Laws of Prayer and the Priestly Blessing, Chapter 6 (Auto Translated)

Laws of Prayer Chapter 6 – Behind the Synagogue, Lengthy Prayer, and Actions Before Prayer

Introduction to the Lecture

Gentlemen, we are learning Laws of Prayer Chapter 6.

And today’s lecture has been sponsored by Machon Kerem, the entire institute of Torah and wisdom, headed by Rabbi R’ Yoel Wertzberger, he supports Torah, and everyone should learn, send in the same thing, one can acquire the same merit. Yes? He agrees. Thank you R’ Yoel.

General Overview of Chapter 6

Says the holy Rambam, as it appears to me the last chapter, that is we are going to learn much more, but the last two chapters… two chapters ago was five things that prevent prayer. The previous chapter was eight things that one must remember, it is important in prayer to remember, it is indeed the cleanliness and being dressed in a respectful manner and so forth. And now he is going to give us more laws of prayer, more things that are respectful ways to pray, what is proper to pray.

It is more, more, Rav Rabinovitz says a general principle for this chapter, more all things about how other things should not disturb the prayer. That is, the first law doesn’t fit so well. The first two laws are perhaps like a completion of the essential laws of prayer. I can think of places to insert the first two laws in the previous chapters. But from there, from law 3 or 4 and onward, all the laws are not to do work before prayer, not to eat before prayer, after prayer, such sorts of things that… laws of around and around prayer. Yes. And as far as I remember this is the last chapter that learns laws of prayer. The Rambam says he is going to learn laws of blessings, laws of communal prayer, other things. But the essential laws of Shemoneh Esrei and prayer has six chapters, one can say.

Law 1 – Prohibition to Pass Behind the Synagogue During Prayer

Very good. Says the Rambam in law 1: “It is forbidden for a person to pass behind the synagogue at the time when the congregation is praying”. One may not be in the back of the study hall when the congregation is praying, because then it appears that he is not there, or not passing by. It is an interesting law, this law apparently belongs to laws of communal prayer, I don’t know why it comes in here. But he says we are concerned that he is a gentile, so says Rabbeinu Manoach, I don’t know who says this. The point is, a Jew passes by, a Jew goes through a synagogue, and the congregation is praying, and he continues on his way, he is not causing this thing. It is not respectful, it is not a way.

It is interesting, I think, we learned earlier that one may not pray behind the synagogue either. So if a person goes to pass behind the synagogue to pray, he is not going to pray there. He may not pray there. No, but it means he is going there, it is seen that he is walking through. It means he is avoiding the prayer.

Permissions – When Is It Permitted to Pass

If he is carrying a burden, it is seen that he is busy with something, and it is not simply that he is turning away from the prayer. Or, if the synagogue has two entrances and two streets, then there is no problem, he is seen going on his way, because one does not think, perhaps he will go and enter through the other entrance. Even if he does not go through the other entrance, there is no problem. But it is always good to be afraid of suspicion.

The same thing, if he is sitting in the synagogue, the one who sees will say, perhaps he will go to the synagogue where he regularly prays. That is, if the observer is specifically a great suspicious person and he is going to suspect him, it is no longer your problem. Once the person has done something that removes the suspicion from the suspicion, that if you are specifically a suspicious person is no longer your problem.

Fine. But also, perhaps if one knows him yes and knows that he is going to pray in this synagogue? Further, you know him, you know, normally he is busy today or he is going somewhere. But here we are speaking of a stranger who sees, you are leaving the study hall, and someone is going to pray in Belz, he does not pray with the Pupa study hall. Therefore it is always very good to pray twice a week in two study halls, because if not, every time someone will find you, he will start to think, “he is not going to come pray”.

Question: Why Is There a Law of Suspicion?

It is interesting, the Rambam says earlier he said the mitzvah is to pray with a congregation. It is a bit funny. Okay, the fact is that the mitzvah is to pray with a congregation, but we have here a matter of suspicion that it should not look like you are not praying with a congregation. Right, funny. But perhaps the opposite, until now we have spoken of one who does not pray with a congregation. Even if you do not pray today with a congregation, you are going to work and the like, you should be careful about this.

Special Permission – Tefillin on His Head

Says the Rambam further, if he had tefillin on his head, if the person is going with tefillin, then it is permitted to pass behind the synagogue even without all these, he may indeed pass behind the synagogue even without these answers. Why? Because he has something that shows that he takes seriously the prayer and the mitzvot. For the tefillin prove about him that he pursues mitzvot and is not among those who neglect prayer. For behold he proves about himself that he pursues mitzvot. Today one can say he can go wearing three kippot. He does not discard the mitzvah of tefillin, the congregation knows that he is a pious Jew. What books is he holding to learn, yes.

Opinion of Rabbeinu Yonah

Says Rabbeinu Yonah, he says it does not mean that you are a gentile. Okay, you are not a gentile, but you are one who throws off the yoke. You are not one who throws off the yoke? Today he is not going to the study hall for whichever reason, he should make sure that the congregation knows, it does not mean that you are one who throws off the yoke who does not go to synagogue.

Law 2 – Lengthy Prayer with the Congregation and Individually

Says the Rambam further, “One who prays with the congregation”. Another thing about congregation, it is interesting, these two laws are something like the relationship of an individual with the congregation. How the individual interacts with the communal prayer that does not necessarily go with his order, perhaps that is the point. Because it is something, he is the worshipper, he prays more at length, he does not want to pray with the congregation. You are still connected to enter into a destroyed synagogue. The same thing here one will see such a thing. “One who prays with the congregation should not lengthen his prayer excessively”. He should not pray too long, because he should blend in with the congregation, he should pray approximately as long as the congregation prays.

What Does “Lengthening Prayer” Mean?

But to lengthen, by the way, I want to say, I mean that to lengthen, all these expressions that say lengthening, does not mean to say each word slowly, like people who today lengthen prayer. I mean that they do their own thing, they are adding, they are adding requests. Simply to speak slowly is simply weird, one should not pray “Baruch” – no person speaks this way. I think, he does it because it is hard for him to concentrate, and I tell you, I tell you that the law, I tell you that the law, I tell you that what says lengthening does not mean… one may lengthen in prayer, one may innovate prayers.

Lengthening Individually – The Permission Is His

But individually, “but between himself and himself the permission is his”. A person alone may lengthen in prayer, and what does lengthening in prayer mean? “There is nothing in it except to increase his prayers”. If he wants to enter into the prayer of Shemoneh Esrei, he wants to add, he prays the prayer of the order of Yom Kippur, he wants to say a long prayer, the long order of Yom Kippur, “What are we, what is our life”. Ah, he says that even, he wants to say words, he is in the mood of saying “I have sinned, I have transgressed, I have rebelled”, he wants to say a sanctification of the Name, even a longer prayer, okay.

Additions in the Middle Blessings – In the Nature of the Blessing

Says the Rambam further, “And likewise if he wished to add in each and every blessing of the middle blessings in the nature of the blessing, he adds”. In a blessing he wants to make the prayer too long, but as long as it fits well in, what is in the nature of the blessing? It says by livelihood he wants to request more livelihood, he will say the Rambam gives the example, “But if he was sick or thirsty or hungry, he adds in the matter in the blessing appropriate to him”. That is, earlier what he said adding in the nature of the blessing, for peace, he adds another whole piece. Now we are speaking that even within the prayer one can add. It goes, he has a sick person, he requests peace and mercy in the blessing of the sick according to his eloquence of language. When one does not have a sick person, one requests generally for healing. When one has a sick person one wants to request much more there, he can use his own language according to his eloquence of language and request mercy for his sick person.

If he needed livelihood, he adds supplication and request in the blessing of the years. There he adds supplication and request. And in this manner, the Rambam gives here a wonderful word, according to his eloquence of language, “As long as he does not say before Him mention of a matter in awkward language”. According to how well you can. It is not a problem, you do not feel awkward, you insert something that one may not say, because he already says everything that the sages knew that one must request every day. And one usually says, it can be that when one requests for all Israel, you cannot imagine that it should come out in awkward language, but here you are requesting yourself, “Creator, help me, please”, one wants to speak personally. But according to his eloquence of language, he says, according to how much he can, as well as he can. And in this manner in each and every one of all the blessings according to the matter of the blessing.

Shomea Tefillah – All His Needs

Says the Rambam, and if he wished to ask all his needs in Shomea Tefillah, he asks. Shomea Tefillah is a general blessing that goes up for all needs, then one can request his own needs from all his needs. But, he says, he should not ask his needs neither in the first three nor in the last three, because then it is praise and thanksgiving, and it is not appropriate for requesting needs. Or even it can be, for example he wished, it is a request of the many, as we said, it is the needs of the many and not the needs of the individual. It is not a place where a person should insert his problems.

Law 4 – Prohibition of Tasting and Work Before Shacharit

Okay, says the Rambam a new law. The law of not eating before prayer, says the Rambam. Yes, it is going to go such an order. The first two laws I said, it is not clear how it comes in here. Now there will be a long order, the Rambam makes here a nice order of all kinds of things to do, or all sorts, each prayer has different laws, Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, not all have the same laws, and we begin from the early part of Shacharit. Yes. The tenth law, earlier we learned if a person is weak, says the Rambam that one should rest beforehand. Now we are speaking. Says the Rambam in the words of the law, “It is forbidden for a person to taste anything or to do work after the dawn rises until he prays the Shacharit prayer”. A person may not taste and not do any work after the dawn rises, from when it becomes early, until he prays the Shacharit prayer, until one prays. A strong law.

Work means, so that one should not do a journey, or should not go to work? No, work means labor, not Shabbat. It does not mean working. Not going to work before one prays.

The Reason – Not Only Because He Will Forget

And the Gemara says, “even to engage in his needs”, even this is already not causing that he will already against his own bodily need, that which comes to pray, comes indeed… “even to engage in his needs”, this is already not causing that he will already… his desires, he will be occupied with his desires, he will be troubled to hurry with his desires, his… this is not because he will forget to pray, but one must first pray before one works or before one eats.

Prohibition to Rise Early to His Friend’s Door

As the Rambam says here, “to rise early to his friend’s door to greet him”, one may not go to be interested in other people, ask greetings, go visit people, before he prays the Shacharit prayer.

Yes, this does not mean to say hello. It means, as he says, he says indeed “rises early to his door”, but he says, he comes to him, he comes… No, I remember that… what is it called… Rav Abba said, “even to rise early to his door” in the Gemara, “even to rise early to his door”. I read that once in the times there was such an order, there was a person, for example, he had come to a second, it is called a “patron” in the Gemara, in the Midrash, yes, “a person’s house is like his patron’s”. He had someone that he works for or something like that way, there was such an order that every early morning there was such an order. One sees indeed in the words of our sages, in other places, that one would come “rising early to the door of Rabban Gamliel”, do you remember? Early in the morning one would come to him and say, “Good morning Rabbi, I am here, tell me what I need”, and the like. One should not do this before Shacharit.

The simple meaning is, the Almighty comes before that. He is indeed your rabbi, but the Almighty comes before that. But simply to say good morning to a second person, not of this we speak. On the contrary, it says even in the middle of the blessings of Kriat Shema, okay, one may greet first. Greet first whoever is necessary, yes, between the sections he greets first even.

Distinction Between Shacharit and Musaf and Mincha

Yes, say further. Yes, not any washing of hands on the way, before praying afterwards going out. But when may one indeed eat? But tasting and doing work one may indeed taste or do work before Musaf and before Mincha. But only tasting something one may, only tasting something, but eating, a meal one does not begin close to Mincha.

Yes, but this is more about he will forget, not about the topic of tasting.

Law 5: Prohibitions Close to Mincha Gedolah

Speaker 1:

By Mincha he has already prayed Shacharit. Here one sees the importance of Shacharit — he has already accepted the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven with having done the prayer. Now it is a new topic. Before Mincha is a topic he will be drawn, he will forget, not the same topic as before Shacharit.

Says the Rambam:

Once the time of Mincha Gedolah has arrived, one should not enter the bathhouse, even to perspire, until he prays, lest he faint and neglect the prayer. And not to eat, even a casual meal, lest he be drawn into eating. And not to judgment, even to complete a judgment, lest a refutation be aroused there and be drawn. And he should not sit before the barber, lest the scissors break. And he should not enter the tannery, lest he see a loss in his work and engage in it and forget the prayer.

Explanation: Distinction Between Shacharit and Mincha

When the time of Mincha Gedolah has arrived, one may not do these things that will take his mind off praying. Not about taking the mind — he will forget. Lest he be drawn, he will be drawn too long in this and not go pray.

So, he should not enter the bathhouse, he should not enter the bathhouse even to perspire — even if he does not wash off, he only does the part of perspiring — one may not do until he prays. Why? Lest he faint, the bathhouse weakens, he will become faint and neglect the prayer.

And not to eat, one may not go eat, even a casual meal, lest he be drawn into eating.

Question: Casual Meal by Mincha vs. Shacharit

The Rambam says indeed all this close to Mincha Gedolah. But here it says indeed “but tasting close to Mincha”, meaning to say even not a small meal. A meal means that one sits down to eat, one may eat, not fast. Again, here it says even a casual meal. Tasting may be, but a casual meal one may not.

Before Shacharit one may not eat, not only one may not make a meal. He says, before Shacharit one may not taste, one may not eat. Before Mincha, tasting one may eat. If one may not sit down to a meal, even a small meal, this means a casual meal. A casual meal means a meal. Yes. A small meal, so says the commentator, in the Gemara it says a small meal. I do not mean that there is a small meal and there is a large meal. Even a small meal one may not, lest he be drawn into eating.

Judgment — Not Torah

And he says, and not to learn, one may not judge in Torah, even to complete a judgment, even if one has already finished. Why? Lest a refutation be aroused there, perhaps at the last minute a new reasoning has entered, a refutation, and it has to overturn the version. You really think you are finishing, you are already at the completion of judgment, but it can still always enter a new reasoning, and be drawn, and one will not neglect the prayer.

We are speaking here apparently in a manner when… if a person is lying deeply in learning, the Rambam said that a judgment is not learning, judgment does not have a law of Torah regarding these things. It is a judgment, new witnesses have come and the like, but it is not from one engaged in Torah, one is not engaged, one cannot come out learning, one is engaged in clarifying the reality and deciding.

Tannery

And likewise he should not sit before the barber, one may not sit before a barber, even to cut hair, even a simple haircut, until he prays, before praying. Why? Lest the scissors break, because we are afraid that the scissors will break, the pair of two scissors, the scissors not minute, it will be broken, and it will drag on and delay the time of Mincha.

The same thing, and he should not enter the tannery, one may not go before one who makes leather, I don’t know what, to make shoes, close to Mincha until he prays, lest he see a loss in his work. Ah, tannery means a person who has a business, one may not go into his business to check on his leathers close to Mincha until he prays, lest he see a loss in his work, he will see some loss that can happen, and engage in it, he will become busy with this, and forget the prayer.

A thing that takes time, a thing that can be that one must enter, yes. Every thing that can take time and the like. Yes.

Law 6: If He Began He Should Not Stop — From When Is It Considered a Beginning

English Translation

Speaker 1:

Further, he says:

But if he began, he should not stop, rather he should finish.

So if one began before mincha gedola, or even if one began, you don’t know, okay, one didn’t do it, so, meaning even if one did it by mistake, or perhaps even if one began, lo yafsik, one should not stop, ela gomer, when one finishes the job, one will pray mincha.

And the best, the halacha is not the halacha that one must pray mincha in the middle, the halacha is that one may not begin one of these things because one is afraid that he will be drawn in, that he will forget. If he doesn’t forget, he doesn’t forget, and he will be busy with this and not pray mincha.

What Does “Began” Mean?

But now there is a question, what does “began” mean? You say that once one has begun one may finish, what does “began” mean? From when is it considered a beginning? From when does it mean that one has already begun and one can already finish?

From when is it considered a beginning?

When he places the cloth on the books to proofread them — from when he has closed the handkerchief, whatever, puts on the apron, so that it shouldn’t get dirty on the person.

From when is the beginning of the bathhouse? From when does it mean that he has begun the bathhouse? When he removes his garment that is close to his flesh — until he takes off his underwear.

From when is the beginning of the tannery? When does he begin to be engaged in the tannery? When he ties the garment around his loins — from when he puts on the apron, whatever, he puts on in the manner when he begins the tannery.

Distinction Between the People of Eretz Yisrael and the People of Babylonia

From when is the beginning of eating?

The people of Eretz Yisrael, from when he washes his hands — by the people of Eretz Yisrael, from when he washes.

What is different? Look look look how it comes out.

And the people of Babylonia, from when he removes his belt — from when he opens his belt.

In Eretz Yisrael didn’t they go with a belt? Weren’t they particular about a belt? Or in Eretz Yisrael didn’t they wash? No, there is both washing. But in Babylonia it seems, so he says, in Babylonia it seems they went with the belt very tight, that one had to open the belt a bit before eating. In Eretz Yisrael they went with the belt initially, or differently, I don’t know, it wasn’t the custom, it wasn’t the whole custom of removing the belt, and therefore, how does it mean…

Today there is no such thing as the beginning of the belt, that I know of, except that the Vizhnitzer Rebbe used to open his belt before eating.

From When is the Beginning of Judgment

From when is the beginning of judgment? When does it mean the judgment begins? When the judges sit and engage in discussion — when the judges sit down and wrap themselves in a tallis, so it says that they should sit in awe and fear and wrapped.

When do they sit? If they sit nicely, from when the litigants gather — when does their beginning start? When the judges begin their judgments.

Very good.

Halacha 7: Evening Prayer — Not Eating/Sleeping Before Maariv

Speaker 1:

That was about mincha, when one may begin to do work before mincha.

There is the Gemara about maariv. Even though tefillas arvis is optional, and I learned earlier that prayer is an obligation, not optional.

He says, if it’s optional, one should make it easier. And he says so, he says so, he says so, the Rambam says:

A person should not eat nor do his work before he prays the evening prayer.

One should not come from work and say, “Also I’m afraid, I’ve already come, I’ll go eat now, I’ll sleep a bit, and afterwards I’ll pray, afterwards I’ll daven.”

It actually makes sense, because the Rambam said earlier that one should eat something, one should calm down beforehand. The person is making this calculation. But it’s a problem, because sleeping or eating is something that gets drawn out, lest sleep overcome him. He had a good nap, he meant to only sleep an hour, but he remained sleeping all night.

Rather he should pray arvis, rather he should catch a maariv, he should hurry, he should daven maariv, and only afterwards eat, drink and sleep.

Great Difficulty: Why Is There a Prohibition If Tefillas Arvis Is Optional?

Speaker 1:

So I actually don’t understand what the meaning is, because if tefillas arvis is optional, what does it matter that he forgot? He wasn’t transgressing anything at all.

The braisa that says this also speaks about krias shema, and krias shema is an obligation. Therefore, certainly one may not fall asleep before one reads krias shema. But what he says about maariv is actually very difficult. What is the meaning? Why should there be a prohibition if tefillas arvis is optional?

The Gemara says even that that braisa comes from one who holds that tefillas arvis is an obligation. But the Rambam says that it’s a mistake, and not in this piece, rather he holds that tefillas arvis is optional. So I don’t understand the question. What is actually the meaning?

Suggestions

Speaker 2:

Okay, the Rambam is speaking here to the person who is not particular. It’s actually optional, but if you are particular about maariv, it’s good advice, do it right away.

Speaker 1:

But the braisa already speaks, “they accepted it upon themselves as an obligation.” That was after the braisa, not at the same time. Not clear. I don’t know what the meaning is.

Let’s see perhaps he says a meaning. And tefillas arvis is optional.

Speaker 2:

He tells him, “it doesn’t make sense,” it doesn’t make sense to me. I want to tell you, I’m learning now about krias shema, it’s not clear to me, I don’t understand. Okay, I don’t understand the Torah so I want to tell you.

Speaker 1:

And permitted, another thing, he has a better explanation why even something is optional? I don’t understand why. No, let’s open.

Halacha 7 (Continued): Distinction Between Shacharis and Mincha — Common Occurrence

Speaker 1:

And it is permitted to get a haircut and enter the bathhouse close to shacharis, because they only decreed close to mincha, which is a common occurrence, that most people do so. But in the morning it is an uncommon occurrence, and they did not decree regarding it.

But what do you want from me? That is, what we learned that one may not make lists and buy for the bathhouse before mincha, one can before shacharis.

The meaning is a person should not eat close to mincha gedola lest it be drawn out, but close to mincha ketana he may eat. Because then is the normal time that people cut their hair, most people do so.

But shacharis there is already a matter, because for one in a thousand they did not decree. That if for everyone who goes to the bathhouse before mincha, a few people will forget, and only one person goes to the bathhouse before shacharis, you won’t forget shacharis. That is the meaning apparently, right?

Halacha 8: His Torah Is His Occupation — Interrupting Learning for Prayer

Speaker 1:

Now we will see, when a person is in the middle of learning, whether he must stop for davening.

The question is, because talmud Torah is greater than prayer, should he stop the learning and pray.

But if his Torah is his occupation, that his occupation is not Torah and he does not do any work at all, if he was engaged in Torah and at the time of prayer, he does not stop, because the mitzvah of talmud Torah is greater than the mitzvah of prayer.

So the Rambam, so says the Gemara, the Mishna, let’s just repeat an important halacha, although we don’t conduct ourselves this way.

Mishna Shabbos: We Interrupt for Krias Shema but Not for Prayer

In the Mishna it says, we interrupt for krias shema but we interrupt not for prayer. Yes? Because colleagues engaged in Torah interrupt for krias shema and not for prayer.

The Gemara says, Rabbi Yochanan said, this is specifically like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his colleagues, whose Torah is their occupation. But like us, we interrupt for krias shema and for prayer. Yes? So says the Gemara.

The Rambam’s Explanation: What Does “His Torah Is His Occupation” Mean

The Rambam explained, what is the meaning of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his colleagues? What is that? Not simply Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his colleagues who were on a high level, which is part of it. The point is, they didn’t have any work. They had the approach, they held that one doesn’t need to work, right?

So like him who couldn’t bring in another work, and therefore the Rema also says, at the time when he is engaged in it, that if there is a person whose Torah is his occupation, that he doesn’t have any other job, still he also has times when he needs to walk or he needs to do other things. I don’t mean that he learns every second, that he needs to be able to learn every second. What he needs to say is

Halacha 8 (Continued): His Torah Is His Occupation – Exempt from Prayer

Therefore, when now he is in the middle of his occupation, he is exempt from prayer. A craftsman is not exempt from prayer. A craftsman whose occupation is Torah, because the mitzvah of talmud Torah is greater than the mitzvah of prayer.

But according to the Rambam it comes out that a worker, a kollel young man whose Torah is his occupation, because he doesn’t have any other work at all, certainly there is not the halacha that in the middle of learning he doesn’t need to interrupt to daven.

It could be that about this in Likkutei Sichos one needs every day lengthy holiness when one doesn’t make a proper mincha. It could be that essentially he is exempt. Whether he is stringent for himself a stringency or a leniency, I don’t know.

By shacharis there is no problem, because by shacharis he hasn’t begun his learning. Before the learning session he is obligated to daven. The Rambam only says, in the middle of the session comes mincha, and it’s relevant mainly by mincha, because maariv one remains at home anyway.

By mincha, in the middle of learning it comes that one must daven mincha. One whose Torah is his occupation, everyone according to the simple meaning he doesn’t need to stop, because talmud Torah is greater than the mitzvah of prayer.

What is the distinction if his Torah is his occupation? Simple, you interrupt anyway for your work, and when you work you can interrupt to daven mincha. With learning not. That is the point.

Speaker 2: Yes? Makes sense?

Speaker 1: Yes. Very good.

Halacha: One Engaged in Community Needs

The Rambam says, “But one engaged in community needs is like one engaged in words of Torah”. It says that the custom today is that one does interrupt, but it’s not so simple. I mean already. Yes.

One engaged in community needs is like one engaged in words of Torah, and he is exempt from prayer. Ah, very important. We learned that from krias shema he is exempt. From krias shema he is not exempt, the learners of Torah. But one engaged in community needs is exempt both from krias shema and from prayer. He should not stop, rather he should rise and read and complete his work. As we learned by krias shema. Yes. Very good.

Halacha: Interrupting in the Middle of Prayer

The Rambam says, interrupting in the middle of davening for a great need or for fear. So, one who was engaged in prayer, says the Rambam, one praying does not interrupt his prayer, one may not interrupt in the middle of davening, except for danger to life, only if it’s danger to life. Very good.

Even if a Jewish king greets him, in the middle of davening, he should not answer him, he should not answer him, because now one is davening. Very good. Even a gentile king, he will not answer him. And the king won’t understand, and the king also learned Rambam, he knows that you are in the middle of davening and you have no fear of the kingdom.

Discussion: Why by Krias Shema May One Interrupt Out of Fear?

Speaker 2: But… by krias shema yes, for simple fear of honor. I need to understand precisely why.

Speaker 1: Because by krias shema the law is that between the sections, between the… between the… between the sections, out of fear, we don’t mean fear of theft, what it says out of fear means to say a person whom one must honor, one must fear. But for krias shema specifically he should interrupt, not just so.

Speaker 2: Ah, because it’s not a blessing in vain.

Speaker 1: Ah, because prayer is something one does usually, one is attached, and it’s very obvious. Krias shema is something just at that time one needs to read krias shema.

Speaker 2: No, no, no, that is the reason why out of fear one may interrupt, because that is less severe. Prayer is less… krias shema, the blessings of krias shema are less severe than prayer. That even for a king is a serious thing, he cannot interrupt. For a gentile king one may, because there is already a bit of danger, lest he kill him. Very good.

Halacha: A Gentile King or Oppressor Comes Toward Him

If he was standing in prayer and saw a gentile king or oppressor coming toward him, instead of interrupting in the middle, he should shorten. Shorten means he should say each prayer quickly, or he can say Havineinu, or even each blessing he will leave out a few words from each blessing until he comes quickly to the end.

And if he cannot, if he can’t, he doesn’t have enough time, or he doesn’t know how to shorten, he should stop, he should stop in the middle. He should stop, yes, because of danger to life.

Halacha: Snake or Danger in the Middle of Prayer

The same thing, and so if he saw a snake coming toward him, so if it reached him, they come very close to him, and it is its way, and they are dangerous in the place where he is, they can kill him, and it’s obvious that he should quickly stop and try to run away.

When one puts in the way in a lion, if they cannot kill in one step, he doesn’t need to stop. A lion is presumably not specifically, if they are many and they will cause great suffering, it’s obvious that he must stop.

Discussion: Snake and Not Scorpion

The point is, the Mishna says such language, “even if a snake is wrapped around his heel he should not stop.” The Gemara says, this is only in a place where there is no danger. The Gemara doesn’t say this language, the Gemara says “a snake and not a scorpion.”

The Rambam understood that it doesn’t mean specifically a snake or scorpion. The Gemara speaks in a manner that a scorpion is usually… The point is, a snake, it depends which snake. We are not accustomed to snakes, and in general, perhaps one will be frightened, but many snakes, he will just go and he will go away. He is not a danger. Let him, let him continue davening.

But if it is the way that the snake is indeed a lion, certainly he must throw it off. It’s not things that require self-sacrifice, not the three severe ones, yes? Simple things. Yes.

Halacha: Women, Slaves, Minors – Obligation of Prayer

The Rambam says further, who is exempt from prayer and who is obligated? The Rambam says, “Women and slaves and minors are obligated in prayer”. Why? Because the essence of prayer is apparently not a time-bound commandment. Very good, because it’s a prayer for mercy, and women also need mercy, they also need a Father to help them.

“And anyone who is exempt from krias shema, is exempt from prayer”. Like the groom that we learned, one engaged in a mitzvah, it’s a kal vachomer that he is exempt from prayer. And yet there is one distinction.

Distinction: Women Are Obligated in Prayer but Exempt from Krias Shema

All these laws, all the laws that we learned in the laws of krias shema chapters 3 and 4, I don’t remember where it said whoever is exempt from krias shema is also exempt from prayer, because prayer is a lesser severity. Except for women, regarding whom it is reversed. Women are obligated in prayer but exempt from krias shema.

Discussion: Are Women Obligated in All Rabbinic Laws of Prayer?

We already asked the inquiry whether this means that they are obligated actually in all rabbinic laws of prayer, or is it only from the Torah, the essence of prayer. Not clear.

Speaker 2: What happened here that it was said that perhaps it’s only rabbinic? And the Rambam sounds that they are indeed obligated in prayer simply. I don’t understand here the distinction.

Speaker 1: But there is indeed one leniency that is by prayer even more than krias shema, right? That is, accompanying the dead, even not someone for whom the dead is obligated. Earlier by krias shema we learned that one who accompanies the dead, only the one whom the dead needs them is exempt. But regarding prayer, everyone who goes out to honor, to honor a dead person, to accompany, even if they don’t need him for the dead, are exempt from prayer. Very good. So… Very good. That is the halacha.

Discussion: Are Women Obligated in Rabbinic Prayer?

He brings here actually, there is, the Rambam explained further in chapter 1 that since the obligation from the Torah is not time-bound, therefore women are obligated, it’s implied from that that actually not obligated in the rabbinic, only in the Torah obligation.

But Rashi and others argued that it could be that the rule that women are exempt from positive time-bound commandments is only a rule on Torah obligations, rabbinic commandments even time-bound they can be obligated, according to this they should indeed be obligated in proper prayer.

The Custom: Women Don’t Pray

But the custom, the custom is like the Magen Avraham already said that the custom is that they are exempt, that they don’t conduct themselves to daven. Although the Mishna Berura for example rules that they are obligated, he brings that the Chofetz Chaim’s son writes that his mother almost didn’t daven, it’s the custom even the Chofetz Chaim’s own custom.