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Meaning in Mitzvot -
Lesson 10

Simanim 16-17 - Rules of Shema

21.09.2014
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This shiur is dedicated to the memory of Ze'ev Wolf ben Shlomo Packer by his loving children and grandchildren, the Sterman, Packer, and Sicklick families.

SIMAN 16 - INTERRUPTIONS IN SHEMA AND ITS BENEDICTIONS

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1. INTERRUPTIONS IN READING SHEMA

 

The Mishna tells us that in the middle of Keriat Shema and its blessings we may "greet someone out of awe, and return a greeting out of respect," whereas if we are in between sections we may even "greet out of respect, and reply to anyone" (1).  The Shulchan Arukh (2) explains that we are in awe of our father or Rabbi, or any great Torah scholar, and we also fear (in a different way) a secular ruler or violent person.  The Mishna Berura explains that we want to honor a scholar, or a powerful or wealthy man.

 

This surprising permission to make an interlude in Shema - which is after all the acceptance of the Yoke of God's kingdom - is derived in the Yerushalmi (3) from the words of the first paragraph of the Shema itself.  The phrase "ve-dibarta bam" - "and you shall speak OF them [the words of the shema]" is rendered "and you shall speak IN them," in other words, in the middle of the Shema!

 

As the note at the end of this chapter of the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh points out, we no longer have this custom.  Nowadays concepts of honor are different, and one is likely to be insulted because we delay greeting them in the middle of the most important part of our liturgy.  Even so, there is an important lesson in this halakha.  Our acceptance of the dominion of heaven needs to be expressed in a way that respects and leaves room for ordinary human interaction - even when this relates to human weakness like the need for honor or the fear of a powerful figure (4).

 

2. RESPONDING TO OTHER PRAYERS

 

Surprisingly, many early authorities felt that even though we MAY interrupt the Shema sequence for greeting, we may NOT interrupt to respond to other prayers (such as Kaddish)!  They reasoned that since we are already praising HaShem, what is there to gain by interrupting for an alternate praise?

 

However, the Kitzur rules that for COMMUNAL praises we may interrupt even in the middle of a section, and between sections we may interrupt even to reply amen to an individual's blessing.  He can respond to the claim of the other opinions with two possible rejoinders.

 

The first is that there is a difference between the praise of the individual (in the benedictions of the Shema) and that of the community (to which the individual may respond).  By interrupting our own Shema - even IN THE MIDDLE of a section - to join in communal praises, we show that our personal relationship with God is not in contradiction with our national, communal relationship.

 

The second important point is that the Shema is not really a prayer.  The words of the Shema are not directed to God but rather to ourselves - "Hear, O Israel!"  There is a danger that we could relate to this meditation on God's unity as if God were some vague abstract "first cause."  So BETWEEN sections, it is appropriate to allow interruption of the Shema to affirm the individual's praises of God, demonstrating our belief that God is an active, vital presence in the life of every individual.

 

3. THE ESSENCE OF "KEDUSHA" (se'if 3)

 

The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh explains that even though we interrupt the Shema sequence to respond to "kedusha" - the third blessing of the prayer leader's repetition of the Shmoneh Esrei - we only take part in the first two responses, affirming God's holiness and glory, but not the third response affirming His eternal kingship.  The reason is that in kedusha we liken ourselves to the angels, and only the first two responses are from the songs of the angels in the prophecies of Yeshayahu and Yechezkel (5).

 

 

SIMAN 17 - RECITATION OF SHEMA

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1. WHAT DOES THE SHEMA SAY? (se'if 3)

 

Rav Ganzfried emphasizes that the text of the Shema contains two separate, though related, messages: HaShem is OUR God, the God of Israel; and HaShem is One.  The first half of the message emphasizes that God is not merely some abstract entity but rather He is "ours" - has a relation to us - as human beings, and furthermore emphasizes the special relationship of God with His chosen people in particular (6).  Even so, we do not thereby "parochialize" God to a national object of worship, rather we affirm that He is the one God.

 

It is important to notice that saying "HaShem is One" is not at all the same as saying that there is only one God.  Such "monotheism" is a simple numerical assertion, in itself lacking religious significance. What is most important is not that there is one God as opposed to two or more (7), but rather that God is One - He is the unity of the whole universe, the Master and the Meaning of all that exists.

 

2. THE MITZVA OF KERIAT SHEMA (se'if 3)

 

Between men and women there is a difference in regards to biblical obligation of reciting Shema.  Men have a SPECIFIC Torah commandment to say Shema morning and evening, in the times explained in the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh (se'if 1).  Women have a more general obligation to accept the yoke of God's kingdom upon themselves, and they customarily fulfill this obligation through reciting Shema.  It follows that the specific times are not mandatory for them.

 

In addition, the Sages established that Shema and its benedictions should be said as part of the morning prayer service, and this applies both to men and to women.

 

3. BARUKH SHEM KEVOD MALKHUTO - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 

This blessing is actually a bit cryptic, and varying interpretations exist.  One version puts a comma after the second word, yielding something like "Blessed is His Name; His glorious kingdom is forever."  It is more common, and simpler grammatically, to translate, "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever."  Even more precise would be to say, "Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom for ever."  But what on earth (or in heaven) is the "name" of His kingdom, or "of its glory, and why should we want to bless it?!

 

In fact, the idea of a "name" is of crucial importance in Jewish thought.  We respond to the opening of any blessing by saying "Blessed be He and blessed be His Name;" the masters of the Kabbala have explained that the entire Torah is "names" of God (8); and indeed in ordinary discourse, when, out of awe, we refrain from mentioning God's name, we refer to Him as "HaShem" - the Name!

 

In the first place, the very ability to give an identifier to someone, or something, implies an ability to comprehend and distinguish it.  A piece of property may be uniquely identified by a lot or subdivision number, a person by an identity number of Social Security number (9).  A number - even MORE than a name - testifies to uniqueness.

 

However, a name is more than an arbitrary identification tag.  Ideally, a name serves as a DESCRIPTION - it bears some relation to the unique character of the name's bearer (10).  It may be that Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal or Thomas Jefferson's Monticello bear subdivision numbers, but it is the names which conjure up visions of these magnificent structures (11). 

 

The entire Torah is an explicit revelation of God's will.  Every aspect of the Torah - the narratives, the laws, and even the letter combinations - reveals to us something about Godliness.  So it is proper to view it as consisting of Divine Names.  The very fact that God can have a name is what enables us to know of Him and of His ways, so it is very fitting that we should bless Him and His name, for were it not for His name we would have no way of blessing Him.

 

The glory of God's kingdom also has a name.  We are able to apprehend the splendor of creation as something separate from God Himself (though subordinated to Him) and at the same time as something over and above all the individual expressions of God's sovereignty.

 

First we recite the Shema, affirming God's unity and implicitly asserting that there is no existence without God.  Then we bless the name of the glory of His kingdom, appreciating the fact that we also grasp the beauty of God's world as something separate from the Creator.

 

4. BARUKH SHEM KEVOD MALKHUTO - WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?

 

The gemara says that the phrase originated with the Patriarch Yaakov.  Yaakov was not sure if his sons were on the high spiritual level befitting the heirs of HaShem's covenant.  His sons reassured him by reciting in unison the Shema, proving to him their pure belief in HaShem.  In response, Yaakov exclaimed, "Barukh shem kevod malkhuto le-olam va'ed" (12).

 

That is all very well, but it seems rather strange for us to interrupt the Torah commandment of reading KS in order to say this phrase, which is not from Scripture at all.  The gemara describes the difficulty as follows: How can we say [barukh shem kevod] - Moshe Rabbeinu didn't say it [and we are interrupting the words of his Torah]!  But how can we NOT say it - Yaakov Avinu DID say it!  The compromise is to say it in a whisper.

 

Perhaps we can explain this remarkable aggada by recalling a halakha brought in the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh in siman 6, se'if 4.  There the Kitzur rules that any time we mistakenly take God's name in vain (such as by reciting a mistaken berakha), we should repeat the phrase "Barukh Shem kevod malkhuto le-olam va'ed."  Could it be that we are afraid that there is a hint of taking God's name in vain in saying the Shema?  (13).

 

The idea is actually not far-fetched.  The gemara reveals that even the Ministering Angels are not on a high enough spiritual level to recite the Shema (14).  It is only natural that we should be worried that we also are not on the appropriate level of holiness.  Should we then say "Barukh Shem" afterwards?  Well, Moshe Rabbeinu did NOT say it.  HE was not worried about the spiritual level of the Jewish people (15).  But can we really omit it, boldly demonstrating our belief in our holiness?  After all, Yaakov Avinu DID say it (16).  The solution is to say it in a whisper, displaying a modest stance towards our unique holiness but not false modesty by proclaiming it aloud (17).

 

5. GRASPING THE TZITZIT (se'if 7)

 

The Kitzur mentions the custom of holding the tzitzit in the left hand while reciting the first two sections of Keriat Shema, and in the right hand in the last section.  It is easy to understand why we hold and look at them in the final paragraph of the Shema, where it is written "and you shall see them," that is, the tzitzit.

 

The custom of holding the tzitzit during the first two sections is based on the words "and these devarim [words or things] ... shall be upon your heart."  Words can not literally be placed on someone's heart, so these words seem to hint that a practical mitzva should be placed on our hearts.  And the specifically PRACTICAL mitzva of the Shema sequence is tzitzit (18).

 

 

Endnotes:

 

(1)  Berakhot 13a.

(2)  Orach Chayim 66.

(3)  Yerushalmi Berakhot, at the very end of chapter 2 halakha 1.

(4)  This is closely related to something we pointed out on the note to siman 10 se'if 2.  The time of Keriat Shema, about 50 minutes before sunrise, is expressed in the gemara as the time when one can recognize his friend.  The message of this surprising way of designating the time, is that before we can recognize our Maker, we have to be able to recognize our fellow man.

(5)  One source for limiting the main kedusha to the first two responses is in the Tosefta, Berakhot 1:9.  The explanation regarding the angels is brought in the name of Shulchan Arukh HaRav.  The prophecy of Yeshayahu is in chapter 6, that of Yechezkel is in chapter 3.

(6)  According to Rashi's explanation in his commentary on the Torah, the affirmation "HaShem is OUR God" is not meant to refer specifically to the people of Israel and generally to all mankind, as I explained, but on the contrary to emphasize that as of now, God is ONLY ours.  However, Rashi understands that the closing "HaShem is One" points to a future time when all mankind will be united in the worship of HaShem.  So while my explanation differs GRAMMATICALLY from that of Rashi, the ultimate message is the same.

(7)  For instance, someone who believed that God had a body could still be technically considered a monotheist if he believed that only one embodied being was divine.  But such a belief is very far from Jewish  - and indeed Rambam counts God's unity and incorporeality as two different axioms of faith. See what Rav Kook had to say about the sterility of monotheism as a religious concept in letter 44 in his collected letters.

(8)  This is mentioned in the introduction of the Ramban to his commentary on the Torah.  This is also mentioned in the Zohar, parshat Yitro (II 87a).

(9)  Though some libertarians take advantage of the law's permission to refrain from using a Social Security number as in identity number, and instead pay their taxes with a Taxpayer Identification Number, apply for a separate number for a driver's license, and so on.

(10)  This is disputed by some modern philosophers of language, but I have always been skeptical of their claims.

(11)  Occasionally, an identification number may be "promoted" to a name, as in the case of the mountain K2. In these cases, the very anonymity of the name contributes to the description of the bearer, in this case testifying to the geographical and spiritual remoteness of the peak which foreigners never reached and which locals were too awed to attach a name to.

(12)  Pesachim 56a.

(13)  See Ya'arot Devash I pg. 50.

(14)  Chullin 91b.

(15)  Indeed, Moshe was sure that they were on a level which would enable them to receive the Torah without his mediation, until the people and HaShem corrected him.  See Devarim 5:24 and Rashi's commentary there.

(16)  And indeed it was characteristic of Yaakov that he was never sure of his spiritual level; see Bereshit 28:20-22, and especially 32:11 and Rashi's commentary there.

(17)  The Midrash (Devarim Rabba Vaetchanan s.v. Ve-lama) explains that Moshe learned "Barukh Shem Kevod" from the angels and taught it to Israel.  According to this explanation, this would be precisely because they don't have permission to recite the Shema themselves!  It would follow that when we say "Barukh Shem" aloud at Yom Kippur since we are like the angels, it is NOT because we are on a high spiritual level but on the contrary because we have acquired a proper awe of God and realize what an awesome privilege it is to utter the Shema.

(18)  Ittur gate II section 3, based on Midrash Shocher Tov (Midrash Tehillim).  The gemara (Berakhot 14b) explains that the first chapter of Shema refers to teaching ("and you shall review them with your children"), learning ("and you shall speak of them"), and doing (tefillin and mezuza); the second to teaching ("and you shall teach them to your children") and doing; and the third to doing alone (tzitzit). Tzitzit is the mitzva singled out to exemplify doing alone.

 

 

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