what the law is for Kriat Shema itself, whether it must be in order, where exactly all these things are.

Says the Rambam, “One who reads out of order,” if someone reads out of order. The Rambam is already going to explain what “out of order” means. “Backwards” — “has not fulfilled his obligation.”

Says the Rambam, what do I mean to say? “In what case? In the order of verses.”

That is, he says the second verse of “ve’ahavta” before the first verse. “Ve’ahavta et Hashem Elokecha b’chol levavcha u’vchol nafshecha,” “v’hayu ha’devarim ha’eileh” he says before the words “ve’ahavta.”

“But one who puts one parsha before another parsha,” but if he simply said “v’haya im shamo’a” before he said “ve’ahavta,” “even though he is not permitted,” even though initially one may not do it, as the Rambam said earlier that it’s not in order, “Shema” comes first, “but I say that he has fulfilled his obligation.”

This is one of the places where the Rambam says “I say.” He says, “I say he’s yotzei, because they have no adjacency in the Torah.”

Discussion: Why Does the Rambam Say “I Say”?

Speaker 2: Interesting, “I say.” It’s a language of “it seems to me.” Interesting, a different language. He has a language of “it seems to me,” why does he say “I say”?

Speaker 1: “I say,” what does the Rambam say? What about within a parsha? The Torah stands in a certain order, you reverse the order. You say “ve’ahavta” before “Shema,” you’re going to forget the Torah. Or if it were true that for example “v’haya im shamo’a” would have stood right after “ve’ahavta” in the Chumash, you could also understand that you’re going against the Torah.

But here, essentially the Sages collected three parshiyot that don’t stand one next to the other. It’s true that “v’haya im shamo’a” stands later, but not immediately. In the order it’s a bigger problem, that is. If you understand the Rambam, so you’re reversing time, you’re reversing… There’s really no order at all. It’s essentially a collection of verses, a collection of parshiyot, not verses.

Actually, “vayomer” stands in Parshat Shelach before the olah, and it’s true that “vayomer Shmuel” stands essentially after “ve’ahavta” which stands in Va’etchanan, but not immediately after, there are still other parshiyot in between. So, essentially he does it differently.

Reading a Verse and Repeating It — Repeating a Verse

Very good. Says the Rambam further, “One who read a verse and repeated it a second time,” a person read a verse and he says it over again, because he’s afraid he wasn’t yotzei or something, “this is reprehensible.”

The person is reprehensible, because it shows that he doesn’t believe that he has already fulfilled it by saying it the first time.

This is what the Beit Shmuel said. A simple meaning is that it’s not the way. He notes that the Rambam says in Hilchot Mikvaot, “One who immerses twice in a mikveh is reprehensible.” True. And why? I don’t know, because it’s already both times the same thing, because you don’t believe that the fulfillment is with not fulfilling it.

It must be a simpler meaning. Perhaps this is the simpler meaning, it’s not the way. He says it once. What twice? What does the second time accomplish?

Speaker 2: Can you say according to… He doesn’t say, if someone thinks he didn’t have kavana, it doesn’t say here that he should go back. The second time is the main one, like that?

Speaker 1: Good, it doesn’t say. It says he says twice, and one shouldn’t say twice, one says once.

Reading One Word and Doubling It — Repeating a Word

Very good. “One who read one word and doubled it,” when one reads one verse, it means the whole “ve’ahavta,” and he says the verse “ve’ahavta” again, “this is reprehensible.”

But “one who read one word and doubled it” is even worse. When someone says a word, and he repeats the word again “Shema,” he says “Shema” again during Kriat Shema, then it’s even worse, one silences him, one tells him he should stop. Why? Because this is worse, because this is like he’s saying two authorities. He shows that he’s saying he has two Shemas, right? That’s how it sounds.

Speaker 2: But “Shema” one says before the Jew, “Shema Yisrael,” it’s not… Perhaps he means to say “Hashem Hashem”?

Speaker 1: He means to say also on the other words, “Shema Shema,” “Elokeinu Elokeinu.” Elokeinu, perhaps it means on all the words one says twice. I don’t know.

Reading Intermittently — Reading in Pieces

Further, one who reads intermittently, if one reads the words of Kriat Shema piece by piece, has fulfilled his obligation, one has been yotzei. That is, one interrupts in between, basically, right? With an interruption. One is yotzei.

And not only is one yotzei simply with small pieces, even if he waited between one piece and another enough time to finish all of it, even if he was silent, he delayed between one piece and a second, apparently “serug” is a language of pieces, that’s what it means to say. Serug means a piece, he makes piece by piece. Serug is a language of serug, of knitting, whatever, one sews together pieces? No, the whole is a fancy thing, I don’t know.

Enough time to finish all of it, even if he makes such a long delay as long as it takes to finish the entire thing, to say that this is really made like two separate things, but still yotzei. And this is only if he reads in order, and further only if he reads in order.

Speaker 2: Why, the Rambam said earlier that if one reads not in order one is also yotzei?

Speaker 1: Ah, perhaps here he’s speaking further about the order that one is not in the verse. Ah, right.

Reading While Drowsy — Reading Drowsily

Says the Rambam further, one who reads while drowsy, someone reads the Kriat Shema sleepily, drowsily, yes, not sleepily.

And what is drowsy? says the Rambam, He is neither awake nor asleep, he’s not completely awake but he’s also not completely asleep, so drowsy. Has fulfilled his obligation, he has been yotzei.

Actually, if he says it, as long as he says it out, even if he says it halfway not there, yotzei, he has been yotzei. That is, like saying without kavana which one is yotzei.

But the first parsha must have kavana, provided that he is awake for the first verse, but the first verse he must be awake and have kavana.

Speaker 2: Yes, this would have been the source for the meaning that we said earlier from the Metzar, but it’s two different halachot, so I don’t know.

Doubt Whether One Read Kriat Shema — Doubts in Reading

Okay, now we’re going to learn about doubts. What is the law if he forgot and doesn’t remember, he has a doubt whether he read Kriat Shema, or he has certain doubts internally.

Doubt whether he read Kriat Shema or not, simply like that he doesn’t remember if he read Kriat Shema. What must he do? He must read again. Apparently there’s a mitzvah d’oraita, and a doubt of Torah law one must be stringent.

Why does he read again? What? With the blessings, and he blesses before it and after it. Because look what, when one is obligated, then it comes with the blessings. That’s how Kriat Shema works. The Sages said when you do Kriat Shema you should do it with enactments.

Speaker 2: Ah, the blessings are rabbinic and the Kriat Shema is Torah law? It’s a rabbinic doubt.

Speaker 1: No, it comes out that when you do it, since you’re doing it now from Torah law…

Laws of Kriat Shema – Doubt of Reading, Error, and Interruption in Kriat Shema

Law 13 – Doubt Whether One Read Kriat Shema

Doubt whether he read Kriat Shema or not – he reads again, and blesses before it and after it. But if he knows that he read, and he has a doubt whether he blessed before it and after it or not – he does not bless again.

Simply like that, you don’t remember if you read Kriat Shema, must you do it? You must read again. Apparently it’s a mitzvah d’oraita, and a doubt of Torah law one must be stringent. Why must he read it again? What? With the blessings, and one is satisfied from the Torah obligation.

Innovation: The Blessings Come with the Torah Obligation

But everyone agrees that when one is obligated, then it comes with the blessings. That’s how Kriat Shema works. You now have a Kriat Shema, it’s with the blessings. Very good. The Sages said, when you do Kriat Shema, you should do it with the blessings. Ah, the blessings are rabbinic and the Kriat Shema is Torah law? Very good. But the rabbinic comes out that when you do it, since you now from Torah law must do it, it’s not a regular rabbinic law, it’s a rabbinic law of how to do the Torah mitzvah. It’s the packaging for the Torah obligation.

But if he knows that he read, he knows he read Kriat Shema, but his doubt is whether he fulfilled the mitzvah of the blessings of Kriat Shema, he doesn’t repeat, he doesn’t need to add the blessings, because then certainly the blessings are indeed rabbinic. Very good.

Law 14 – One Who Read and Erred

One who read and erred – he returns to the place where he erred.

One who read and erred, a person read Kriat Shema and he erred. What does it mean he erred? He got confused in between, he didn’t say a word well, he said a word instead of another. Yes. He returns to the place where he erred, he doesn’t need to start over from the beginning of Kriat Shema, but he should go back to the place where he erred and from there continue. Ah, further he must say it in order. Apparently this is an important principle in all of life, one can’t start over from letter alef. From there where you erred, do teshuva and continue. Very good.

It Was Hidden from Him from Parsha to Parsha

It was hidden from him from parsha to parsha, what does “hidden from him” mean? His error got confused, he doesn’t remember where his error was? He forgot, he forgot which parsha he’s in. Ah, where he’s standing. He now said… Both end with “u’vish’arecha.” He hears himself saying the word “u’vish’arecha,” did I say “u’vish’arecha” from “ve’ahavta” or from “v’haya im shamo’a”? Both are the end of a parsha. No, not only that, he even forgot whether he perhaps only said the blessing before it yet, it wasn’t the “u’vish’arecha.” He knows that I said one parsha, I don’t know which one I said.

So the simple answer is simple, Shema he would certainly have already said, because he’s holding between parsha to parsha. He remembers that he started, and he remembers that he’s not holding in the middle of a verse. So he returns to the first section, “ve’ahavta et Hashem Elokecha.” Apparently this should mean because it’s still within the Torah obligation, still within the mitzvah of Kriat Shema. Yes, it’s apparently simply a doubt of Torah law. Yes.

He erred in the middle of a section and doesn’t know where he erred, he erred in the middle of a section and he doesn’t remember where he erred, he starts from the beginning of the section again. Ah, that’s different. Because he doesn’t know, but he knows, he doesn’t know. He goes back to the beginning of the section.

He is reading “u’chtavtam” and doesn’t know if it’s “u’chtavtam” of “Shema” or “u’chtavtam” of “v’haya im shamo’a,” he returns to “u’chtavtam” of “Shema.” Ah, good. He’s stringent.

The Habit of His Tongue Leads

He says further about the two “u’chtavtam”s. When is the doubt? If the error happened after he said “l’ma’an yirbu.” Then he doesn’t know perhaps he started to say “l’ma’an yirbu” after “ve’ahavta” in error, then he doesn’t repeat. Why should one have such a presumption that presumably you’re correct? The habit of his tongue leads. You can trust your tongue. Your tongue knows what it’s doing, it’s been doing it for years.

And here we see that the normal way of reading Kriat Shema is that the tongue already knows by itself. One needs to have kavana in the first verse perhaps, but if he’s still holding at “l’ma’an yirbu” he can imagine that he was already holding after “v’haya im shamo’a,” because that’s how the habit of his tongue goes.

Here we see that the normal way of praying is not like someone says that one must pray each time as if one hasn’t prayed before. The normal way is that the tongue already knows by itself. That is a level, that is important praying, that is praying with prayer. A Kotzker Hasid can’t have a doubt in such things, he doesn’t go with habit, he doesn’t go God forbid in habit, everything comes to him new. Then he must start fresh from the first “u’chtavtam.” Perhaps even the Kotzker Hasidim truly have a habit, they just pretend.

Laws 15-17 – Laws of Interruption in Kriat Shema

Further Study of Laws of Interruption

He further learns the laws of interruption (hilchos hefsek). When may one interrupt? There are laws of interruption throughout. One may not simply interrupt. Even in “yikra’u v’ya’anu” (they shall call and answer) one may not simply interrupt. But there are times when one must interrupt, when it is proper to interrupt (ra’ui l’hafsik). We learned this further in the question. This is when one gives greetings (shalom) to every person (l’chol adam), it seems that it says. But from this we see that there is a normal… no, I want to say a novelty (chiddush). That what it says that one interrupts, means that one must interrupt.

One Must Interrupt for Honor

Today I haven’t met anyone who is careful about this law, that in the middle of Shema he should say shalom to his rabbi. But we see that one must. It’s not simply like the question, one may not simply interrupt. Here it says that one must. The only place where this law is practiced is when one says Kedushah, then the poskim say that it’s similar. But he says the Gemara, yes, he indeed says so.

“If he was reading and encountered another” (haya korei u’faga b’acher), the poskim say that when the congregation says Kedushah it’s like… like your rabbi. “If he was reading” (haya korei), a person is reading, “and encountered another” (u’faga b’acher), he bumps into people, seemingly because one can read while walking, or “they encountered him” (pag’u bo), or other people bump into him. Then, between the sections (bein haperakim), if he’s holding between “v’ahavta” and “v’haya im shamo’a” and so forth, he will say precisely which ones, then, he stops, then he may interrupt, he should interrupt, “and begins” (u’maschil), and not only may he answer, but he may begin “and greet with shalom one whom he is obligated to honor” (v’sho’el b’shalom mi she’chayav bichvodo). Someone whom he is obligated to honor, the Gemara explains whom one is obligated to honor, “if his father or his rabbi or one greater than him in wisdom encountered him” (goy she’paga bo aviv o rabo o mi she’gadol mimenu b’chochma). Because for this there is a concept, his father and rabbi it’s literally a mitzvah, one who is greater than him in wisdom it’s a concept of proper conduct (derech eretz). We learned that it’s also a mitzvah, it’s part of “you shall rise before the aged” (mipnei seiva takum).

“He greets him” (sho’el bishlomo), it wasn’t simply that every person greeted each other, there is a mitzvah, a concept, an obligation. It’s not a matter of answering back. But to one’s rabbi it’s a whole… if it’s a Jew holding in the middle of Shema, he’s holding between one section and the second section, or perhaps even if he sees that his rabbi is coming in, he can quickly finish the section, afterwards he goes to the rabbi and he says to him “shalom aleichem,” and he tells him I’m holding in the middle of Shema.

In the Middle of a Section – Only for Fear

But if he is in the middle of a section, then, he’s reading and he’s holding in the middle of a section, then he stops “and begins to greet” (u’maschil lish’ol), “only with shalom one whom he is obligated to honor” (ela b’shalom mi she’chayav bichvodo). Then, in the middle of the section, one may not interrupt for honor. But for whom may one indeed interrupt? Someone whom a person fears. A gentile, a king, a king of the nations, or a thief, I don’t know, a robber, and the like, because the person fears him, and one permits him to interrupt. The fear certainly doesn’t mean that he’s going to kill him then, I don’t need to come to that. It’s a greater level of fear than… he won’t be able to properly focus on continuing to pray. So, finish what you have to do, and come back to concentrate and pray as it should be.

But “one whom he is obligated to honor” (mi she’chayav bichvodo)… no, it could be that the other will be… the other… it could be that here is someone a king, someone… he will remember forever, that one didn’t say shalom to me when I came in, and he’ll make him greater taxes, I don’t know what.

But “one whom he is obligated to honor” (mi she’chayav bichvodo), someone whom the reason why you say shalom to him is not because you fear him, but simply because you are obligated in his honor, such as father and mother and his rabbi, then only “if he gave him shalom first, he stops” (im natan lo shalom techila, posek), then one should interrupt even in the middle of a section, “and returns shalom to him” (u’meshiv lo shalom), and answer shalom, but not begin.

The Rabbi May Say Shalom in the Middle of Shema

Very good. This is the practical law (halacha l’ma’aseh). It seems that the rabbi, why does the rabbi give shalom in the middle of Shema? That’s how it goes, there are rabbis who give shalom in the middle of Shema. The rabbi doesn’t know that it’s Shema? I don’t know. The rabbi doesn’t have to? The rabbi may? I’m asking a question, the rabbi may? This is what he says, the rabbi may.

It could be, when Jacob our father heard that his son Joseph is a king, he thought, “Now is my first opportunity to be able to fulfill the mitzvah, I will go meet him, and I will greet him first between section and section.” It’s good, the rabbi may.

The Yerushalmi indeed says like us. Here said Rabbi Shimon, one must greet a person who is great in Torah, we see that one is obligated, even in the middle of Shema. I just thought, the father also has here a fear, but it’s not the right fear. Fear means fear of the mitzvah. No, fear, here fear means indeed that the other will harm you, that it’s a king, a coercer, a coercer.

Between the Sections – Where May One Interrupt

The Rambam says further, “And he answers them between the sections” (v’oneh lahem bein haperakim). What does “between the sections” mean? Between the first blessing and the second? It means, first he says the blessings of Shema, yes? Between the blessings of Shema. “Between the second and Shema” (bein sheniya l’Shema), between the “Ahavat Olam” and “Shema”. “Between Shema and ‘v’haya im shamo’a'”. Between “v’haya im shamo’a” and “vayomer”. And the Rambam concludes, “Between ‘vayomer’ and ‘Emet v’yatziv'”. In the middle of the section, because “Hashem Elokeichem emet v’yatziv” one makes a pause in the middle of the section. “And he should not interrupt except for fear or for honor” (v’lo yafsik ela l’shalom nora, ela l’shalom nichbad).

Problem with Our Version – “Emet V’yatziv”

It’s interesting, because our custom is exactly opposite, that the only time when one makes a long pause is between “Emet v’yatziv” for the honor of the rabbi, that one waits for the greatest in the congregation to finish and one waits for him with Kaddish. Because we want that everyone should be, we don’t want to interrupt, not make any interruption in speech. But you’re right that it’s a bit funny. And not only that, it bothers me a bit, because I don’t know what the Baal HaTosafos would say about our version. What’s the meaning? You say “Hashem Elokeichem,” and then begins a new blessing, it begins “Emet v’yatziv”. Well, there is a concept to put together what it says “Hashem Elokeichem emet,” one makes “Hashem Elokeichem emet v’yatziv”. But the prayer leader, everyone, the version of our prayer goes “Hashem Elokeichem emet, v’yatziv”. There is no blessing that begins “v’yatziv,” it doesn’t make sense. It begins “Emet v’yatziv”. There is indeed a concept to connect the “yatziv” to the “emet”. I don’t know what the solution is, but there is a problem.

Conclusion of Chapter 2

So, until here is Chapter 2, we have learned how one must read Shema, very important. By the way, all these laws don’t have to do with praying in the study hall (beis hamidrash) and the like, then it could be more, it could be all these laws… let’s still think one word about saying Shema in the study hall. It could be about this there are all these rulings from Shlomo… ah, I’ll tell you, in the study hall there’s no way that the rabbi should wait for you, because the rabbi is obligated for the study hall. But this speaks about this, he reads at home, he is indeed “one engaged in the work of reading” (osek b’melaches hakorei), and such a situation can certainly indeed happen. Even today, what happens God forbid someone comes in, then one must know what the law is.

No, also in general, the laws have to do not with waking, people in the study hall, but when someone reads Shema early in the morning, he doesn’t always remember the laws, but the laws have nothing to do with the study hall. No, also in the laws,